MS Optics Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2

MS Optics · Leica M · 2016 · Double-Gauss, six elements in four groups

Also known as: MS Optics Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 · MS-Optics Apoqualia-G 28mm F2 · MS Optical Apoqualia-G 28mm F2 · Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 · Apoqualia-G 28/f2 · Apoqualia-G 2/28 F·MC · Apoqualia 28mm f/2 · Apoqualia 2/28 · Apoqualia II 28mm F2 · Apoqualia-II 28mm f/2 · Apoqualia-II 2/28 F·MC · Apoqualia III 28mm f2 · Apoqualia-III 2/28mm F-MC · Apoqualia-G 28mm F2 III · APOQUALIA-G M28mm F2.0 · Apolia-G 28/f2 · APOQUARIA 28mm/F2 · MS Optics 28mm f2 Apoqualia · MS-Optics 28mm f/2 · MS Optical 28mm f/2 · 宮崎光学 APOQUALIA-G 28mm F2 · 宮崎光學 APOQUALIA-G 28MM F2 · 宮崎光学アポクオリア 28mm F2 · アポクアリア 28mm F2

Variants & identification

Variant	Mount	Years	Serial ranges	Production
Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 (Type I, 2016)	Leica M	2016	—	—
Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 II (Type II, 2018)	Leica M	2018	—	200 (shige's specification table for his Type II lens, 製造数 200); whether this covers every finish is not stated
Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 III F-MC (Type III, 2019)	Leica M	2019	—	—
Urushi Wajima lacquer (Gold, Black, Red)	Leica M	—	—	—
Urushi special edition 'Blue Ocean' (Type III)	Leica M	—	—	—

Formula: six elements in four groups in the 2016 announcement, MK Direct's product page, Reeve's review, oldlens.jp and shige's tables. Japan Exposures' pages for the first and second versions say five elements in four groups, and Digital Camera World repeated that in 2020; the maker's own pages do not give it.
Weight: 70 g in the 2016 announcement, Japan Exposures and shige. Reeve measured 48 g for a Type I without its hood, MK Direct gives 50 g (60 g as a set) for the Type III, and oldlens.jp measured 46 g. The 70 g in the family row is the published figure, not a weighing.
Filter: 28 mm × 0.75 in the announcement and at Japan Exposures; shige notes the hood screws into this 28 mm thread, and Reeve could find no way to fit a filter with the hood in place. MK Direct gives M30.5 for the Type III, correcting its own earlier 'M28'; shige still lists 28 mm for Types II and III. A Hong Kong seller, Eyescoffee, offered a matching 28 mm UV filter free with each lens while stocks lasted.
Closest focus is left out of the family row because it differs by version and by source: 0.9 m coupled (0.6–0.9 m on mirrorless) at launch, and 0.75–0.9 m on mirrorless at Japan Exposures; for the Type I, 0.8 m in Reeve and in shige's specification list, but 0.75 m with coupling to 0.9 m in shige's comparison table; for the Type III 0.8 m coupled and 0.55 m uncoupled on MK Direct's page, 0.6 m at oldlens.jp, 0.35 m in shige for Types II and III.
Ten blades and f/16 are from shige's tables; Reeve counted ten rounded blades on his Type I, and oldlens.jp also gives f/16. No maker source gives the blade count.
Batch sizes: only the Type II has a figure, 200, from shige's specification table. Japan Exposures calls each version an 'initial lot' without a number, and MK Direct says the lens was reissued three times between 2016 and 2021.
Prices. Maker and launch: ¥100,000 announced in October 2016 (Leica Rumors); ¥90,000 Japanese list for the Type I (Reeve) and ¥90,000 before tax (shige), with ¥90,000–120,000 before tax for Types II and III (shige). Dealer: Japan Exposures ¥109,900 for each of the first two versions (¥99,900 on sale for the first), plus ¥10,000 for silver or S-240 and ¥20,000 for urushi, tax not stated; Eyescoffee in Hong Kong US$1,139 silver and US$1,289 gold, plus US$50 shipping, undated. Digital Camera World gave ¥129,900 for each urushi finish in 2020. Market asks: a gold urushi lens at US$1,480 on eBay (Digital Camera World, 2020); about $1,000 on eBay for the lens in general (Reeve, 2023); US$1,375 for a Type III and US$1,800 for a Type III Urushi Gold on eBay; HK$13,800 for the Blue Ocean edition (dcfever, 2022).
An urushi 'Mountain Edition' said to have been sold through Japan Camera Hunter, a maki-e Type III (漆蒔絵, 海) said to be in Map Camera's buyback list, and a blue urushi lens said to have sold on Fred Miranda in 2024 are reported by collectors but not documented by a dealer page or listing cited here, so they have no rows and no prices.

How to tell them apart (expand)

Every version is a 50 mm disc about 10 mm deep, with a focusing lever and the aperture set by turning the screw-in hood (Reeve; shige, who notes there are no click stops)
Type I focuses only to the rangefinder's limit (0.8–0.9 m); Types II and III go on past it, to 0.55 m (MK Direct) or 0.35 m (shige), for live-view use
The name carries the version: no numeral on the first lens, II on the second, III (often with F-MC) on the third
The Apoqualia 28mm f/1.7 of 2023 is a different lens on its own page: also 50 mm across but 10.2 mm deep (shige), sold as the APOQUALIA 1.7/28

Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 (Type I, 2016):

Sold without a Roman numeral: Japan Exposures listed it as 'MS Apoqualia-G 28/f2', against 'Apoqualia-G 28/f2 II' for the second version
Focuses only to the rangefinder's limit: the whole lens turns about 90° from 0.8 m to infinity, coupled all the way (Reeve); the 2016 announcement gives 0.9 m coupled and 0.6–0.9 m on mirrorless bodies
Black or silver at launch (Digital Trends, October 2016); shige lists silver, black, silver rhodium and classic nickel
Reeve measured 48 g without the hood, against the 70 g announced

Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 II (Type II, 2018):

'II' in the name: Japan Exposures sold it as 'Apoqualia-G/Apolia-G 28/f2 II', Leica Rumors and Digital Camera World call it the Apoqualia-II
Focuses past the rangefinder: coupled to 0.8 m, then on to 0.35 m for live view on a mirrorless body (shige). Japan Exposures' page repeats the first version's 0.9 m figures
Offered by Japan Exposures in black, silver or S-240 (silver and S-240 +¥10,000) and urushi Wajima Gold, Black or Red (+¥20,000); the hood is black on every finish. shige calls the second version the one with the most colour options

Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 III F-MC (Type III, 2019):

'III' in the name: MK Direct sells it as APOQUALIA2/28 Ⅲ, oldlens.jp reviews an 'APOQUALIA-Ⅲ 28mm f2 F-MC', and eBay sellers write 'Apoqualia III 28mm f2' or 'Apoqualia-III 2/28mm F-MC'
MK Direct's product page: coupled to 0.8 m, 0.55 m uncoupled; ф50 × 9.8 mm; 50 g, 60 g as a set; M30.5 filter, a correction of its own earlier 'M28'
Light: oldlens.jp measured 46 g and gives 0.6 m closest focus

Urushi Wajima lacquer (Gold, Black, Red):

Urushi lacquer over the anodised aluminium barrel (Digital Camera World), in gold, black or red; the hood stays black (Japan Exposures)
Camera-wiki records one as 'MS-Optics Apoqualia-II 2/28 F·MC Micro Gauss BL-028 Urushi'
shige's lacquered Type II shows the finish's weakness: it chips from rubbing in a bag or a light knock

Urushi special edition 'Blue Ocean' (Type III):

An urushi third-version lens that its seller described as 'URUSHII SPECIAL EDITION, BLUE OCEAN VER.'

Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 (Type I, 2016): The launch lens, announced in October 2016 at ¥100,000 (Leica Rumors). Digital Trends reported it at about $970 on pre-order through Japan Camera Hunter's online shop, with lenses shipped first come, first served as they were made. Reeve, reviewing this version in 2023, notes that aperture is set by a small inner ring that also carries the hood, so the hood is the practical aperture control, and that on a Leica M10 the lens does not fully cover the 6-bit code reader, so bright light can make the camera think the lens has changed; he covered the reader with tape. Daniel Schaefer's long-term report for JCH, published in September 2017 and so on a lens of this version though he does not name it, found that the bezel around the rear element is the part most likely to work loose and advised a careful twist at each monthly cleaning. Japan Exposures' page for this version headlines a 'limited Japanese gold and red black lacquer finish', though its finish options are only black and silver.
Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 II (Type II, 2018): A new barrel on the same optics. MK Direct's photograph of the three versions side by side, published in March 2021, is the clearest way to tell them apart, and it was assembled from spare parts because the shop had no complete earlier lenses. The lacquered lenses of this version are a separate row below. Japan Exposures does not say what the S-240 finish is.
Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 III F-MC (Type III, 2019): MK Direct announced a repeat production in March 2021, calling this 'Part III' the result of three reissues since launch, with minor revisions to the design and the lens, and the best-selling lens Miyazaki has made. The product page carries Miyazaki's own note on the design: astigmatism fully corrected, 0.3 mm of field curvature left, distortion a fifth to an eighth of a retrofocus 28, and coma flare from mid-field to the corners between f/2 and f/2.5 that he treats as the lens's character; from f/4 it is an all-round lens. Serial numbers are shipped at random and cannot be chosen. The same page still prints the first version's focusing line (∞–0.9 m, 0.9–0.75 m on mirrorless) above its own 0.8 m and 0.55 m figures. shige gives 0.35 m for Types II and III alike.
Urushi Wajima lacquer (Gold, Black, Red): Japan Exposures offered urushi Wajima Gold, Black and Red on the second version at ¥20,000 over the ¥109,900 base. Digital Camera World (21 September 2020) reported the black and gold already available and the red just added, all three at ¥129,900 and sold out almost everywhere, with a gold lens then offered on eBay at US$1,480; Leica Rumors announced the red on 9 September 2020. Neither says when the black and gold first appeared. The finish continued on the third version: an eBay listing is titled 'MS-Optics Apoqualia III 28mm f/2 F･MC Urushi Gold'. No count for the lacquered lenses has been published.
Urushi special edition 'Blue Ocean' (Type III): Known from a Hong Kong listing with photographs, posted 5 May 2022: 'RARE MS OPTICS 宮崎光學 MS OPTICAL APOQUALIA-G 28MM F2 III (LEICA M MOUNT)', like new, asking HK$13,800, later withdrawn. The seller's specification block repeats the 2016 launch figures and gives no edition size and no date of manufacture.

Specifications

Formula: Double-Gauss, six elements in four groups
Designed by: Miyazaki Sadayasu — optical design, manufacture and hand assembly
Construction: 6 elements / 4 groups
Aperture range: f/2–f/16
Diaphragm blades: 10
Dimensions: 50 × 9.8 mm
Weight: 70 g
Filter: 28 mm (0.75 mm pitch) (Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 (Type I, 2016), Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 II (Type II, 2018), Urushi Wajima lacquer (Gold, Black, Red), Urushi special edition 'Blue Ocean' (Type III)) · 30.5 mm (Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 III F-MC (Type III, 2019))
Years manufactured: 2016
Country: Japan
Coating: Multicoated on all glass surfaces (Japan Exposures; Reeve found every element multicoated); later lenses are named F·MC or F-MC
Material: Anodised aluminium (Japan Exposures); urushi lacquer over the aluminium on the lacquered editions (Digital Camera World)
Original price: ¥100,000 at the October 2016 announcement (Leica Rumors, about $970; tax status not stated). Phillip Reeve's review gives a Japanese list price of ¥90,000 for the first version, and shige's table ¥90,000 before tax. Japan Exposures, an export dealer, listed the first version at ¥109,900 and the second at ¥109,900 in black anodising, ¥119,900 in silver or S-240 and ¥129,900 in urushi lacquer; Japan Exposures does not say whether tax is included. (today ¥111,000)

What reviewers say

BastianK (phillipreeve.net) (blog) — A Type I tested in 2023 and found disappointing: strong field curvature, focus shift when stopping down to f/2.8–4, about 4 EV of vignetting wide open and corners that need f/11–16. Good centre, almost no lateral colour. He points buyers to the Voigtländer 28/2 Ultron II, or MS Optics' own Aporia 24/2 for stopped-down work.
Daniel Schaefer (Japan Camera Hunter) (blog) — A long-term report, strongly in favour: subjects pop and the background swirls almost like a Petzval wide open, the plane of focus behaves oddly with sharp edges and a wandering centre, and the tiny size is worth the quirks. The handmade lens needs upkeep: the rear element's bezel works loose and should be checked at each cleaning.
oldlens.jp (blog) — A Type III on an adapted mirrorless body: gentle, soft rendering with Gauss coma and glowing highlights wide open, but a sharp, contrasty centre and a good all-round lens from f/4. Strengths and weaknesses are both extreme, so it will divide people; the tiny barrel makes the cap and aperture fiddly. via machine translation — corrections welcome

Optical Ratings

Aggregated from the reviews above — follow the links for the full picture.

Vignetting: heavy wide open
Coma: strong wide open
Distortion: low

History

The Apoqualia-G 28mm f/2 is a double-Gauss 28 built to the size of a body cap: a 50 mm disc under 10 mm deep, announced in October 2016 at ¥100,000 and, like every MS Optics lens, designed, made and hand-assembled by Miyazaki Sadayasu. In his note on the lens Miyazaki sets it against modern 28mm f/2 lenses that reach their performance through retrofocus and aspheric designs and grow large doing it; he kept the six-element, four-group Gauss instead. He gives the focal length as 28.8 mm and the aperture as f/2.08. In 2021 MK Direct, the maker’s own shop, called it the best-selling lens he has made.

The size has a cost, and Miyazaki states it himself on the Type III product page. Astigmatism is corrected but 0.3 mm of field curvature is left, and coma flare spreads from mid-field to the corners between f/2 and f/2.5, which he calls the apertures where the lens shows its character; from f/4 he calls it an all-round lens. Reviewers split on the verdict. BastianK, writing for Phillip Reeve’s site on a Type I, found strong field curvature, focus shift on stopping down to f/2.8–4 and about four stops of vignetting wide open, and named the Voigtländer 28mm f/2 Ultron II as the best-balanced alternative. Daniel Schaefer, after a long-term test for Japan Camera Hunter, liked the way subjects pop against a swirling background wide open, and oldlens.jp liked its gentle, soft rendering around a sharp centre. On the Sony NEX-7 the rear element sits close enough to the sensor to cause colour casts at the edges of the frame; shige saw this on that body but not on the NEX-5 or NEX-6.

There are three versions with the same optics, each with its own barrel, and they differ mainly in close focus. The first, of 2016, focuses only to the rangefinder’s limit, 0.75–0.9 m depending on the source. The second, of 2018, and the third, of 2019, couple to 0.8 m and then keep going, to 0.55 m by MK Direct’s figure or 0.35 m by shige’s, for live view on a mirrorless body. MK Direct describes the third as a minor revision of both design and lens. The version is in the name: no numeral on the first, II on the second, III, usually with F-MC, on the third. The clearest guide to the barrels is the photograph of all three in MK Direct’s March 2021 post. The only batch figure published is 200 for the Type II, in shige’s specification table.

The first version came in black or silver. The second added a finish Japan Exposures calls S-240 and urushi Wajima lacquer in gold, black and, from September 2020, red, each urushi lens at ¥129,900. Lacquered lenses also exist on the third version, and a Type III that its seller called the ‘Blue Ocean’ urushi special edition was offered in Hong Kong in 2022. shige warns that the lacquer chips from rubbing in a bag or a light knock, so check any urushi lens for chips. Schaefer found that the rear element’s bezel works loose, so check that it is tight. Reeve found that on a Leica M10 the lens does not fully cover the 6-bit code reader, so bright light can make the camera think the lens has changed; a piece of tape fixes it. The Apoqualia 28mm f/1.7 of 2023 succeeds this lens with the same six-element Gauss layout and has its own page. The Apoqualia-G 35mm f/1.4 is the same kind of Gauss design at 35 mm.

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This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.

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