Unicorn Camera

Good EYES — Lens Modification Begins

“You have good eyes.”�This was a comment given to me by a senior photographer, and it is a sentence I have cherished ever since.

People often say that the most important part of a great photograph is the thinking “mind” behind the camera. But for a camera itself, the lens is its eyes. After thirty years as a photographer, I have deeply realized how important a stable and reliable camera, combined with a lens that is intuitive to use and has its own distinct imaging character, is to photographic creation.

EYES was the very first inspiration for the exterior design of this lens.

�I wanted to design a lens—one that functions like eyes: faithful, perceptive, and capable of helping photographers record every fleeting moment.

Lens modification turned out to be far more difficult than I initially imagined. At the beginning, I believed that simply combining suitable vintage components could result in a usable, even excellent, lens. However, through repeated testing and real-world shooting, I gradually came to understand that truly reliable lens modification must start from zero.�

This means remanufacturing all components specifically for the lens, including the direction, pitch, and angle of the threads; the overall proportions of the lens body; the visual and structural balance between the lens and the camera body; and even the final paint finish. Every single detail directly affects the user experience.

Weight balance was one of the most important factors I considered when choosing materials for the lens. Leica cameras are often described as feeling “heavy” in the hand—what we commonly call a reassuring weight. To achieve this sense of stability and solid balance, I chose to use solid brass for all components of the modified lens, resulting in an ideal overall weight distribution.

Focusing feel and focusing precision are details photographers care deeply about. For this reason, I redesigned the focusing structure and modified the M6 thread parameters.
A few days ago, a customer asked whether I used a Russian lens focusing base. In fact, I had previously tested and photographed extensively with various Russian lens designs, but ultimately rejected this solution for one simple reason: the focusing throw was too short to allow precise focusing. As a result, I chose to redesign the focusing base entirely, solving the problem at the structural level.

Today, M Mount and L39 Mount are both very popular. The M mount is currently Leica’s most widely used and versatile mount, and it can also be adapted to many different camera systems through adapters. At the same time, the resurgence of film photography has brought new vitality to the L39 mount, making it an essential option to consider in my design.

Today, a customer asked me how a lens like this is modified. I told him that it involves many details and steps. When people see the original design sketches and hear about the modification concept, it often sounds smooth and simple—as if designing the exterior and assembling the parts would naturally lead to a perfect lens. In reality, moving from an idea to a finished product requires countless revisions, tests, and rejections before arriving at a result truly worthy of being handed to photographers for use.
�
This is also how Good EYES came into being.

Unicorn Camera

Cooke Telekinic 75mm f4 supports full-frame.
Modifying this lens was challenging. Normally, this lens can cover the CMOS of an APS-C half-frame camera. To achieve full-frame coverage, I made special parts, and now it can be used on Leica cameras. Although I did not implement the Leica rangefinder modem linkage, the Leica M series can still focus on the screen, and the new Leica cameras can focus and shoot using the electronic viewfinder.
Of course, this shot can be taken entirely with the Leica M EV1 series.

Flying

Konica Hexanon 45mm F1.8 Modify Sony E mount Lens