ep74 - From Refugee Camp to Reinventing Vintage Glass: Guest Ron Sim from Simmod Lens

Ron Sim’s journey from a Cambodian refugee camp to becoming the founder of Simmod Lens is anything but typical. In this heartfelt and revealing conversation with Johnnie, Ron opens up about his early years, his love for cinematography, and how financial pressure during his wife’s medical school years sparked the creation of Simmod Lens. Now, he’s not just modifying vintage lenses—he’s building his own.

This episode is sponsored by FUJIFILM. Check out their one-minute tip at (08:05).

► Chapters mentioned in this episode:

(00:44) - Introduction: Ron Sim’s origin story & cinematography beginnings

(03:04) - The birth of Simmod Lens

(05:21) - Why design your own lens?

(10:38) - Partnership with SIRUI

(12:52) - Introducing APSARA

(13:50) - The LUMIERE and PRESTIGE lines

(15:15) - Innovations in lens design

(18:04) - What's the difference to SIRUI lenses?

(22:13) - Why does the market need a new lens company?

(25:29) - Giving back: APSARA Academy

(29:15) - On our industry, innovation & AI

(31:20) - Looking ahead & closing thoughts