38Deardorff
Well-known
CC..... if top quality is a priority & if you can live with a 40mm lens. The 40mm Summicron C/40mm M Rokkor. f2.....are superb small lenses. (28mm/40 is a nice combo)
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Alternative to Voigtländer 35mm 2.5?
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CandidChronicles
Member
40mm is a focal length that's been on my radar for a while now, but I've always postponed, as I feel the 35mm is sort of the wide-angle limit I'd like to stay in.
Though I like 50mm, but it's more difficult for me, so perhaps 40mm could be a good compromise.
I noticed the Rokkor f/2 before, and I liked the samples.
One thing I can't remember, is this Rokkor the lens that shows those bright spots after a while?
38Deardorff
Well-known
I have the Summicron C...... AFAIK it's the 28mm M Rokkor that gets the white spots....
I love love the 35mm ( if i had to take just one lens)....... but 28mm is close for a combo.... so 28/40 is a nice pair
my 50s gather dust...
CandidChronicles
Member
Oh, right! I forgot about the 28mm, that was the one with the white spots.
Yes, that Rokkor 40mm is a beauty. I'll keep it on my list. At the end of the day, it's a matter of testing a lens and see how one particular focal length suits us.
I think I'll some point I'll just buy it and use it for a while.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
You are not going to get anything better ergonomically and as cheap and neat as PII.
I replaced it with Summarit-M 35 2.5 which is superior in all aspects, but it comes with price. Here are no rainbow unicorns.
Most likely old Canon, Nikon LTM will cost more with questionable optics and ergonomics.
Stay with PII until you are willing to get best 35 I ever had🙂
I replaced it with Summarit-M 35 2.5 which is superior in all aspects, but it comes with price. Here are no rainbow unicorns.
Most likely old Canon, Nikon LTM will cost more with questionable optics and ergonomics.
Stay with PII until you are willing to get best 35 I ever had🙂
Archlich
Well-known
Might not be what you're after but optically the C-Biogon 35/2.8 is almost if not downright identical to the CV 35/2.5.
Jamie Pillers
Skeptic
There is also the new-ish 40mm f2.8 in ltm.
CandidChronicles
Member
Which one is the PII?
CandidChronicles
Member
Is it this one?
I see two potential issues for me: over budget, and it comes with the same solution for the focus mark
I'm not sure why lens manufacturers do that, but I find it to be an odd solution. A little mark over a chrome, reflective surface.
It looks a little more pronounced than the one on my Voigtländer, but still, not ideal in my opinion.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
The one in OP.
Have you read our bartender sales and else side?
CandidChronicles
Member
The Voigtländer 35mm 2.5 is called PII?
Also, I read what you wrote about Summarit-M not being Cosina, and the sales thing, but sorry, I'm not quite sure that I'm understanding your replies.
38Deardorff
Well-known
Yes, the VC (Voigtlander Cosina) 35 complete designation is
Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II Lens
Don't worry too much....there is often shorthand /abbreviations on the forum that make comments incomprehensible...re: head bartender.... Stephen Gandy who owns Camera Quest (CameraQuest Home Page) & is the N American distributor for Voigtlander...... also the sponsor of Rangefinder.com. Hope this info helps.
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Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Sales? I see, google Cameraquest.
Summarit-M 35 2.5 is superior on ergonomics to most of made for M, LTM lenses.
Looking at LTM side is wrong on these regards.
I replied only because street was mentioned.
To me street is fast and spontaneous.
I have no truble to fiddle PII, except it crapped out fast - loose lens block and loose focus tab, because it is not build for fiddling, just slow operations.
Example of slow operations, but some are using it for street:
I had no issues with PII, except it been stubborn to operate and so-so BW rendering on film, DR prints.
Bingley
Veteran
I have the PI version of the Skopar 35, as well as the Canon 35/2.0, a Summaron 35/3.5 in LTM, a W-Nikkor C 35/2.5 in LTM and S mount; and have had a number of other 35s including the original Skopar 35/2.5 and Canon 35/2.8. For street photography, IMO the best of the bunch ergonomically is the Canon 35/2.0. The aperture ring is easy to turn. Optically, it’s a very good lens, quite sharp with moderate contrast. It’s excellent for street. The Voigtlander Skopar and Nikkor 35/2.5 are a little better optically the Canon, but for street work the difference may not matter. The PI Skopar has long been discontinued but it also handles quite well, is v sharp and flare resistant. It looks like your issues concern the first version of the Skopar 35, however.
If you want to get a sense of how these 35 lenses perform, have a look at my Flickr page, where you’ ll find albums of photos for the Canon 35/2.0, the Skopar 35/2.5, the Nikkor 35/2.5, and other 35mm lenses that I’ve used over tbe years. My page is: www.flickr.com/photos/bingley0522.
That said, the suggestion to consider a 40mm lens is a good one. I like that focal length a lot and think of it as a tight 35mm for framing purposes. The Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f2.0 is a classic lens that renders very much like the Summicron 35mm (not surprising since its design is based on the Chron). It’s light and compact and easy to handle. The lens that blows all the others away, though, is the tiny Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8 ASPH, which was available in LTM and M-mount before it was recently discontinued. It’s sensarional optically, but it’s really tiny and some folks may not get on w its handling, although I’ve had no problems with it. Again, many sample photos of both of these 40s on my Flickr page.
If you want to get a sense of how these 35 lenses perform, have a look at my Flickr page, where you’ ll find albums of photos for the Canon 35/2.0, the Skopar 35/2.5, the Nikkor 35/2.5, and other 35mm lenses that I’ve used over tbe years. My page is: www.flickr.com/photos/bingley0522.
That said, the suggestion to consider a 40mm lens is a good one. I like that focal length a lot and think of it as a tight 35mm for framing purposes. The Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f2.0 is a classic lens that renders very much like the Summicron 35mm (not surprising since its design is based on the Chron). It’s light and compact and easy to handle. The lens that blows all the others away, though, is the tiny Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8 ASPH, which was available in LTM and M-mount before it was recently discontinued. It’s sensarional optically, but it’s really tiny and some folks may not get on w its handling, although I’ve had no problems with it. Again, many sample photos of both of these 40s on my Flickr page.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
Paint the bloody ring black and be done with it.
gavinlg
Veteran
Unrelated question - how does that skopar do on the ZF regarding corner sharpness/color shifts etc?
CandidChronicles
Member
Thanks for the info, @Bingley
I'm about to sell my other Voigtländer that I never use, the 35mm 1.4 II, and then I'll be ready to get the next lens.
One thing I overlooked about the Canon is that it doesn't have a focus tab, which I got used to, and I couldn't imagine using a lens for street photography without one.
So, I think I'll go with the Voigtländer choice advised in this thread.
I did, although for now rather poorly. I need a very thin marker to be able to paint in the receded area of the ring.
But even that still doesn't help much: Like I said before, the issue begins with the choice of materials. Painting over a reflective surface, ends up being still reflective, and in sunny days is hard to spot the mark.
I'm sorry I can't help on this. Even though I basically use only Voigtländer on the Zf, I never bothered to check those kinds of details.
If I manage to do a decent test by taking the same picture at different apertures, I might post it here.
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