cbass
Nutmegger
Earlier this month I was looking to add a third lens to my Bessa R kit. I wanted a focal length to complement the CV 35/2.5 and Jupiter-8 50/2.0 lenses that I normally use, and after soliciting advice from forum members I ordered a Voigtlander Color Heliar 75/2.5 lens from RFF sponsor PhotoVillage. I just finished my test roll with the lens nad these are my first impressions:
The 75/2.5 is a very well-built lens. It has a beautiful finish, pleasant heft and the focus and aperture rings are pleasingly smooth; the whole package imparts the feel of precision craftsmanship. The brass shade is also well done and it's easy to remove, but I left it in place to protect the large front element from accidental contact. The 75 balances well on the Bessa R body and the camera will hang horizontally from a neck strap.
In operation I found the lens to be easy to use. The 75mm feels like it has a slightly longer focus throw than the CV 35/2.5 but the focus ring is large and easy to grip. Finding focus was no trouble, even in low light. The 75mm framelines on the Bessa R give a nice high eyepoint -- great news if you're a glasses-wearer like me. It's easy to compose without pressing the camera up to your eye and you can still see outside the framelines.
Images produced by the 75/2.5 were very crisp and sharp, even in the corners, with good contrast. DOF was very shallow with the lens wide open. I saw little evidence of vignetting at any aperture. The images from the 75/2.5 reminded me of those produced by the CV 35/2.5 Classic but with much smoother out-of-focus areas.
My complaints are few and minor. The 75mm lens is heavy -- it dwarfs the 35/2.5. When mounted on the Bessa R, the kit is slightly longer and about the same weight as my Minolta X-570 and 45/2.0 lens (see photo). Also, the 75mm lens makes the camera nose-heavy so be careful that you don't damage the lens shade when you put the camera down on a hard surface. If you buy this lens you may also wish to purchase a soft case or pouch to store it in.
So far I'm pleased with the Color Heliar 75mm. I see it as a viable alternative to a 50mm lens and it makes a nice two-lens kit when matched with a 35mm. I'll probably use this lens mostly for people pictures and impromptu portraits but I could easily see expanding it to use for cropped landscapes, too.
I've attached a few sample images from my test roll. The first is an indoor-illumination still life taken wide open at 1/30. The second is an outdoor picture of my cat taken at about f/5.6 and 1/60. The third is my electric meter taken at f/5.6 and 1/60. Film was Kodak 400 speed C-41 B&W; low-res scans from the local CVS.
The 75/2.5 is a very well-built lens. It has a beautiful finish, pleasant heft and the focus and aperture rings are pleasingly smooth; the whole package imparts the feel of precision craftsmanship. The brass shade is also well done and it's easy to remove, but I left it in place to protect the large front element from accidental contact. The 75 balances well on the Bessa R body and the camera will hang horizontally from a neck strap.
In operation I found the lens to be easy to use. The 75mm feels like it has a slightly longer focus throw than the CV 35/2.5 but the focus ring is large and easy to grip. Finding focus was no trouble, even in low light. The 75mm framelines on the Bessa R give a nice high eyepoint -- great news if you're a glasses-wearer like me. It's easy to compose without pressing the camera up to your eye and you can still see outside the framelines.
Images produced by the 75/2.5 were very crisp and sharp, even in the corners, with good contrast. DOF was very shallow with the lens wide open. I saw little evidence of vignetting at any aperture. The images from the 75/2.5 reminded me of those produced by the CV 35/2.5 Classic but with much smoother out-of-focus areas.
My complaints are few and minor. The 75mm lens is heavy -- it dwarfs the 35/2.5. When mounted on the Bessa R, the kit is slightly longer and about the same weight as my Minolta X-570 and 45/2.0 lens (see photo). Also, the 75mm lens makes the camera nose-heavy so be careful that you don't damage the lens shade when you put the camera down on a hard surface. If you buy this lens you may also wish to purchase a soft case or pouch to store it in.
So far I'm pleased with the Color Heliar 75mm. I see it as a viable alternative to a 50mm lens and it makes a nice two-lens kit when matched with a 35mm. I'll probably use this lens mostly for people pictures and impromptu portraits but I could easily see expanding it to use for cropped landscapes, too.
I've attached a few sample images from my test roll. The first is an indoor-illumination still life taken wide open at 1/30. The second is an outdoor picture of my cat taken at about f/5.6 and 1/60. The third is my electric meter taken at f/5.6 and 1/60. Film was Kodak 400 speed C-41 B&W; low-res scans from the local CVS.
