A couple more from the same taken with the 75/1.8...
Bessa R3M | Voigtländer Heliar Classic 75mm f1.8 | Efke KB25 | Rodinal 1:50
This image best exhibits the 75/1.8's tendency toward veiling flare... more than I expected with my experience with other CV lenses.
Bessa R3M | Voigtländer Heliar Classic 75mm f1.8 | Efke KB25 | Rodinal 1:50
After using the 75/1.8 for about two weeks, I can say that it is a very capable lens. The build quality is of the same cloth as the Nokton 50/1.1 and 35/1.2. The lens is sharp with good contrast without being harsh or clinical. If you have ever used the Nikkor 105/2.5, then you will find this lens familiar especially for portraiture. Cosina has definitely delivered another very usable and well-performing lens.
Everything I write from here on is my personal opinion and a product of my personal shooting habits...
This is the first time I have ever worked with a 75mm lens, so I am still finding out how it fits into the scheme of things. I look at the 75/1.8 as a very specialised lens, not a general use lens. Let me explain...
At a maximum aperture of f1.8, it is not what I consider a fast lens. Fast lenses that I reach for when shooting low-light or no light are always f1.4/1.5 or faster. So the 75/1.8 is not a lens that I would carry for a night of shooting on the streets. On the flip side, because of its size, I would not carry it as a second lens, preferring to the use the CV 75/2.5, which has found a very special place in my heart. This is not a first, I had a Summicron 90, which I found pretty much unuseful as it was too slow for low-light work and too big for general use, again I preferred the CV 90/3.5 as a second day-time lens. I know that the 75/1.8 is the fastest 75 in production, but I cannot help but say that I would find the 75 Lux more useful simply because it could be used in low-light with its f1.4 maximum aperture. So the 75/1.8 will not be in my bag as a low-light or a general-use lens.
Where the 75/1.8 really shines is as a portrait lens. The rendition and draw of the lens is very similar to my vintage Nikkor-P 105/2.5, which is a portrait lens of legendary proportions. But to be honest, when in actual use as a portrait lens, I find that I prefer the DOF of f2.0 - f2.8 over the very thin f1.8. So I am again reaching for the gorgeous little 75/2.5, which has been yielding better and more consistent results for me than the 75/1.8. Why... because I tend to shoot a lot of back-lit portraits, stopping the 75/1.8 down to f2.0 or f2.8 hardens and shapes the highlights compared to the 75/2.5 wide-open. Also the size of the 75/1.8 makes for some frame-line intrusion, especially with the hood mounted, where as the 75/2.5 has no intrusion, allowing for full view of the 75mm frame-line. So here again the 75mm loses out as the 75/2.5 mounted on the Bessa R is just too sweet for studio work.
The 75/1.8 has become a very specialised portraiture lens for me, where I am working in natural light as it gives me a full-stop gain over the 75/2.5. I found that I particularly like the 75mm POV, it provides just that little more reach than a 50mm without the compression of an 85/90 lens. So I am finding that I reach for the 75mm quite often in situations of candid, natural light portraiture instead of the 50/1.5 or 50/1.1, as long as there is sufficient light. Here the 75/1.8 is an invaluable addition to my lens stock and will become a heavily used lens in my collection.
The 75/1.8 has far exceeded my expectations although I must admit was not expecting too much!
