New Voigtlanders vs LTM 1999/2000 Voigtlanders

[piero2025]

Good day,

how do contemporary Voigtlanders compare with the ones from 1999-2000?
This is one photo with an Ultron 35mm 1.7 from 1999:

https://lens-db.com/cosina-voigtlander-ultron-35mm-f17-aspherical-lsm-1999/

 

[Photar]

Hard to compare small files posted in a forum, but FWIW here is a shot from last week using a current high speed wide angle (Nokton 1.5/28mm) from the same company.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Few years ago 35 1.7 LTM has plenty of copies with haze or something in them, on ebay.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Even today I see a lot of Voigtlander lenses for sale in excellent condition except they have haze. I always wonder why Voigtlander lenses have haze.

 

[38Deardorff]

Likely because of the off-gassing of the glue used to cement the lens elements.

 

[KoNickon]

Few years ago 35 1.7 LTM has plenty of copies with haze or something in them, on ebay.

Including mine, unfortunately.

 

[Darthfeeble]

I have a few screw mount CVs and a few of the latest issue. The old ones are pretty good but the new ones perform great. I even get crisp foliage shots at a distance using the VIII lenses on my 907X hasselblad. Regarding haze issues, I have had none on the older lenses. I had an old screw mount Canon 100mm that had haze and it remains the only lens that did.

 

[Rayt]

The original 28mm f1.9 Ultron in LTM has a dreamy look when shot wide open sort of vintage Zeiss. Modern Voigtlanders are sharp, crisp, contrasty, pretty much that Nikon AF-S look.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

The original 28mm f1.9 Ultron in LTM has a dreamy look when shot wide open sort of vintage Zeiss. Modern Voigtlanders are sharp, crisp, contrasty, pretty much that Nikon AF-S look.

Must be some smudge somewhere. My copy has nothing dreamy WO.





But I have no idea why f1.9 was where. More like marketing than something real.

 

[Rayt]

Must be some smudge somewhere. My copy has nothing dreamy WO.





But I have no idea why f1.9 was where. More like marketing than something real.

Maybe my copy was fogged!

 

[CameraQuest]

Haze on early Voigtlander LTM lenses may be related to storage and humidity.

My complete set of Voigtlander LTM lenses has no haze at all -- in Los Angeles.

While a friend in New Orleans had mostly hazed LTM lenses.

Stephen

 

[aw614]

My 21mm LTM is in good shape with no haze.

But I have a black and also silver LTM 50mm F1.5. The black one came from NY and was clean. But I dropped it and bent the filter ring. The silver one came from tropical climate Thailand and had haze. I did swap the good middle element from the black one onto the silver one. Worried it might haze up since I am in Florida.

 

[boojum]

I have the CV 35mm f/1.7 Ultron Aspherical and while it is not supposed to be sharp wide open it works OK for me. And it has some glow to it in the images which I like. It reminds me of the Cooke Amotal that way. This night image at the Bornstein docks in Astoria shows how nicely it handles light and color. OK, how nicely I think it handles light and color. This is another good luck lens that fell into my lap. It's a good one. A sleeper.

M2419847 by West Phalia, on Flickr​

 

[trix4ever]

My 28mm f3.5 ltm has haze near the back, on the element that's like a ball. The Aussie importers tech tried to clean it, since then I've had a go, nothing will move it and now it flares too much for me to use it. A paperweight which is a great shame.

 

[trix4ever]

I should that I had a 28mm f1.9 which I used exclusively on film and now use a 28mm f1.5 that gets used only on digital, and I think those lenses suit those mediums well.
If I want a more gentle look on my M240 these days I put my Avenon 28mm f3.5 on it.
My biggest problem with new Voigtlander lenses is the wild range of build styles currently in use. That and the bloody silly chrome front rims on some. I mean really, what's that all about...

 

[boojum]

I just found this image with the 35mm f/1.7. It is probably at f/5.6. The color and light are nice and this puppy is quite sharp.

M2419838 M240 + CV 35mm f/1.7 LTM by West Phalia, on Flickr​

 

[Erik van Straten]

My 35mm f1.7 is hazy too ...

 

[ecowarrior]

IF the glue is the issue.... do you think they've changed the glue since then? Or should I expect my 3 Voigtlander lenses to experience the same hazing in time? I guess time will tell....

 

[santino]

Too bad. Early C/V lenses are just 25 years old. However, one has to give them crrdit for resurrecting the rangefinder in the early 2000s (at least the L39 mount).

 

[piero2025]

I have a few screw mount CVs and a few of the latest issue. The old ones are pretty good but the new ones perform great. I even get crisp foliage shots at a distance using the VIII lenses on my 907X hasselblad. Regarding haze issues, I have had none on the older lenses. I had an old screw mount Canon 100mm that had haze and it remains the only lens that did.

Could we see something?