With all the hubbub I was almost ready to plunk down $560 for the new 1.4 CV 35 but I decided to take my old friends out for one last comparison shoot to see if it was worth it. There are plenty of posts on Flickr now to see what the new lens can do.
In order to lenses VC's marketing ploy has been to sell there glass as 'Classics' because they clearly cannot market newer designs for the price they are asking. The issue is is whether or not one is better off just buying the Real Deal for the same price, or often much less, than the cost of the VC product. The Ultron 1.7 35 was often compared to a v.IV Summicron (the hook that tricked me into buying it), but it was ungainly large, and ergonomically backward. VC lenses are often presented as faster lenses than they can actually muster and this tradition goes forward. The new 1.4 is a clone of the v.I Summicron, but that is yet to be seen in execution.
I have presented here shots from a 3.5 Summaron, a 2.8 Summaron, and the 1.7 Ultron. Had I some old Canon glass I would have added that in the mix, but you can get the gist of this post from these examples. I should like to add that I owned a v.I Summicron, and sold it reserving my 2.8 Summaron I bought new in the 1960's. I've never regretted it.
All these
examples were shot at f8, with Kodak Porta and no hood at the same event. Minor issues such as flare were not addressed in this test. I am formally trained in photography; I do not shoot into the sun, or pee into the wind.
