this just in...from stephen

[back alley]

just posted on cvug...

The Voigtlander 25/4 in Leica Screw mount which got rave reviews over
the last few weeks on CVUG has been discontinued due to slow sales. No
immediate replacement is planned due the pressing production demands of
keeping up with the other more popular Cosina made Voigtlander and Zeiss
rangefinder products.

The factory is already sold out of the black 25/4's, but many dealers
still have both black and silver. If you are a going to be newbie 25/4
buyer, keep in mind there are two versions of the 25 viewfinder. The
older version does not have a brightline.

The tiny compact 25/4 was one of the first two Cosina Voigtlander
lenses. The 25/4 more than did its part helping establish the new
Cosina Voigtlander reputation for bargain priced quality optics.

Stephen Gandy

 

[JoeFriday]

joe, did you mean to say that the factory has a major overstock and is planning to cut prices in half to clear them out? *please??*

 

[bobofish]

What I think he meant to say is that Cosina is discontinuing the 25, so that they can produce Zeikons in such volume as to give them away for free...
At least that's what I hoped he was saying...

 

[Bryan Lee]

Bad news but not a suprise. It seems the more I like a product the faster it is discontinued. If the 25 is discontinued I wonder if the 35 classic which is built on the same barrel will be scrapped later since it is just a straight lense with no sales point like the pancake 35/2.5 or low light 35/1.7 or 35/1.2. Im so backwards I thought the T Body was a great Idea, How long did that last? It will be interesting to see how the IKON sales will effect the CV sales?

 

[RML]

Great little lens, that 25/4! I used it extensively in India and Mongolia, and it still is one of my favourites. I can hardly believe not everyone has this little gem at home. 🙂

 

[Peter Klein]

My theory is that the 25/4 was done in by two things: The lack of rangefinder coupling, and the inaccurate framing of the first version viewfinder. That finder had a slightly off aspect ratio. It showed a little too much in the vertical dimension. And it lacked brightlines.

The lens itself was great. But a lot of people (myself included) couldn't get used to the lack of RF coupling. I know, I know, all you have to do is estimate distance roughly and zone focus, and you're going to be OK. But unless you train yourself rigorously, you often hesitated and missed a "decisive moment."

All this led to a surplus of used lenses out there, which further depressed new lens sales.

I myself had the 25/4, and got very frustrated with the old non-brightline finder. I have several pictures from Italy with the tops of cathedrals cut off, and I'm experienced enough that I don't often do that with an accurate finder. The brightline finder wasn't available back then. So I sold the lens, and bought a 21/4, which has a stronger "personality."

If the 25/4 had been RF coupled and the brightline finder had been available then, I probably would have kept the lens. Frankly, I don't understand why Cosina didn't add an RF cam to the 25/4. After all, 24 or 25mm is a more general-purpose focal length than 21.

But of course, I don't know their sales figures.

I wouldn't worry about the other lengths that use this barrel being discontinued. That multi-use barrel is one of the reasons why V/C lens costs are so reasonable.

--Peter

 

[einolu]

Im still waiting for that write up about the factory tour...

I WANT AN R4...!

 

[pvdhaar]

Frankly, I don't understand why Cosina didn't add an RF cam to the 25/4. After all, 24 or 25mm is a more general-purpose focal length than 21.

The 25/4 came out together with the Bessa-L which doesn't have a rangefinder to couple to.

 

[RML]

The 25/4 came out together with the Bessa-L which doesn't have a rangefinder to couple to.

But a damn fine combo it made. I love it. So simple, so effective.

[blasphemy mode]

If I had to choose between my M2 or the Bessa L... I guess the L would win.

[/blasphemy mode]

 

[Bertram2]

just posted on cvug...

The Voigtlander 25/4 in Leica Screw mount which got rave reviews over
the last few weeks on CVUG has been discontinued due to slow sales.
Stephen Gandy

THat's O.K., will keep up the worth of my L+25 combo in future. 🙂

Bertram

 

[leafy]

I do sincerely hope they could come out with a new version with rangefinder coupling.

 

[Huck Finn]

A moment of silence. . . . It was the 25 & the 15 that started Cosina's whole Voigtlander revival. The scale faocused Bessa L, now also discontinued, was just a body to mount these 2 lenses. Interesting that after such a modest beginning, the Voigtlander line is still going strong while the Hexar RF, which debuted the same year with much more auspicious spec's & with the pedigree already established by the Hexar AF, has now long since been abandoned by Konica.

 

[taffer]

Hey, they may come out with a faster 24/25 (24/2 maybe?) to take the place of the usual 35/2 on the new (not FF) digital M ¿? that could be a master movement (and we're used to Mr. K. doing such kind of movements...)

 

[Huck Finn]

A 24/2 in an RF lens would be quite an accomplishment! While they're available in SLR lenses, I've never seen one for a rangefinder. Did I miss something?

 

[bmicklea]

That would have to be honking piece of glass. Not sure it'd be worth it for them. I have to agree with one of the above points regarding the lack of RF coupling on the 25. I have to admit that being new to RFs when it came time to choose between the 21 and 25 I went the route of the 21 for two reasons:

1. It's a better companion to the 35 IMHO
2. It was rangefinder coupled

Of course now that've I've been using it for awhile I find I *never* use the RF with it. Instead its all hyperfocal work and I love it - talk about a decisive moment setup. Wow.

 

[sockeyed]

This is one of my favourite lenses - I have the chrome version with the brightline finder. I have taken shots with it that absolutely tickle me with their quality, and I don't miss the RF coupling at all. In fact, I think that I shoot much faster without it - just scale focus and got.

The ultimate street shooting lens.

 

[jmilkins]

That's a pity - I really like my early chrome Cosina branded version with the non brightline finder...with the L it makes a great light weight bushwalking combo....

In the outdoors, I'd not really noticed the vertical parallax problem with the finder..but lots of mys shots are scenics rather than close focus...

R.I.P. a combo that hooked many of us newbies into the "rangefinder" fold ..

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

[blasphemy mode]

If I had to choose between my M2 or the Bessa L... I guess the L would win.

[/blasphemy mode]

😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱

 

[dostacos]

A moment of silence. . . . It was the 25 & the 15 that started Cosina's whole Voigtlander revival. The scale faocused Bessa L, now also discontinued, was just a body to mount these 2 lenses. Interesting that after such a modest beginning, the Voigtlander line is still going strong while the Hexar RF, which debuted the same year with much more auspicious spec's & with the pedigree already established by the Hexar AF, has now long since been abandoned by Konica.

the now discontinued:
Bessa R [olive and blue]
Bessa L
Bessa R2
Bessa T
2001 Bessa T Heliar 101st Anniversary

Bessa 25 lens

what have I missed?

does the rest of the product line sell THAT much better?

 

[Jason_K]

the now discontinued:
Bessa R [olive and blue]
Bessa L
Bessa R2
Bessa T
2001 Bessa T Heliar 101st Anniversary

Bessa 25 lens

what have I missed?

If my translator worked correctly the Cosina Japan site says the 75mm 2.5 is also discontinued.

http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/voigt/seizo-chushi.html

Anyone understand Japanese?