Ultron 28/1.9 on M8 - Pictures, please!

[efix]

Hello fellow RFFers,

I've been struck by GAS once again and am fancying the Voigtländer Ultron 28/1.9 now. I have a Minolta M-Rokkor 28/2.8, which I like for its compact size, low weight and overall very good optical performance, but I am kind of a speed freak, so go figure 😀

I've been going through the Ultron 28/1.9 related threads here, but a few questions still remain.

1) How do you judge the overall performance of this lens? I read that contrast is supposed to be low wide open, as well as corner resolution. Of course, this is compared to a Leica lens. What's your impression, especially on the M8?

2) How would you rate the bokeh?

I'd love to see not only some sample shots with the lens wide open (as this is how I would use it), but also, if possible, some corner crops from shots taken with an M8, in order to evaluate corner sharpness (or lack thereof).

Always welcome are also camera/lens pr0n pictures, and generally anything that sparks GAS even more 😉

Thanks in advance!

P.S.: I deliberately posted this to the Digital M forum, and not to the Optics or Bessa forums, as I am especially interested in learning about the lens' performance on the M8.

 

[Ben Z]

I'll have to go back through my M8 files and pick out some (M8 is gone now so I can't take new pix). What I can say from memory is that the Ultron f/1.9 performed amazingly similarly to my 4th-version Elmarit at all apertures they had in common, and that I've read reports that the 4th Elmarit is quite nearly equal to the 28 Summicron from f/2.8. Wide-open the Ultron does lose a bit of contrast and corner sharpness but only by comparison to the Summicron would it stand out. It's definitely ahead of my older 28 f/2 Nikkor-AIS @ f/2. I used the Ultron with film, and now with the M9 (although haven't used it for serious shooting as of yet) and was happy with it. On the M8 of course, the crop factor crops out much of the image circle where the aberrations are, so the lens (well, any lens for that matter) appears to gain in performance.

 

[randomm]

I've been going through the Ultron 28/1.9 related threads here, but a few questions still remain.

Isn't the f1.9 model discontinued and replaced by Ultron 28/2 (which I happen to have and like very much)?

 

[jsrockit]

Isn't the f1.9 model discontinued and replaced by Ultron 28/2 (which I happen to have and like very much)?

Yes, that's true. However, many believe the 1.9 to be the better lens.

 

[efix]

Isn't the f1.9 model discontinued and replaced by Ultron 28/2 (which I happen to have and like very much)?

Indeed, I'd be looking for a used one (should I decide to get one). Particularly, my reason to go for the old one is that reportedly the new 28/2 suffers from focus shift, but not the old 28/1.9. I had a terribly shifting Nokton 35/1.4, and would rather do without that experience again ...

 

[randomm]

Yes, that's true. However, many believe the 1.9 to be the better lens.

Really? I thought it was rather soft fully open (read from somewhere, so there goes the reliability of that claim), but then again, I've never owned the 1.9, only the f2.

 

[Bruin]

Which is better depends on what you value in a lens. No doubt that the F2 is smaller, higher contrast, and more flare resistant. But then there's the focus shift issue, which is pretty much irrelevant on film but on a digital M it could sway your opinion. People have had bad samples of both, so that's a wash. A good sample of either lens is stunning, close to as-good-as-it-gets with 28mm.

 

[Muddy]

Here is the picture to test my Ultron 28/1.9 with M9 @f1.9

 

[leicashot]

I compared the two side by side recently and found the new f/2 to be sharper with better contrast wide open. The Summicron is again noticeably better, but the f/2 Ultron isn't 'that' far behind

 

[Bébèrt]

My Ultorn 1.9 copy is not too soft.

Full pict and 100% crop

 

[Uwe_Nds]

My Ultorn 1.9 copy is not too soft.

Full pict and 100% crop

Did you focus on the glass or the laptop? :angel:

Cheers,
Uwe

 

[Bébèrt]

Focus on the glass of wine..

Here 's another snapshot at f 2.4 (focus on the eyes of Madonna🙄)

 

[Bébèrt]

Available church light — Ulton 28mm at f1.9

 

[efix]

Thanks on everyone's input so far. The pictures posted here and elsewhere do look promising indeed.

 

[deirdre]

This isn't wide open, so I'm not sure how useful this is to you, but I have enjoyed this lens thus far (just received it yesterday):

 

[GBR66]

Here's one I took with the CV28/1.9 on the M8 either wide open or one stop off. I think it is a very sharp lens, bokeh pretty good in my view, don't use it that much as I seem to like the view from 35 or 50mm more:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3902056390_eaed9d6f0b_z.jpg

Guy.

 

[efix]

Yesterday I saw one go for under 300 €. So I've set my mind to get one, see how I like it compared to my M-Rokkor 28/2.8 and keep the one I like better. Can't do much wrong here, can I 🙂