Voightlander Colour Heliar 75 mm

[trev2401]

Hi everyone..

i'm kinda new to the Bessa series of cameras, and just acquired myself an R2a.

Hence i was looking at this lens and was hoping to get some reviews from anyone using it in terms of contrast, sharpness, performance, etc...

Thanks 7 Regards.

 

[back alley]

you can't go wrong with the cv 75.

i had the classic combo of 35/75 when i had the bessa r and was amazed at how all 3 fit together in such a compact package.

it's easy to focus, small and lightweight, not to mention sharp and contrasty.

joe

 

[KoNickon]

I agree -- that's a great package. I have never heard a bad (or even so-so) word about either the 75 or the 35/2.5. I don't think there's need for a 90 if you have the 75. though others may disagree.

 

[djon]

The 90 fits the 100mm bright lines of my Canon P more accurately than does a 75.

How close does the 90 focus (does it fill a frame with a head?).

What's your impression of one Vs the other wtr sharpness/contrast..and (shudder)..bokeh?

 

[rover]

The 75 is one of the best in the CV stable. Great sharp lens, excellent bokeh, well made.....

You can't go wrong at all with this lens.

 

[back alley]

i've never used the 90.

i have a canon 85/2 if i want fast and the canon 100/3.5 if i want small and use of the built in framelines.
that 85/2 is very sharp, but bigger and heavier.
i have not used the 100 enough to give much of an opinion tho it seems sharp and has a heck of a rep.
joe

 

[sockeyed]

I'm with the others on the CV 75/2.5 - it's a beautiful lens at a great price.

I think the chrome one looks best.

 

[RayPA]

I've not used the 75, but the 90 is a dream, a very good lens. I've considered getting the 75, but it's too close to the 90, which I really hesitate to part with. Erwin Puts' review of the 75 implies that it is best starting at around f5.6. Have you CV75 users found this to be the case?. Of course, it's one man's opinion, but if you're interested check out his review of the APO 90/3.5. Regardless, I don't think you can go wrong with any CV lens. Is there bad one to avoid? 🙂

 

[KoNickon]

Funny about the Canon 100 -- I got a chrome one that proved to be off (way off!) so John Van Stelten at Focal Point made it all better, as far as I can tell. But using it a few times with my P at wide apertures, it seems very soft. There could be a number of explanations for this, and I need to do more testing, but as far as I can tell the P's rangefinder isn't the problem. Is this lens known to be less than sharp at f3.5 -- f4 or so? Everyone talks favorably about the lens, so I am wondering if mine still isn't right.

 

[djon]

Ray, how tightly does the 90 focus on a head? My uncoated 90 Elmar (same size as that Canon 100 fyi) just about fills the frame with a head...I'd like to get tighter but maybe the Canon P runs out of rangefinder at that distance...

 

[furcafe]

Well, I think a lot of lenses are @ their bench-lab best @ f/5.6 or f/8, not just the 75 Color-Heliar. Rest assured, the 75/2.5 is plenty sharp @ f/2.5.

I've not used the 75, but the 90 is a dream, a very good lens. I've considered getting the 75, but it's too close to the 90, which I really hesitate to part with. Erwin Puts' review of the 75 implies that it is best starting at around f5.6. Have you CV75 users found this to be the case?. Of course, it's one man's opinion, but if you're interested check out his review of the APO 90/3.5. Regardless, I don't think you can go wrong with any CV lens. Is there bad one to avoid? 🙂

 

[furcafe]

Ditto. When I 1st got mine, I was very surprised @ how small the Color-Heliar is. I haven't used the 75mm focal length as much as I'd like because I find the "classic 35/75 combo," as joe put it, or the similar 40/85 or 90 or 100 combo, to be most useful when I'm traveling & I do most of my recent shooting near home & default to using a 50 (& I have the luxury of running home & grabbing a telephoto if I need a longer lens).

Here are some of my shots w/the 75/2.5 Color Heliar:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/cosinavoigtlander7525colorheliar/

you can't go wrong with the cv 75.

i had the classic combo of 35/75 when i had the bessa r and was amazed at how all 3 fit together in such a compact package.

it's easy to focus, small and lightweight, not to mention sharp and contrasty.

joe

 

[sockeyed]

I've shot the 75 wide open and been more than pleased. With portraits, you don't want razor-sharpness anyhow. I shot a friend with a Summicron-M 50 stopped down to 5.6 or so, and I can't say the results were that flattering.

 

[Marc Jutras]

I have the 75/2.5 and love it. I find it's a perfect match to my Ultron 35/1.7. It's usually hard to tell which lens was used. Only the compression will make it possible to tell which was used.

 

[rich815]

Another big thumbs up on this lens. Sharp as a tack with very nice rendition and bokeh. Also, a very convenient short throw especially vs. the 90/4 Elmar, which I am also very fond of. Being more of a normal to short-tele shooter (for my Leica RFs anyway) I find I like and need both. Sometimes the extra "breathing space" of the 75 is just what I find works for some circumstances. Also, although I find my 90/4 Elmar to be very sharp I find the personality between the 75 VC and 90 Elmar to be quite different.

 

[trev2401]

Hey guys,

WHOAH.. we've got quite a discussion going on here... 🙂

I've just settled for a mint conditioned 75 heliar from ebay, paid 270 shipped, with a screw mount adapter thrown in...

will await its arrival, and will run a roll of velvia through it.

Hope this thread will still be active for me to post my results.


to everyone here who have helped here, a big THANKS!!!
😀

 

[andy1100xx]

Trev
Was it the chrome one I saw on there a few days ago? Looked like a good example. I'm looking for a black one for around the same price with the adaptor. Patience is a virtue I guess 🙂

look forward to seeing some of your pictures

cheers

 

[Peter]

I used to have one and it is a very compact and capable lens. I have since sold it and I am using the 90mm/3.5 APO-Lanthar now, fantastic sharp and contrasty lens but not as compact as the Color Heliar 75mm/2.5. Have fun with your new toy and do post some shots from it! 🙂

 

[djon]

shot some horses in a dark arena yesterday...used a Canon 100 2.8 SSC on an F1. this is a creepy-sharp lens, but I sure wish I'd been using my P instead because it's much easier to focus quickly than an slr. problem is, I didn't have a really good short tele for my P. the CV90 wouldn't have done the job because it's too slow...strongly suggests the 75 I guess.

I imagine the 75 is optically better than the Nikon f2, which is undoubtedly built a lot better....?

 

[back alley]

canon has the 100/2 lens.
expensive, heavy but supposed to be very sharp.

joe