Voigtländer Top 3 !

[Bille]

From your opinion, what are the top three CV lenses in M / LTM mount? And why?

Thank you

 

[Tony Whitney]

I'd have to rate the CV lens I've had the longest as tops for me. The 35 mm f2.5 Pancake Colour Skopar has been so versatile and pleasing either on a LTM Leica, M6 or my GXR. I've never had a Summicron that was any better to be quite honest. Second would be the 15 mm Super Wide Heliar, early version, for its amazing compactness and lack of distortion. Third would be the 40 mm 1.4 Nokton for its excellent low-light capability and, again, compactness. All three lenses have been used a lot and travelled widely but are in great condition with nary a scratch on them. I must have six or seven CV lenses and given my experience with them, can't see any point in paying more. Cheers...Tony W

 

[mretina]

The ones that I really like shooting are 50/1.5 LTM, 28/3.5 LTM and 75/2.5 LTM.
The ones that I am ever so grateful to CV as I have no alternatives for my budget at that focal length are 15/4.5 version I, 50/1.1 and 75/2.5.
A special one and probably a top lens in absolute terms is 50/3.5 Heliar.

I did not really like the 35/2.5, but I know I am a minority.

21/4 is my wide in nikon RF mount and is also a good lens.

 

[35mmdelux]

I've done a fair amount of shooting this past year with 21/4.0 VC-M-mount and have been impressed with the images produced. Very compact to make a nice package with my M8. All my other lenses are Leicas, mostly Asph.

 

[seakayaker1]

The three that I love are the Ultron 28/1.9 ASPH, Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH, and Heliar 75/2.5 LTM lens. I have experience fantastic results when using these lenses with both film and digital. The only one that I sold was the 75/2.5 when I picked up a 75 cron and to be honest I wished I kept it.

 

[Tompas]

1.) Snapshot Skopar 4/25 -- very extra excellent lens, and it taught me about the joy and ease of zone focusing.
2.) Super Wide Heliar 4,5/15 (I have the M-mount version with a filter thread) -- very fine lens allowing spectacular images.
3.) Ultron 2/28 -- very good and fast lens, and I like the 28mm focal length a lot.

 

[mdarnton]

It seems like the 15mm needs to be in the list just because of what it does that nothing else I can afford does, but one of my favorite lenses of all time is the 28/1.9, because of the smooth, creamy glow it has wide open.

I have/had a bunch of the others, but none stand out as much as those two.

 

[Archiver]

35/1.7 Ultron - for the week I had it, I just loved the way it rendered and felt in the hand. But it wasn't focusing properly on my M9, and couldn't be calibrated, so back it went to the shop. I liked the way it rendered more than the 35/1.4, and it was much easier to focus than the 35/1.2 v1.

50/3.5 collapsible Heliar. I have one of the limited nickel versions, and it has the perfect balance of modern high resolution and organic rendering. Portraits are just gorgeous and the bokeh is smooth and soft. Money from the 35 Ultron exchange went to the Heliar.

15/4.5 - it's such a cool lens, and becomes a 22.5mm lens on the GXR-M. It's my go-to wide angle for the Ricoh, moreso than the native A12 28 module.

 

[uhoh7]

do they make a bad RF lens?

 

[Pioneer]

Everyone I have tried have been worth owning but these are my favorites;

Color Skopar 35/2.5
Color Heliar 50/3.5
Nokton 50/1.1

 

[alfredian]

25/4 Snapshot, 35/25 & 50/2.5

25/4 Snapshot, 35/25 & 50/2.5

Without a doubt: the 25mm f/4.0 Snapshot Skopar - okay, it's zone/click-scale focused but the images are AMAZING! The 35mm f/2.5 and 50mm f2/5 LTM are also excellent - and not with any condescending "for their aperture" or "for the price". The LTM 35 is at least as good, if not better than, the 35/f1.7 Ultron, and "tiny" by comparison. I use both in the S-mount as well. But of the three, the Snapshot 25 is the best. - alfredian

 

[Grahamb]

The one that sits on my "R" is the 35/2.5 color skopar mc, there is very little distortion in the finals, the next is the 50/1.5, nokton silver, oh this is a pleasure to use, nice feel and for the close in moment, or that quick action shot it was there, portrait i find this to one i use the most, unless iam at the m/f cameras, then there is the 25/4 snap shot, you set it up max distant, f4 and all is well, having the little finder on the top of the "R" shows just how much is there.
None have let me down.

 

[Brian Legge]

* Nokton 50 1.1 - I love the results I get out of it and there just isn't another option affordable to me.
* Color Skopar 21 4 - great small lens that simply does what I need. I'm not a wide angle shooter but gave the lens a try after coming across a cheap one. I fell for it quickly.
* Lanthar 90mm 3.5 - another lens which just gets it done at a solid price. Canon 100mm 3.5 is the close but I get the sense the VC lens is a bit better. I should do a comparison between mine at some point.

Honestly though, I could throw half their lenses in to this list. Lots of unique options. The 50 3.5 is close but the Konica 50 2.4 provides solid competition. Similarly, the Nokton 35 1.4 is very good but I can't decide if I prefer its speed or the Biogons rendering.

 

[peterm1]

I can only speak of the ones I have used. Of these I would say the following have top billing.

(drum roll)

Number one is the Nokton 40mm f1.4 MC. This little lens is small and sharp with nice bokeh. A lovely little lens, its rendering is sweet.



Fiefy by yoyomaoz, on Flickr

Number two is the Heliar 75mm f1.8. Physically, its a little too long to be comfortable in my view but the focal length really suits me and it has the benefit of considerable sharpness and again, very nice bokeh


Church by yoyomaoz, on Flickr

It functions well as a lens for longer landscape shots too.


Victoria Harbour - old and new by yoyomaoz, on Flickr

Finally the Ultron 28mm f2. I bought this lens when I sold my 35mm V4 Summicron because I was not using it enough and liked the price I could get for it. The 28mm was a little wider (useful on a cropped lens camera) and a quarter of the price. Perfect. And again its sharp. To be honest I don't use this as much as I should as I am mainly a shooter who tends towards longer lenses but I would say its top notch so I keep it for when I need something wider.


Brisbane - by the Storey Bridge by yoyomaoz, on Flickr

I have some others including the 50mm f.1. and I have read of the virtues of many other Voigtlander lenses so I understand that others will have just as good alternative choices and be able to cite excellent reasons why their choices trump mine.

 

[daveywaugh]

Of the ones I've used, my absolute favourite is the 21/4 M. It's small, light, well-built and sharp at all apertures.

Second would go to the 15/4.5 M for reasons already mentioned. Great bang for buck, and small/light enough to carry everywhere even if only used sparingly.

Only had a few hours with a 75/2.5 and it was a joy to use and I liked the rendering - slight hint of 'classic' but still sharp. Can't believe I didn't buy one when they were really cheap.

Funnily enough the only VC lens I didn't like was the 40/1.4. Awful bokeh and weird artifacting wide open (my version anyway).

Want to try the new 50 🙂

 

[Marc G.]

21/1.8 for beating the 21 summilux
35/1.2 for being unique and good
50/1.5 (latest) for being good&affordable

all 3 are top performers

 

[Roger Hicks]

Best for what? They're all good. But they have different applications. That's why they make different focal lengths and speeds... I have or have had 21/4, 28/1.9, 35/2.5, 35/1.7, 50/1,5, 50/2, 50/2.5, 75/2.5 and 90/3.5. The only reason they don't see more use is that I often want more speed; except in the case of the Nokton where I prefer the look I get from the C-Sonnar. Oh: and I reviewed the 35/1.2 but decided that it's too big and heavy next to my old pre-aspheric Summilux.

Cheers,

R.

 

[edge100]

The three I own:

21/4 (LTM)
35/2.5 (M; PII)
50/1.5 (LTM)

 

[Krosya]

From the ones I have used (and I used most of them and all are at least good to very good), but ones that stand out for me (based on the way they draw):

1. 35/1.2 - nothing comes close to this IMO.
2. 50/1.5 ltm - superb lens.
3. 15mm M-mount - great lens, proved my most used for places like Italy.
I think if I had to - these would be the only lenses I would use.
But other lenses like 21/4, 40/1.4 also deserve noting/considering. Original 28/1.9 was very good, just 28mm is not a FL I'm comforable with.

 

[kshapero]

Impossible to pick only 3.
Right now I am using:
CV 21/4 a gem
CV 40/1.4 versatile
Lusting for the new CV 50/1.5 but don't need it.
I could go on and on, so many great lenses.