Voigtlaender Prominent 50mm Lenses

[raid]

Thanks for posting your images here, Brian. I wonder if all Ultron lenses are identical. Is it the design that makes it an Ultron?

 

[Sumarongi]

Thanks for posting your images here, Brian. I wonder if all Ultron lenses are identical. Is it the design that makes it an Ultron?

Dear Raid,

yes, Dr. Tronnier's «Ultron» design was one of his many patentable inventions; have a look here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2627204/sv
and
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2627205

🙂

 

[KEVIN-XU 愛 forever]

Thanks for the information, Kevin. I suspected that the Ultron is an undervalued lens, and this is why I got it. I am very used to my Rigid Summicron, so I now know what to expect from the Ultron. It is not in M or LTM, and an adapter or two must be used with the lens. Most likely, the Nokton and the Ultron have similar bokeh and performance at apertures 4.0 and up.

You are welcome Raid. Nokton and Ultron from the German Voigtlander back in the 1950s have the top build quality and the best performance among its competitors. They failed because of the user-hostile camera body.

About using them with the same adapter you have I have one thing need to mention. If the version of your Nokton and Ultron are from the different period, you may face back/front focus issue when switching from one to another. Because they have slightly different spec among each versions and may over the tolerance of the adapter. I have experienced this issue before. So I need to adjust each of my adapter to fit for one specific lens.

 

[raid]

You are welcome Raid. Nokton and Ultron from the German Voigtlander back in the 1950s have the top build quality and the best performance among its competitors. They failed because of the user-hostile camera body.

About using them with the same adapter you have I have one thing need to mention. If the version of your Nokton and Ultron are from the different period, you may face back/front focus issue when switching from one to another. Because they have slightly different spec among each versions and may over the tolerance of the adapter. I have experienced this issue before. So I need to adjust each of my adapter to fit for one specific lens.

Thanks for the warning! I don't know yet which version Ultron I bought. I have no focus issue with my Nokton when using the Amedeo adapter. I am not sure if he still makes such adapters anymore. I will soon know if I need another adapter or not.

 

[raid]

Dear Raid,

yes, Dr. Tronnier's «Ultron» design was one of his many patentable inventions; have a look here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2627204/sv
and
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2627205

🙂

Thank you for this information.

 

[phofseth]

By now irrelevant for your purchase and not a particularly weighty contribution:


A long time ago I got a Prominent with the Ultron. At the time I also had a Leica IIIf with the collapsible Summicron. Both provided colour slides which I found good enough to project on my about 2m wide screen. Never tried to protograph test targets or brick walls with them.



The IIIf was retired in favour of an M3, but the Prominent still sits on a shelf.


p.

 

[rajmohan-fotograf]

I have a Prominent Ultron lens and a Vitessa with an Ultron lens. I don't know if the design is the same, but the images from both are very pleasing to me.

 

[raid]

By now irrelevant for your purchase and not a particularly weighty contribution:


A long time ago I got a Prominent with the Ultron. At the time I also had a Leica IIIf with the collapsible Summicron. Both provided colour slides which I found good enough to project on my about 2m wide screen. Never tried to protograph test targets or brick walls with them.



The IIIf was retired in favour of an M3, but the Prominent still sits on a shelf.


p.

Thanks for your input. For me, it is yet another 50mm/2 lens that I can use on my Leica cameras with M mount.

 

[raid]

I have a Prominent Ultron lens and a Vitessa with an Ultron lens. I don't know if the design is the same, but the images from both are very pleasing to me.

I paid only $200 for the lens and camera, so it is a small cost overall to get a very good lens that I can explore.