Voigtlaender Prominent 50mm Lenses

[raid]

Has anyone compared the Nokton 50.1.5 with the Ultron 50/2?
I have the Nokton, and I love using it.
I wonder if the Ultron is comparable to a collapsible Summicron in overall quality or not.
I have an adapter for using 50mm lenses in Prominent mount to M mount with RF.

 

[peterm1]

Raid years ago I had a Prominent with the Ultron 50/2. I did not have a Nokton so could not compare them but I can say that I remember the Ultron as being rather low contrast but very sharp. It is certainly in my view a lens which is likely to compare well with Leica glass of the period. The Prominent was a lens that was apparently favoured by reporters who used it back in the 1950s mainly because it had a leaf shutter and so could sync with a flash at all speeds up to 1/500th (the maximum speed of that shutter). My point is that they would not have viewed it so favourably if the lenses were not of sufficient quality.

When I had mine in the end I had the 50mm Ultron, the 100mm Dynaron and the Color Skopar 35mm which were all fun to use. The only remnant of the Prominent kit I still own is a Turnit finder which is huge and has lovely optics providing an excellent view of subjects.

I have considered buying such an adapter as yours (I love non mainstream old glass) and one day may just do so (though I know they are far from cheap).

 

[raid]

Hi Peter,
I have been using the Nokton quite often on M cameras via an Amedeo Prominent-Contax adapter, plus a Contax-M adapter. I don't need another 50mm lens, but it is the fun of using yet another lens. The Ultron may be a good option here. I also have the 35mm Skoparon and the Turnit Finder.

 

[peterm1]

Hi Peter,
I have been using the Nokton quite often on M cameras via an Amedeo Prominent-Contax adapter, plus a Contax-M adapter. I don't need another 50mm lens, but it is the fun of using yet another lens. The Ultron may be a good option here. I also have the 35mm Skoparon and the Turnit Finder.

".......the fun of using yet another lens"......Tell me about it! I suffer from this syndrome hopelessly. 🙂

 

[raid]

The way I see it, which "excellent" 50mm RF lens can you buy these days for $200-$300? The Ultron may provide me with images having a new look. Maybe not!

 

[raid]

I just did the deed ... and I ordered a Prominent with Ultron. It was less expensive than buying just an Ultron without a camera. Now I have two Prominent cameras.

 

[peterm1]

I just did the deed ... and I ordered a Prominent with Ultron. It was less expensive than buying just an Ultron without a camera. Now I have two Prominent cameras.

Well done Raid. If you do not need the spare camera and it did not work you could at least use it as a boat anchor - my recollection is that it is HEAVY! Not that I would advocate doing that as they are also a lovely if quirky camera.

I would be interested in seeing your results and hearing of your view on the lens.

 

[raid]

The Ultron by itself sells for at least $200, and I paid this much for camera and lens. Yes, I can use one body for spare parts, if needed, or I sell it, and the Ultron will be nearly for free then.

Peter: I will for sure compare the Nokton and the Ultron.

 

[goamules]

I had the ultron on their Vitessa. It seemed very sharp and pretty good contrast too. I wish I could afford a Prominent to M or LTM adapter. I've had a mint Nokton in the safe for over a year. I just can't see spending $200-$300 for a focus mount adapter, when I have less than that in the lens.

 

[raid]

Well, the Nokton is worth the investment regardless how little you have paid for it. I paid $150 for the Prominent with 2 lenses many years ago (Nokton and Skoparon).

 

[hilltime]

Very nice purchase. I still have a very late model Prominent with the little lever under the winding knob. It is in pristine condition and even though I have not used it in years, I would never give it up. I have used both the Nokton and the Ultron on this way back when, and never noticed a huge difference, but considering all the reports of being one of the best lenses of the 50's, I have retained the Nokton and sold off the Ultron. It was a silver faced version which is not terribly common, or I have never seen many.

Again, I use the Nokton on my Contax IIA, interchangeably with the 50/1.5 Sonnar. Again I have the Amedeo adapter and a Prominent adapter which allow it's mounting on the Contax. I also have the much newer 50/1.5 Voigt
(Japanese) Nokton (again not the very latest version which looks like the LTM Nokton of the 50's) and have shot the Prominent Nokton, the 50/1.5 newer Nokton, and the 50/1.5 Sonnar on a Bessa R2. Amazing how these 50's lenses stand up to a super sharp modern lens which I think most agree is a super lens in itself.

For me who could be called an equipment whXXX, half the fun of shooting is trying all these combinations.

Raid, I applaud your choices and it has taken me all I can do to not have purchased a D700 in 2018. Ok there's still 2019!!!

Gary Hill

 

[raid]

Thank you, Gary. I use all of my lenses when there is time for a certain lens. I also often use a Sonnar 5cm/1.5 and also 5cm/2 both in Contax mount and also in LTM. I also use the more modern CV 50/1.5 LTM which is a great lens, as you know. It is big in size, though, and the older 5cm lenses may be more fun to use instead. The D700 can be very useful with a battery that seems to last for a long time and a CF card with 64 GB capacity and a great buffer time. One of my daughters was not impressed by my D700 and a zoom lens on it. She may like the Leica RF better. She told me "now your camera looks like everybody's camera".

 

[hilltime]

There you go, "Listen to your kids"! My 25 yr old was very disappointed this Christmas that I hadn't dragged out some old beast with the blasting flash. Instead it was a much tamer Fuji X30.

There's always a time and place for all. Your right, it's all about finding the time to play. One thing I'm hoping to happen in 2019, work be dammed!

Regards,

 

[nhchen]

A few weeks ago I adapted my own ultron lens from a broken vitomatic to a contact mount. I then used a Amedeo contax to ltm adapter.

Nathan

 

[raid]

Well done, Nathan! How do you find the Ultron on the M5 overall? Sharp? Low contrast? Colors?

 

[KEVIN-XU 愛 forever]

I have owned both white face version of the Nokton 50 1.5 and Ultron 50 2. Ultron is a very sharp lens when using it wide open. On par with the Leitz 50 2 rigid that I have. Its rendering is smooth. Ultron 50 2 is an extremely underrated lens I would say. You can easily find a very nice copy of Ultron at around $300 or even lower nowadays. Nokton has very dreamy bokeh. I suggest to use Nokton on film camera and its result is amazing. There is no doubt that they are both high quality lens and worth to have a try.

Both rare white face version of the Nokton 50mm f1.5 and Ultron 50mm f2 by Kevin-Xu, on Flickr

 

[nhchen]

Well done, Nathan! How do you find the Ultron on the M5 overall? Sharp? Low contrast? Colors?

Thanks Raid, It was definitely sharp, a little low contrast, but the lens I have has a some cleaning marks on the front element so that may have affected it as well.
Nathan

 

[Brian Legge]

I have one on a Vito III. I love the look it produces and hope to use it more in the future once I have more shooting time again.

 

[raid]

I have owned both white face version of the Nokton 50 1.5 and Ultron 50 2. Ultron is a very sharp lens when using it wide open. On par with the Leitz 50 2 rigid that I have. Its rendering is smooth. Ultron 50 2 is an extremely underrated lens I would say. You can easily find a very nice copy of Ultron at around $300 or even lower nowadays. Nokton has very dreamy bokeh. I suggest to use Nokton on film camera and its result is amazing. There is no doubt that they are both high quality lens and worth to have a try.

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.

 

[raid]

Thanks Raid, It was definitely sharp, a little low contrast, but the lens I have has a some cleaning marks on the front element so that may have affected it as well.
Nathan

Contrast can be adjusted with PP, so it can be used as a positive feature to keep details in high contrast situations where the light is strong.