Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Aspherical Photos

[Sonnar Brian]

I'm not stating that the APO-Lanthar was optimized for the M Monochrom.

BUT- The APO-Lanthar IS optimal for the M Monochrom.

Digital Sensors render color differently. Very few publish the spectral response curves. Some websites measure them.
The 85mm F4.5 Ultra-Achromatic Takumar was used to make spectrum analyzers, as in an M42 mount inside the chassis with the lens screwed into it. I wonder how many of these lenses were scrapped when the Spectrum Analyzer died. One count has 40 of these lenses still around.

 

[raid]

I'm not stating that the APO-Lanthar was optimized for the M Monochrom.

BUT- The APO-Lanthar IS optimal for the M Monochrom.

Digital Sensors render color differently. Very few publish the spectral response curves. Some websites measure them.
The 85mm F4.5 Ultra-Achromatic Takumar was used to make spectrum analyzers, as in an M42 mount inside the chassis with the lens screwed into it. I wonder how many of these lenses were scrapped when the Spectrum Analyzer died. One count has 40 of these lenses still around.

Yes, this is quite possible. I do not own a Monochrom. So a color removed image from color images will not be showing any improvements. and the Monochrom sensitivity is what makes the images special?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The lack of the color filter array makes images from the Monochrom special. CA cannot be removed using software.

I need to pick up a Foveon sensor based camera- just to play with.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Some pictures I see here seem only to consist of blue and brown, like bad copies of digital movies.


Erik.

 

[raid]

Some pictures I see here seem only to consist of blue and brown, like bad copies of digital movies.


Erik.

Blame the weather?
Ask the fish market to color their boardwalk?
The sky is blue. How do I change its color?

Oh well.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Blame the weather?
Ask the fish market to color their boardwalk?
The sky is blue. How do I change its color?

Oh well.

There should be nuanced halftones, grays and greenish. The brown parts are also insufficiently nuanced too, I think. I don't know about color photography, but I know about colors. Maybe you should photograph a color test chart to see if there is something wrong, a wrong adjustment or something. Show us that, Raid. Maybe someone knows a solution. Obviously, maybe I see it wrong.

Can't you make a sunset, with yellows, oranges and red?

Erik.

 

[raid]

Erik: The winter late afternoons give me here such light. It is what was observed then.
I have posted hundreds of images taken with this M10 camera and several lenses during the past months, and there were no such statements by RFF members who commented on these images. If you are right, then my M10 needs color corrections. If it was not the camera causing what you are seeing, is it the lens? I somehow doubt this.

Could it have been the way LR5 converted DNG files to jpg files? I still have all DNG files saved.

I will look for a colorful sunset!

 

[Erik van Straten]

I don't really know about it - I'm an analogue photographer - but the copies of films I talked about are of course conversions. Can you show unconverted files?

Good luck, Raid.

Erik.

 

[rfaspen]

I think I see what Erik is talking about with the colors (blue/brown palette). I couldn't articulate it, but I think I see the same thing. I have no idea what it is or how it comes to be. Clearly outside my area of expertise 🙂

Aside from the color stuff, the images from this lens have a characteristic I was hoping to see -- They all appear somehow sharper and more acute in a way that isn't just higher contrast. There is an attending quality to the OOF areas that I really like as well. Again, I'm not in a position to explain why this is, but I like it and still think I would like this lens. However, it is not exactly a small lens (!) and I'm currently tempted by a couple other lenses. Only getting one lens this year and I need to choose wisely.

 

[hap]

The lack of the color filter array makes images from the Monochrom special. CA cannot be removed using software.

I need to pick up a Foveon sensor based camera- just to play with.

Reminds me of this article that is still on my computer.

https://photopxl.com/is-the-foveon-sensor-still-relevant/

I used to read Sean Reid's articles but finally gave up on the subsription. He had a proclivity towards the Foveon, especially for monochrome.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

I honestly don't understand how you can judge a lens' colour rendition from random jpeg snapshots. There's simply too many variables involved, most of which are not the lens (the scene itself, the sensor, the camera, the processing software, the photographer and their editing choices).

Short of a controlled side by side comparison it just seems like a pointless exercise?

Let's just say that it lacks that certain pop compared to many of the other lenses Raid shared when he first got his M10 (for the most part, same subjects). Even the Chinese 8-element Summicron knock-off had a certain "punch", with nice warm tones, that this lens simply does not have.

But the B&W images look fabulous!

Sorry guys. Just my opinion/observation.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

... I have posted hundreds of images taken with this M10 camera and several lenses during the past months, and there were no such statements by RFF members who commented on these images. If you are right, then my M10 needs color corrections. If it was not the camera causing what you are seeing, is it the lens? ...

I don't think it's the camera - may not even be the lens. But it could actually be the camera/lens combination along with the profile you're assigning to it.

Try switching out lens profiles to see what that does. You might be surprised at how much a difference lens profiles produce.

My 25mm Zeiss Biogon, for example, performs miserably with the 24mm Asph Elmarit profile! But switching to the 24mm Elmar profile works wonders for that lens (and the purple corners are completely gone).

I have a similar experience with profiles assigned to my CV 40mm Nokton f/1.2 - I am still experimenting with that one.

 

[raid]

Excellent suggestion Bill. I will try it out.

 

[james.liam]

Excellent suggestion Bill. I will try it out.

Great recommendation from Bill. But can you manually choose the 50 Summicron APO from the menu?

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Great recommendation from Bill. But can you manually choose the 50 Summicron APO from the menu?

Yes - ANY 50 or 75mm profile can be used on a non 6-bit coded 50mm lens. I'm guessing the Apo Summicron is precisely the profile Raid used. I'm suggesting he try something else (another profile) with this lens.

 

[james.liam]

Yes - ANY 50 or 75mm profile can be used on a non 6-bit coded 50mm lens. I'm guessing the Apo Summicron is precisely the profile Raid used. I'm suggesting he try something else (another profile) with this lens.

Ah! Tedious trial and error, then. However, Leica Users Forum has a thread about codes for non-Leica lenses. Perhaps someone there has already identified good options.

 

[astrobuoy]

I'm wrestling over whether to sell my Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II in favor of this (I can't afford to own both). Wondering if anyone has done a comparison or has some thoughts?

I find that I mostly end up shooting the Nokton between f/2 and f/2.8, so the speed increase isn't really a factor. And I mostly shoot color film, and wonder whether colors from the APO design might be "truer." I do enjoy the portability of the Nokton, but don't mind larger lenses. Any input would be appreciated!

 

[Ccoppola82]

Sous Chef

Sous Chef

A quick shot of my son stirring our bolognese

m246 @f2
Sous Chef by Chris Coppola, on Flickr

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Sun came out for the first time in days. Very late in the day, deep blue Winter sky. The Snow is reflecting the Sky in some shots.

All wide-open, on the Leica M9. Heliopan UV/IR filter to eliminate any fringing due to IR.

Red was the theme for today's short walk. It looks accurate to me. Looking at the sign, and the Screen on the M9- accurate. Auto White Balance, direct exports from LR6. No processing, lens coding turned off.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

This is what the LED lights look like

And the Reflectors.





And the flag waving in the very-late afternoon Winter Sun.



The late Winter Sky- very Blue.



This shot raised some Red Flags...