Voigtlander 90mm f3.5 APO-Lanthar LTM lens

Yokosuka Mike

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Voigtlander 90mm f3.5 APO-Lanthar LTM lens, Sony A7III camera
Yokohama, Japan - April 2019

I walked into a local camera shop in Yokohama today and there was a used Voigtlander 90mm f3.5 APO-Lanthar LTM lens on the shelf so I bought it and a Kenko L-M adapter ring. The lens is black with a couple small minor scratches on it; the glass is in mint condition. I walked across town to Yokohama Park and started shooting. I’m very impressed with the results.


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Mike
 
Looks like it's a keeper, Mike! Lovely pictures.

Thank you, Lynn.

It sure is nice when one stumbles onto a lens that one wasn’t looking for and it turns out to be such terrific fun to use. The Voigtlander 90mm f3.5 APO-Lanthar LTM lens is so small; heck the filter size is only 39mm. I also like the way the hood screws onto the lens, the hood has internal threads and the lens has external threads. And, the coolest part of all is the three colored rings between the aperture ring and the hood, very distinctive.

Anyway, thank you again, Lynn, for taking the time to check out the images and leave a kind comment.

Mike
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Voigtlander 90mm f3.5 APO-Lanthar LTM lens, Sony A7II
May, 2019

Bottom of the picture, left of center.
The Kasumi Bridge over the Shin-Yama****a Canal
1. This bridge was originally manufactured in England and shipped to Japan where it was erected in 1896 as a railway bridge spanning the Sumida River in Tokyo.
2. In 1929 it was moved to the Tsurumi River connecting Yokohama and Kawasaki.
3. In 2013 it was moved to it's present location in Yokohama.
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The above picture was taken from the Harbor View Park in Yokohama. This is the rose garden in that park.
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This is a rose in the rose garden.
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The Voigtlander 90mm f3.5 APO-Lanthar LTM lens is okay by me.
Mike
 
I had one and sold it after a short period of incidental use as I could not really get used to the 90mm focal length. Seeing these nice pictures makes me wonder whether I shouldn't held on to it a little while longer..
 
Thanks for those shots Mike. This lens is far more interesting than I ever thought it to be.

As an aside I have just finished re-reading Japanese Inn by Oliver Statler. (I have it in my collection and pick it up to re-read every few years). Though Suruga Bay is a bit to the west of Tokyo Bay where you are, I thought you might be interested in the book if you are not familiar with it. It tells the story of the Minaguchi Ya, a ryokan (no longer in operation) in the village of a feudal post town, named Okitsu on the Tokkaido through several hundred years and in doing so tells the story of that part of Japan's history too (i.e. essentially the Tokugawa era through the Meiji period into the Showa). Quite fascinating for a Japanophile like me. Though parts of it are fictionalized a bit it is still factually correct about the bigger historical aspects.

For a small town Okitsu seems to come up quite a lot in literature - the 1962 film of "The 47 Ronin" (Chushingura) starts in an Okitsu ryokan, the movie "Tokyo Story" has glimpses of the town in its opening scenes, and of course the town is dealt with extensively in the book as well as in Hiroshige's famous prints. In history as well it comes up more than you would expect - Prince Saionji a leading moderate statesman retired and "held court" a lot in Okitsu before and during WW2 where he tried to influence the hardliners to end the war. And Tokugawa Eiyasu founder of the Tokugawa dynasty spent a significant part of his childhood in the Seikenji temple above the town. Fascinating stuff (for me anyway).

It is interesting also to see photos of Okitsu and the Tokkaido back then and compare them, even to images from the 1950s, say when a lot of historical Japan was still intact at least in rural areas less affected by the war. It is kind of sad to see how so much of Japan's history has been lost and built over by super highways. Ah well, that's "progress" I suppose.
 
I wonder how many of these lenses are actually "out there". You never see many for sale at any one time. Being the only lens longer than 75mm Cosina made in either Leica mount, it many never be an expensive collectible, but it's not the easiest to find either.
 
Thanks for those shots Mike. This lens is far more interesting than I ever thought it to be.

As an aside I have just finished re-reading Japanese Inn by Oliver Statler. (I have it in my collection and pick it up to re-read every few years). Though Suruga Bay is a bit to the west of Tokyo Bay where you are, I thought you might be interested in the book if you are not familiar with it. It tells the story of the Minaguchi Ya, a ryokan (no longer in operation) in the village of a feudal post town, named Okitsu on the Tokkaido through several hundred years and in doing so tells the story of that part of Japan's history too (i.e. essentially the Tokugawa era through the Meiji period into the Showa). Quite fascinating for a Japanophile like me. Though parts of it are fictionalized a bit it is still factually correct about the bigger historical aspects.

For a small town Okitsu seems to come up quite a lot in literature - the 1962 film of "The 47 Ronin" (Chushingura) starts in an Okitsu ryokan, the movie "Tokyo Story" has glimpses of the town in its opening scenes, and of course the town is dealt with extensively in the book as well as in Hiroshige's famous prints. In history as well it comes up more than you would expect - Prince Saionji a leading moderate statesman retired and "held court" a lot in Okitsu before and during WW2 where he tried to influence the hardliners to end the war. And Tokugawa Eiyasu founder of the Tokugawa dynasty spent a significant part of his childhood in the Seikenji temple above the town. Fascinating stuff (for me anyway).

It is interesting also to see photos of Okitsu and the Tokkaido back then and compare them, even to images from the 1950s, say when a lot of historical Japan was still intact at least in rural areas less affected by the war. It is kind of sad to see how so much of Japan's history has been lost and built over by super highways. Ah well, that's "progress" I suppose.

Hi Peter, and thank you for the book recommendation. I’ll try to check it out. I have one book recommendation for you.

“A Historical Guide To Yokohama”
Sketches of the twice-risen Phoenix
-- Burritt Sabin (author) , Published by Yurindo Co, Ltd 2002

It’s kind of an odd book (some say it’s poorly written) but in my opinion a must read for anyone that has visited or plans to visit Yokohama.

Everyone talks about their desire to visit Tokyo, well I think that Yokohama is a much better place to visit. Of course visiting both cities is best.

In conjunction with the book you might want to watch the 1958 John Wayne movie “The Barbarian and the Geisha”. It’s based on Townsend Harris being sent by President Pierce to Japan to serve as the first U.S. Consul-General. I’m sure there are many movie critics that would say this movie sucks but I think it’s pretty good and worth watching. Maybe you’ve already seen this movie.

All the best,
Mike
 
For a small town Okitsu seems to come up quite a lot in literature - the 1962 film of "The 47 Ronin" (Chushingura) starts in an Okitsu ryokan, the movie "Tokyo Story" has glimpses of the town in its opening scenes


Slight correction if I may, Peter. The opening scenes of Tokyo Story are all of Onomichi. There a several fan websites (albeit in Japanese) that cover this in detail.
 
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