Voigtlander Ultron 35mm/1.7

Peter,

You'd have to google the photo.net site to find the threads, but some of the 35 Ultrons had a problem with three internal set-screws coming loose (Quite a different matter than a front lens group un-screwing).

This problem wasn't too common. As I remember, one user was quoted a ridiculous price for the repair , so he took it upon himself to repair the lens, and posted the method, which turned out to be pretty quick and simple.
 
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Thanks David and Rover. I have PDFed the article for future reference. :)
 
I just don't see it.

I just don't see it.

This lens is okay.

It takes nice, sharp photos with decent color in bright sunlight.

So does any lens.

But I've never taken a photo I *loved* with this lens. Whereas I *can* say that of two of my Soviet lenses that cost 1/10th as much.

I thought the jump in price--not even to the Nokton or Summicron level--would involve a jump in quality. But I just dont' see it.

On my Contax G1, the Zeiss Planar 40mm is *exquisite*. Every negative shows amazing sharpness and excellent contrast. THAT I see.

But the Ultron 35?

I fear people like to feel they got a good deal for their $300 or $400 dollars

Mine I'm selling on ebay.

Show me how wrong I am!

--E. R. O'Neill
 
Mine has never seen this problem at all. But then i dumped the original hood as it did nothing for flare etc. I used the Leica 12585H hood which is far better. The CV supplied hood is mostly decoration.

Gene
 
edwardoneill said:
On my Contax G1, the Zeiss Planar 40mm is *exquisite*. Every negative shows amazing sharpness and excellent contrast. THAT I see.

But the Ultron 35?

I fear people like to feel they got a good deal for their $300 or $400 dollars

Mine I'm selling on ebay.

Show me how wrong I am!l
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For one, Zeiss never made any 40mm lens for the G1. :p
 
My 35/1.7 received a couple of years of hard use -- exactly the same as my Leica gear gets -- before I decided to go back to my pre-aspheric Summilux: bad coma, but tiny and I prefer a finger-grip to a collar. I had no problems at all. But the focusing lever is falling off my 50/2.5 Color-Skopar, which I thought was a lovely little lens.

Cheers,

Roger
 
I have had the 35f1.7 since it came out. It is looking quite worn by now, I have to admit, but I have never had the front group unscrew! I did read about the problem on RFf and other forums. I suspect that part of the problem lies in the unscrewing of the hood and filters. Mine is an early, black version and the anodizing is wearing quickly! My only beef with the 35f1.7 is the ergonomics. The tapered front, towards the aperture ring made me miss shots. beacuse when I though I had the aperture ring, I was trying to turn the barrell!
Optically it is a very good lens. It has less of the Aspheric harshness of the Leica 35's and is fare less flare prone. It is out of production now, so I suspect that we will see a new 35 medium speed lens in not too distant future from VC. This will probably be a M-mount though.
Roger, interesting with your 50f2.5 having the focus tab coming undone! I have several of these lenses and thats a first I have heard about it. This is a bit of an unsung hero of a lens. Very good and the fact that it looks and feels like a 35f2 Summicron can be a bit disconcerting.
As for unscrewed fronts, I had more problem with that with my 35f1.4 Summilux and a couple of 50 Summiluxes. Nothing a little Loctite could not fix though!
One of my S-A 21/3,4 had a tendency to come apart too. The screws holding the front group kept vibrating loose when I was doing a lot of "bush" flying in the interior of British Columbia and Ontario (The De Havilland Beaver was not known as a vibration free aircraft!). Once, I fixed the lens in the north of Quebec by borrowing nail polish from the receptionist at a mining operation. Once back, I took the lens to Leica to redo and tighten it. A couple of days later I get this aggravated phone call from Leica Service " What the hell did you use to hold in the screws with". I said "Black Nail polish" Leicas response " Thanks, we have destroyed about $200 of premium screw drivers on it and it still wont came apart"
 
I know this is slightly off topic but has anyone done a comparison between the 35mm Ultron and the Biogon? I have the 35mm Ultron and the 28mm too and am very impressed with them but with Christmas approaching I'm starting feel the onset of GAS...
 
Tom A said:
Roger, interesting with your 50f2.5 having the focus tab coming undone! I have several of these lenses and thats a first I have heard about it.
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Dear Tom,

Maybe it's just me. I had a similar problem with my 35/1.4 non-aspheric after 5-10 years too. Been okay ever since.

Point taken about the look and feel of the Color-Skopar but the new Summarit 50/2.5 is another gorgeous little lens.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Tom A said:
A couple of days later I get this aggravated phone call from Leica Service " What the hell did you use to hold in the screws with". I said "Black Nail polish" Leicas response " Thanks, we have destroyed about $200 of premium screw drivers on it and it still wont came apart"
Click to expand...

haha, funny story Tom! thanks for sharing :D
must have been one tough nail polish the receptionist was using... miners ready ;-)
 
Front element on my Ultron 35mm is loose. I however cannot get the nameplate ring (front ring) off the camera. I have tried everything. Apparently, there are some screws behind the nameplate ring which, once tightened, will fix the front wobble.
Any advice with the nameplate ring removal?
 
Is there a non-broken link to repair instructions for the Ultron 35mm f1.7?

My copy has a wobbly front element as well and I can't seem to get the nameplate off. Interestingly, I seem to be able to simply unscrew the rear element and it takes me dangerously close to the guts of the lens (exposed aperture blades frighten me). I don't necessarily feel that this will get me closer to the loose problem screws, though.

I really would like to get this lens a-workin' for me, and am having great difficulty finding a proper repair guide. I would especially appreciate one with photographs of the process. ;)

Another question-- Is there any easy way to get the 35mm framelines to consistently show up with this lens and a CV LTM adapter on an M2 body? I've been fairly frustrated with trying so far.
 
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