What are your Favorite Voigtlander Leica Mount lenses?

[RichardPhoto]

I can only speak for the ones I have used:

35/2.5 Color Skopar
Mine is the LTM pancake (PI) version. Superb image quality, small, and very short focus throw. It's a great lens for general purpose. Very cheap secondhand. I see absolutely no reason to upgrade to a much more expensive Leica lens.

35/1.2 Nokton (Ver 1)
Fantastic lens. Although it's big/heavy this isn't a lens I would use for general walkabouts so that's not an issue for me. Plus, it's only big/heavy compared to tiny RF lenses - a dSLR user wouldn't even consider this as a big lens.

50/1.5 Nokton (Ver 1)
Mine is the ltm version. Very good quality. I see no reason to seek out a Leica 50 1.4 for marginal improvement at a much greater cost.

21/4 Skopar
Was quite nice on my M8 but I'm a bit unsure how it'll work on my M-E (hasn't arrived yet). I've conflicting reports about this lens on digital M. It's a really nice small lens though and I have no need for faster than f4 at this focal length. I got mine extremely cheap used as it had a small chip in the front element. So performance for cost is high.

 

[Ronald M]

Why buy a CV lens when Leica lenses are still around.

Bought three when CV first issued. 25 is a decentered paperweight. 12 & 15 have mechanical issues I repaired myself and do not work well with digital.

 

[Huss]

Why buy a CV lens when Leica lenses are still around.

Bought three when CV first issued. 25 is a decentered paperweight. 12 & 15 have mechanical issues I repaired myself and do not work well with digital.

I use the 21, 25, 25 snapshot, 28 ltm, 35 1.2 v2, 40 1.4 SC, 40 2 SLII, 50 2.5.
All are excellent with zero issues.

I also use Leica glass. That is pretty nice too. But I got all the above for the price of my 35 Asph Summicron. Sorta puts things into perspective.

 

[mdarnton]

None of the ones I have had has been anything less than stellar, so I could vote for all of them:
15mm LTM X 2 -- love the view, don't use it much
21/4 M -- great lens, gets lots of use
25/4 LTM -- couldn't get along with the manual focus
28/1.9 X 2 -- love this one! Love, love, love
35/1.7 LTM -- a perfect lens, not my FL, though
50/1.1 Ultron -- this comes out when nothing else will work

But my absolute favorite of the bunch is the 28/1.9 used wide open.

 

[zuiko85]

The 35 f2.5 PII, because it's the only one I have. So it's got to be my favorite, right?

 

[Archiver]

15/4.5 LTM - perfect on my Ricoh GXR as a general snapshot lens

25/4 M - a similar snapshot lens, and a great lightweight street combo with the Zeiss Ikon

35/1.7 LTM - I looooooved this lens on the M9, but unfortunately, my copy had backfocus, and couldn't be shimmed into calibration. I had to part with it. But I just loved the way it handled and rendered, there was just something about it on the M9 which made me want to shoot.

35/1.4 MC - great low light wide on the M9 and film bodies, and excellent fast 50 equivalent on the GXR, not to mention 70mm equivalent on the Panasonic GM1 and GH4.

50/3.5 LTM - this has the most 'round' organic rendering of any lens I have. It is wonderful for environmental portraits, especially on M9 and film.

I also have the 35/1.2 v1, which is an excellent lens but too large; the 12/5.6 M, which is also too large for my liking; and the 75/2.5 LTM, which is great but I prefer the Leica Summarit.

 

[struene]

The 35/2.5 II is just plain wonderfull: small, sharp ,light and fast to focus with the tab. Perfect match to especially the Bessa R2, but also to a leica or Ikon...

The wide angles: 21/4 and 15/4.5 (I and II) are just unique, as they are modern, sharp and really small (and really affordable) As a "speciality lens" i wouldn't buy something large and expensive!

In Generel the "tabbed" skopars are quite unsurpassed in usefullness and ergonomics and "grab-and-go" factor:
Super pleasant to use ergonomicaly, solid, optically superb and: its not a jewell you dont dare to use mindlesly.

schöne Grüße,
Johann

 

[Daryl J.]

40mm Nokton Classic Single Coat.

I love its drama in black and white. It's one of my favorite lenses in any format.

The 35mm Nokton Classic Single Coat and 35mm C-S PII are up there too.

 

[Godfrey]

I've used a number of these lenses successfully, but picking favorites is tough.

Of the ones I've had (nothing longer than 50mm), most have worked best on film and on the Ricoh GXR for digital. Only the Nokton 50/1.5 LTM has worked well on FF Leicas (the M9, M-P, M-D, and SL)—well meaning no vignetting or color shifting—and the Nokton 40/1.4 the same on the Sony A7.

G

 

[kuvvy]

I've used a handful of CV lenses and the ones I've enjoyed most have been the ones I used on my RD1. The 28/2 Ultron and 15/4.5 Mk1. Unfortunately I was forced into selling them but have now replaced the RD and 28. May replace the 15mm again when cash allows.

Paul

 

[Darthfeeble]

I voted for the ones I own, I own them because they are my favorites. So far.....
I have had the 25/4, the 35/2.5 ltm and the 35/1.2. None of which I particularly got along with.

 

[ferider]

I thought a picture might be useful at this point.

I didn't expect the 21/4 LTM to be on top, and the 50/1.5 VM to be by far the most successful VM lens ...

Roland.

 

[spaceistheplace]

I thought a picture might be useful at this point.

I didn't expect the 21/4 LTM to be on top, and the 50/1.5 VM to be by far the most successful VM lens ...

Roland.

Thanks a lot!

Much more clear, time to get a 21mm f4, I guess!

 

[Sonnar2]

Had about 10-15 VL lenses and still have 5.
In the film era I liked the 15/4.5 (I) and 25/4 most. They were probably the sharpest VL lenses. Both the 21/4 and the 28/3.5 were later developments out of the 25/4 Snapshot Skopar.
The 15/4.5 (I) and the Bessa-L started a new photographic era for me, so I voted for the 15/4.5 (I).
I recently sold my 21/4, since I've got a Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8. Much bigger lens.
The 35/2.5 Pancake Biogon was a very sharp lens. I sold it too cheap, but don't miss it much, since the Summarit 35/2.5 is also very nice (sharper and not that much larger). Had the 35/1.7 for a long time, never liked it much (low contrast, strange ghosts in backlite).
Still like the solid brass 50/2.5.
And recently upgraded to the 15/4.5-III. Very sharp and nice to handle (SONY Version).
Sold the 10/5.6. Too wide for me.

 

[steviegy]

I am looking at the 21mm f4 as a M8 user, I assume this would be quite a common set up.

 

[grouchos_tash]

I thought a picture might be useful at this point.

I didn't expect the 21/4 LTM to be on top, and the 50/1.5 VM to be by far the most successful VM lens ...

Roland.

I guess what we are seeing is the best value lens. I imagine the 21/4 will have the most votes because the most people have it and because it is good value for that focal length.

I've had 5 Voigtlander lenses but I couldn't vote for my favourite because I haven't used them all yet 🙄

Out of the ones that I have owned though, the 40mm would be my favourite for versatility and value for money 😀

 

[Kent]

I imagine the 21/4 will have the most votes because the most people have it and because it is good value for that focal length.

My thoughts as well. The results rather shows how many people HAVE a lens and not how good it is. 😉

Anyway, interesting it is.

Why buy a CV lens when Leica lenses are still around.

Price?

Bought three when CV first issued. 25 is a decentered paperweight. 12 & 15 have mechanical issues I repaired myself and do not work well with digital.

Some bad luck on your side, so it seems.

All my CV lenses (4.5/15, 2.0/28 and 2.5/75) perform great and are mechanically a pleasure to use.
Just my 1.7/35 I didn't like that much. It was well built, but performancewise it didn't get to where the others are.

 

[uhoh7]

21/4 is a real handful on digital, but so tiny you can always grab it.


Cottonwoods by unoh7, on Flickr

above M9, below Kolari A7:

Bluebelt by unoh7, on Flickr

 

[kxl]

I've owned quite a few CV lenses, but my favorite is the CV 35/1.2.

I used to own v1 and used it frequently with my RD1s. I now own v2 and use it with my A7R. Given the 2 different bodies, it's probably an apples-to-oranges comparison, but I prefer v2.

 

[agoglanian]

I've definitely had my share of CV lenses but right now my hands down favorite is the 50 f/2.5 Color Skopar. It just is the perfect size / weight / balance on my M3 and the rendering isn't half-bad either! (In fact it sometimes feels so similar to my Elmar-M 50 which is my favorite 50mm lens).

I do currently have the 50 f/1.5 Nokton M and have owned the LTM in the past, also great lenses but I'm finding I don't need the speed very much.

I really enjoyed the 21mm Ultron but I just found it to be too large for me, which was a bummer because I thought the image quality was excellent. The same story can be said for the 35mm f/1.2 which I absolutely LOVED the rendering of but I just couldn't come to terms with the sheer size of the thing. I bet it would be great on an M5 though 😉

Honestly though I'd re-buy that lens, it's really gorgeous.