What are your Favorite Voigtlander Leica Mount lenses?

[umcelinho]

The 40/1.2 became my fav allrounder.

Extremely versatile field of view, I shoot it as a tight 35 with a shallower depth of field and it just works beautifully. For framelines, I haven't filed the bayonet, instead I've macguyvered a way to keep the framelines preview lever on the 35/135 position.

It's a rather compact lens, even with the vented hood it's still so well balanced on an M body.

having the close focusing down to 50cm is pretty handy. For closer shots I just turn on live view, close it down to 2.8 and it works great.

I just love this lens and although I do still have a faint fetish for a ZM 35/1.4 Distagon I know it wouldn't beat some of the above aspects to my taste/use.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

... I do still have a faint fetish for a ZM 35/1.4 Distagon I know it wouldn't beat some of the above aspects to my taste/use.

I own it and it's one of the sharpest lenses in my bag. It's bigger than most M-mount alternatives, but you quickly get used to it (and, of course, it's well worth it). One of my favorite 35mm lenses of all time! (and that comes straight from a total Leica freak like me). I got rid of a 35mm Asph Summicron in favor of it!

 

[raid]

Recently I've got a black collapsible Heliar 50mm f/2. It is one of my favorites now. It has a remarkable 'sudden' passage from sharp to unsharp wich produces a 3D effect.

Leica MP, Heliar 50mm f/2 collapsible, 400-2TMY, printed on Adox MCC 110.

Erik.

Hi Erik,

I have the first edition Heliar 50/2. How is it different from your collapsible Heliar?

 

[Doug]

Hi Erik,
I have the first edition Heliar 50/2. How is it different from your collapsible Heliar?

Raid I think it has to be the same, as there was only one early collapsible edition.

Then the later one was introduced 2009, commemorating 50 years of Cosina and 10 years of Cosina/Voigtlander 1999-2009, total production 600 lenses. This edition was nickel finish and screw mount, non-collapsible.

I have both the nickel lens and an earlier black lens. Here are my notes on the early one...

Discontinued limited production, in silver or black finish, introduced Mar 22 2006, matched with a run of specially-marked Bessa R2M and R3M bodies commemorating 250 years of Voigtlander 1756-2006, total production 2500 cameras... and presumably 2500 lenses... 1700 of them black. USA importers later in 2006 split the kits and sold bodies and lenses separately.

Herbert Keppler's column in the Dec 2006 PopPhoto praises the lens: "The Heliar turned out to be incredibly good, comparable at all apertures to the 50mm f/2 Leica Summicron-M we'd tested in 1996." Cosina did it with "Newly developed super high-index glass (that) reduces all aberrations." This is quite a breakthrough, as the Heliar was historically not suited to small-format use, its qualities not including the necessary acutance or desired speed. As essentially a Tessar with another element cemented-in to make a front doublet, it's amazing it could exceed f/2.8. Fastest Heliar ever made. Having only 6 air-to-glass surfaces, it's extremely flare resistant and contrasty.

It collapses only about 1cm, and then projects into the camera body only about 1mm. Beautifully crafted, as the first new Voigtlander-branded lens to emerge after Cosina began producing Carl Zeiss lenses. Probably the only multi-coated collapsible lens ever made in either Leica thread or bayonet mount. Focusing tab of prototype not included in production lenses.

Sean Reid says that if he owned this lens he would not bother to have it 6-bit coded for the M8. It is softer wide open, esp in the corners (likely due to field curvature), than either the Summicron or Planar, and more subject to veiling flare for a "classic" rendition. Improved noticeably at f/2.4, but evidence of a focus shift at mid apertures.

I sent mine to DAG for 6-bit coding to 010111 (as an earlier Summicron) and adjust to best focus. Seems about right on wide open and I suspect a slightly concave field of focus. Not crisp wide open but pretty good at f/2.8 and up. Maybe a slight tendency to front-focus a bit at f/4. Lovely smooth bokeh with very slight tendency to doubling in near-bokeh so perhaps undercorrected spherical aberration.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I'm sorry Raid, I've missed your question, but be comforted by this wonderful answer from Doug.

It is indeed a very sharp lens, and as far as I know the only collapsible Leica lens in black.

The picture above is at full aperture or at f/2.8 (I forgot) and it is nice to have the background out of focus because this creates dept.

The lens can be safely collapsed on the M5 and looks in fact great on an M5 because it is in black. The M5 was esthetically designed to have black lenses.

I got the lens very cheap because it was tampered with. The barrel was loose, so the front was wobbling. It was difficult to repair it, like a Chinese puzzle.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP, Heliar 50mm f/2 black, 400-2TMY/AdoxMCC110.

Erik.

 

[raid]

Thank you, Doug, for your detailed response, and thank you, Erik too.

 

[LCSmith]

I rarely use the f/1.5; but it's nice to have it.

 

[das]

The 21/4 is perhaps the best value + performance in M-mount lenses in general. Pretty outstanding.

 

[agentlossing]

I only have the collapsible 50mm f3.5 Heliar, but I haven't been able to look at any results yet as I don't have any time right now for shooting or developing. I've got one roll of expired color film down with this lens, but have to send it out to get developed.

I am looking to get the 35mm Color-Skopar f2.5 to be my everything lens instead. Excited to get my hands on that Skopar, it seems like a really tiny and fun to use lens.

 

[zenza]

I've been absolutely loving my Nokton 40mm 1.4. What a stellar lens is such a small package.

 

[madNbad]

Just purchased a M mount 21 4.0 Color-Skopar from member wpb. The 21 joins a 35 2.0 Ultron ASPH VM and a 250 Anniversary collapsable 50 2.0 Heliar Classic. Now I have a nice three lens set for my M4.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Leica M-P 240
CV 21mm Ultron f/1.8 (6-bit coded as a 21mm Summilux)

 

[Erik van Straten]

The Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5:

 

[taffy]

The 35 1.4 Nokton SC has won me over. I love the rendering and color on the M8. It's been seeing much more action than my c-biogon.

 

[Kent]

My rankings of the CV lenses I own, depending on camera...

For the M(240):
1. 5.6/10
2. 2.5/75
3. 2.0/28
4. 4.5/15

For the M8:
1. 2.0/28
2. 5.6/10
3. 2.5/75
4. 4.5/15

But fourth place doesn't mean I don't like the lens. I really like each of my CV lenses.

 

[Godfrey]

These two Voigtländer lenses—HyperWide 10mm f/5.6 and Color Skopar 28mm f/3.5—are without a doubt my favorites and I tend to use them on my Leica CL (digital). I also still have the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5 and use occasionally, mostly on my Leica M4-2 because it is compact and renders nicely.

The Voigtlander Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical in M-mount is interesting to me ... a very fast wide for the CL would be useful, a wide mate for the Summilux 35/1.4 (1972 edition) ... but it is kinda bulky, and I also wonder how much I'd use it.

G

 

[raid]

It is not an easy task to rank my CV lenses according to preference.Only my 21.4 is in Nikon S mount.
The 35/4 must be the most used CV lens I have.

50/1.5 ltm
50/3.5 ltm
50/2 ltm
50/1.1 ltm
25/4 ltm
21/4 S

 

[Erik van Straten]

Do you have a 50/1.1 ltm? Interesting.


Erik.

 

[Range-rover]

I really like the Nokton 35mm f1.4, closed down it really great but wide open
hello!