Why WOULDN'T You Buy Voigtlander Lenses?

[Dave Wilkinson]

My 21 is quite contrasty. Neither the 35/1.7 Ultron nor the 50/1.5 Nokton seem to be so, they just seem quite matter of fact (I shoot mainly b&w, and mostly do not have a high-contrast style). They are both more contrasty than the Canon 50/1.2, but that's because the Canon is extremely low-contrast, in daylight at least.



Good point.

Ian

'C'est la vie'.......said the old folks, which goes to show you never can tell!

 

[Socke]

Won't fit on my cameras?

No, they made some for Canon EF mount, but those are not much to talk about.

 

[FrankS]

There is NO reason that I wouldn't buy CV lenses. I own several, (25, 35f2.5, 50f2.5) and several Leitz lenses as well.

 

[colyn]

I own 2. The 15mm and 21mm and plan to get more..

 

[clintock]

Poor Cosina, they went to so much effort to properly coat the glass and create high contrast optics, only to be scrutinized for having too much contrast.
Maybe they should offer non-coated variants or market a haze kit.

 

[JohnL]

Poor Cosina, they went to so much effort to properly coat the glass and create high contrast optics, only to be scrutinized for having too much contrast.
Maybe they should offer non-coated variants or market a haze kit.

Actually, in one case, they do ... the 40/1.4 is available in both single and multi-coated versions ... or used to be.
BTW, I have 5 CV lenses and have no complaints. The only one that I often use wide open is the 35/1.2, and I find it does a pretty good job. You have to watch the focus though. Not surprising. The only non-CV RF lens I have is the Canon 50/0.95.

 

[Rod Fung]

I just recieved my C/V 35 f1.2 Nokton from Camera Quest a few minutes ago. Popped it on my M8 and took a few shots wide open and all I can say is 'wow'. I love the render and the way the lens 'feels". I think I'll be ordering another C/V lens this weekend.

 

[Bertram2]

I love the idea of VC lenses, but was disappointed by the 25/4, despite the fantastic price -ultimately the look was nowhere near as nice as my Summicron C, or Elmar C for that matter - too high contrast, with the mid tones kind of milky and undefined.

The 4/25 belongs to the lenses i have used most frequently during the the last 6 years , BW and colour, and yes it is contrasty but I never noticed "milky and undefinded midtones". Must have something to do with your craft, not with the lens.

Bertram

 

[fotorr]

If it weren't for the Cv glass I would not be using a rangefinder camera today. The ability to have lenses from 15mm to 90mm with 21, 28, 35, 50, 75 in between and still not spend a large amount of money- read Leica- is amazing. The real catch is that the CV lenses are GREAT/SHARP and work for me. No question why I believe in Cv.
fotorr

 

[StuartR]

The 4/25 belongs to the lenses i have used most frequently during the the last 6 years , BW and colour, and yes it is contrasty but I never noticed "milky and undefinded midtones". Must have something to do with your craft, not with the lens.

Bertram

Exactly, if his experience is different then yours, he must be incompetent!


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Anyway, I have some CV lenses, some Zeiss and some Leica. The Zeiss and Leica lenses are better to my eyes than the CV lenses I have used, though each lens is different. I am willing to pay more for better performance even if there is a diminishing rate of return. This is the case in almost any field. I regularly print 16x20 and 20x24 from 35mm and I prefer to shoot wide open, so differences that would be invisible on the web or in an 8x10 can become quite apparent at those sizes.

 

[Bertram2]

Exactly, if his experience is different then yours, he must be incompetent!
.

As for lenses , there are no "different experiences ". A lens is not a restaurant. A lens is what it is and it does what it's design lets it do. And all the rest is blablah.

Bertram

 

[foto_fool]

As for lenses , there are no "different experiences ". A lens is not a restaurant. A lens is what it is and it does what it's design lets it do. And all the rest is blablah.

I guess you have not bought and sold a few Jupiter 3's. I respectfully disagree with you, sir.

Regardless of what a lens was designed to do, each of us experiences a particular lens model differently. In my own experience I just flippin' HATE the 135mm Hektor. This does not make me incompetent, or right, or wrong.

- John

 

[ERV]

I had two, a 35 skopar and a 25mm.
I eventually sold both because they were too contrasty for taste. In particular, I thought they lacked a middle range in that images were either dark or light and without tonality.
I also was disappointed with my ability to zone focus with the 25.
Although they obviously work for other photographers, I think 40mm summicron C is a great low cost alternative between CV lenses and the prime Leica lenses.

 

[tedwhite]

Oddly, I don't have a too-contrasty problem with my cv lenses. I primarily use the 35/2.5 Skopar and my buddy's 28 (can't remember if it's a Nokton or an Ultron) and use exclusively TriX developed in D76 1:1.

Plus, in the darkroom you can use different grade papers or, in the case of VC papers, different filters to raise or lower contrast.

But again, most of my negs taken with V/C lenses and printed on RC VC paper are done so with 2, 2 1/2, or 3 filters. If the negs were too contrasty I'd no doubt be using 1 or 1 1/2 filters.

Here is a picture taken with the 28/1.9 ASPH Ultron, wide open, hand held at 1/2 second. Ilford FP4

 

[BillBingham2]

For what I shot today, I 'm hard pressed to need more that my CV lenses give me. Every lens has it's own signature and ever so often, every manufacturer has a bad lens slip out. There are artists here who can tell the difference and want something else and for them that's great.

I'm happy to have a wide choice of great glass I can use from Nikon, Leica and CV. I'm not sure there is a perfect lens for everything I shoot. I know that everything I see can not be handled by an RF, that's why I carry an SLR some times.

Thank God there are some folks who want/need the very best, we need to have someone keep making the best better so the other guys can try and catch up.

B2 (;->

 

[grduprey]

I have the 35/1.7 Ultron, and the 35 Sumilux pre-asph beats the pants off it in all aspects. its up for sale if anyone wants it. inquire at grduprey@mchsi.com

gene

 

[Uwe_Nds]

As for lenses , there are no "different experiences ". A lens is not a restaurant. A lens is what it is and it does what it's design lets it do. And all the rest is blablah.

Bertram

Come on, Bertram,

This is not fotocommunity.

Actually, the comparison with restaurants IMHO is quite valid:
There are some restaurants that always deliver top quality with everything they serve, but at a price.

There are other restaurants that on a good day deliver equivalent quality at cheaper prices, but you might be unlucky...

The design of a lens is one thing, manufacture and QC is another thing and that's where the prices differ.


Best regards,
Uwe

 

[Ossifan]

Uwe is absolutely correct - and not just between manufacturers but also within a single manufacturer... even if your manufacturing tolerances conform to six-sigma, one of every 100 or 1,000 lenses will be different in some way.

As for me, I would LOVE to buy more Leica glass but I simply have other financial priorities (a couple in my avatar and I love to travel). My wife bought me my M6TTL and 35mm Summicron ASPH for my 40th birthday. I added a 50mm Summicron DR and I really enjoy both of them. I REALLY want the 24mm Elmarit, but simply can't afford it and don't see a time when I will be able to (large inheritance, perhaps...), so I bought the CV 21mm f4 complete with aux. finder and love it. What a great price!

I was also just looking at another 50mm lens and comparing the Nokton with the Summilux with the Zeiss Sonnar. Something about the Sonnar, faults and all, appeals to me, can't say why but I'm sure the size is part of it - it's smaller than both the Nokton and the Summilux and the price seems ok. I think, however, that I'll try to avoid the GAS attack and not/not buy another 50mm.

On the other hand, now that I've read this thread, I need to take another look at Stephen Gandy's Cameraquest... Oh, nooooo!

Cheers,
Alex

 

[Bertram2]

I guess you have not bought and sold a few Jupiter 3's.
- John

We do not talk about the Russian stuff and it's well known tolerances. We talk about a quality product.
It was said the CV 4/25 has milky and undefine midtones,. What ever it shall mean, it can't be a personal experience, this is plain nonsense.

bertram

 

[Bertram2]

C
The design of a lens is one thing, manufacture and QC is another thing and that's where the prices differ.
Best regards,
Uwe

Do you really believe that some CV 4/25 can have " milky and undefined midtones" because of a sloppy QC ???? Leaving aside it isn't trues at all, but how should this work technically ?

Bertram