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Archive 2015Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
p.2 #1Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Here are a couple of observations based on my use of the new Ultron 35...
I've compared the Ultron with my previous favourite, a Canon FD 35 F/2, which is well known as a sharp older manual focus lens (see http://erphotoreview.com/wordpress/?p=4364). The Ultron is definitely the better performer in the centre two thirds of the image, right from wide open, but the Canon not only sharpens up faster in the corners - it also achieves slightly better sharpness there.
The Ultron showed some magenta shading in the corners on my A7R, but this has completely gone on the A7RII that I've just purchased - managing the shading on the A7R was straight forward in LR using a radial filter.
As for my Canon, I tested the Ultron across a range of focus distances to find the point at which infinity focus still holds up when used at F/8 - on my copy, this is when the right hand edge of the infinity symbol is aligned with the far focus depth-of-field mark for F/11 - as usual, the manufacturer marked F/8 focus mark is too optimistic for me. I've shown an image below - not very inviting but its my usual test shot from my front lawn, with the power pylons dotted around the scene providing a good test of resolution. The lower corners are not as sharp as the rest of the scene, reflecting that this is close to the depth of field limit, coupled with the field curvature described by Phillip - however, the upper left corner is very acceptable.
I'm surprised (and delighted) with how well the lens performs close focused - second shot again from the garden at F/4.
Overall, I'm very happy with it, and would recommend it for consideration, remembering as with boats, that there is no perfect model - all have compromises, and its a case of finding the one that best suits your purpose.
John
Infinity focus test at F/8
Minimum focus distance - F/4
I've compared the Ultron with my previous favourite, a Canon FD 35 F/2, which is well known as a sharp older manual focus lens (see http://erphotoreview.com/wordpress/?p=4364). The Ultron is definitely the better performer in the centre two thirds of the image, right from wide open, but the Canon not only sharpens up faster in the corners - it also achieves slightly better sharpness there.
The Ultron showed some magenta shading in the corners on my A7R, but this has completely gone on the A7RII that I've just purchased - managing the shading on the A7R was straight forward in LR using a radial filter.
As for my Canon, I tested the Ultron across a range of focus distances to find the point at which infinity focus still holds up when used at F/8 - on my copy, this is when the right hand edge of the infinity symbol is aligned with the far focus depth-of-field mark for F/11 - as usual, the manufacturer marked F/8 focus mark is too optimistic for me. I've shown an image below - not very inviting but its my usual test shot from my front lawn, with the power pylons dotted around the scene providing a good test of resolution. The lower corners are not as sharp as the rest of the scene, reflecting that this is close to the depth of field limit, coupled with the field curvature described by Phillip - however, the upper left corner is very acceptable.
I'm surprised (and delighted) with how well the lens performs close focused - second shot again from the garden at F/4.
Overall, I'm very happy with it, and would recommend it for consideration, remembering as with boats, that there is no perfect model - all have compromises, and its a case of finding the one that best suits your purpose.
John
Infinity focus test at F/8
Minimum focus distance - F/4
Oct 18, 2015 at 12:28 AM
p.2 #2Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Thanks for the tip about the spelling. As pointed out Voigtländer or Voigtlaender is the correct spelling but whats more important to me is what people are searching for on google and google trends tells me that nobody searches for Voigtlaender. I have corrected the speilling in the review to Voigtlander, thanks for the hint!
I don't really now how well the CV 1.7/35 VM performs at f/5.6 for infinity scenes. I typically use f/8 for such scenes and it took me a while to figure out that focusing on the center won't yield very good results, so my initial sharpness test which was focused on the center isn't worth much. And after that I did no real testing, I based my results off real world images. And I have returned my copy because it was slightly decentered and another seller offered it for 575€ instead of 649€. I am certain that I will rebuy it bu not right now since I have too many other lenses to review.
I don't really now how well the CV 1.7/35 VM performs at f/5.6 for infinity scenes. I typically use f/8 for such scenes and it took me a while to figure out that focusing on the center won't yield very good results, so my initial sharpness test which was focused on the center isn't worth much. And after that I did no real testing, I based my results off real world images. And I have returned my copy because it was slightly decentered and another seller offered it for 575€ instead of 649€. I am certain that I will rebuy it bu not right now since I have too many other lenses to review.
Oct 18, 2015 at 03:10 AM
p.2 #3Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
navmannz wrote:
Here are a couple of observations based on my use of the new Ultron 35...
I've compared the Ultron with my previous favourite, a Canon FD 35 F/2, which is well known as a sharp older manual focus lens (see http://erphotoreview.com/wordpress/?p=4364). The Ultron is definitely the better performer in the centre two thirds of the image, right from wide open, but the Canon not only sharpens up faster in the corners - it also achieves slightly better sharpness there.
The Ultron showed some magenta shading in the corners on my A7R, but this has completely gone on the A7RII that I've just...Show more →
John
Congratulations and enjoy using it
René
Here are a couple of observations based on my use of the new Ultron 35...
I've compared the Ultron with my previous favourite, a Canon FD 35 F/2, which is well known as a sharp older manual focus lens (see http://erphotoreview.com/wordpress/?p=4364). The Ultron is definitely the better performer in the centre two thirds of the image, right from wide open, but the Canon not only sharpens up faster in the corners - it also achieves slightly better sharpness there.
The Ultron showed some magenta shading in the corners on my A7R, but this has completely gone on the A7RII that I've just...Show more →
John
Congratulations and enjoy using it
René
Oct 18, 2015 at 06:15 AM
p.2 #4Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Today I ordered Ultron for 540 EUR (Roughly equals $612) from http://www.leicashop.com/. Actually I didn't like the look of Nokton. But I thought of buying Nokton since the price in US is same for both Nokton and Ultron. I switched to Ultron since i found a good deal.
The price of Nokton is little cheaper in US when compared to Europe.
I should get that early next week. I will test that and let you guys know about my findings.
Thank you rscheffler for sharing the liecashop's link. Thank you others for your valuable comments. Special thanks to Phillip.
Note:
I used my American Express to place the order but American Express rejected the transaction, saying its fraudulent transaction. It took 1 day for me to resolve the issue.
Edited on Oct 21, 2015 at 08:17 PM · View previous versions
The price of Nokton is little cheaper in US when compared to Europe.
I should get that early next week. I will test that and let you guys know about my findings.
Thank you rscheffler for sharing the liecashop's link. Thank you others for your valuable comments. Special thanks to Phillip.
Note:
I used my American Express to place the order but American Express rejected the transaction, saying its fraudulent transaction. It took 1 day for me to resolve the issue.
Edited on Oct 21, 2015 at 08:17 PM · View previous versions
Oct 21, 2015 at 07:54 PM
p.2 #5Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Congrats, hope you will post samples and your impression of the lens 
Very good deal there, too
Very good deal there, tooOct 21, 2015 at 08:03 PM
p.2 #6Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
I got the 35 1.7 Ultron today, and the Hawks helicoid adapter. On a Sony A7rii.
First thing I did was to set the infinity stop, but then I tried experimenting with the adapter in different configurations, because I wasn't getting good results with that.
Quick testing, the lens is very beautiful for things up close in the center wide open. However no matter what I do the edges suck pretty badly. A distant line of trees, f8, focus on the left edge, then that edge isn't too bad. But otherwise, the edges are sucking pretty badly. I also notice a bit of a shift toward purple at the edges. My other lenses for this camera are the Loxias 21 and 50, and the Sony 90 2.8, so I'm pretty spoiled with good corners/edges. Is there any advice on setting up the adapter to optimize it? This lens might end up for sale if I can't use it in landscapes at all.
Back to testing...
First thing I did was to set the infinity stop, but then I tried experimenting with the adapter in different configurations, because I wasn't getting good results with that.
Quick testing, the lens is very beautiful for things up close in the center wide open. However no matter what I do the edges suck pretty badly. A distant line of trees, f8, focus on the left edge, then that edge isn't too bad. But otherwise, the edges are sucking pretty badly. I also notice a bit of a shift toward purple at the edges. My other lenses for this camera are the Loxias 21 and 50, and the Sony 90 2.8, so I'm pretty spoiled with good corners/edges. Is there any advice on setting up the adapter to optimize it? This lens might end up for sale if I can't use it in landscapes at all.
Back to testing...
May 23, 2016 at 02:38 PM
p.2 #7Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Maybe the wrong topic for my post above!
With the adapter set more like the way it was when I got it (infinity stop goes a bit past infinity) and going on a real camera walk, the edges/corners seem much less of a problem. The lens seems quite brilliant at times, but maybe a bit unwieldy at other times.
With the adapter set more like the way it was when I got it (infinity stop goes a bit past infinity) and going on a real camera walk, the edges/corners seem much less of a problem. The lens seems quite brilliant at times, but maybe a bit unwieldy at other times.
May 23, 2016 at 05:53 PM
p.2 #8Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Reviving an old thread.
I am interested in one of those two lenses, has anyone here has something else to add to the following summary:
1.7: Smaller, cheaper, sharper wide open but with a lot of field curvature and corners never get sharp enough, very nice bokeh.
1.2: Much bigger, faster, more expensive, sharp midfield around 4-5.6, better than 1.7 for landscape, lots of onion rings and cateye balls wide open that get better around f2.
I am leaning towards the 1.2 because I find the handling of the 1.7 to be very cumbersome (tried some) plus it has same filter thread as a future 50mm 1.2 and my Loxias.
Am I missing something?
I am interested in one of those two lenses, has anyone here has something else to add to the following summary:
1.7: Smaller, cheaper, sharper wide open but with a lot of field curvature and corners never get sharp enough, very nice bokeh.
1.2: Much bigger, faster, more expensive, sharp midfield around 4-5.6, better than 1.7 for landscape, lots of onion rings and cateye balls wide open that get better around f2.
I am leaning towards the 1.2 because I find the handling of the 1.7 to be very cumbersome (tried some) plus it has same filter thread as a future 50mm 1.2 and my Loxias.
Am I missing something?
Mar 20, 2019 at 02:04 PM
p.2 #9Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
rhawidantas wrote:
Reviving an old thread.
I am interested in one of those two lenses, has anyone here has something else to add to the following summary:
1.7: Smaller, cheaper, sharper wide open but with a lot of field curvature and corners never get sharp enough, very nice bokeh.
1.2: Much bigger, faster, more expensive, sharp midfield around 4-5.6, better than 1.7 for landscape, lots of onion rings and cateye balls wide open that get better around f2.
I am leaning towards the 1.2 because I find the handling of the 1.7 to be very cumbersome (tried some) plus it has same filter thread as a...Show more →
Yes, the field curvature of the f/1.7 lens on Sony A7/A9 series cameras is caused by the thick sensor stack on the camera. It can be avoided by using a different camera, modifying the sensor stack of a Sony camera, or using a filter on the lens. I wouldn't rule it out because of the field curvature.
Reviving an old thread.
I am interested in one of those two lenses, has anyone here has something else to add to the following summary:
1.7: Smaller, cheaper, sharper wide open but with a lot of field curvature and corners never get sharp enough, very nice bokeh.
1.2: Much bigger, faster, more expensive, sharp midfield around 4-5.6, better than 1.7 for landscape, lots of onion rings and cateye balls wide open that get better around f2.
I am leaning towards the 1.2 because I find the handling of the 1.7 to be very cumbersome (tried some) plus it has same filter thread as a...Show more →
Yes, the field curvature of the f/1.7 lens on Sony A7/A9 series cameras is caused by the thick sensor stack on the camera. It can be avoided by using a different camera, modifying the sensor stack of a Sony camera, or using a filter on the lens. I wouldn't rule it out because of the field curvature.
Mar 20, 2019 at 02:09 PM
p.2 #10Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Agreed. The 35/1.7 outperforms the 35/1.2 on a native mount camera.... If you're a Sony shooter, then it kind of flips the other way around without intervention. A new, third option is the Voigtlander 35/2 vintage lens. By f/5.6 it's pretty good at the edges on a Sony for decent across-frame performance (apparently better than the 35/1.7), but not perfect. That said, it's tiny, though ergonomics may be a bit of a compromise. Bokeh is a bit more on the busy side wide open and won't be as smooth as the other two.
Mar 20, 2019 at 07:41 PM
p.2 #11Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
rhawidantas wrote:
Reviving an old thread.
I am interested in one of those two lenses, has anyone here has something else to add to the following summary:
1.7: Smaller, cheaper, sharper wide open but with a lot of field curvature and corners never get sharp enough, very nice bokeh.
1.2: Much bigger, faster, more expensive, sharp midfield around 4-5.6, better than 1.7 for landscape, lots of onion rings and cateye balls wide open that get better around f2.
I am leaning towards the 1.2 because I find the handling of the 1.7 to be very cumbersome (tried some) plus it has same filter thread as a...Show more →
Giving a third life to this thread!
I am interested to know what you ended-up choosing?
I am looking for a 35 for detailed portraits/landscapes and the two Voigtlander look good, as well as the ZM 35/1.4.
Would be glad to hear which route you went.
Reviving an old thread.
I am interested in one of those two lenses, has anyone here has something else to add to the following summary:
1.7: Smaller, cheaper, sharper wide open but with a lot of field curvature and corners never get sharp enough, very nice bokeh.
1.2: Much bigger, faster, more expensive, sharp midfield around 4-5.6, better than 1.7 for landscape, lots of onion rings and cateye balls wide open that get better around f2.
I am leaning towards the 1.2 because I find the handling of the 1.7 to be very cumbersome (tried some) plus it has same filter thread as a...Show more →
Giving a third life to this thread!
I am interested to know what you ended-up choosing?
I am looking for a 35 for detailed portraits/landscapes and the two Voigtlander look good, as well as the ZM 35/1.4.
Would be glad to hear which route you went.
Jul 29, 2019 at 11:22 AM
p.2 #12Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
For what it's worth, the Voigtlaender 35mm f/1.2 Nokton also shows substantial improvement with a modded sensor stack. My NKIR thin sensor modded A7rII produces a stunning improvement in wide open resolution with the Voigtlaender Nokton compared to my stock A7rII. It's clearly a lens that was designed for film first.
Jul 29, 2019 at 03:23 PM
p.2 #13Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Hi matt-to,
I still did not buy anything yet but I will get sooner or later the 1.2
The reason is due to ergonomics, iq, aperture and possibility to have same filters with the 50.
I got some images from someone here in FM and if you want I can create a zip file with his files for you to take a look as well, just pm me your email.
I still did not buy anything yet but I will get sooner or later the 1.2
The reason is due to ergonomics, iq, aperture and possibility to have same filters with the 50.
I got some images from someone here in FM and if you want I can create a zip file with his files for you to take a look as well, just pm me your email.
Jul 30, 2019 at 06:49 AM
p.2 #14Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
rhawidantas wrote:
Hi matt-to,
I still did not buy anything yet but I will get sooner or later the 1.2
The reason is due to ergonomics, iq, aperture and possibility to have same filters with the 50.
I got some images from someone here in FM and if you want I can create a zip file with his files for you to take a look as well, just pm me your email.
Thank you. That's interesting though as I read the 1.7 mkII is better optically.
I will send you my email for sure.
Hi matt-to,
I still did not buy anything yet but I will get sooner or later the 1.2
The reason is due to ergonomics, iq, aperture and possibility to have same filters with the 50.
I got some images from someone here in FM and if you want I can create a zip file with his files for you to take a look as well, just pm me your email.
Thank you. That's interesting though as I read the 1.7 mkII is better optically.
I will send you my email for sure.
Jul 30, 2019 at 02:03 PM
p.2 #15Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Lens II Vs Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Anyone have any experience with Nokton 35mm f1.2 version II on M11?
Dec 26, 2023 at 03:53 AM