A7III - Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 E - ISO100, f/1.2, 1/160sec
Hey Tim - that is quite an enchanting and very moody scenery, and you captured it in an excellent way.
A dilapidated and wrecked car, like feeling blue in the blue mountains...
On the technical side you are all guilty for me acquiring a Nikon z6 and this very lens ( in m mount though ) very soon!
Have people tested this or the 50mm version alongside the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm 0.95. I’m considering getting either, mainly for video use for character shots alongside a documentary lens (Tamron or 24-70 2.8 GM). The Nokton seems to have better flare resistance but the Mitakon probably has better bokeh. The Nokton also has exif info but this is less important for video.
BastianK has on phillipreeve.net reviewed both the mitakon (II and III versions) and cv 50mmm but I don't remeber him making a direct comparison...
cheers, A.
derKoekje wrote:
Have people tested this or the 50mm version alongside the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm 0.95. I’m considering getting either, mainly for video use for character shots alongside a documentary lens (Tamron or 24-70 2.8 GM). The Nokton seems to have better flare resistance but the Mitakon probably has better bokeh. The Nokton also has exif info but this is less important for video.
There are so many beautiful photos in this thread - my comment isn't for anyone in particular but to everyone posting - thanks, they are great to see. Obviously most of it comes down to composition and light as always but clearly this is a special lens.
Years ago I first found fredmiranda because of a desire to research Zeiss ZE lenses and over time I came to notice a pattern with most of those lenses, a certain quality they had. It wasn't as simple as saying sharpness or contrast but an overall look that tied many of them together, especially the older designs, high contrast, saturation, sharpness, they had a real pop.
I think I see a sort of family look with the new Voigtlander lenses. Even across wildly different focal lengths, from the 21/3.5 to the 40 and 50 1.2 lenses, there is a certain restrained, gentle rendering that makes very, the only word I think right, elegant photos. Not usually the sharpest or most contrasty but with a certain depth, nice bokeh, rich colours - all things which I think tend to have far more importance than the sharpness of extreme corners wide open.
I have tried to learn more about the company and yet find information difficult to come by. I understand that Cosina are used by Zeiss to manufacture their ZE/ZF/ZK, Milvus, Loxia lenses as well as most, though not all, of the ZM lenses. Nonetheless the impression I get is they are to some extent still very much Zeiss lenses, often based on old Zeiss Rollei and Zeiss Contax designs. But what is the situation with Voigtlander? It's an old name in photography now owned by a company called Ringfoto. I am often dubious about companies using names like this - the name Kodak is slapped on silly things and, for me the saddest, has been to see Rollei put on cheap tripods etc. Yet I think nobody could deny that the newer Voigtlander lenses are some very fine optics. For example on some Leica forums I frequent many were amazed that the 35/1.7 was better in most regards than the Leica 35 Summilux-M. So is there someone behind all these new lenses who really gives a damn about the heritage? Or is it just money? I really am curious to know. I've seen interviews with Canon L lens designers and Nikon lens designers where they clearly feel the weight of history, Minolta guys who work at Sony seem the same and even Laowa have a chief lens designer who has given interviews and has clearly a love of photography. Peter Karbe at Leica is clearly invested personally with the history of the company and the M mount. Yet Voigtlander, producer of some really beautiful lenses, remains a mystery to me. Is it just a corporate name that Cosina slaps on lenses? Or is there more to it?
Cosina licenses the name Voigtlander from Ringfoto, which I think is just a marketing company that owns the brand name.
Cosina doesn't sell lenses under their own name, but they have been designing, manufacturing, and marketing lenses under the Voigtlander brand name since 1999. These lenses are frequently referred to as Cosina Voigtlander (or CV) lenses.
As you note, they also manufacture manual focus lenses for Zeiss, including the legendary Otus line as well as the other lines you mention. I think that speaks volumes about the quality of their work.
I hadn't realised they make the Otus line too. Yes that does show they can make the absolute best. I wonder why Zeiss chose to make a couple of the more exotic ZM lenses, I believe the 85/2 and 15/2.8, themselves in Germany instead.
I suppose on my part it's just prejudice. I've seen companies use names of other companies and often disliked the results, feeling it's just a shortcut to sell to people who don't know the difference. Clearly that isn't the case here as the optics are top-notch. In many respects I suppose I am surprised they decided to use the rights to the name Voigtlander as - I might be wrong - but I think among a great many people it isn't that well known. I would have expected, for example, from a strictly business point of view the designs for the new 40 and 50 1.2 lenses could have been used to make a Zeiss branded lens and sell for a higher price. Again I might be wrong but I think the Zeiss name is much more widely known than Voigtlander.
After a very long time saving up, I have now ordered the 40/1.2. This decision was aided by the fact that as mentioned up thread Robert white has a 10% Off summer sale on Voigtlander. Very excited - I have wanted this lens for years!
_manny_ wrote:
I hadn't realised they make the Otus line too. Yes that does show they can make the absolute best. I wonder why Zeiss chose to make a couple of the more exotic ZM lenses, I believe the 85/2 and 15/2.8, themselves in Germany instead.
I suppose on my part it's just prejudice. I've seen companies use names of other companies and often disliked the results, feeling it's just a shortcut to sell to people who don't know the difference. Clearly that isn't the case here as the optics are top-notch. In many respects I suppose I am surprised they decided to use the rights to the name Voigtlander as - I might be wrong - but I think among a great many people it isn't that well known. I would have expected, for example, from a strictly business point of view the designs for the new 40 and 50 1.2 lenses could have been used to make a Zeiss branded lens and sell for a higher price. Again I might be wrong but I think the Zeiss name is much more widely known than Voigtlander. ...Show more →
Zeiss designs and markets their own manual focus lenses. They use Cosina to manufacture them, to Zeiss specifications. Cosina is a subcontractor to Zeiss. They have no control over the Zeiss product line.
With Voigtlander, Cosina controls everything and can set design specs, manufacturing costs, design tolerances, and everything else to meet certain target audiences and price points. In effect, they are competing with Zeiss in the manual focus lens marketplace, although they are smart enough to avoid head to head competition by designing their lenses for a different audience.
lunar module wrote:
Zeiss designs and markets their own manual focus lenses. They use Cosina to manufacture them, to Zeiss specifications. Cosina is a subcontractor to Zeiss. They have no control over the Zeiss product line.
With Voigtlander, Cosina controls everything and can set design specs, manufacturing costs, design tolerances, and everything else to meet certain target audiences and price points. In effect, they are competing with Zeiss in the manual focus lens marketplace, although they are smart enough to avoid head to head competition by designing their lenses for a different audience.
Can I ask which of the LR preset packs you use for the images on the Flickr? Especially the rainforest type shots.
Thanks!
Those rainforest shots just make use of the thick mist layers we get here, and usually an oval shaped radial filter to lower the exposure surrounding the center, some shadow/highlight correction, they are with a FE16-35f4, but I'm finding with this CV40mmf1.2 not much lightroom is needed at all which I love
Tim Harris wrote:
Those rainforest shots just make use of the thick mist layers we get here, and usually an oval shaped radial filter to lower the exposure surrounding the center, some shadow/highlight correction, they are with a FE16-35f4, but I'm finding with this CV40mmf1.2 not much lightroom is needed at all which I love
Thanks for the response. Yes I've noticed the CV50 produces quite a unique character and colour which i really like, it's the main reason I got the Sony as I find some of the other lenses (e.g. 55 1.8) to be a bit sterile dare I say it.
I'll have a further look at those presets, cheers.
I want to change my whole line up. It's just a "hobby" and I dont wanna carry big lenses like the Sony 35 1.4 or 85 1.4. So I thought about the voigtländer lenses. But I don't if I shall take the 40 1.2 or 50 1.2
Would like to combine it with the Voigtländer 21 3.5 + 110 2.5 Macro.
I definitely prefer the 40. It’s become my new all time favorite FL. Perfect for family time!
Hornhauer wrote:
I want to change my whole line up. It's just a "hobby" and I dont wanna carry big lenses like the Sony 35 1.4 or 85 1.4. So I thought about the voigtländer lenses. But I don't if I shall take the 40 1.2 or 50 1.2
Would like to combine it with the Voigtländer 21 3.5 + 110 2.5 Macro.
Interesting that in Oct 2017, CV released the 40mm ahead of the 50mm - it might have been the first of the modern 40s we've seen (and will no doubt see more of).
They may have figured it works so well at medium-long distances that the 'second trick' of such deep images complement the f1.2 work ('first trick') in a way no 50mm can ever do.
Another point for 50/55 users is that 40mm is far more exchangeable with existing 50/55 lenses, for things the 55/1.8 does not do well - such as some landscapes. 21-28-40-55 makes at least as much sense as 24-35-50 does, and CV's pocket rocket 21/3.5 is lighter than air.
Hornhauer wrote:
I want to change my whole line up. It's just a "hobby" and I dont wanna carry big lenses like the Sony 35 1.4 or 85 1.4. So I thought about the voigtländer lenses. But I don't if I shall take the 40 1.2 or 50 1.2
Would like to combine it with the Voigtländer 21 3.5 + 110 2.5 Macro.
So many problems
All CV 21, 40, 65 and 110mm would make an awesome kit!!
