About the Viltrox "in the frame centre by f/1.8 and f/2.0 images are of weak quality and they become decent only near f/2.2. From f/2.8 upwards you deal with good levels but even by f/4.0 and f/5.6 image quality doesn't bowl you over".
About the 50 Apo "in the frame centre, at the maximum relative aperture, the Voigtlander gets to a sensational value of 70 lpmm. On stopping down to f/2.8 the lens is able to reach almost 80 lpmm and by f/4.0 its resolution amounts to 81.0 ±0.8 lpmm, a result that ensures it a place on our resolution record list... It's also not all of the praise - also on the edge of the frame the Apo Lanthar is able to keep image quality on a very high level, an exception among full frame lenses designed for mirrorless cameras."...Show more →
Viltrox is f2 air, that's a different one. I think Dustin Abbott mentioned the viltrox was sharper than the 50mm f1.4 GM (a blurb in a written review).
About the Viltrox "in the frame centre by f/1.8 and f/2.0 images are of weak quality and they become decent only near f/2.2. From f/2.8 upwards you deal with good levels but even by f/4.0 and f/5.6 image quality doesn't bowl you over".
About the 50 Apo "in the frame centre, at the maximum relative aperture, the Voigtlander gets to a sensational value of 70 lpmm. On stopping down to f/2.8 the lens is able to reach almost 80 lpmm and by f/4.0 its resolution amounts to 81.0 ±0.8 lpmm, a result that ensures it a place on our resolution record list... It's also not all of the praise - also on the edge of the frame the Apo Lanthar is able to keep image quality on a very high level, an exception among full frame lenses designed for mirrorless cameras."...Show more →
No 2.0 50 Air was tested there. What you're quoting refers to a completely different lens. It might apply to the 1.8, but certainly NOT to the 2.0.
I think you'll hardly notice a difference in practice. In terms of sharpness, I see no real difference to the 1.2 50 GM.
Just get one and try it out yourself. It's really cheap.
Yogifi wrote:
Viltrox is f2 air, that's a different one. I think Dustin Abbott mentioned the viltrox was sharper than the 50mm f1.4 GM (a blurb in a written review).
Nifty Fifty wrote:
No 2.0 50 Air was tested there. What you're quoting refers to a completely different lens. It might apply to the 1.8, but certainly NOT to the 2.0
Yes, thank you for correcting me
Nifty Fifty wrote:
I think you'll hardly notice a difference in practice. In terms of sharpness, I see no real difference to the 1.2 50 GM.
Just get one and try it out yourself. It's really cheap.
This demonstrates that we pay too much for Nikkor, Canon, Voigtlander, etc. lenses.
This demonstrates that we pay too much for Nikkor, Canon, Voigtlander, etc. lenses.
I made a similar comment when I received the f2 air.
But I went ahead and got a new copy of the apo-lanthar anyway (first used copy was decentered)...different feeling.
It was admitedly hard to justify but it's one I really want. Hopefully a lens for life.
Yogifi wrote:
I went ahead and got a new copy of the apo-lanthar anyway (first used copy was decentered)...different feeling.
It was admitedly hard to justify but it's one I really want. Hopefully a lens for life.
My 1st "new" copy was decentered too. The 2nd one is excellent.
The 28/1.5 Nokton too was slightly decentered. I sent it back because, along with decentering, I didn't like the overall rendering.
My 35/2 Apo is OK.
Two over three new Voigtlander lens I've purchased showed misalignment issues. Not exactly pleasant for a brand that also makes build quality one of its distinctive features.
I'm also not super keen on the cv 28 f1.5. Not sure if I want to let it go as haven't spent tonnes of time to say for sure and there's been a couple shots I like the look of that I don't think I'd get with the thypoch and probably not the APO either.
Ripolini wrote:
This demonstrates that we pay too much for Nikkor, Canon, Voigtlander, etc. lenses.
If you base the price of a lens solely on sharpness and resolution, then yes. However, from that perspective, the 50mm f/1.4 GM shouldn't be cheaper, but rather more expensive than the 50mm f/1.2 GM.
So, according to your calculations, you're paying both too much and too little for Sony. Personally, I would always choose the f/1.2 over the f/1.4, even though it's "worse" and more expensive (and bigger and heavier).
So, it seems things aren't so simple.
Ripolini wrote:
My 1st "new" copy was decentered too. The 2nd one is excellent.
The 28/1.5 Nokton too was slightly decentered. I sent it back because, along with decentering, I didn't like the overall rendering.
My 35/2 Apo is OK.
Two over three new Voigtlander lens I've purchased showed misalignment issues. Not exactly pleasant for a brand that also makes build quality one of its distinctive features.
In my personal opinion, the centering issue is completely overrated. It's a typical forum and pixel-peeping problem. The same applies to resolution diagrams.
Nifty Fifty wrote:
In my personal opinion, the centering issue is completely overrated. It's a typical forum and pixel-peeping problem. The same applies to resolution diagrams.
I disagree. I noted the decentering issue on the 1st copy of the 50/2 Apo Lanthar because the foreground out-of-focus rendition on one side of the frame was horrible. The decentering of a lens not only causes uneven sharpness on the focal plane (which is annoying in itself and can be seen in certain types of photography, e.g., landscape), but can also induce optical aberrations that are not corrected anymore by the optical design, being the lens arrangement different from what dictated by the design.
The chromatic abberations one would be annoying but for me, everytime I looked at the left edge of the shot its was blurry at infinity (where you usually get flat subject). What's the point of an apo in that case.
I'm sure there's different levels of decentering and I'm more relaxed with people lenses, as long as it's not noticeable.
Nifty Fifty wrote:
So, it seems things aren't so simple.
Let's compare the price of the Viltrox f/2 Air to 50/2 Apo-Lanthar and Nikkor Z 50/1.8 S. The Nikkor is manufactured in China, so labor cost is not the reason of the huge price difference. And the maximum aperture (f/1.8 vs f/2) cannot justify a price that is 2.5 times higher.
Ripolini wrote:
Let's compare the price of the Viltrox f/2 Air to 50/2 Apo-Lanthar and Nikkor Z 50/1.8 S. The Nikkor is manufactured in China, so labor cost is not the reason of the huge price difference. And the maximum aperture (f/1.8 vs f/2) cannot justify a price that is 2.5 times higher.
But only the Viltrox was designed in China, and only Viltrox is likely to benefit from government subsidies. And then there are many other questions: the speed and accuracy of the autofocus, material quality, weather resistance, durability of the internal mechanics, and service. Regarding the last point, I've heard from various sources that, at least here in Germany, Viltroxes aren't repaired at all. They're replaced under warranty; after the warranty expires, you can basically just throw the thing away.
Personally, I'm not thrilled with either the feel of the lens or the autofocus, but for the price, it's still an impressive overall package.
Ripolini wrote:
Let's compare the price of the Viltrox f/2 Air to 50/2 Apo-Lanthar and Nikkor Z 50/1.8 S. The Nikkor is manufactured in China, so labor cost is not the reason of the huge price difference. And the maximum aperture (f/1.8 vs f/2) cannot justify a price that is 2.5 times higher.
You can by 3.5 Viltrox 40/2.0 AIR for the price of one Sony 40/2.5.
Both are made in China and the Sony lens is well over 4 years old now.
About the Viltrox "in the frame centre by f/1.8 and f/2.0 images are of weak quality and they become decent only near f/2.2. From f/2.8 upwards you deal with good levels but even by f/4.0 and f/5.6 image quality doesn't bowl you over".
About the 50 Apo "in the frame centre, at the maximum relative aperture, the Voigtlander gets to a sensational value of 70 lpmm. On stopping down to f/2.8 the lens is able to reach almost 80 lpmm and by f/4.0 its resolution amounts to 81.0 ±0.8 lpmm, a result that ensures it a place on our resolution record list... It's also not all of the praise - also on the edge of the frame the Apo Lanthar is able to keep image quality on a very high level, an exception among full frame lenses designed for mirrorless cameras."...Show more →
Fujiya Camera will release a limited edition Black Paint version of CV 50/2 APO-Lanthar VM on 20th of December to celebrate their 80th anniversary. Only 100 copies will be made. It also comes with a unique hood. I've never seen them release such special collaboration products before, but Map Camera has been doing such releases for a while with Cosina and some other companies.
Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm F2 Aspherical VM Black Paint Fujiya Camera 80th Anniversary Model | New Fujiya Camera Online Store https://share.google/zFyLLCojjMvvkBC1d
Reservations will start tomorrow 10am JST and price is not shown yet. I don't think they ship these internationally though maybe some Japanese Proxy exporter could work out.
Ripolini wrote:
I disagree. I noted the decentering issue on the 1st copy of the 50/2 Apo Lanthar because the foreground out-of-focus rendition on one side of the frame was horrible. The decentering of a lens not only causes uneven sharpness on the focal plane (which is annoying in itself and can be seen in certain types of photography, e.g., landscape), but can also induce optical aberrations that are not corrected anymore by the optical design, being the lens arrangement different from what dictated by the design.
In my case, all the corners are the same, except that the plane of focus isn't flat. At f/8, it's not that noticeable, but at smaller apertures, focusing in the center leaves the edges in focus.
Ripolini wrote:
Yes, but Apo-Lanthars are mostly aimed at landscape/architecture photography
I'd say having a centered optic is definitely important, especially for landscapes, architecture, and similar work. I had a decentered 50/2 APO once, and when testing it, many FM members noticed that the corners were clearly not optimal. When I replaced it with a properly centered copy, I posted side-by-sides and the difference in the corners was quite obvious at wider apertures. Even stopped down, you can still notice it if you inspect the file closely.
That said, I agree it's often made to sound more critical than it really is. For me, though, since I'm writing a review and want to show how an optimal copy truly performs, it's crucial to use a well-centered lens, which is why I even bring it up.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
Fujiya Camera will release a limited edition Black Paint version of CV 50/2 APO-Lanthar VM on 20th of December to celebrate their 80th anniversary. Only 100 copies will be made. It also comes with a unique hood. I've never seen them release such special collaboration products before, but Map Camera has been doing such releases for a while with Cosina and some other companies.
Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm F2 Aspherical VM Black Paint Fujiya Camera 80th Anniversary Model | New Fujiya Camera Online Store https://share.google/zFyLLCojjMvvkBC1d
Reservations will start tomorrow 10am JST and price is not shown yet. I don't think they ship these internationally though maybe some Japanese Proxy exporter could work out....Show more →
I do hope this is a sign that the lens has reached its end-of-life, and that a version 2 is in the works.
(a blurb in a written review).
