I have got the same impression as you yesterday, and have had a look on the review of the 50/1.4 ZA, which includes several interesting comparisons. I hope it helps!:
numbertwo wrote:
The Zeiss looks sharper in the corners to me, and you mentioned you prefer the color rendering of the CV in the corners, but actually doesn’t it look like a magenta color cast? And in the center the colors are similar in both lenses, and the color in the corners with the Zeiss looks more consistent with the centre, right?
The Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar is equipped with a new aperture mechanism that promises perfectly circular specular highlights at f/2 (wide open) as well as f/2.8. I compared bokeh balls at these apertures next to intermediate ones. Since it's almost Christmas, it was a perfect time for this test.
f/2 to f/2.2
f/2 to f/2.2
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above. Wide open at f/2, specular highlights are circular but appear oval towards the edges due to optical vignetting (cat-eye shape).
f/2.2 to f/2.5
f/2.2 to f/2.5
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above.
f/2.5 to f/2.8
f/2.5 to f/2.8
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame. That's the magic of the new aperture mechanism: f/2.8 also looks circular.
All apertures smaller than f/2.8 won't look perfectly circular any longer except for f/11.
f/2.8 to f/3.2
f/2.8 to f/3.2
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above.
f/3.2 to f/3.5
f/3.2 to f/3.5
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above.
f/3.5 to f/4
f/3.5 to f/4
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above.
f/4 to f/5.6
f/4 to f/5.6
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above.
f/5.6 to f/8
f/5.6 to f/8:
1:2 crop -- right edge of the frame from image above.
These final two images demonstrate perfectly circular specular highlights at f/2 and f/2.8 at center:
Jeff Kott wrote:
Sorry, but this is my first CV FE lens. Is the lens focal length communicated to my A7riii for IBIS purposes or do I need to dial it in?
Behaves just like a Sony FE lens but without the AF. You get it in the EXIF (along with the aperture) as well.
Jeff Kott wrote:
Sorry, but this is my first CV FE lens. Is the lens focal length communicated to my A7riii for IBIS purposes or do I need to dial it in?
Jeff Kott wrote:
Sorry, but this is my first CV FE lens. Is the lens focal length communicated to my A7riii for IBIS purposes or do I need to dial it in?
Thanks in advance!
Yes and it's 5-axis IBIS since the lens transmits distance. All Voigtlander lenses are capable of 5-axis IBIS.
Loxia lenses are only capable of 3-axis IBIS.
The Voigtlander 50mm f/2 is the only APO-Lanthar capable of aperture de-clicking. Another curiosity is that the infinity mark on the lens shows as a range (I think it's the first on E-mount Voigtlander). The infinity mark's straight line is precisely the infinity distance on my copy so perhaps Voigtlander is optimizing every copy.
I thought it has to do with the many APD elements in the lens (as in the 110/2.5) . Infinity focus could vary according to the temperature.
This is not new. When ED elements were employed in telephoto lenses most exhibited this behaviour.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Another curiosity is that the infinity mark on the lens shows as a range (I think it's the first on E-mount Voigtlander). The infinity mark's straight line is precisely the infinity distance on my copy so perhaps Voigtlander is optimizing every copy.
realVivek wrote:
I thought it has to do with the many APD elements in the lens (as in the 110/2.5) . Infinity focus could vary according to the temperature.
This is not new. When ED elements were employed in telephoto lenses most exhibited this behaviour.
Yes, it's due to temperature but I think only the new CV 50/2 and CV 110/2.5 APO-Lanthar lenses have the infinity range marking.
and may never part with the FE 50 F1.4, But good to know Voigtlander has come with another hit. Enjoy!
