p.9 #1 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
Nothing precision here, but here are two pictures. First is the ZM C-Sonnar, Leica 50/1.4 ASPH, VM 50 APO, and a Leica 90/2 pre-ASPH (just to put a 'big' lens in the picture). The other picture is two angles of a camera with both the Leica 50/1.4 (top) and VM APO (bottom).
I lied when I said the VM APO is a hair shorter than the ASPH Summilux. It's a hair longer. Functionally it's the exact same size. While it is larger in diameter, some of that stems from the scalloped focus ring. I did not weigh the lenses but the VM is noticeably lighter. In summary, if you are okay with the ASPH Summilux size, the VM APO is perfectly fine (though slower).
Measurements are from the mounting flange to the front of the lens (excluding UV filter) and diameter is the widest point excluding focusing tabs/bumps.
- ZM C-Sonnar: 1.5" H x 2.19" diameter
- Leica ASPH: 2.05" H x 2.1" diameter
- VM APO 50: 2.1" H x 2.2" diameter
- Leica 90/2: 3" H x 2.5" diameter
p.9 #3 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
Can you compare the APO for Leica 50mm ASPH vs VM 50mm APO? From my tests, Voigtlander APO Sony is not fully corrected and saw an image on Leica similarly... Leica 50mm asph is also corrected for APO, maybe not fully to get the APO designation... I wonder how they compare...
kidtexas wrote:
Nothing precision here, but here are two pictures. First is the ZM C-Sonnar, Leica 50/1.4 ASPH, VM 50 APO, and a Leica 90/2 pre-ASPH (just to put a 'big' lens in the picture). The other picture is two angles of a camera with both the Leica 50/1.4 (top) and VM APO (bottom).
I lied when I said the VM APO is a hair shorter than the ASPH Summilux. It's a hair longer. Functionally it's the exact same size. While it is larger in diameter, some of that stems from the scalloped focus ring. I did not weigh the lenses but the VM is noticeably lighter. In summary, if you are okay with the ASPH Summilux size, the VM APO is perfectly fine (though slower).
Measurements are from the mounting flange to the front of the lens (excluding UV filter) and diameter is the widest point excluding focusing tabs/bumps.
- ZM C-Sonnar: 1.5" H x 2.19" diameter
- Leica ASPH: 2.05" H x 2.1" diameter
- VM APO 50: 2.1" H x 2.2" diameter
- Leica 90/2: 3" H x 2.5" diameter ...Show more →
p.9 #5 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
I would appreciate it if anyone with the new lens and the 50 Lux ASPH could compare flare resistance. Specifically with the sun or strong point light source just outside the image. It's a situation in which I find the Lux ASPH can struggle with quite strong blooming/veiling flare.
p.9 #6 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
Nothing scientific here. Just me at the kitchen counter and an LED flashlight. From worst to best:
- Leica 50 Lux ASPH. Hood retracted could get some strong flair with the light on the front element. Hood extended helped a little bit as it narrowed the 'cone of acceptance' for the light, but could still get some pretty strong flare. Stopping down didn't help all that much.
- Zeiss C-Sonnar (tested cuz I have it) - no hood, got some ring flare only at an angle that I could hit with the hood off. With the hood, that went away, but could still get some veiling flare if the light was closer to the axis of the picture. Stopping down helped a little.
- Voigtlander 50 APO - Had a hard time getting any image forming flare (ring, etc), and even the veiling flare was pretty mild.
All lenses had B+W UV filters (oh no!) and the flashlight was a small Maglite held in front of the camera while I looked with live view from behind. Definitely not exhaustive testing, but both the Zeiss and Voigtlander immediately appeared to perform better.
p.9 #7 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
Thanks so much for this insight. I have the ZM Sonnar as well and hoping to pair it up with the VM 50 APO. I am dying to see sharpness and bokeh comparisons @ f2 -> f4
p.9 #8 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
A little flare comparison. Colorado sun torture test! These are not framed exactly the same, but should give an idea. I think the Summilux 50 ASPH is one of the better Leica M lenses flarewise. 50 and 75 Summicrons are terrible. Clearly the CV 50 APO is way better. Summilux 50 ASPH then the CV APO 50 VM, both on M10R. Also shows some purple fringing on the fence from both lenses.
p.9 #9 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
Thanks Tim and Rob! Seems like a pretty big difference in the two images above (while trying to disregard the extra stop exposure for the Lux, assuming it was wide open).
Has anyone tested for the optimum Leica equivalent 6-bit code? I noticed Rob's image EXIF shows 50 Cron, though not sure which version.
I haven't tried many other Leica 50s, so can't say how the Lux ASPH compares, but I feel its flare resistance, similar to many Leica M lenses I've used, is generally not great, at least not now in 2021 vs. 10-15 years ago. Sometimes I like how it flares, but other times not. And very slight framing adjustments result in significant changes in amount and character of flare, which is difficult to determine when using the RF. I think I'd prefer something more predictable, where I can shoot into the sun with less concern. The Voigtlander looks very promising for this reason, as well as others.
Below are some 50 Lux ASPH images from the past few days where I encountered flare. These were all shot at f/8. I also use a roughly 1" aftermarket screw-on hood and not the dinky built-in hood.
The first two have just minor framing differences yet the flare is considerable in one compared to the other. The other two on the trail with weaker veiling flare IMO look nice.
The one of the hockey players required a lot of work in post to burn in the shadow areas in the central portion of the frame to compensate for the veiling flare in that area that became very noticeable when the whole bottom half of the image was brightened.
The last couple are additional examples of the sun being out of the frame yet still causing flare.
p.9 #10 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
It’s been many years, but I recall the Summicron (current version) was not good/much worse with respect to flaring. I’m kind of surprised how poor the Summilux performed in my quick test vs the other two lenses because in the 10+ years I’ve had it, I don’t recall flare being too bad. Must be the types of stuff I typically have shot.
As far as exif coding, I only have a Monochrom, so I only code for exif, not lens shading corrections. Have yet to decide if I will code it as the APO or normal Summicron.
p.9 #11 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
My shots were at f/2 on both lenses, UV filter, no hood. I coded for Summicron v4/5 because my M10R has no option for 50 APO. I doubt if it makes much difference. Seems all of the CV lenses that I have read about, like Zeiss are very flare resistant. At least for veiling flare. They do ghost from time to time. I think the CV 50 1.2, 1.5 and APO are all very good options.
Seeing I already have the Planar, Sonnar, Summicron and Heliar 3.5, no need for the Apo Lanthar!
I like the size much more on all my lenses, and never even consider corner sharpness at F2!
But if I didn't have those lenses, and was starting fresh, then for sure the Apo Lanthar would be very very high on the list.
I just like small lenses on Leica RFs.
It is hard to argue against that price/perf ratio though!
p.9 #16 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
That is a very good range of 50s! I totally agree with you. Size is everything on a rangefinder, whereas f/2 corner sharpness rarely matters. The APO is not much larger, though, so it's a very close call IMO.
I hope my review conveys the point that owners of a 50 Summicron / Planar should not go out and buy the APO just because it's sharper.
p.9 #17 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
I picked up my APO-Lanthar VM 50/2 lens last Friday and immediately ran Fred’s decentering test. It’s perfectly centered. Rather than write a lengthy post, I’ll simply summarise my impressions and post a few images:
* Build quality is excellent, it definitely feels superior to most of my ZM lenses and on a par with the Leica lenses I own.
* The size is fine, bigger than most of my other M-mount 50s (Planar & C Sonnar ZM, Summicron Rigid & DR, BC Lux ASPH) but smaller than the Nokton VM 50/1.2). It balances nicely on the camera. My dealer is waiting on stock for the LH-13 hood so I’m temporarily using a cheap straight vented hood which intrudes minimally into the frame.
* Pleasingly sharp at both the apertures at which I’ve used it, f/2.8 and f/5.6.
* Very contrasty, which came as the biggest surprise because my most commonly used lens with the M246 for the past several months has been the Summicron Rigid. The M246 produces flat looking images out of the camera by default and the Rigid lowers the contrast a bit more. No big deal, I’d modified a preset that Hamish Gill of 35mmc.com suggested as a starting point with M9M files. This preset turned out to be unnecessary with the files made with the VM APO 50 which actually require minimal PP.
* Rounded aperture at f/2 (obviously), f/2.8, and f/5.6 (as can be seen in Edax's picture above). This is just perfect since I use the latter two apertures almost exclusively and I hate sunstars.
* No focusing tab, another plus.
p.9 #18 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
Updated review: https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-50mm-f2
Added flare control, purple fringing, field curvature, vignetting, and sponsored links
The APO pretty much aced the additional tests, unsurprisingly.
p.9 #19 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
genji wrote:
* ... and I hate sunstars.
I agree and think we're in the minority.
* No focusing tab, another plus.
Here I disagree but think I'm in the minority.
Do you feel that the plane of focus transition is more abrupt than the Cron Rigid? And in that respect, do you feel it makes nailing focus more difficult with the Voigtlander? At 90 degrees focus throw, it seems a touch shorter than I'd prefer. Any difficulty with placing focus where you want it at farther distances?
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fwdesign wrote:
Updated review: https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-50mm-f2
Added flare control, purple fringing, field curvature, vignetting, and sponsored links
The APO pretty much aced the additional tests, unsurprisingly.
I also have the ZM50/2. I have been able to provoke flare from it in situations I didn't really expect. For example a bright sky if in the corner of the frame, or just outside the frame resulted in veiling flare in the neighboring darker areas of the image. But my experience with some Leica M lenses suggests they're worse still. For example the 50 Lux ASPH I mentioned earlier, but also the 90AA.
p.9 #20 · Official: Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO VM mount
rscheffler wrote:
I agree and think we're in the minority.
Here I disagree but think I'm in the minority.
Do you feel that the plane of focus transition is more abrupt than the Cron Rigid? And in that respect, do you feel it makes nailing focus more difficult with the Voigtlander? At 90 degrees focus throw, it seems a touch shorter than I'd prefer. Any difficulty with placing focus where you want it at farther distances?
Noooo! Tab haters are definitely in the minority!
I do believe that the plane of focus transition is more abrupt than that of the Cron Rigid but despite this I didn't have any difficulty in consistently achieving accurate focus with the AL 50 APO. Your second question is more difficult to answer because the focus point in the overwhelming majority of my pictures is within the 1m to 5m range and I assume that in your terms "farther distances" means greater than 5m.
