Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
p.17 #1Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
Fred
Based on what you have evaluated so far, do you have a favorite.. if you could only own one?
Seems like for landscapes only the Voigtlander is the way to go but for all around 35mm -- the Sony GM?
I like the rendering on the 40mm Nokton. Seems like fringing is a bit more severe thoughVery tough to decide Mark.
For landscapes, the Voigtlander has better flare resistance, it's compact and has very nice sunstars starting at f/11.
The GM performs similarly across the field (resolution/contrast) but it's bigger and flare resistance is not as great. (Although very good)
The Sigma is another contender having similar resolution performance to both Voigt and Sony at f/5.6 but it's not as great. Flare resistance is worse than the other too...but it's very compact with AF...
...like I wrote, it's not an easy decision to pick only one.
For some, the differences of MF feel (GM seems worst, the CV best), differences in AOV and coma correction are differentiators for landscape use aside from the very relevant points you’ve mentioned.
Curious about the f8 infinite APO/Ultron comp. So thanks
mark1958 wrote
The Voigtlander does much better especially in Sample 1.Fred
Based on what you have evaluated so far, do you have a favorite.. if you could only own one?
Seems like for landscapes only the Voigtlander is the way to go but for all around 35mm -- the Sony GM?
I like the rendering on the 40mm Nokton. Seems like fringing is a bit more severe though
For landscapes, the Voigtlander has better flare resistance, it's compact and has very nice sunstars starting at f/11.
The GM performs similarly across the field (resolution/contrast) but it's bigger and flare resistance is not as great. (Although very good)
The Sigma is another contender having similar resolution performance to both Voigt and Sony at f/5.6 but it's not as great. Flare resistance is worse than the other too...but it's very compact with AF...
...like I wrote, it's not an easy decision to pick only one.
For some, the differences of MF feel (GM seems worst, the CV best), differences in AOV and coma correction are differentiators for landscape use aside from the very relevant points you’ve mentioned.
Curious about the f8 infinite APO/Ultron comp. So thanks
Apr 27, 2021 at 01:59 PM
p.17 #2Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Longitudinal CA / Purple fringing / Lateral CA
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO has outstanding Longitudinal (axial) chromatic aberration correction. Although I still see traces of color error at f/2.
In comparison to other lenses I'm currently testing, The Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM wide open has similar axial CA correction to the Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN but at f/2 it does slightly better.
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO does better than both lenses which is to be expected.
Here are some side by sides showing the focused area (to see purple fringing) and the de-focused area showing color error for the three lenses:
Sample 1
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO has outstanding Longitudinal (axial) chromatic aberration correction. Although I still see traces of color error at f/2.
In comparison to other lenses I'm currently testing, The Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM wide open has similar axial CA correction to the Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN but at f/2 it does slightly better.
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO does better than both lenses which is to be expected.
Here are some side by sides showing the focused area (to see purple fringing) and the de-focused area showing color error for the three lenses:
Sample 1
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Apr 27, 2021 at 02:32 PM
p.17 #5Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Lateral CA
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO is very well corrected for lateral CA. For this comparison below, CA correction was turned off in-camera and in-post but keep in mind that Lightroom has an automatic correction profile applied to Sony lenses that can't be turned off. (Unless covering the lens' contacts). If you are using Capture one, your result may vary.
Comparison showing:
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO (MIDDLE) | Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN (RIGHT)
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO is very well corrected for lateral CA. For this comparison below, CA correction was turned off in-camera and in-post but keep in mind that Lightroom has an automatic correction profile applied to Sony lenses that can't be turned off. (Unless covering the lens' contacts). If you are using Capture one, your result may vary.
Comparison showing:
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO (MIDDLE) | Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN (RIGHT)
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Apr 27, 2021 at 02:34 PM
p.17 #6Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Resolution and Contrast infinity test: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM:
Both lenses are perfectly centered on my Leica M10P.
Here is the full image thumbnail showing the area demonstrated at 1:1 magnification.
___________
At 35mm on Leica M10P
Center Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM
(Ignore the camera aperture settings. It's not accurate on the Leica M body)
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
Both lenses are perfectly centered on my Leica M10P.
Here is the full image thumbnail showing the area demonstrated at 1:1 magnification.
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- Distance: Infinity
- Camera: Leica M10P
- Focus: Center - Best of three at lens hard stop
- WB: Daylight
- Lens perfectly centered using my decentering test
- Software: Lightroom with my default landscape sharpening. All other settings set to default
___________
At 35mm on Leica M10P
Center Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM
(Ignore the camera aperture settings. It's not accurate on the Leica M body)
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f/2
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f/2.8
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f/4
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f/5.6
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f/8
Apr 27, 2021 at 04:31 PM
p.17 #7Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
At 35mm on Leica M10P
MID-ZONE Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM
(Ignore the camera aperture settings. It's not accurate on the Leica M body)
MID-ZONE Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM
(Ignore the camera aperture settings. It's not accurate on the Leica M body)
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Apr 27, 2021 at 04:32 PM
p.17 #8Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
At 35mm on Leica M10P
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM
(Ignore the camera aperture settings. It's not accurate on the Leica M body)
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO VM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II VM
(Ignore the camera aperture settings. It's not accurate on the Leica M body)
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Apr 27, 2021 at 04:32 PM
p.17 #9Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
At 35mm on Sony A7R IV
Center Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
PS: Some Leica M-mount lenses do not perform optimally on the Sony thicker sensor stack. (off-axis)
It's the case with the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO and Ultron II.
Center Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
PS: Some Leica M-mount lenses do not perform optimally on the Sony thicker sensor stack. (off-axis)
It's the case with the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO and Ultron II.
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Apr 27, 2021 at 04:36 PM
p.17 #10Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
At 35mm on Sony A7R IV
MID-ZONE Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
MID-ZONE Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
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f/2
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f/2.8
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f/4
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f/5.6
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f/8
Apr 27, 2021 at 04:36 PM
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p.17 #11Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
At 35mm on Sony A7R IV
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
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f/2
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f/2.8
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f/4
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f/5.6
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f/8
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f/11
Apr 27, 2021 at 04:37 PM
p.17 #12Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Bonus: CV 40mm f/1.2 Nokton VM on the Sony A7R IV
Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 40 f/1.2 Nokton "VM"
PS: The CV 40/1.2 Nokton VM performs better on the Sony sensor compared to both CV 35mm f/2 APO and Ultron II.
f/2 vs f/4: Center
f/2 vs f/4: Mid-zone
f/2 vs f/5.6: Extreme corner
Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 40 f/1.2 Nokton "VM"
PS: The CV 40/1.2 Nokton VM performs better on the Sony sensor compared to both CV 35mm f/2 APO and Ultron II.
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f/2 vs f/4: Center
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f/2 vs f/4: Mid-zone
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f/2 vs f/5.6: Extreme corner
Apr 27, 2021 at 04:46 PM
p.17 #13Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Quite revealing the severity of image quality degradation due to sensor stack mis-match!
Thanks for doing the VM APO vs VM Ultron on Leica M comparison! The Ultron looks good at infinity once stopped down a bit.
Thanks for doing the VM APO vs VM Ultron on Leica M comparison! The Ultron looks good at infinity once stopped down a bit.
Apr 27, 2021 at 11:05 PM
p.17 #14Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Thanks for the thorough review, Fred.
Apr 27, 2021 at 11:59 PM
p.17 #15Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
They did VE and VM design concurrently so maybe they more finely tuned each lens for its destination sensor's characteristics? The new 28/2 might be different as they intend it to serve both MILC and M cameras. It will be interesting to see if it goes that way, does well on both Leica and Sony.
Apr 28, 2021 at 01:38 AM
p.17 #16Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
At 35mm on Sony A7R IV
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
That's very interesting.
Should the sensor stack size be part of the flange distance and therefore compensated?
How exactly can a lens be optimized for a certain sensor stack height? I assume the image plane will have a difference radius depending on the stack size.
At 35mm on Sony A7R IV
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
That's very interesting.
Should the sensor stack size be part of the flange distance and therefore compensated?
How exactly can a lens be optimized for a certain sensor stack height? I assume the image plane will have a difference radius depending on the stack size.
Apr 28, 2021 at 05:33 AM
p.17 #17Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
philip_pj wrote:
They did VE and VM design concurrently so maybe they more finely tuned each lens for its destination sensor's characteristics? The new 28/2 might be different as they intend it to serve both MILC and M cameras. It will be interesting to see if it goes that way, does well on both Leica and Sony.
---------------------------------------------
keepcoding wrote:
EXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"That's very interesting.
Should the sensor stack size be part of the flange distance and therefore compensated?
How exactly can a lens be optimized for a certain sensor stack height? I assume the image plane will have a difference radius depending on the stack size.
The previous Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron didn't fare well on the Sony sensor and I doubt this new one will do much better. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Here is a list of Leica lenses I've tested for this:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1647789/0?keyword=leica#15235615
Basically using lenses optically designed for thinner sensors like the Leica M's on a Sony body with thicker sensor stack may induce field curvature and worsen a lens astigmatism depending on the lens' exit pupil distance. Usually this ill-effect is more pronounced with fast wide angle lenses but can even happen with normal and/or short telephoto lenses. The Voigtlander 35mm and 50mm f/2 APO VM lenses do not fare well on the Sony, although do improve when stopping down. However, they never achieve the performance they were designed for even at very small apertures. Some slower lenses do not require much optical tweaking by the manufacture and that's why lenses like the 12mm f/5.6 III, 15mm /4.5 III and 21/3.5 VM, CV 50/3.5 lenses for example, perform well on both Sony and Leica.
They did VE and VM design concurrently so maybe they more finely tuned each lens for its destination sensor's characteristics? The new 28/2 might be different as they intend it to serve both MILC and M cameras. It will be interesting to see if it goes that way, does well on both Leica and Sony.
---------------------------------------------
keepcoding wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote
At 35mm on Sony A7R IVEXTREME CORNER Resolution and Contrast: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO "VM" vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron II "VM"
Should the sensor stack size be part of the flange distance and therefore compensated?
How exactly can a lens be optimized for a certain sensor stack height? I assume the image plane will have a difference radius depending on the stack size.
The previous Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron didn't fare well on the Sony sensor and I doubt this new one will do much better. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Here is a list of Leica lenses I've tested for this:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1647789/0?keyword=leica#15235615
Basically using lenses optically designed for thinner sensors like the Leica M's on a Sony body with thicker sensor stack may induce field curvature and worsen a lens astigmatism depending on the lens' exit pupil distance. Usually this ill-effect is more pronounced with fast wide angle lenses but can even happen with normal and/or short telephoto lenses. The Voigtlander 35mm and 50mm f/2 APO VM lenses do not fare well on the Sony, although do improve when stopping down. However, they never achieve the performance they were designed for even at very small apertures. Some slower lenses do not require much optical tweaking by the manufacture and that's why lenses like the 12mm f/5.6 III, 15mm /4.5 III and 21/3.5 VM, CV 50/3.5 lenses for example, perform well on both Sony and Leica.
Apr 28, 2021 at 08:13 AM
p.17 #18Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
Infinity Performance compared to Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM
This is an important comparison and I made sure to test it over and over. I am very confident I have optimal copies of both lenses. It took me 3 copies of the Voigtlander and only one for the Sony GM (luck for sure).
Both lenses are absolutely amazing in regards to resolution and contrast. The best 35mm lenses I've seen to date in this regard.
Enough talk. Let's see some crops!
35mm
CENTER resolution/contrast comparison between Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO
Center at f/2: The Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM is almost optimal at f/2 and it does slightly better at f/2. To be fair, the Voigtlander is wide open
Center at f/2.2: Very small improvement for both lenses
Center at f/2.5: The Voigtlander improves a bit more and it's now similar to the GM
Center at f/2.8: Another small resolution improvement for both lenses
Center at f/4: Not much changes. Perhaps a bit more micro-contrast for the Voigtlander
Center at f/5.6: I'm starting to see the effects of diffraction on the 61MP sensor
Center at f/8: Diffraction takes hold
Center at f/11: Further diffraction
This is an important comparison and I made sure to test it over and over. I am very confident I have optimal copies of both lenses. It took me 3 copies of the Voigtlander and only one for the Sony GM (luck for sure).
Both lenses are absolutely amazing in regards to resolution and contrast. The best 35mm lenses I've seen to date in this regard.
Enough talk. Let's see some crops!
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- Distance: Infinity
- Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
- WB: Daylight for both lenses
- Both Lenses perfectly centered using my decentering test
- Software: Lightroom with FM Default Landscape Sharpening. All other settings set to default
35mm
CENTER resolution/contrast comparison between Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO
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Center at f/2: The Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM is almost optimal at f/2 and it does slightly better at f/2. To be fair, the Voigtlander is wide open
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Center at f/2.2: Very small improvement for both lenses
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Center at f/2.5: The Voigtlander improves a bit more and it's now similar to the GM
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Center at f/2.8: Another small resolution improvement for both lenses
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Center at f/4: Not much changes. Perhaps a bit more micro-contrast for the Voigtlander
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Center at f/5.6: I'm starting to see the effects of diffraction on the 61MP sensor
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Center at f/8: Diffraction takes hold
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Center at f/11: Further diffraction
Apr 28, 2021 at 12:58 PM
p.17 #19Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
35mm
MID-FIELD resolution/contrast comparison between Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO
Mid-field at f/2: Amazing performance for both lenses. Usually 35mm lenses have a mid-field dip and it's not the case here. The GM does very slightly better but the APO is wide open
Mid-field at f/2.2: The Voigtlander improves noticeable with only 1/3 stop and it's now similar to the GM. Notice how the Voigtlander renders color tonality with more separation though
Mid-field at f/2.5: Not much changes
Mid-field at f/2.8: Both lenses improve slightly
Mid-field at f/4: Another small improvement in resolution for both lenses
Mid-field at f/5.6: Some signs of diffraction on the 61MP sensor
Mid-field at f/8: Some diffraction but still very strong performance
Mid-field at f/11: Further diffraction
MID-FIELD resolution/contrast comparison between Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO
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Mid-field at f/2: Amazing performance for both lenses. Usually 35mm lenses have a mid-field dip and it's not the case here. The GM does very slightly better but the APO is wide open
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Mid-field at f/2.2: The Voigtlander improves noticeable with only 1/3 stop and it's now similar to the GM. Notice how the Voigtlander renders color tonality with more separation though
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Mid-field at f/2.5: Not much changes
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Mid-field at f/2.8: Both lenses improve slightly
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Mid-field at f/4: Another small improvement in resolution for both lenses
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Mid-field at f/5.6: Some signs of diffraction on the 61MP sensor
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Mid-field at f/8: Some diffraction but still very strong performance
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Mid-field at f/11: Further diffraction
Apr 28, 2021 at 12:59 PM
p.17 #20Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Review
35mm
EXTREME CORNER resolution/contrast comparison between Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO
Extreme corner at f/2: Outstanding performance for both lenses. Even wide open, the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO has a small advantage capturing high frequency detail
Extreme corner at f/2.8: Nice jump for both lenses, especially for the GM and they are now similar
Extreme corner at f/4: very small improvement for both lenses. Similar performance
Extreme corner at f/5.6: No much changes. The CV 35/2 APO, slightly more crispy
Extreme corner a f/8: Both lenses diffraction. The Voigtlander slightly less so
Extreme corner a f/11: Further diffraction
EXTREME CORNER resolution/contrast comparison between Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM vs Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO
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Extreme corner at f/2: Outstanding performance for both lenses. Even wide open, the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO has a small advantage capturing high frequency detail
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Extreme corner at f/2.8: Nice jump for both lenses, especially for the GM and they are now similar
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Extreme corner at f/4: very small improvement for both lenses. Similar performance
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Extreme corner at f/5.6: No much changes. The CV 35/2 APO, slightly more crispy
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Extreme corner a f/8: Both lenses diffraction. The Voigtlander slightly less so
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Extreme corner a f/11: Further diffraction
Apr 28, 2021 at 12:59 PM