Just got my copy of the Voigtlander 28mm Ultron II! I took it out with me on a portrait shoot that really required a lot of context for a few of the shots.
It's super small and feels great to shoot with. The focus ring and the tab feels just right. The optical quality was just fantastic, even wide open at f/2.
Ulysseita wrote:
This beast on M10r during a wonderful gift from the sky in Iceland.
Hey Giuseppe,
Awesome shot! Could you share some technical details?
What benefits did you get from using Cobalt Repro? Does it give a wider range of tones like a linear RAW? I'm interested but haven't given it a shot myself.
Initially, the shot found itself relegated to the "delete" folder due to the high ISO setting and resulting noise. However, my perspective shifted after discovering the Denoise AI feature within Lightroom.
The vivid hues emanating from the sky pushed the boundaries of the colour gamut, making any adjustments to lighting, shadow recovery, or other sliders a potential threat to colour consistency. With Repro, you have a lot more room for any possible editing. By tailoring your contrast adjustments to specific areas for enhancement, rather than relying on the non-linear profiles already with a standard contrast curve, you unlock a realm of possibilities. To illustrate, the image comparison below ; on the left the Repro, on the right the Adobe STD profile. You can see how big is the room for improvements when you move the curve or you edit the white/highlights.
Initially, the shot found itself relegated to the "delete" folder due to the high ISO setting and resulting noise. However, my perspective shifted after discovering the Denoise AI feature within Lightroom.
The vivid hues emanating from the sky pushed the boundaries of the colour gamut, making any adjustments to lighting, shadow recovery, or other sliders a potential threat to colour consistency. With Repro, you have a lot more room for any possible editing. By tailoring your contrast adjustments to specific areas for enhancement, rather than relying on the non-linear profiles already with a standard contrast curve, you unlock a realm of possibilities. To illustrate, the image comparison below ; on the left the Repro, on the right the Adobe STD profile. You can see how big is the room for improvements when you move the curve or you edit the white/highlights.
Thanks for sharing!
It took a while but Adobe delivered with their Denoise. I don't even use DXO Pure RAW anymore. High ISO noise is no longer a concern.
I will give the Repro a try!
Fred Miranda wrote:
I recently found out that the metal hood cap for the Voigtlander 28/2.8 or 40/2.8 Type I lenses fits the Voigtlander 28/2 Ultron II perfectly!
Nice! First time I've liked the aesthetics of the 28 Ultron II external design Does it still fit with a thin filter on the lens?
Just curious, as of January 2025 is the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II still outperform in terms of pure sharpness, corners, etc at F5.6 then any of Leica's current 28mm offering?
I am lookin for a 28mm lens to go with my M11P and M11M cameras.
kuau wrote:
Just curious, as of January 2025 is the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II still outperform in terms of pure sharpness, corners, etc at F5.6 then any of Leica's current 28mm offering?
I am lookin for a 28mm lens to go with my M11P and M11M cameras.
At f/5.6, the Ultron performs similarly to the Summicron. I haven't tested the latest close-focus version of the Summicron, but if its optical design is similar, I don't expect a significant difference. The Ultron resolves slightly more detail at f/2 and offers higher contrast, but this difference disappears when both lenses are stopped down.
Fred Miranda wrote:
At f/5.6, the Ultron performs similarly to the Summicron. I haven't tested the latest close-focus version of the Summicron, but if its optical design is similar, I don't expect a significant difference. The Ultron resolves slightly more detail at f/2 and offers higher contrast, but this difference disappears when both lenses are stopped down.
Thanks Fred for the quick response. Now I have to decide on whether to save the money and get the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II or "splurge" for the Summicron not the latest Close Focus version though as I understand it they both have the same optical performance.,
kuau wrote:
Thanks Fred for the quick response. Now I have to decide on whether to save the money and get the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II or "splurge" for the Summicron not the latest Close Focus version though as I understand it they both have the same optical performance.,
The MTF graphs for the Leica versions are slightly different, so Leica might have made some adjustments. However, even if that’s the case, I don’t think you’ll notice a difference at f/5.6 for your usage.
If you love the Leica haptics, go for the Leica. But if you’re after a smaller lens that offers great performance at an unbeatable price, the Voigtlander is a solid choice. The Leica also has less optical vignetting at wider apertures, if that’s something you care about.
Seems like maybe there is a bit of copy variation/ quality control with this Ultron. Just received a new copy that is crazy sharp in three corners but the top left corner is noticeably softer (going by Fred's test for centering at infinity). This was at F2.8 and F4. Seems like if this was due to decentering, it would not be just one corner? By F8 everything seems to equal out but still (F4 being the point beyond which some diffraction sets in).
I also just hopped on the 28 Ultron bandwagon after literally years of deliberations. I'd been set on getting both the 28/1.5 and 28/2.8 for so long, as I like small lenses but also wanted an occasional opportunity for some shallow depth of field. Ultimately I settled on the middle child and I'm hoping it will physically balance on the camera really well. We're so lucky that Voigtlander has three fantastic 28mm lenses to choose from!
Does it still fit with a thin filter on the lens?