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Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7
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p.11 #1 · p.11 #1 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

A few more.

Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Dec 21, 2023 at 04:06 PM

Sonnar-7
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p.11 #2 · p.11 #2 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Dec 22, 2023 at 08:00 AM

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p.11 #3 · p.11 #3 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Great shots!
I'm not following this closely. Is this adapted to Nikon or Cosina released a version for the Z mount?

Dec 28, 2023 at 04:52 PM

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p.11 #4 · p.11 #4 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Great shots!
I'm not following this closely. Is this adapted to Nikon or Cosina released a version for the Z mount?

Thank you! Damn, I forgot to add VM to the lens description, it’s the Leica Mount version adapted to the the Nikon Zf with the TTartisan 6bit adapter.
The lens still does not exist on an another mount, even though with the Zf out Voigtlander would probably muster more lenses for the Nikon Z, I doubt the Heliar is on their roadmap anytime soon for the Z mount.

Dec 28, 2023 at 05:55 PM

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p.11 #5 · p.11 #5 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Practicing b/w photography.

Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Jan 28, 2024 at 03:52 AM

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p.11 #6 · p.11 #6 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

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Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Jan 28, 2024 at 08:56 AM

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p.11 #7 · p.11 #7 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
A few more.
Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Nice B&W!
Have you noticed any variation in rendering between shooting on a Leica M and your ZF? This design works well on the Sony, so it's likely to work well on the Nikon too.

Feb 05, 2024 at 12:56 PM

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p.11 #8 · p.11 #8 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Nice B&W!
Have you noticed any variation in rendering between shooting on a Leica M and your ZF? This design works well on the Sony, so it's likely to work well on the Nikon too.

Thank you Fred!
It’s a good question that I would have a hard time answering, I would have to look back at my samples and maybe test the lens with that question in mind.
The fact is that my leica M is an M9 and it sets things apart just as is. That’s an old and odd camera, I think that have I owned a more recent model I could have had a more precise idea.
I think I have shot the Heliar quite differently on the Z and M camera, the M9 gives me no live view and poor low light capabilities(not that I do mind that much, I often love the lack of dynamic range, it gives me some large areas of low details zones of shadows with some juicy grain

, so filmic.)
There are the limitations of the shutter also in terms of speed, the fact is that I used the Heliar often at f2.8 or f4 without being able to live view the effects peculiar to the lens while with the Nikon Z, I shot everything wide open with a total control of what effects I wanted in frame.
I bought the M9 to put the most odd lenses I could find to have the most extreme film like camera digital could give me and bought some better lenses for the Z and ended up inverting all because I could control it more on the Z and the M9 needed some more capable optics to counter its own oddity.
All that put aside, if I consider my impressions, I would believe that I haven’t noticed much differences in rendering while wide open til 2.8(the lens despite the loss of glow at f2 still exhibits a unique character at 2.8 to 4 I would say), the lens produces its effects similarly on both systems for what I can tell, maybe the glow can differ but I would have to double check on that.
I noticed a difference of rendering more at smaller apertures, at f4 I don’t like the results much on the Nikon and on the M9 I find them quite pleasing but I think it’s where the CCD sensor magic kicks in. The colors of the M9 are something else and I don’t believe it’s a myth, maybe the Kodak legend of it but not the CCD tech.

Overall, I believe the lens behaves quite well on Nikon Z series, I had an A7S and a Sony A7S II before for stills and even though I miss those sensors, the Z series maybe better suited for adapted lenses.

I might make some tests to compare the rendering between my M and my Z with the Heliar, you got me curious.
Sorry for the all over the place answer.

One last thought is that character lenses do benefit from the live view, big time.

Feb 05, 2024 at 04:59 PM

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p.11 #9 · p.11 #9 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
Thank you Fred!
It’s a good question that I would have a hard time answering, I would have to look back at my samples and maybe test the lens with that question in mind.
The fact is that my leica M is an M9 and it sets things apart just as is. That’s an old and odd camera, I think that have I owned a more recent model I could have had a more precise idea.
I think I have shot the Heliar quite differently on the Z and M camera, the M9 gives me no live view and poor low light capabilities(not...Show more →

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really enjoy shooting with the M9! Besides the variations in colors and noise levels, I believe the Heliar design complements both thin and thick sensors effectively. I can't recall testing the Voigtlander 50/1.5 Heliar on the Sony, but I'll make sure to do so for confirmation. The primary concern with rendering is that on thick sensors, the rendering might become uneven, causing out-of-focus corners to appear sharp due to induced field curvature.

I came across gallery samples from @Juha Kannisto, who adapts M lenses to Sony, and they look impressive:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1719880/1#15717080

Feb 05, 2024 at 07:20 PM

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p.11 #10 · p.11 #10 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really enjoy shooting with the M9! Besides the variations in colors and noise levels, I believe the Heliar design complements both thin and thick sensors effectively. I can't recall testing the Voigtlander 50/1.5 Heliar on the Sony, but I'll make sure to do so for confirmation. The primary concern with rendering is that on thick sensors, the rendering might become uneven, causing out-of-focus corners to appear sharp due to induced field curvature.

I came across gallery samples from @Juha Kannisto@, who adapts M lenses to Sony, and they look impressive:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1719880/1#15717080

The M9 is a great camera, I do enjoy it quite a bit, there can be a lot of talk about Leica but owning an M, even an old one, taught me a lot.
Regarding the Heliar on both sensors, I would have to run some specific tests(especially for the rendering in the corners and across the frame), despite the Heliar being a wacky lens, it can be tamed for some great results. It took me some time to appreciate the Heliar on both cameras, my first impression was wth despite loving character lenses.
@Juha Kannisto@ ressources are invaluable, so much infos with those samples about Voigtlander and MS-Optics lenses.
As I said previously, if it was not for that forum, I wouldn’t have tried the Heliar, I was not sold on it before seeing the samples from you and Juha.

You’re surely right about the Heliar being at home on either sensors, just based on my appreciation of the photos I get, it has been sitting on my Zf almost permanently.

Feb 06, 2024 at 03:29 AM

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p.11 #11 · p.11 #11 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
The M9 is a great camera, I do enjoy it quite a bit, there can be a lot of talk about Leica but owning an M, even an old one, taught me a lot.
Regarding the Heliar on both sensors, I would have to run some specific tests(especially for the rendering in the corners and across the frame), despite the Heliar being a wacky lens, it can be tamed for some great results. It took me some time to appreciate the Heliar on both cameras, my first impression was wth despite loving character lenses.
@Juha Kannisto@@ ressources are invaluable, so much infos...Show more →

I agree. The 50/1.5 Heliar combines the characteristics of many vintage 50mm lenses from the past, including the Summicron Rigid and others like non-asph 50 lux's. At f/1.5, it has its distinctive signature similar to the 35/1.4 pre-asph, and I appreciate its improved performance at close distances. It's also a compact and gorgeous lens!

Thanks for posting so many samples.

Feb 15, 2024 at 09:34 PM

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p.11 #12 · p.11 #12 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
I agree. The 50/1.5 Heliar combines the characteristics of many vintage 50mm lenses from the past, including the Summicron Rigid and others like non-asph 50 lux's. At f/1.5, it has its distinctive signature similar to the 35/1.4 pre-asph, and I appreciate its improved performance at close distances. It's also a compact and gorgeous lens!

Thanks for posting so many samples.

Thank you Fred! It’s easy to have a lot of samples, it’s so often my lens of choice when going out.

After reading your thoughts and looking at some photos from you and others I must say that I have become curious about the lenses you mention, the 50 lux pre-asph, the 35 1.4 and the Summicron rigid, I gathered that the Summicrons up until the version 3 have more character than later version, the rigid being the best in that regard.
The 50mm Lux and the 35 might be a bit pricey for my taste for now although I could try for a 50 lux if I thought it had everything I wanted.
But I feeld compeled to maybe give a go to a cron rigid and maybe a nokton classic 35mm 1.4, I saw and read that it matches those rendering even if the glow is less present and does not have quite the warmth of a lux.

When putting all this together it really makes the Heliar an oddity since it has all that. It should be more well regarded I think.

Feb 16, 2024 at 08:07 AM

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p.11 #13 · p.11 #13 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
Thank you Fred! It’s easy to have a lot of samples, it’s so often my lens of choice when going out.

After reading your thoughts and looking at some photos from you and others I must say that I have become curious about the lenses you mention, the 50 lux pre-asph, the 35 1.4 and the Summicron rigid, I gathered that the Summicrons up until the version 3 have more character than later version, the rigid being the best in that regard.
The 50mm Lux and the 35 might be a bit pricey for my taste for now although I could try...Show more →

I suggest considering the 50/2 Summicron Rigid. Its only downside is the minimum focus distance of 1 meter. Also, I believe you would appreciate the 35/1.4 Classic or something in between those two lenses like the CV 40/1.4 Classic since you mainly adapt lenses to mirrorless cameras.

Both the Leica 35/1.4 pre-aspherical and the newer 35/1.4 Steel Rim offer a bit more glow when shot wide open.

Feb 16, 2024 at 07:36 PM

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p.11 #14 · p.11 #14 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
I suggest considering the 50/2 Summicron Rigid. Its only downside is the minimum focus distance of 1 meter. Also, I believe you would appreciate the 35/1.4 Classic or something in between those two lenses like the CV 40/1.4 Classic since you mainly adapt lenses to mirrorless cameras.

Both the Leica 35/1.4 pre-aspherical and the newer 35/1.4 Steel Rim offer a bit more glow when shot wide open.

Thank you for those insights, the 50/2 Summicron Rigid is on my list for sure, I managed to behave because of the Panchro but I’m still curious.
Regarding the Noktons, I’m quite drawn to the 35/1.4 II, the 40 would fit my taste more in term of focal length but I noticed that I like the rendering of the 35/1.4 II better, more round bokeh bubbles and more outlines in their structure which I prefer. Maybe a tad more glow.
The Leicas 35/1.4 are for sure better, even the MS-Optics 36mm 1.3 but the Noktons are close.

Feb 17, 2024 at 03:45 AM

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p.11 #15 · p.11 #15 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
Thank you for those insights, the 50/2 Summicron Rigid is on my list for sure, I managed to behave because of the Panchro but I’m still curious.
Regarding the Noktons, I’m quite drawn to the 35/1.4 II, the 40 would fit my taste more in term of focal length but I noticed that I like the rendering of the 35/1.4 II better, more round bokeh bubbles and more outlines in their structure which I prefer. Maybe a tad more glow.
The Leicas 35/1.4 are for sure better, even the MS-Optics 36mm 1.3 but the Noktons are close.

I'm planning to compare the 35/1.4 to the 40/1.4 (both in SC) soon!

Feb 20, 2024 at 12:42 PM

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p.11 #16 · p.11 #16 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Great rendering comparison from Juha, showcasing the Voigtlander 50/2 Heliar and the Voigtlander 50/1.5 Heliar at f/2 side by side:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1583980/0#16578143

Jun 23, 2024 at 11:38 AM

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p.11 #17 · p.11 #17 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
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Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm 1.5 & Nikon Zf

Very nice photos.
Did you put some kind of film filter on them? Or are these SOOC, that lens make this kind of effect?

Jul 01, 2024 at 07:38 PM

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p.11 #18 · p.11 #18 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

phinix wrote:
Very nice photos.
Did you put some kind of film filter on them? Or are these SOOC, that lens make this kind of effect?

Thank you! The photos were taken with the Deep Tone Monochrom profile, I edited them in VSCO with a preset that add some contrast and deepens more the shadows, I added a little grain too. I didn’t do much on these, I think the light there and that day was quite blinding despite the veiled sun and shooting wide open did loose me some needed contrast.
The optical effects are all the Heliar, it has a bunch up to its sleeve.

Jul 02, 2024 at 03:48 AM

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p.11 #19 · p.11 #19 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Sonnar-7 wrote:
Thank you! The photos were taken with the Deep Tone Monochrom profile, I edited them in VSCO with a preset that add some contrast and deepens more the shadows, I added a little grain too. I didn’t do much on these, I think the light there and that day was quite blinding despite the veiled sun and shooting wide open did loose me some needed contrast.
The optical effects are all the Heliar, it has a bunch up to its sleeve.

Do you usually shoot wide open or stopped down a bit? I often shoot with the CV 50/1.5 Heliar at f/1.7, even though there's no specific stop for this aperture. I just adjust the aperture between f/1.5 and f/2. It retains the lens's character while significantly improving resolution.

Jul 12, 2024 at 03:18 PM

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p.11 #20 · p.11 #20 · Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Do you usually shoot wide open or stopped down a bit? I often shoot with the CV 50/1.5 Heliar at f/1.7, even though there's no specific stop for this aperture. I just adjust the aperture between f/1.5 and f/2. It retains the lens's character while significantly improving resolution.

I didn’t use it much those last months, I will get back to it, it is still a favorite of mine but I remember shooting it most often if not always wide open on the Z6 and Zf, on the M9 not so much, a fast shutter does help a lot with character lenses.
I did notice the improvement you mentioned at 1.7 when you wrote about it at the time where you had it modified.
The glow does almost disappear quite quickly with that lens when not wide open, it’s uncanny, I wish it still had some as the Panchro do at f2.
I tested it a lot last summer and noticed indeed that beside the glow the character of the lens remains even at f2.8 and f4.
I should try it at f1.7, I noticed with Elcan that loosing a little glow for more central sharpness can give some serious pop and with that new notion in mind I think I will try the Heliar at 1.7 or so, I have to gouge it since I don’t have a click.

That flawed lens do grow on you, do you still enjoy it? It might just become a classic given time.(As I often said I wouldn't mind Voigtlander trying their hands at a version 2 though).

Addendum: I remember going f2 quickly from time to time withe Nikons when doing street photography and there was a more complex scene where I wanted some more details.

Jul 12, 2024 at 05:01 PM

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