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FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Sunstar rendering and Flare resistance

Here is an aperture series from f/2.8 until f/11 in 1/2 stop increments showing the Voigtlander 90/2.8 APO-SKOPAR's sunstar shape.
This lens is equipped with 10 straight aperture blades which yields 10-point sunstars. The aperture mechanism allows for perfectly round specular highlights not only wide open but also at f/4 and f/22. This allows one to shoot into a light source at these apertures and get a blurred effect. However, stopping the aperture down to f/8 or f/9.5 (most defined), sunstars will be well-defined. Basically you get the best of both words.

So far, flare resistant looks to be well above average. I have pointed the lens directly to the sun and at many angles against light and do not see much ghosting nor veiling. I will test this further and compare it to the Leica 90AA, but it seems that flare resistance is a strength for this lens.

f/2.8 (absence of sunstar definition)

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/80s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/3.3

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/60s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/4 (absence of sunstar definition)

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/50s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/4.8

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/40s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/5.6

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/25s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/6.7

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/15s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/8 (Nice definition with a slight spill over)

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/13s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/9.5 (Optimal aperture for clean and well defined sunstars)

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/10s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

f/11

ILCE-7RM3A Voigtlander 90mm F2.8 APO-Skopar lens 90mm 1/5s 100 ISO +0.3 EV

Dec 17, 2021 at 11:44 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

sandycrane wrote:
The new 90 is showing a lot of chromatic aberration in the corners that seems to get worse as it is stopped down. Is there an explanation for this?

It's Lateral Chromatic Aberration (LaCA). I will post a test soon but as you already observed, it's there in low amount.

Dec 17, 2021 at 11:47 AM

stkhapugin
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Thank you for an excellent review. I own the same 90 APO-Summicron-M, and was wondering if this new lens might replace it, as it's mostly used for hiking. I often leave the 'cron at home due to weight and crop 50mm or shoot a pano with a Voigtlander 180mm f/4, but at 250g, this looks like a nice little lens.

Dec 17, 2021 at 12:21 PM

sandycrane
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

The only reason I mentioned it as I am looking at how this compares with the Loxia 85, which doesn't seem to have this issue looking at some of your test shots from 2017. The targets, fortunately are the same, although the lighting is harsher in the newer Voigtlander shots, putting it at a disadvantage. Would processing of the images be comparable? I will wait for additional tests for your conclusion.

Dec 17, 2021 at 12:24 PM

photonoclast
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Fred Miranda wrote:
Sunstar rendering and Flare resistance

Here is an aperture series from f/2.8 until f/11 in 1/2 stop increments showing the Voigtlander 90/2.8 APO-SKOPAR's sunstar shape.
This lens is equipped with 10 straight aperture blades which yields 10-point sunstars. The aperture mechanism allows for perfectly round specular highlights not only wide open but also at f/4 and f/22. This allows one to shoot into a light source at these apertures and get a blurred effect. However, stopping the aperture down to f/8 or f/9.5 (most defined), sunstars will be well-defined. Basically you get the best of both words.

So far, flare resistant looks...Show more →

Thanks for that post!! It is very revealing.
To my taste, the f4 is by far the most pleasing and natural image.
The sequence just drives home to me that while I sometimes do like sunstars for point-like sources (distant lights, stars, glint from glass or metal), I really don't like them for distributed sources like the sun... I'm very partial to CV lenses but sometimes I'll stop down less than I'd like for DOF reasons just to keep the sunstars from being too overwhelming. I like that recent offerings give you both options in the same lens - they just need to put make FE versions.

Dec 17, 2021 at 12:48 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Lateral Color aberration correction

The Voigtlander 90/2.8 is an apochromatic lens and that means highly corrected for Axial color aberration. This does not necessary means, Lateral chromatic aberration (LaCA) will be also well corrected.

LaCA is a color error noticeable off-axis and it's a type of aberration that does not improve with smaller apertures. However, it's easily corrigible in post.

Although the Lateral aberration amount is low on the new Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar, it's still noticeable.

Here are a couple examples showing uncorrected (LEFT) and corrected (RIGHT):

Uncorrected for LaCA (LEFT) and Corrected in LR (RIGHT)

Uncorrected for LaCA (LEFT) and Corrected in LR (RIGHT)

Dec 17, 2021 at 05:31 PM

naturephoto1
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Fred asked me to post my first photos taken with my VM version of the lens that I previously posted in the Pre order Thread on the lens.

All images were taken with my tripod mounted A1 using the lens near the minimum focus distance and shutter release was silent shutter. Focus for the first 3 images was on the front Red Berry in the center of the image. That way we could view focus in front and behind the berry. Unless I am mistaken, the photos are first f2.8, second f4, and third f5.6. Images are SOC with LR Default settings and only adjusted to size and changed to JPEG files.

The fourth photo was taken a short time later and is my first processed image in LR.

Looking at Fallen and caught Browned what look to be Maple Leaves.
Full Frame, tripod mounted A1 and Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 Apo-Skopar VM lens; silent shutter.
ISO 100, f5.6?, 1/8 second.

December 8, 2021
At Lock Ridge Park in Alburtis, PA.

More photos to come from that first outing and others still to be taken

Rich

f2.8

f4.0

f5.6

Dec 20, 2021 at 08:11 AM

hanay78
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Thank you very much for the interesting review in this lens

Dec 20, 2021 at 03:25 PM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

rscheffler wrote:
Interesting the the VM's mid-zone weakness; kind of turns me off a bit given I'd use it a lot for landscape type work. I have the 90AA. I predict backlight veiling flare resistance will be the AA's weakness. Onion rings too, if provoked.

Ron to my eyes it isn't a midzone weakness. It is weakness from the midzone all the way out to the corners, which I actually prefer to a mid zone dip. I know you know how fantastic the Leica M 90 f/2 APO is, as I know you have it. That lens has almost no drop at all in performance from the center all the way to the corners. This lens seems to drop off a bit from the center to the corners and I am betting that the drop off isn't equal between the sagittal and tangential orientation. If I am right, then we have a lens similar in performance to the Leica M 90 f/4 macro, which is actually pretty high praise as I love that little lens, but I don't think any one who has had both (as I believe you and I both have) would say that the 90 f/4 Macro is quite up to the 90 f/2 APO at infinity distance shooting. The M 90 f/2 APO is just that good. I am going to order this VM lens and I won't sell my 90 f/4 Macro until I have compared them. With the holidays and a lot to do at work I may not get to doing that test until the end of January, but I think maybe we are being overly critical of this lens in the midzone and corners just because it isn't quite up to the exceptional M 90 f/2 APO.

Dec 20, 2021 at 04:01 PM

rscheffler
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Thanks Steve, looking forward to your results. I had to review Fred's results again because of what you wrote and I still feel that the VM90's corner performance is better than mid-field. Maybe subject content and lighting has some influence on how I perceive this?

It could also be that for me, at 24MP, the difference wouldn't be as noticeable.

BTW, where will you buy it in Canada?

Dec 21, 2021 at 12:02 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

rscheffler wrote:
Thanks Steve, looking forward to your results. I had to review Fred's results again because of what you wrote and I still feel that the VM90's corner performance is better than mid-field. Maybe subject content and lighting has some influence on how I perceive this?

It could also be that for me, at 24MP, the difference wouldn't be as noticeable.

BTW, where will you buy it in Canada?

Hi Ron,

I work in the states so I will probably buy it from Cameraquest and have it send to my place in the states as it is a better deal right now to get it in the states. It is listed at Downtown camera in Toronto at a pretty similar price of $1,000 CAD, but they don't have any in stock right now. If they get it in stock, I might pick it up there depending on whether I am staying in Toronto because of COVID. When I buy Voigtlander lenses in Canada I generally get them at Downtown camera.

Dec 21, 2021 at 12:35 AM

DavidBM
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

I'm loving the Sigma i90. Maybe my Loxia 85 would show up as slightly better if I did a careful test, but I don' think it would be real world better, and it's so much less convenient.....

EDIT: OOPS sorry I thought this was the i90 thread! Will move it when I get a few more moments...

Dec 21, 2021 at 04:35 AM

scalanc2
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

DavidBM wrote:
I'm loving the Sigma i90. Maybe my Loxia 85 would show up as slightly better if I did a careful test, but I don' think it would be real world better, and it's so much less convenient.....

EDIT: OOPS sorry I thought this was the i90 thread! Will move it when I get a few more moments...

This should be a nice comparison too.

Dec 21, 2021 at 06:55 AM

Edax
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

For 6-bit coding there are two obvious choices:

Elmarit-M 90mm/f2.8 or

Tele Elmarit-M 90/f2.8 ver. II

Anyone with an opinion on which one to use?

Dec 22, 2021 at 06:39 AM

Jman13
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Any idea how this compares to the Contax G 90mm f/2.8? I've been using that as my compact 90mm (manual focus adapted) lens, and it's been wonderful, though the focus action is of course a little more clunky than a lens with a native focusing helicoid. From what I'm seeing, I think I'm probably better off sticking with my Contax, but I didn't know if you had experience with that lens.

Dec 22, 2021 at 09:33 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Dec 22, 2021 at 11:43 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Edax wrote:
For 6-bit coding there are two obvious choices:

Elmarit-M 90mm/f2.8 or

Tele Elmarit-M 90/f2.8 ver. II

Anyone with an opinion on which one to use?

I would use your first option for 6-bit coding.

Dec 22, 2021 at 11:44 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Jman13 wrote:
Any idea how this compares to the Contax G 90mm f/2.8? I've been using that as my compact 90mm (manual focus adapted) lens, and it's been wonderful, though the focus action is of course a little more clunky than a lens with a native focusing helicoid. From what I'm seeing, I think I'm probably better off sticking with my Contax, but I didn't know if you had experience with that lens.

Jordan,

I don't have the Contax G 90 f/2.8, but it is a very nice lens with no midzone dip according to the MTF at Zeiss.com that you can see here: https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/consumer-products/downloads/historical-products/photography/contax-g/en/datasheet-zeiss-sonnar-2890-en.pdf

That said, the Zeiss ZM 85 has a noticeably better MTF graph, which you can find here: https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/consumer-products/downloads/historical-products/photography/zm-lenses/en/datasheet-zeiss-zm-tele-tessar-485-en.pdf

The newer ZM lens has a bit higher performance at 40 lp/mm and a lot better performance on the tangential plane. Assuming those MTFs graph translate into performance difference the Zeiss ZM 85 f/4 should be a bit better than the Contax G 90 f/2.8.

In the earlier thread Rich (naturephoto1) did say he liked the new Voigtlander better than his Zeiss ZM 85 f/4 (https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1723230/15#15792701) but I don't think he tested them side by side.

Trying to put all this together, my guess is that the Voigtlander will be a bit better than you Contax G 90 f/2.8, but perhaps not across the whole frame. The Voigtlander I think will be clearly better in the center and the corners (where he Contax G has a pretty big divergence stopped down between the sagittal and tangential planes), but in the midzone it will be a lot closer I would infer from Fred's tests which show some midzone weakness in the Voigtlander.

I plan to get the new Voigtlander and test it against the Leica M 90 f/4 Macro Elmar and I am planning to do those tests sometime towards the end of January in Columbus when I am next back there. If you wanted to get together to do them we could add you Contax G 90 f/2.8 to the tests. Let me know if you are interested in doing that.

Dec 22, 2021 at 05:42 PM

naturephoto1
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

Steve Spencer wrote:
Jordan,

I don't have the Contax G 90 f/2.8, but it is a very nice lens with no midzone dip according to the MTF at Zeiss.com that you can see here: https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/consumer-products/downloads/historical-products/photography/contax-g/en/datasheet-zeiss-sonnar-2890-en.pdf

That said, the Zeiss ZM 85 has a noticeably better MTF graph, which you can find here: https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/consumer-products/downloads/historical-products/photography/zm-lenses/en/datasheet-zeiss-zm-tele-tessar-485-en.pdf

The newer ZM lens has a bit higher performance at 40 lp/mm and a lot better performance on the tangential plane. Assuming those MTFs graph translate into performance difference the Zeiss ZM 85 f/4 should be a bit better than the Contax G 90 f/2.8.

In the earlier thread Rich (naturephoto1) did...Show more →

Hi Steve,

I am hoping to get out tomorrow to take some photos with my new 90mm Apo-Skopar, but the high for the day is only 37 degrees F and I am not sure about the wind (which could make some problems). I will try to also bring the Zeiss 90mm f4 ZM as well. But, time could be an issue tomorrow and Friday due to the holidays and the wind. I am not sure how easy it will be to swap lenses fast enough to compare the 2 lenses but I will try and use the lenses with my A1 which is my highest resolution Sony.

Rich

Dec 22, 2021 at 06:58 PM

philip_pj
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · FM Review: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

After a fair examination of the mentioned CZ/Leica contenders for which we have full MTF, the 594g Loxia 85mm is the clear technical 'fine detail' leader, with 80% of 40 lpmm out past the short edge and a gentle roll-off thereafter.

But the 500g Summicron 90/2 APO looks very crisp/contrasty on page one, real bite and excellent balance. The new Voigt might be aimed more at portrait/street distances, and the non-Lanthar name might be another clue here. One more to come, for Sony in early 2022? I want Loxia 85mm results in a 350-375g package, like the other APO Lanthars.

Dec 23, 2021 at 12:47 AM

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