highdesertmesa wrote:
Another shot with the 40 on the M11M, a horizontal 16:9 crop from a vertical original. Cropped image is till 21” wide at 300 dpi!
Gorgeous!
Did you find a UV solution for this lens. I am looking for a slim 34mm UV filter with high IQ.
Did you find a UV solution for this lens. I am looking for a slim 34mm UV filter with high IQ.
Thanks! But I'm embarrassed that I forgot that photo of the tree was taken with the SPII and not the 40. Oops. I've removed it from the post.
I've been using an old-school Heliopan 34mm UV, which I had purchased a long time ago for the 28 Summaron when I owned that. It's not exactly slim and is only single-coated. It's about the same thickness as the old B+W "F-Pro" filters.
I've actually just ordered the multicoated and seemingly thinner "Heliopan 34mm UV SH-PMC Filter" that finally came back into stock at B&H (they should get another one in 1-2 weeks). I've also ordered the "Heliopan 34-39mm Step-Up Ring (#293)" to see if that plus a thin 39mm filter could serve as both filter and hood in a single solution. I'll probably remove most of the white text on the step up ring with some nail polish remover, but otherwise it looks almost exactly like the included Voigtlander hood only with 39mm filter thread on the end.
Reporting back that removing the silver stopper post that limits MFD to 0.7m does allow for focusing closer to ~0.6m. Not sure if this is worth it as I was hoping for 0.5m. 0.1m difference is a very small distance.
Make sure and use a jeweler’s screwdriver the full width of the post and push down firmly before unscrewing to keep the screwdriver seated in the slot. Recommend doing this with the lens mounted to the camera for a bit of extra leverage. The post is not thread locked, so it comes out easily with firm pressure.
With the post is removed, the focusing stops mechanically at 0.6m, so no worries about the lens barrel unscrewing off the base.
Increase in mfd, decrease in weight and arguably neater. Not bad! I might give this a go.
With regards to filters. I use a 34mm to 37mm step ring with another 37mm to 39mm step ring. It’s basically the same depth as the original hood. Like this I can swap caps and filters with the 28/2.8 & 90/2.8…
highdesertmesa wrote:
Reporting back that removing the silver stopper post that limits MFD to 0.7m does allow for focusing closer to ~0.6m. Not sure if this is worth it as I was hoping for 0.5m. 0.1m difference is a very small distance.
Make sure and use a jeweler’s screwdriver the full width of the post and push down firmly before unscrewing to keep the screwdriver seated in the slot. Recommend doing this with the lens mounted to the camera for a bit of extra leverage. The post is not thread locked, so it comes out easily with firm pressure.
With the post is removed, the focusing stops mechanically at 0.6m, so no worries about the lens barrel unscrewing off the base....Show more →
Thanks for posting this! I may give it a try on the 28/2.8. How does the hole looks with the screw removed? Perhaps we can find a flat black screw for it.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Thanks for posting this! I may give it a try on the 28/2.8. How does the hole looks with the screw removed? Perhaps we can find a flat black screw for it.
Thankfully there is a bit of a curved, finished/painted lip inside the hole, and the actual hole with the threads is smaller than the width of the post by about half. Doesn’t look bad to me left as-is, but filling it would be nice, too. I think in some ways the silver post was more of an eyesore than the hole is
p.14 #10 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
highdesertmesa wrote:
Thankfully there is a bit of a curved, finished/painted lip inside the hole, and the actual hole with the threads is smaller than the width of the post by about half. Doesn’t look bad to me left as-is, but filling it would be nice, too. I think in some ways the silver post was more of an eyesore than the hole is
Such easy modification that enhances the lens's abilities. I agree that it doesn't look worse without the long metal screw, and in fact, some people might find it more appealing.
That being said, I understand why Cosina designed it this way. It's easy to shift it to a close focusing distance of 0.7 meters when using the RF.
p.14 #11 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
Such easy modification that enhances the lens's abilities. I agree that it doesn't look worse without the long metal screw, and in fact, some people might find it more appealing.
That being said, I understand why Cosina designed it this way. It's easy to shift it to a close focusing distance of 0.7 meters when using the RF.
Agreed on both counts.
I wonder if the infinity lock stopper screw would work to fill the hole, that is if beneath that screw head was the same narrow threaded post style. At MFD, the focus knob mechanism is higher up and would sail right over it. Problem is, I don't think Voigtlander sells parts like that. Hard enough to even get replacement hoods for their lenses that came with them.
p.14 #12 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
highdesertmesa wrote:
Agreed on both counts.
I wonder if the infinity lock stopper screw would work to fill the hole, that is if beneath that screw head was the same narrow threaded post style. At MFD, the focus knob mechanism is higher up and would sail right over it. Problem is, I don't think Voigtlander sells parts like that. Hard enough to even get replacement hoods for their lenses that came with them.
With the 28/2.8 lens, removing that particular tall screw allows you to focus as close as 0.6 meters, similar to the 40/2.8 lens. While this feature is handy for close-up shots in Live View mode, it might not justify the inconvenience of losing RF mode and not being aware of when the coupling stops working.
CV 28/2.8 with tall screw post removed. New MFD is exactly on the letter 'm'
p.14 #13 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
With the 28/2.8 lens, removing that particular tall screw allows you to focus as close as 0.6 meters, similar to the 40/2.8 lens. While this feature is handy for close-up shots in Live View mode, it might not justify the inconvenience of losing RF mode and not being aware of when the coupling stops working.
I have to agree. I've reinstalled mine. Taking photos at 0.7 and the reduced MFD confirmed for me the difference in FOV is not enough to justify losing the rangefinder hard stop at 0.7m.
p.14 #14 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
highdesertmesa wrote:
I have to agree. I've reinstalled mine. Taking photos at 0.7 and the reduced MFD confirmed for me the difference in FOV is not enough to justify losing the rangefinder hard stop at 0.7m.
Indeed, when my Leica 35/1.4 Lux SR lens was adjusted to focus from 1m to 0.76m, it became more practical. Moreover, there is coupling at 0.76m as well.
p.14 #15 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
@yukosteel just posted the "Disassembly - Voigtlander 40mm F2.8 Heliar Vintage Line Leica M mount lens" article.
It provides a detailed guide on how to disassemble the Voigtlander 40mm F2.8 Heliar lens for cleaning and maintenance. The lens, known for its compact size and craftsmanship, is discussed in terms of its construction and disassembly steps. The article emphasizes the need for precision when reassembling the lens. It concludes that this lens is solidly built and relatively easy to perform cleaning and maintenance on, but the compact size requires careful handling and patience.
From the article:"The Voigtlander 40mm F2.8 lens is very solidly built and is quite easy to perform CLA. Access to aperture chamber is relatively simple if you have experience using precise spanning wrench. I noticed signs of securing glue on bolts, so unscrewing them require initial high torque to loosen glue first. Due to very compact lens size this Voigtlander 40mm F2.8 Heliar requires higher accuracy of all moves and more patience comparing to working with averagely sized lens."
p.14 #17 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
Beautiful samples. We get defined 10 point sunstars with both 28 and 40 lenses.
highdesertmesa wrote:
I have to agree. I've reinstalled mine. Taking photos at 0.7 and the reduced MFD confirmed for me the difference in FOV is not enough to justify losing the rangefinder hard stop at 0.7m.
Certainly, it's a good idea to leave the restriction on the lens. I've heard that if you rotate it to the closest focus without the pin, it can cause the rotation to stop when the RF cylinder touches the lens frame. This could potentially harm the focusing threads over time.
I've actually just ordered the multicoated and seemingly thinner "Heliopan 34mm UV SH-PMC Filter" that finally came back into stock at B&H (they should get another one in 1-2 weeks). I've also ordered the "Heliopan 34-39mm Step-Up Ring (#293)" to see if that plus a thin 39mm filter could serve as both filter and hood in a single solution. I'll probably remove most of the white text on the step up ring with some nail polish remover, but otherwise it looks almost exactly like the included Voigtlander hood only with 39mm filter thread on the end.
I am thinking about buying a multi-coated tiffen UV filter from Amazon, removing the glass and adding it to the hood.
p.14 #18 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
@highdesertmesa@, does the less accurate 50/75 framelines bother you?
Inaccurate frame lines is the only reason I don’t own this lens because I really like its aesthetics and IQ.
Using the 57-degree angle of view, I determined the focal length of the Heliar 40/2.8 to be approximately 40.75mm. I charted these values, resulting in the following representation. The green line corresponds to the Heliar 40.75mm focal length, and it falls almost precisely between the 35mm and 50mm frames.
It can be a pain to use without the proper 40mm frame lines. What I do is use the 50mm frame lines as a guide for tightly framing my subject into (putting the top of someone’s head right on the line), and voila, the subject always comes out with just enough space around them/it. For landscape, I frame and shoot with the rear screen but still use the rangefinder for focusing. I’m usually hyper-vigilant about my exposures, so I’m always turning on and off the LCD anyway.
I do sometimes wonder if 35mm frame lines would have made more sense than 50, but I guess it’s better to get more than expected versus less.
I do plan to one day mount it semi-permanently to one of the Bessa film camera models that have the 40mm frame lines. The style of this lens combined with that of the Bessa is “chef’s kiss”.
p.14 #19 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
Used the hood from the 28/2.8 on my 40/2.8 with polariser filter and step rings. Works well. The 28 and the 40mm are a great combo. Also the reduced mfd is cool ( if don’t have a rf).
p.14 #20 · Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar VM Review
Desmolicious wrote:
I’d then take one shot w the 35, one with the 50 and compare your framing results.
In my ‘tests’ the Cv 40 is quite a bit wider then my Rollei Sonnar 40. And the results do seem closer to 35mm coverage.
Using the 57-degree angle of view, I determined the focal length of the Heliar 40/2.8 to be approximately 39.5mm. I charted these values, resulting in the following representation. The green line corresponds to the Heliar 40mm focal length, and it falls almost precisely between the 35mm and 50mm frames.
