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Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

highdesertmesa
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

nehemiahphoto wrote:
It wouldn’t—but I took some longer photos that seemed oddly soft or hazy. Not sure if I misfocused a bit something a little odd is happening. I’ll controlled test it before I conclude anything. This lens also seems to draw (from my limited shooting so far of about 20 minutes so take it with a grain of salt) with a little bit different cooler colors and contrast, reminding me of the CV 35/1.7.

I’ll report more when I can do so more intelligently!

It is definitely a different draw/rendering versus the 75 1.5. Huge difference. I would be fine with either lens output, but I love the size and MFD of the 1.9 version, so that means it will probably be a keeper, and I will not repurchase the 75 1.5.

Regarding sharpness wide open, this lens has an insanely short focus throw and it's very easy to miss focus shooting handheld. It also has less contrast and/or resolving power wide open. So, even with perfect focus, the image at 100% magnification will be sharp, but it may not "feel" sharp if that makes sense. I kinda like that vibe, but you might try f/2.5 to see if it all of a sudden changes the character to your liking.

Mar 30, 2023 at 10:59 AM

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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

highdesertmesa wrote:
Regarding sharpness wide open, this lens has an insanely short focus throw and it's very easy to miss focus shooting handheld.

I agree with this assessment. The focus throw is short (but not unusual for a 75mm lens), which means that even a very small rotation of the focus ring can result in a significant focus change. As a result, the focus is both accurate and sensitive to tiny changes.

Mar 30, 2023 at 11:06 AM

freaklikeme
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Just to be clear, you saw FC when shooting with the Voigtlander 75/1.9 adapted to your Sony A7R II?

Yes, but not a stock rII. It’s the full-spectrum, mono-converted rII with no glass on top.

Mar 30, 2023 at 11:19 AM

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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

freaklikeme wrote:
Yes, but not a stock rII. It’s the full-spectrum, mono-converted rII with no glass on top.

Interesting! On the M, I only detected FC (wave shape) at infinity distance and it's pretty minor.

Mar 30, 2023 at 04:37 PM

highdesertmesa
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Edit: disregard focusing commentary as lens turned out to be front-focusing with the rangefinder.

Picked up my 75 1.9 this afternoon from the post office.

Wow, this thing is difficult to focus with the M11 rangefinder, more difficult than I remember the 75 1.5 being on the M10-R. It's either in perfect focus, or it's WAY out of focus.

My early opinion: this lens is best suited to EVF use if shooting wider than f/4 on the M11. I think this will be a lens I use on the SL2-S exclusively if I want to shoot it wide open. That works out since the matte black perfectly matches the matte black accents on the SL2-S Reporter even better than the M11 finish.

On the M11 at f/4, centering of my copy seems spot-on at infinity – all four corners are impressively sharp when focused at the center then the center subject is moved to all four corners and photographed. Very flat field at f/4.

More later.

Edited on Mar 30, 2023 at 08:59 PM · View previous versions

Mar 30, 2023 at 06:05 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Congrats on the new copy. I didn’t have trouble focusing with the RF. So far all my sample images were all shot exclusively with the rangefinder. But, it has be be perfectly aligned for consistent results.

highdesertmesa wrote:
Picked up my 75 1.9 this afternoon from the post office.

Wow, this thing is difficult to focus with the M11 rangefinder, more difficult than I remember the 75 1.5 being on the M10-R. It's either in perfect focus, or it's WAY out of focus.

My early opinion: this lens is best suited to EVF use if shooting wider than f/4 on the M11. I think this will be a lens I use on the SL2-S exclusively if I want to shoot it wide open. That works out since the matte black perfectly matches the matte black accents on the SL2-S Reporter...Show more →

Mar 30, 2023 at 06:08 PM

highdesertmesa
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Congrats on the new copy. I didn’t have trouble focusing with the RF. So far all my sample images were all shot exclusively with the rangefinder. But, it has be be perfectly aligned for consistent results.

Could be a combination of low contrast interior lighting and current level of tequila consumption.

Mar 30, 2023 at 06:47 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

highdesertmesa wrote:
Could be a combination of low contrast interior lighting and current level of tequila consumption.

Mar 30, 2023 at 07:36 PM

highdesertmesa
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Fred Miranda wrote:

Mar 30, 2023 at 07:44 PM

rscheffler
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
The Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron has a focus throw of approximately 100 degrees, which is longer compared to the CV 75/1.5 Nokton's approximately 90 degrees focus throw. With its faster speed by about a stop, the CV 75/1.5 Nokton's focusing is even more sensitive. Similarly, the Leica 90/2 APO also has a focus throw of around 90 degrees.

The diameter of the lens is also a factor. 90 degree throw on a small diameter lens will be shorter distance on the focusing ring, end to end, feel faster and be more fiddly compared to a large diameter lens. I have the 90AA and 90/4 Macro, which is smaller in diameter. The Macro feels more fiddly with hitting precise focus, in respect to RF alignment, which is not affected by speed of the lens. IMO the critical factor with fast lenses and wide open shooting is RF calibration. Since those lenses tend to be larger in diameter, I find them somewhat easier to RF focus than slower lenses (less likely to overshoot RF alignment).

One of the best focusing rangefinder tele lenses I've used was the ZM85/2, which I believe was designed to have a longer/slower throw towards infinity and shorter/faster towards MFD. Only used one briefly during an outing with its owner, but was nailing wide open shots with my M9 at the time pretty consistently at all distances. I think the longest focus throw I have with a tele RF lens is the Nikon 105/2.5 LTM, which is nearly 360 degrees... forget about follow focusing moving subjects.

Mar 30, 2023 at 09:41 PM

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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

highdesertmesa wrote:
CameraQuest mentions "brass barrel" on the product page, but like you said, it could be a misunderstanding. I'm actually glad it's not brass for the weight savings.

The description on Cameraquest's website has been modified to exclude any reference to brass.
https://shop.cameraquest.com/voigtlander-leica-mount-lenses/voigtlander-75mm-f/1.9-ultron-leica-m-black-mc/

Mar 30, 2023 at 10:33 PM

bjhurley
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

rscheffler wrote:
I think the longest focus throw I have with a tele RF lens is the Nikon 105/2.5 LTM, which is nearly 360 degrees... forget about follow focusing moving subjects.

I think the focus throw on the Canon 100/3.5 LTM is even slightly longer. I have both lenses (the original Nikkor 105/2.5 LTM, Sonnar version from the 1950s, and the Canon 100/3.5 LTM) and just compared them by fully rotating the focus; the Canon is just a bit closer to 360. In actual use it feels longer because the barrel is smaller in diameter than that of the Nikkor. I use the Nikkor frequently to take photos of concerts but I don't think I'd even try it with the Canon; I reserve the Canon mainly for portraits (where the long focus throw is an asset) or photos of stationary objects.

Mar 31, 2023 at 05:29 AM

Juha Kannisto
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Fred Miranda wrote:

The Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron has a focus throw of approximately 100 degrees, which is longer compared to the CV 75/1.5 Nokton's approximately 90 degrees focus throw. With its faster speed by about a stop, the CV 75/1.5 Nokton's focusing is even more sensitive. Similarly, the Leica 90/2 APO also has a focus throw of around 90 degrees.

If we look at focus throw from infinity to 0.7m, I think the focus throw on Ultron could be a bit shorter than on the Nokton. It just gets to ~100 degrees since it can focus down to 0.5m. Anyhow, I haven't had any issues with the focus throw of either lens myself (when using EVF). It might be different for rangefinder users though. I personally don't like very long focus throws.

With the 65/2 APO (E-mount) lens I always felt that precise infinity focusing was too fiddly because of very short focus throw in the that end, but I don't find that to be a problem with the 75/1.9.

Mar 31, 2023 at 06:12 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Focus throw angle, lens diameter, and the total distance range from MFD to infinity can all impact focus sensitivity. The Voigtlander 23/1.2 lens for the X-mount is the most challenging Voigtlander lens I own to focus. Although it has approximately 90 degrees of focus throw, the distance range goes from 0.25m (MFD) to infinity, while 'non-macro' 0.7m to infinity throw is extremely short.

Mar 31, 2023 at 08:18 AM

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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

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Optical Vignetting and Specular Highlights shape

I did not anticipate low optical vignetting from the Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron, given its compact and fast design. However, upon inspection of crop samples and images, it is evident that the optical vignetting is noticeable. The shape of specular highlights changes from round at the center to cat-eye towards the edge of the frame.

Despite this effect, the inner structure of the specular highlights is clean and lacks an onion ring pattern, which is attributed to the absence of aspherical surfaces. The lens comes with a 12-blade aperture, which should produce round specular highlights even when stopped down. However, depending on the image and when inspecting at high magnification, it is still possible to detect the dodecagon shape, even when stopping down from f/1.9 to f/2.8.

To demonstrate how optical vignetting affects the specular highlights, some samples are provided below for f/1.9 and f/2.8.

Sample 1 @ 2m

Full image @f/1.9

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron lens 75mm f/2.0 1/250s 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Full image @f/2.8 - Notice how the bokeh balls have a rounded shape towards the edge at this aperture. (compared to wide open)

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron lens 75mm f/2.8 1/180s 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Focused area: f/1.9 vs f/2.8 - Great performance wide open with a noticeable improvement at f/2.8 in terms of sharpness.

Out of focus area towards the corner: f/1.9 vs f/2.8

Mar 31, 2023 at 11:03 AM

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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Sample 2 @ 2m

Full image @f/1.9

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron lens 75mm f/1.7 1/750s 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Full image @f/2.8 - Observe that at this aperture, the bokeh balls have a more rounded shape towards the edge, in contrast to when the aperture is wide open.

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron lens 75mm f/2.0 1/500s 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Focused area: f/1.9 vs f/2.4

Focused area: f/2.4 vs f/2.8

Out of focus area towards the corner: f/1.9 vs f/2.4 - A half stop down to f/2.4 already results in rounder specular highlights.

Out of focus area towards the corner: f/1.9 vs f/2.8: When stopped down to f/2.8, the bokeh balls become even more rounded, but the dodecagon shape becomes more apparent.

Mar 31, 2023 at 11:08 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Sample 3 @ 3.2m

Full image @f/1.9

Full image @f/2.8

Focused area: f/1.9 vs f/2.8

Out of focus area towards the corner: f/1.9 vs f/2.8

Mar 31, 2023 at 11:08 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

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Chromatic Aberration (CA)

Although the Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron performs well in terms of lateral and axial chromatic aberration (CA), it still suffers from some color errors. When shooting with the aperture wide open, axial CA in the form of 'purple fringing' may be visible around the plane of focus, particularly in harsh lighting conditions. Additionally, magenta and green fringing may be noticeable in front of or behind the plane of focus but it's well-controlled and occurs rarely. Lateral CA fringing is visible at the corners, regardless of the aperture setting.

An example at f/4 demonstrates the lens's lateral CA performance towards the edge of the frame. Though still visible at 100%, I have added a crop at 200% to highlight the fringing. Fortunately, lateral CA is relatively easy to fix in post-processing without compromising image quality as much as axial CA.

Uncorrected Lateral CA (LEFT) | Corrected Lateral CA in LR (RIGHT)

Lateral chromatic aberration (LACA) is better visible at 200% magnification, but it is still well controlled.

Mar 31, 2023 at 11:55 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Detecting axial CA in my sample images becomes difficult under normal or lower contrast lighting conditions. However, there may be noticeable occurrences of purple fringing and magenta/green fringing when the lighting is very harsh or when the subject is reflective.

To demonstrate this, I have included some examples.

Harsh light condition: Here, axial CA is visible but still well controlled

100% crop from image above

Another sample illustrates magenta fringing appearing in the out-of-focus area in front of the focused subject.

Reflective metal: f/1.9 vs f/2.8

Green fringing behind the focused subject

Mar 31, 2023 at 12:22 PM

highdesertmesa
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9 Ultron Review

Fred, thanks so much for these. This really has me thinking about keeping my current copy that is calibrated for f/2.8 with the rangefinder (noticeably front-focuses at f/1.9 with the M11 rangefinder). I think I may like the 2.8 images the best.

What's your preference between 1.9 and 2.8? I would be exchanging cat's eye bokeh balls at the edges at f/1.9 for octagon but rounder bokeh balls at f/2.8, but 2.8 looks much more refined overall. And I could always shoot the lens using live view or move it to the SL2-S if I want to shoot it wide open.

Mar 31, 2023 at 01:50 PM

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