Fantastic review, Fred. This looks like a wonderful little lens. I'm tempted, but I still don't think I'd want to give up a stop compared to the Ultron I have.
itai195 wrote:
Fantastic review, Fred. This looks like a wonderful little lens. I'm tempted, but I still don't think I'd want to give up a stop compared to the Ultron I have.
Up until now, during my analysis of both test and real-world images, I have observed minimal longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) in the images captured with my Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens. In fact, due to its f/2.8 aperture, it shows slightly superior performance in this aspect compared to the already impressive Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II lens.
Even when shooting under conditions of very high contrast lighting, any axial CA present is hardly noticeable when the lens is wide open. Included here are some sample crops from real-world images, magnified to 100%, which depict the slight instances of purple fringing and axial CA that might be observed in scenarios of high contrast lighting.
From my perspective, this level of performance is commendable. These cropped sections also provide a valuable means to assess the rendering capabilities of the lens.
Very slight fringing behind the focal plane and slight purple fringing on the metal along the focal plane
Very subtle purple fringing aberration along the focal plane (The Ford logo is purple though. haha)
Almost zero purple fringing along the focal plane
Almost zero purple fringing along the focal plane
Very faint green fringing behind the focus plane
No purple fringing even on reflected light from metal
Almost no green fringing
Very high contrast with no notable fringing in the back
Lateral CA is well controlled and there is no automated profile in Lightroom.
Although well corrected, hints of lateral chromatic aberration are observable in high-contrast regions near the edges. This aberration is entirely eliminated by applying Lightroom's chromatic aberration removal.
Lateral CA control is marginally worse compared to the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II but both lenses still perform admirably in addressing color error.
Here is a comparison showing the Color-Skopar and Ultron II shot at f/5.6 displaying the edges of the frame where lateral CA is most prominent:
At 100% magnification: LEFT crop (CV 28/2 Ultron II) | RIGHT crop (CV 28/2.8 Color-Skopar)
At 200% magnification: LEFT crop (CV 28/2.8 Color-Skopar LaCA uncorrected) | RIGHT crop (CV 28/2.8 Color-Skopar LaCA corrected)
For those who appreciate distinct and well-defined sunstars within their photographic compositions, Voigtlander shines in this aspect. Nearly all of their M-mount lenses are equipped with an aperture mechanism featuring straight blades, and due to their meticulous construction tolerance, the resulting sunstars show clear definition with symmetrical rays. The Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar follows this trend presenting impeccably defined sunstars that become noticeable from an aperture setting of f/4 onwards.
Displayed below is a sequence of aperture settings ranging from f/2 to f/16 in 1-stop increments, showcasing the sunstar shape of the Voigtlander 28/2.8 Color-Skopar lens. This lens is equipped with 10 straight aperture blades, resulting in 10-point sunstars.
The sunstar pattern becomes well-defined starting at f/4 and reaches its optimal presentation from f/5.6 onwards.
Up to this point, the lens shows exceptional resistance to ghosting flare, on par with the performance of the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II lens. I've conducted tests by aiming the lens directly at the sun and various angles against strong light sources, and I can see minimal ghosting.
However, the lens is prone to veiling flare, especially when the light source is directly above the frame. Here's an example that compares the performance of the Voigtlander 28/2.8 Color-Skopar and the Leica 28/2.8 Elmarit-M lenses. I used the same lighting and framing for both shots. (See last image on this post demonstrating this)
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
Leica (TOP), Voigtlander (BOTTOM) -- Veiling flare: The Voigtlander was prone to veiling flare under this specific lighting conditions (low sun angle). Both lenses had the hood attached.
I couldn't replicate that veiling flare when shooting towards the low sun. It seems to be visible only from that angle. Here's a comparison of the Color-Skopar and Ultron II lenses against the light, with Color-Skopar on top and Ultron at the bottom
Looks like a lovely lens and one that would fill a gap at 28mm in the Sony range. But if it is not coming out in E-mount, per Fred's assessment earlier in this thread, why is it being discussed in the Sony thread?
rob_ww wrote:
Looks like a lovely lens and one that would fill a gap at 28mm in the Sony range. But if it is not coming out in E-mount, per Fred's assessment earlier in this thread, why is it being discussed in the Sony thread?
At a minimum it is easily adapted to Sony bodies. Also, there a good number of people who have had their Sony cameras modified to maximize the performance of adapted M ount lenses.
It can be easily adapted to many mirrorless bodies, not just Sony (which is classic 'alt' forum topic material.) To me, replacing the sensor stack glass to use M mount lenses seems as about "alternative" as you can get. I would hope those members are also perusing the Leica and Alternative Gear forum.
Not complaining that it was cross posted, but to the lay Sony user...at the minimum it would be nice to see some basic tests on an un-modded Sony body. I realize that takes time, and I'm not sure Fred still has a Sony body, I believe he does.
1bwana1 wrote:
At a minimum it is easily adapted to Sony bodies. Also, there a good number of people who have had their Sony cameras modified to maximize the performance of adapted M ount lenses.
Infinity Performance when adapted to Sony A7R IV (60MP sensor)
The Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar was designed with the Leica M sensor stack in mind, which features an incredibly thin sensor profile. As a result, its optimal performance is achieved when used with a Leica M body. While it can be adapted to fit various mirrorless bodies, it's important to note that there are compromises involved, and the lens's performance may be impacted by the thickness of the camera sensor. While resolution and contrast remain consistent at the center, issues may arise in the mid-field and corners due to induced field curvature and astigmatism.
Here is how it performs on the Sony A7R IV, set at infinity distance.
Below is the complete image thumbnail, offering a view of the specific area shown at a 1:1 magnification ratio.
Distance: Infinity
Camera: Sony A7R IV
Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
Thanks for the images! I just ordered one from Cameaquest. Considering it will be used on a M4-2 loaded with Tri-X, it should provide plenty of resolution.
madNbad wrote:
Thanks for the images! I just ordered one from Cameaquest. Considering it will be used on a M4-2 loaded with Tri-X, it should provide plenty of resolution.
I'm going to order one for my M4-2 also. Have you used a 28mm lens on the M4-2 before? Being there are no frame lines for a 28 unless the camera's been modified, is it safe to assume that I can frame using the entire viewfinder area? I'll be using the lens mostly for quick street work so my compositions aren't exactly precise anyways.
Also, the lens should work well on my Canon R6, that is until I sell the R6 and upgrade to a digital M body.
acanton wrote:
I'm going to order one for my M4-2 also. Have you used a 28mm lens on the M4-2 before? Being there are no frame lines for a 28 unless the camera's been modified, is it safe to assume that I can frame using the entire viewfinder area? I'll be using the lens mostly for quick street work so my compositions aren't exactly precise anyways.
Also, the lens should work well on my Canon R6, that is until I sell the R6 and upgrade to a digital M body.
When I bought the M4-2 it was paired with a 28 2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH V1, used it without a finder and got good results but decided to add an accessory finder. Sold the Elmarit, bought a silver chrome 28 2.0 Ultron to use with my M4. When Cosina announced the return of the 28 Color Skopar, it looked like a good replacement for the Elmarit. Some users don’t like finder because it feel like it slows them down. If you watch old videos of Joel Meyerowitz in action, you see how he hyper focuses the lens and uses the finder for most of his work. I think it’s going to be a fun lens to use!
I am tempted to buy this lens for 1/10th of the price of a Q3 and continue to force myself to get better with RF focusing on the M11. But the Q3 would be such an easy camera to use...
TheEyesHaveIt wrote:
I am tempted to buy this lens for 1/10th of the price of a Q3 and continue to force myself to get better with RF focusing on the M11. But the Q3 would be such an easy camera to use...
28mm is an ideal focal length to hone your manual focus skills on. Once you have that and zone focus down you are getting everything the Q3 offers plus a bunch.
acanton wrote:
I'm going to order one for my M4-2 also. Have you used a 28mm lens on the M4-2 before? Being there are no frame lines for a 28 unless the camera's been modified, is it safe to assume that I can frame using the entire viewfinder area? I'll be using the lens mostly for quick street work so my compositions aren't exactly precise anyways.
Also, the lens should work well on my Canon R6, that is until I sell the R6 and upgrade to a digital M body.
Andre Wagner is a street photographer who regularly uses a Leica with a 28 and a viewfinder. It’s worth watching the videos of how he moves and photographs.
