Voigtlander is offering too many 28mms. Which one would you pick? This is my first 28mm M mount lens.
Having own both Silver M10-P and M-P black paint, my mind is telling me to go for for biggest aperture, while my heart is towards color skopar type I in black paint. I really like compact lens for Leica M for light weight and minimal finder blockage.
Nokton 28mm f1.5
Ultron II 28mm f2.0
Color Skopar 28mm f2.8
Mayasan wrote:
Voigtlander is offering too many 28mms. Which one would you pick? This is my first 28mm M mount lens.
Having own both Silver M10-P and M-P black paint, my mind is telling me to go for for biggest aperture, while my heart is towards color skopar type I in black paint. I really like compact lens for Leica M for light weight and minimal finder blockage.
Nokton 28mm f1.5
Ultron II 28mm f2.0
Color Skopar 28mm f2.8
Buy all three and let us know what you ended up keeping
I've owned all of them but no longer do. If I had to choose one again, it would probably be the Ultron just because of its high resolving power and high contrast for landscape. The 28 1.5 didn't have enough subject separation at 1.5 for my liking, and it was a little soft in the mid frame when wide open at close distance – right where the eyes on a portrait often end up. The 28 2.8 didn't have any of the magic that the 40 2.8 has, which was my fault for having that expectation due to their similar external design. All "in my opinion" of course.
I've been pretty happy with the new Skopar 28/2.8. Color saturation has been wonderful and I usually don't shoot a 28 beyond 2.8 anyways. The type I is not only small but weighs nothing. I only shoot this and the CV 50/1.2 now.
I don't shoot close enough with wide's to be worried about DOF fall off and I don't shoot film so ISO isnt an issue and therefore I don't need the speed.
highdesertmesa wrote:
Buy all three and let us know what you ended up keeping
I've owned all of them but no longer do. If I had to choose one again, it would probably be the Ultron just because of its high resolving power and high contrast for landscape. The 28 1.5 didn't have enough subject separation at 1.5 for my liking, and it was a little soft in the mid frame when wide open at close distance – right where the eyes on a portrait often end up. The 28 2.8 didn't have any of the magic that the 40 2.8 has, which was my fault for having that expectation due to their similar external design. All "in my opinion" of course....Show more →
I don't know about magic, and I like the others, but ... the 2.8 is so cute, compact and has beautiful transitions when shot on a monotone camera which is how I use it. Though, you can't go wrong with any of these.
Joe D
I believe the Ultron has the best balance for what I want. It's always hard doing this exercise with CV lenses, they force you to really scrutinize your preferences and biases.
I just bought an Ultron 28/2. Smaller, lighter, 39mm vs 43mm filters, one less asph element in a ten element design, just the one 'finishing' asph element. Bit of an aversion to fast wide angles too. It all added up.
Mayasan wrote:
Voigtlander is offering too many 28mms. Which one would you pick? This is my first 28mm M mount lens.
Having own both Silver M10-P and M-P black paint, my mind is telling me to go for for biggest aperture, while my heart is towards color skopar type I in black paint. I really like compact lens for Leica M for light weight and minimal finder blockage.
Nokton 28mm f1.5
Ultron II 28mm f2.0
Color Skopar 28mm f2.8
If I could choose only one, it would be the Voigtlander 28mm f/1.5 Nokton. I even sold my Leica 28 Lux because it felt redundant, as the performance and rendering were very similar.
Now, it comes down to what you value most:
1. Most compact: Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8
2. Versatility in any light: Voigtlander 28mm f/1.5
3. A balance between the two: Voigtlander 28mm f/2
All three lenses perform similarly at the same aperture, and to be honest, they're all quite compact for what they offer.
I'm very fond of my 28mm Nokton but not as much for photos of people.
If the Thypoch Simera 28/1.4 comes out in a V2 without the infinity lock and better ergos I'll probably get that.
You can't really go wrong with any of the 28's for M mount, just choose your desired compromises of speed, ergos and rendering.
Sharpness is not an issue for me for modern lens, they are all pretty good compared to vintage lens. Magic usually is found on older lens where those imperfections give characters.
highdesertmesa wrote:
Buy all three and let us know what you ended up keeping
I've owned all of them but no longer do. If I had to choose one again, it would probably be the Ultron just because of its high resolving power and high contrast for landscape. The 28 1.5 didn't have enough subject separation at 1.5 for my liking, and it was a little soft in the mid frame when wide open at close distance – right where the eyes on a portrait often end up. The 28 2.8 didn't have any of the magic that the 40 2.8 has, which was my fault for having that expectation due to their similar external design. All "in my opinion" of course....Show more →
The 2.8 type I black paint and made of brass, simply looks awesome.
ottokbre wrote:
I've been pretty happy with the new Skopar 28/2.8. Color saturation has been wonderful and I usually don't shoot a 28 beyond 2.8 anyways. The type I is not only small but weighs nothing. I only shoot this and the CV 50/1.2 now.
I don't shoot close enough with wide's to be worried about DOF fall off and I don't shoot film so ISO isnt an issue and therefore I don't need the speed.
the size of 28mm f1.5 is an issue for me though it is the smallest among the f1.4/f1.5 lens. I guess it will block the right bottom 0.72x 28mm frameline a bit.
photonc wrote:
I'm a big fan of the Color Skopar 28mm f2.8. Modern design with focus tab, small, light, great IQ. 28 1.5 is also nice if you don't mind the size.
Hi Fred, you are right, all the 3 lens are great from your reviews, that make it hard to choose.
Fred Miranda wrote:
If I could choose only one, it would be the Voigtlander 28mm f/1.5 Nokton. I even sold my Leica 28 Lux because it felt redundant, as the performance and rendering were very similar.
Now, it comes down to what you value most:
1. Most compact: Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8
2. Versatility in any light: Voigtlander 28mm f/1.5
3. A balance between the two: Voigtlander 28mm f/2
All three lenses perform similarly at the same aperture, and to be honest, they're all quite compact for what they offer.
Mark Sisco wrote:
Haven’t used the f/1.5 or f/2.8, but I have been extremely happy with the performance and size of my Ultron f/2 v2 (on M10-R and M10M).
Mayasan wrote:
Sharpness is not an issue for me for modern lens, they are all pretty good compared to vintage lens. Magic usually is found on older lens where those imperfections give characters.
I was speaking specifically about the rendering of the 40 2.8, which I love and which shares the same external design as the 28 2.8 Type I. At least the 28 2.8 is sharp wide open at close distance in the mid frame (on the diagonal halfway between the center and corner) unlike the 28 1.5.
As an almost exclusively film shooter I really prefer the Nokton - enough so that I sold my Ultron II. The added flexibility of f/1.5 for only a small weight increase was a worthwhile tradeoff for me. It's my preferred lens for indoor photography as well - wide enough to capture everything in spaces where I can't step back and of course f/1.5 for lower light.
For 28mm enthusiasts, we're lucky to have a great selection of top-notch lenses. Leica offers some excellent options, and Cosina has brought budget-friendly choices in their 28mm lineup without compromising on image quality or build. Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any of these lenses...what really matters is whether you prioritize compactness or speed.
In my decision, rendering also played a major role. Out of the three lenses, I personally prefer the way the Nokton renders. It's not just about the amount of blur -- it's the way it draws the image. My second favorite for rendering is the Color-Skopar. The CV 28/2 Ultron has a more modern rendering, similar to the Summicron, which many appreciate as well.
