oscartb wrote:
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.
Thanks for sharing your choice, may I know the type I alumminumor or type II brass version you pick for your film camera?
Fred Miranda wrote:
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....Show more →
28/2 is kind of technically excellent lens as i saw from many reviews. I have not seem enough render comparison with the nokton and color skopar yet though.
Mayasan wrote:
Thanks for sharing your choice, may I know the type I alumminumor or type II brass version you pick for your film camera?
I went with the Type 1 aluminum. That made the difference in weight between the Nokton and Ultron only ~20g, basically unnoticeable. The matte finish fit my black chrome M-A better as well, and I don't find the haptics in brass vs aluminum to be meaningful.
Although I've previously mentioned that all three Voigtlander 28mm lenses are excellent performers, they do differ in resolution, contrast, and vignetting control depending on aperture setting.
For example, in my comparison between the CV 28/2 Ultron and the CV 28/2.8 Color-Skopar, the Ultron shows better off-axis performance (away from the center) at almost all apertures.
While the Color-Skopar impresses with its compact size, it needs to be stopped down a couple of stops to perform optimally across the frame. At f/2.8, its mid-field is noticeably softer compared to the other two, but it improves significantly by f/4. In contrast, both the Ultron and Nokton excel in capturing more detail and higher contrast at comparable apertures until around f/5.6, where the Color-Skopar catches up in performance. Also, both the Ultron and Nokton handle vignetting more effectively.
The Nokton performs similarly to the Ultron from f/3.2 onwards, with both lenses outperforming the Color-Skopar until about f/4. By f/5.6 and beyond, all three lenses equalize in terms of resolution and contrast across the entire image field. For landscape photography, any of them would be suitable when stopped down to f/5.6, f/7.1, or smaller.
At close and mid distances, this trend continues. At 1 to 1.5 meters and an aperture of f/2.8, the Nokton outperforms the Color-Skopar across the entire field, including the mid-field. This is expected, as the Nokton is two stops down from its wide-open aperture.
Ultimately, all three lenses are strong performers and can be compared to Leica options, but noticeable differences emerge when examined at the pixel level.
I was about to ask the same question today ! I waited since march for the 28mm F2,8 Elmarit to get back in stock where i live.. And my patient is a bit thin at this time.
I need a compact, but sharp across the field 28mm. Unfortunately, my experience with the 28mm F2 Ultron II, was bad. It was sharp in the center, but was burry already from the mid zone and out, even at F7. It was so bad that I used the old Zeiss 28mm F2,8 biogon instead, and that to has some bad corners, that almost looks like the photo is smeared out (old lense design for film) ,but at least the mid and center is sharp. So its sharp where you tend to have your subject most of time in street photography.
So far I'm pulled more towards the 28mm F1.5 nokton. It's small, its light, it gets great review's
It can do F1,5 (which is a nice bonus giving it size ) And it seems to have a great rendering.
I never was that impressed (with the exception of the size) with the Voigt 28mm/2.8 mostly for the reasons Fred outlined. I purchased a used Leica 28mm/2 Summicron and this is one of my most used lenses. I should take out my Voigt 28mm/2 and do some side by sides.
mark1958 wrote:
I never was that impressed (with the exception of the size) with the Voigt 28mm/2.8 mostly for the reasons Fred outlined. I purchased a used Leica 28mm/2 Summicron and this is one of my most used lenses. I should take out my Voigt 28mm/2 and do some side by sides.
I prefer using the Color-Skopar at either f/3.2 or f/5.6. There's a noticeable improvement just half a stop from wide open, and at f/5.6, it delivers excellent sharpness across the entire field. Given its size, it offers outstanding performance, though the Leica Elmarit performs better in the mid-field at wider apertures.
I thought this was an interesting comment I just found, from someone with albeit very different photography than mine:
'What is also notable: this 28mm 2.0 Ultron shows a performance very close to the Voigtländer VM 35mm 2.0 Apo-Lanthar, despite featuring a simpler design, being wider and noticeably smaller and lighter.'
Fred Miranda wrote:
I prefer using the Color-Skopar at either f/3.2 or f/5.6. There's a noticeable improvement just half a stop from wide open, and at f/5.6, it delivers excellent sharpness across the entire field. Given its size, it offers outstanding performance, though the Leica Elmarit performs better in the mid-field at wider apertures.
I can simply treat it as street/travel lens to maximize portability. Shoot the lens at f5.6-11, f2.8 shot at 0.7m only give only slight background blur.
For more backgroup blur, I still got nokton 35mm f1.5, and nokton 50mm f1.5
mark1958 wrote:
I never was that impressed (with the exception of the size) with the Voigt 28mm/2.8 mostly for the reasons Fred outlined. I purchased a used Leica 28mm/2 Summicron and this is one of my most used lenses. I should take out my Voigt 28mm/2 and do some side by sides.
Here comes a Cron on the B&S board lol
I did the same thing, was amazed at how much better the Ultron fared in sharpness at f/2 and infinity. The Cron is smoother in transition.
rsolti13 wrote:
Here comes a Cron on the B&S board lol
I did the same thing, was amazed at how much better the Ultron fared in sharpness at f/2 and infinity. The Cron is smoother in transition.
The 28 Cron I owned (latest optics but not close focus version) was just as sharp as my Ultron at infinity. But the Ultron has such high contrast of small details (my description of microcontrast so as not to alert the microcontrast deniers), the impression of the images is very different. You have to want a calmer image to choose the Cron over the Ultron for landscape.
Mayasan wrote:
I can simply treat it as street/travel lens to maximize portability. Shoot the lens at f5.6-11, f2.8 shot at 0.7m only give only slight background blur.
For more backgroup blur, I still got nokton 35mm f1.5, and nokton 50mm f1.5
That sounds like a solid plan. The CV 28/2.8 is well-suited for street and landscape photography, where the lens is often stopped down. Starting at f/5.6, the Voigtlander 28/2.8 performs optimally across the frame, delivering results comparable to other lenses, including the Leica Cron. It's also quite strong at f/4 but shows noticeable improvement at the pixel level by f/5.6. Wide open, the lens is softer than the others at mid-field, but stopping down to f/3.2 offers a good balance between sharpness and blur amount.
I've compared the CV 28/1.5 Nokton with the Leica 28/2 Cron (V2) at infinity. I don't think I've ever posted it, but if you're curious, I'd be happy to share.
Fred Miranda wrote:
That sounds like a solid plan. The CV 28/2.8 is well-suited for street and landscape photography, where the lens is often stopped down. Starting at f/5.6, the Voigtlander 28/2.8 performs optimally across the frame, delivering results comparable to other lenses, including the Leica Cron. It's also quite strong at f/4 but shows noticeable improvement at the pixel level by f/5.6. Wide open, the lens is softer than the others at mid-field, but stopping down to f/3.2 offers a good balance between sharpness and blur amount.
I've compared the CV 28/1.5 Nokton with the Leica 28/2 Cron (V2) at infinity. I don't think I've ever posted it, but if you're curious, I'd be happy to share....Show more →
Thanks for your comment. Your reviews have been very comprehensive and i already got the idea about each lens. I have to make decision this week when i visit japan. I like both brass version of 28/f1.5 and 28/.8, but i am slightly lean to color skopar for the light weight//retro body, while 28/1.5 is ideal for practical use.
I just took some 15 to 20ft shoots on a tripod with the Ultron and Leica Cron on a tripod at various apertures. I do see they are very close especially f2.8 to f8 across the board. The Ultron has a bit more vignetting wide open but not bad. If I was doing it again probably would just stick with the Ultron.
Fred Miranda wrote:
That sounds like a solid plan. The CV 28/2.8 is well-suited for street and landscape photography, where the lens is often stopped down. Starting at f/5.6, the Voigtlander 28/2.8 performs optimally across the frame, delivering results comparable to other lenses, including the Leica Cron. It's also quite strong at f/4 but shows noticeable improvement at the pixel level by f/5.6. Wide open, the lens is softer than the others at mid-field, but stopping down to f/3.2 offers a good balance between sharpness and blur amount.
I've compared the CV 28/1.5 Nokton with the Leica 28/2 Cron (V2) at infinity. I don't think I've ever posted it, but if you're curious, I'd be happy to share....Show more →
mark1958 wrote:
I just took some 15 to 20ft shoots on a tripod with the Ultron and Leica Cron on a tripod at various apertures. I do see they are very close especially f2.8 to f8 across the board. The Ultron has a bit more vignetting wide open but not bad. If I was doing it again probably would just stick with the Ultron.
The key difference between these lenses is their performance at wider apertures. At f/5.6 and f/8, the differences are subtle, but wide open, the Ultron delivers higher contrast and resolution. I compared optimal copies on the Ultron review. The Leica, however, is slightly better corrected for axial chromatic aberration and offers superior vignetting control. Its lower optical vignetting results in more rounded specular highlights in the corners of out-of-focus areas. These characteristics often allow me to identify which lens was used just by looking at images.
thrice wrote:
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.
Fred Miranda wrote:
That sounds like a solid plan. The CV 28/2.8 is well-suited for street and landscape photography, where the lens is often stopped down. Starting at f/5.6, the Voigtlander 28/2.8 performs optimally across the frame, delivering results comparable to other lenses, including the Leica Cron. It's also quite strong at f/4 but shows noticeable improvement at the pixel level by f/5.6. Wide open, the lens is softer than the others at mid-field, but stopping down to f/3.2 offers a good balance between sharpness and blur amount.
I've compared the CV 28/1.5 Nokton with the Leica 28/2 Cron (V2) at infinity. I don't think I've ever posted it, but if you're curious, I'd be happy to share....Show more →
I'd welcome the comp / shootout on the 28's. I'm "forward thinking" about a 28 to replace the Q's , if I should opt for the rumored 40-ish Q down the road. That, and just as an option to "not carry" the Q2 (either on an M or SL).
RustyBug wrote:
I'd welcome the comp / shootout on the 28's. I'm "forward thinking" about a 28 to replace the Q's , if I should opt for the rumored 40-ish Q down the road. That, and just as an option to "not carry" the Q2 (either on an M or SL).
I'll post that comparison soon; the CV 28/1.5 Nokton review thread might be a better place for it. I believe I did it on the M11, but it could have been on the M10-R.
I have the Ultron v2 i.e the latest one, and the CS 2.8 v1 (that matches my 40 2.8).
The thing I don’t like about the Ultron is the physical design. It’s just ugly in that weird CV conehead design aesthetic. I just don’t get why they are doing that.
Optically? Just great.
