Fred Miranda wrote:
At 0.5m MFD + Marumi +3 close-up lens (1:2 macro)
The focus shift is mildly disappointing. In comparing this lens to the new 75 f/2.8 APO Ultron, the Ultron obviously is a bit smaller, lighter, and has a wider aperture, but I thought this lens would have the advantage of having better close up performance. Now I am not so sure for my use it would. For close ups I really like to focus at the widest aperture to aid getting the focus plane where I really want it. That may not be the best strategy for this lens and that complicates, its use for close up shots. I am not sure how big of a deal I think that will be in the long run.
Since the announcement of these lenses at CP+ earlier this year, I have planned to get both of them planning to typically pair the 75 with a 35, and the 90 with a 50, and use each of them at different times with a 40. I will still probably follow that plan but I might get the 75 first and I might use the 75 more often with my 40 f/1.2.
I suspect the 90 still might be significantly better for close ups, which I shoot a lot, but I would love to see the 75 and 90 compared at similar levels of magnification with a close up lens or extension added to both lenses.
Steve Spencer wrote:
The focus shift is mildly disappointing. In comparing this lens to the new 75 f/2.8 APO Ultron, the Ultron obviously is a bit smaller, lighter, and has a wider aperture, but I thought this lens would have the advantage of having better close up performance. Now I am not so sure for my use it would. For close ups I really like to focus at the widest aperture to aid getting the focus plane where I really want it. That may not be the best strategy for this lens and that complicates, its use for close up shots. I am not sure how big of a deal I think that will be in the long run.
Since the announcement of these lenses at CP+ earlier this year, I have planned to get both of them planning to typically pair the 75 with a 35, and the 90 with a 50, and use each of them at different times with a 40. I will still probably follow that plan but I might get the 75 first and I might use the 75 more often with my 40 f/1.2.
I suspect the 90 still might be significantly better for close ups, which I shoot a lot, but I would love to see the 75 and 90 compared at similar levels of magnification with a close up lens or extension added to both lenses....Show more →
The thing is, I believe Cosina really pushed the design going all the way down to 0.5m MFD on a 90mm lens without a floating element mechanism. That's an aggressive close-focus spec for this focal length without floating elements, so some compromise at MFD isn't surprising.
At normal shooting distances I don't see any meaningful focus shift, which is really what matters most in practice. At 0.5m, you'll be relying on live view anyway, so the workaround is simple: just focus at f/5.6 when shooting this close and you'll avoid the shift entirely.
Aug 13, 2026 at 10:02 PM
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Fred Miranda wrote:
The thing is, I believe Cosina really pushed the design going all the way down to 0.5m MFD on a 90mm lens without a floating element mechanism. That's an aggressive close-focus spec for this focal length without floating elements, so some compromise at MFD isn't surprising.
At normal shooting distances I don't see any meaningful focus shift, which is really what matters most in practice. At 0.5m, you'll be relying on live view anyway, so the workaround is simple: just focus at f/5.6 when shooting this close and you'll avoid the shift entirely.
Yes, I understand that approach. It is just in practice, I find that when I focus at f/5.6 it is hard to get the focus plane just where I want it and it is easier at a wider aperture when I am shooting .5X magnification. I was already worried about only being able to open up the lens to f/4 for such shots. I prefer using f/2 lenses that don't have focus shift at all for this reason. It is clear the focus shift is only minor, however, and I now have a camera with good focus aids that may change how I feel about focussing such shots. I guess I will see in time as I actually use the lens.
At such close distances the plane of focus becomes very thin and I doubt you will have trouble nailing focus at f/5.6. Also if you're adapting to Canon with the Shoten chipped adapter, you will benefit from the focus assist aid using PD focus information directly off the sensor. As an alternative you could go with the 90/2 APO, though I think it is more sensitive to sensor stack thickness, based on Fred's review.
Based on everything I've seen so far, including Juha's CP+ photos, I think the 90/4 is the optically stronger of the two new lenses.
Aug 13, 2026 at 11:22 PM
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rscheffler wrote:
At such close distances the plane of focus becomes very thin and I doubt you will have trouble nailing focus at f/5.6. Also if you're adapting to Canon with the Shoten chipped adapter, you will benefit from the focus assist aid using PD focus information directly off the sensor. As an alternative you could go with the 90/2 APO, though I think it is more sensitive to sensor stack thickness, based on Fred's review.
Based on everything I've seen so far, including Juha's CP+ photos, I think the 90/4 is the optically stronger of the two new lenses.
Thanks Ron, I do have the Shoten adapter as you know, so we will see if that helps. It may well allow me to be happier shooting stopped down to a narrower aperture as I can see the whole scene while still getting good focus. It will all depend on how precise the AF is with that adapter. I don't know that yet.
At the same time, I know from experience that when I use magnification for focus it is a hassle getting the plane where I want it at shooting aperture. In the EVF or LCD you have to zoom around to see where the plane focus is and narrower apertures mean more zooming and it often necessitates tripod shooting, which is fine sometimes, but even that can be hard if there is a bit of a breeze. I find handheld macros much harder with focus by magnification unless I am really stlll (and my hands shake more these days) and the conditions are quite still. So I value auto aperture and lenses that focus wide open for my close up shooting.
So we will see how it goes. If I find myself using magnification, I know I will be slightly disappointed that I have to focus at stopped down apertures to get the little bit of extra sharpness that aperture provides, but I also know it won't be the end of the world, just a hassle I wish I could avoid. And with this lens with a max aperture of f/4 and really good close up performance at f/4, I might just shoot it at f/4 and forego the slightly sharper images at f/5.6. This lens was never going to be an auto aperture lens anyway, in which you can focus wide open and then just shoot at a narrower aperture without manually changing the aperture. Having to manually change the aperture has its own issue of potentially losing optimum focus for such shots. Not having auto aperture is actually the bigger problem for me, which I really value in close up photography (and part of the reason I keep a couple of lenses that have that) and I of course knew this lens wouldn't have that.
It also means that I at times I will swap out this lens because of close-ups for my Canon 85 f/2 macro (or in some kits add my Zeiss 50 f/2 Makro) that allows auto aperture and focussing at f/2, which should allow a lot more precision in setting the focus plane even when magnifying.
rscheffler wrote:
At such close distances the plane of focus becomes very thin and I doubt you will have trouble nailing focus at f/5.6. Also if you're adapting to Canon with the Shoten chipped adapter, you will benefit from the focus assist aid using PD focus information directly off the sensor. As an alternative you could go with the 90/2 APO, though I think it is more sensitive to sensor stack thickness, based on Fred's review.
Based on everything I've seen so far, including Juha's CP+ photos, I think the 90/4 is the optically stronger of the two new lenses.
Yes, at 90mm f/5.6 and 0.5m (0.28x mag.), the depth of field is narrow enough that you can nail focus really precisely.
f/4 would even be a touch better for that, and it's still totally an option, but you'll run into some focus shift there, so it's not what I'd recommend. Just something good to know about the lens, nothing's perfect!
For those who value distinct and well-defined sunstars in their images, Voigtlander is an excellent choice. Most of their M-mount lenses are designed with straight aperture blades, and their precise construction ensures that the resulting sunstars have clear definition and symmetrical rays.
The Voigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar upholds this standard, producing well-defined sunstars that become noticeable even at an aperture just 1/2 stop from wide open at f/4.8. However, when the lens is wide open or at its smallest aperture of f/22, the rays may not appear as defined or symmetrical. Therefore, for the best results in capturing defined sunstars, it is advisable to avoid these extreme apertures.
Overall, the sunstar rays are well-defined from f/4.8 (1/2 stop from wide open) to f/16.
Below is a sequence showing the sunstar shape of the Voigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens at various aperture settings from f/4 to f/22 in 1-stop increments, but I also included f/4.8. This lens features 10 straight aperture blades, resulting in 10-point sunstars.
All images were shot wide open at f/4, around 9am PST, with subjects at a variety of distances.
Post processing was kept to a minimum, just light sharpening and small exposure tweaks. I used the Adobe Color profile throughout so the lens's natural color rendition and tonal character could come through.
Camera: Leica M11-D
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/6.81/1250s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/320s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.81/1000s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/250s320 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/500s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/1500s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/9.51/500s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/5.61/400s64 ISO0.0 EV
All images were shot wide open at f/4, around 9am PST, with subjects at a variety of distances.
Post-processing was kept to a minimum, just light sharpening and minor exposure tweaks. Throughout this set, I used Cobalt Leica M9 Standard Spectre (link here) and Adobe Monochrome profiles to subtly enhance the natural rendering and add a bit more tonal character.
Camera: Leica M11-D
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/1500s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/320s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/320s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.81/400s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/5.61/750s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/6.81/320s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/640s64 ISO0.0 EV
All images were shot wide open at f/4, around 10am PST, with subjects at a variety of distances.
Post-processing was kept to a minimum, just light sharpening and minor exposure tweaks. Throughout this set, I used Cobalt Leica M9 Standard Spectre (link here) and Adobe Color profiles to subtly enhance the natural rendering and add a bit more tonal character.
Camera: Leica M11-D
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/320s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/5.61/320s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/350s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/350s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/320s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/8.01/350s80 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/6.81/320s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/9.51/350s100 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/8.01/640s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/1000s64 ISO0.0 EV
LEICA M11-DVoigtlander 90mm f/4 APO-Lanthar lens90mmf/4.01/1000s64 ISO0.0 EV
Fred Miranda wrote:
Excited to see your images with this lens, Juha!
I received the lens this morning and did some lunch break test shooting today, mostly greenery, flowers and such. Everything's looking fine and hard infinity is spot-on with my Rayqual adapter. I'll try to post some initial samples this evening / tonight after work.
Some quick samples from today's lunch break outing with my Sony A7CII (and my Rayqual adapter, no helicoid extension) can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UCarfEkSW5b2wFpf9
I ran then through C1 Pro and used my favorite preset. I'm really liking the results. The focus plane is really narrow wide open at close distances and it's quite easy to miss critical focus. I shot all the greenery shots wide open and the longer distance building shots at f5.6.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
Some quick samples from today's lunch break outing with my Sony A7CII (and my Rayqual adapter, no helicoid extension) can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UCarfEkSW5b2wFpf9
I ran then through C1 Pro and used my favorite preset. I'm really liking the results. The focus plane is really narrow wide open at close distances and it's quite easy to miss critical focus. I shot all the greenery shots wide open and the longer distance building shots at f5.6.
I'd be interested in learning how this new Voigtlander 90 compares to the Zeiss 85/4 Tele-Tessar. It seems that it might be more generally useful--although I enjoy the Zeiss lens closed down a bit for landscapes.
