I've been going through some of first shots I took with the Voigtlander 125/2.5 Macro-APO-Lanthar that was waiting for me in Japan. This is one of the first shots I took with it and I am stunned by the performance wide open:
I also have this lens and it's my favorite. I think the pictures are magical. The scary part is that others say the CZ 100mm F2 macro and Leica lenses are better. I just can't imagine...
An FM'er got me into alternate lenses (he sold me an Oly 28m 2.0). Unless I need AF, I can't remember the last time I had a Canon lens on my camera. That's the problem with too much free time and fast internet connections. I've come to understand that many lenses (including many Canon lenses) have special qualities that can't be explained with charts and graphs. That's one of the things that intrigues me. If only my job didn't take so much time...
Wow, Paul -- I'd say this one is a keeper. It has those nice qualities you'd want in a portrait/macro -- nice images, by the way. How do you like it compared to your Tamron SP 90mm macro?
Ray Simpson wrote:
The scary part is that others say the CZ 100mm F2 macro and Leica lenses are better. I just can't imagine...
I haven't tried either of them, but with results like this, I don't think I have any reason to look elsewhere. There are 4 things about this one that I already know I like better than the ZF 100/2 (bokeh, focus ring, lack of LoCA, auto aperture!) and the best Leicas are always way out of my price range.
PeaktoPeek wrote:
Wow, Paul -- I'd say this one is a keeper. It has those nice qualities you'd want in a portrait/macro -- nice images, by the way. How do you like it compared to your Tamron SP 90mm macro?
Paul
Thanks, Paul.
I sold the Tamron 90/2.5 and Contax 135/2.8 before I had a chance to try this new lens. I took a gamble and I have no regrets at all. The Voigtlander easily replaces both of those lenses. In fact, it is far superior to both, in basically every way.
The Tamron 90/2.5 is a terrific macro/portrait lens for the money, but its wide open performance is nowhere near as good as this CV and overall both the macro and portrait aspects of the CV are just so obviously superior to me.
Thanks for the comments. I enjoyed using this lens so much. I think that's why I was able to capture some decent stuff. I particularly enjoyed shooting on the beach.
Sometime in the near future I'll post more Japan shots with the Rokkor 58/1.2 and my wide Zuikos.
Ray Simpson wrote:
I also have this lens and it's my favorite. I think the pictures are magical. The scary part is that others say the CZ 100mm F2 macro and Leica lenses are better. I just can't imagine...
I've all 3 macro lens with me: CV125, Leica R 100 and ZF 100.
CV goes 1:1. Almost no CA. Beautiful bokeh. The con is that once u stop down to f8 or smaller, diffraction sets in.
ZF 100 very prone to cause purple fringe. Be it sensor bloom or CA or whatever one wants to call it but to me, this is the biggest setback.
I've not been shooting the Leica much but the images do not scream out loud that they are the sharpest. The out of focus rendered by this lens is less pleasing compared to the ZF and CV, due to the smaller aperture (vs ZF) and shorter focal length and magnificaton (vs CV).
ovredal73 wrote:
Paul, which mount is it originally? Did you modify it or use an adapter? Also, that is one costly baby. Couldnt find one below 900 USD....
It is native EOS mount. Manual focus but auto aperture. The best of both worlds.
Steven at CameraQuest.com has 2 left in EOS mount and he is asking $1400. I got mine from a Japanese auction site for closer to the price you mentioned. Steve estimates that only 100 of them were produced. I don't know how accurate that is but, needless to say, quantities are very limited. People constantly speculate that an SLII version will be released.
It is worth every penny, IMO. For me, it is like having an EF 100mm/2.8 Macro USM and an EF 135L rolled into one, but with better macro performance, no CA, a real focus ring, a complete lack of "the Canon look", and the gorgeous, bayonet-style, square, metal hood is included.
The question is why was this lens discontinued, and why Cosina only makes the other 2 lenses (40 and 58) only in Nikon and Pentax mounts while they don't seem to have a problem with the EF mount and electronic communication with the camera body as this lens proves it? Could this issue be related as to why Cosina/Zeiss does not make any EF mount lenses?
Maybe the per-unit licensing that Canon charged Cosina (speculation) was so high that Cosina was only willing to produce a few, just to say "I told you so!"
You always dig out the best equipment with great research and judgement.
I have both the the CV and the Makro Planar and there is no better. Just preference.
The CV 58 and 180 are also huge bargins for the IQ generated.
cogitech wrote:
Steve estimates that only 100 of them were produced. I don't know how accurate that is but, needless to say, quantities are very limited. People constantly speculate that an SLII version will be released.
That's totally not true.
I've been importing and selling about 40 pieces of the CV125 lens last year.
