Rachel, please don't send me any more lenses. After I sell my Sigmalux (posted for sale with a price now), I don't think I have any other lenses to sell and fund copies of whatever else you convince me to buy.
The Summicron is a lovely thing. It's not as surgically sharp as some others, and the bokeh isn't as creamy as that of the Sigmalux, but it has a certain look that isn't duplicated by anything else.
I found another place that had them in stock after I discovered that one of you snagged the last one from B+H. I'll be happy to tell you where after mine ships.
Laminin - thanks for the price info. I could post ads from Pop Photo and Modern back in the day if we need even more backup. At no time did it ever sell (mail-order street price) for more than $100.
Of course value then <> value now, for various reasons. But intrinsically, it was never one of their high-end/expensive lenses.
It's actually interesting to compare what's valued now vs. what it cost then. The Oly 50/3.5 macro cost more than the other 50s (even more than the 1.2 I think) but now it's one of the cheapest of the bunch.
whatever guys, i know i have posted almost a dozen times showing how this lens performs on film, but i guess it took a teddy bear to make you want it :P
Ok, so all this alternative stuff is getting to me. I have a Canon 5D and this is my first hesitant foray into the alt lens world, so I need some advice on adapter options for the Voigtlander 40mm f/2. I'm thinking of getting a Pentax for a lightweight 2nd system anyway, so seems the best option would be to get one in K mount and get a K-to-EOS adapter, right? Any drawbacks to this (metering issues, infinity focus, etc.), and what are the best adapters out there?
Yohan Pamudji wrote:
Ok, so all this alternative stuff is getting to me. I have a Canon 5D and this is my first hesitant foray into the alt lens world, so I need some advice on adapter options for the Voigtlander 40mm f/2. I'm thinking of getting a Pentax for a lightweight 2nd system anyway, so seems the best option would be to get one in K mount and get a K-to-EOS adapter, right? Any drawbacks to this (metering issues, infinity focus, etc.), and what are the best adapters out there?
Unfortunately Pentax lenses require physical modifications to use on EF mount which renders them non-functional on K bodies. If you want this lens and a lightweight second system go for the Nikon D40 or D60 and an AI-S version of the Voigtlander.
I buy Voigtlander lenses from Stephen Gandy at Cameraquest pretty often (way too often according to my wife) and can highly recommend his business. He ships immediately on payment and, if you get a soft lens, he also replaces it immediately (I have bought probably 15 lenses from him, including 2 of the VC 40's for the Nikon and only ever had one "bad" lens -- a soft copy of the new 28 Ultron for the rangefinder cams. Stephen replaced it promptly, no questions asked.) The used prices on Ebay are only slightly less than new. It makes sense to buy them new with the knowledge that you can get a lemon replaced and are not stuck with it, like you might be with a second hand lens bought elsewhere.
I'm using the Ultron 40 on my Canon 1D Mk3 and I really love it.
I got my copy from Stephen Gandy@Cameraquest and highly recommend going that route.
I'm using the Fotodiox Nikon 'Pro version' F to EF adapter and recommend that too. Get the adapter through their ebay listings- they are usually cheaper than their webstore. I've experimented with a few of the cheaper adapter rings and found mixed experiences with them (usually due to slightly sloppy tolerances).
The lens looks funny on a 1D sized body, but it fits very well and has a neat sense of ergonomics to it.
It's good to see some pics of the Ultron 40 where the bokeh is just fine... I have seen more than a few "edgy bokeh" pics from the Ultron 40 that I just couldn't buy the 40 despite how nice, compact, and sharp it is. I went with the CV Nokton 50/1.5 Asph Leica Screw mount instead, but it is bigger and heavier than the compact 40's.
e_dawg wrote:
It's good to see some pics of the Ultron 40 where the bokeh is just fine... I have seen more than a few "edgy bokeh" pics from the Ultron 40 that I just couldn't buy the 40 despite how nice, compact, and sharp it is. I went with the CV Nokton 50/1.5 Asph Leica Screw mount instead, but it is bigger and heavier than the compact 40's.
Note the F mount Ultron we're talking about is quite different from the M-mount 40's. All are good lenses and subject to occasionally funky bokeh though.
Any more photos anyone would like to post with the 40/2? I'd love to see some more real world sample shots (street/people/landscapes/etc) as opposed to "test shots". I think this might be my next lens purchase!
I bought an Ultron II this friday, and I have used it over the weekend. It's really a great little lens, and I think it will be my most used one on the D700.
The bokeh is better than the usual 50 mm lenses (except for the Sigma), but not really great until stopped down or at close distance. Good enough for me. The aperture is very near circular too.
It's sharp already at f/2, and one of the best lenses I've tried from f/2.8-16 on FF (22 is not good at all). Colors are nice, and the contrast is generally good, but the tiny shade can be a problem in certain situations.
Because of the CPU, you're not restricted to full stops, which is a good thing (if you use a Nikon camera, that is).
Vignetting is quite visible at f/2, but more or less gone by f/4. There is some barrel distortion at close distances, but not much at all at infinity.
