Voigtlander Lenses w/M8, M9

[RWSPhotography]

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I know I'm going to open a can of worms with this thread, but I would like to know if there is anyone out there that is using or has used voigtlander glass with the M8. What kinds of issues if any and what successes. Also, is there a way to code the voigtlander lenses for the Leica digital rangefinders? I have an M8 and I want to buy some fast glass - particularly 35mm and 75mm focal lengths. I have a limited budget and the Leica lenses hold their value well, so no luck on used gear either. I also had a chance to shoot an M9 recently and was told by the Leica rep that the M9 is going to be a lot more sensitive to coding and the glass used. Please, any comments will help.

 

Thanks,

 

RW

[Guest universus]

I made this photo with my M8 and the Voigtlaender NOKTON 35mm 1.2. It's not coded but with IR/UV Filter. The Picture was made two weeks ago on the island Amrum, Germany during the night when we had the chance to visit the light house during the night. 4 seconds open wide 1.2 ISO 320 and no tripod/mono. Just in my hands. You could see the stars and the rotating light. The second one is the light house during the day made with the M8 and Tri-Elmar 4/16-18-21 - 16mm 1/250sec ISO 160 coded and IR/UV Filter.

Greetings

Joachim

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[stunsworth]

Hi, you'll be ok using a 75mm without coding. Obviously it won't record the focal length in the Exif, but there shouldn't be any problems regarding image quality. 35mm is borderline regarding IQ. You may be ok, or you may not. There are people prepared to mill the pits in the lens mount for most lenses, on the other hand if you are using a lens with a screw mount John Milich of this forum can supply screw to M adaptors with the pits already cut into them. John's products are made to a very high quality.

 

Be aware that it you buy an adaptor you must get one that brings up the correct framelines for the lens you intend to use it on, otherwise the coding will not be recognised by the camera.

 

I expect your rep is correct, the full frame nature of the M9 means that a much larger image circle is being used compared to the M8 and will therefore expose any problems regarding edge sharpness.

[RWSPhotography]

Steve,

 

Thanks for the info. Voigtlander makes some pretty good glass for the money, but I always feel compelled to go with Leica. I guess it will be a more obvious choice when I get the M9. I appreciate your reply to my post.

 

Happy Shooting,

 

Ralph

[RWSPhotography]

Joachim,

 

Thanks for the reply. I love both shots, but the evening hand-held is remarkable. I appreciate you taking the time to check out my post and giving me some examples and feedback.

 

Best,

 

Ralph

[spylaw4]

If you don't have one already, get a subscription to Sean Reid's Review site. He frequently includes CV lenses in his comparison testing. FWIW I have used a number on the M8 with good results, and currently have the 75mm which is a fine lens. The Nokton 35/1.2 is excellent but quite large and heavy and I always found the Ultron 28/1.9 to be well worth using, as is the Nokton 50/1.5 which IIRC is reckoned to be one of their best lenses.

The jury is out at the moment on their use with the M9, but perhaps the older lenses being most likely designed for full frame might still be up to the mark?

[RWSPhotography]

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Brian, (and all),

 

Thanks for your inputs and the time. I'm going up to Portland Oregon tomorrow for a memorial service this weekend. Portland is always a fun place to shoot. I'll try the 75 V and I'm going to do some IF as well. I guess that's one thing we'll have to keep our M8s for, the IF is really fun. I'll post some shots when I get back and let you guys have at them.

 

I really love this forum - it's great to get together with people who appreciate fine glass and rangefinders.

 

Best to All and Happy Shooting,

 

Ralph

[geoffreyg]

Many people on this forum use CV lenses to good affect. My stable includes the 15, 21 and 75 - and for the critical 28, 50, and 90 (macro) - the Leica lenses.

 

Of course, I'd have liked the Leica 21, and even a nice fast 75 - but in the choices, one optimizes budget, use, and final quality needs.

 

Very happy with the 15 and 21. No problems whatsoever with the CV. Had the 40 mm 1.2 (?) a ways back, and that didn't work out too well - it was a decent lens but the OOF wasn't much fun, as pointed out correctly by Sean Reid.

 

Don't be in a hurry to write off the CV lenses. Yes the M9 will show up the edge issues (one of the reasons maybe to like the M8?), but consider the CV lenses to be very good 20 year old lenses and you should enjoy. The premium Leica lenses - the 'luxes, and the 21, are superior, but make sure you need them.

 

Shots below with M8 and CV 15.

 

Geoff

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[geoffreyg]

Cv 21

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[cbretteville]

I've got several of them and I've sold some and replaced them with zeiss or leica glass. The biggest issue with the CVs as I see it is sample variation. I've had two 21s the first one was not good, the second was fine. I've heard the same for the 75s, allthough mine is fine.

As the price of the lenses are as reasonable as they are they have allowd me

to try out a focal length I wasn't sure of and I can keep lenses I don't use so frequently without feeling too bad.

 

Carl

[wilfredo]

Geoff,

 

Nice work!

 

Wilfredo

[Angelos Viskadourakis]

Hello Wilfredo

i attach a photo under tungsten and fluorescent lighting with CV 28 ultron asph 1,9 with M8

at 640 iso:) UV IR ON coded as 28 cron.

not exactly Leica lens but intersting feeling.

Resolution is lowered alot for web publicing.Colour space Adobe RGB.

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Edited November 3, 2009 by Angelos Viskadourakis