Which Voigtlander 35mm to choose?

[Life By Stills]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi all,

Hope you’re all doing well. I am looking at some Voigtlander options for a 35mm M-mount lens my M10-R. I have narrowed down to 3 possible options: the f/1.4 Nokton MC, the f/2 Utron, and the f/2 Apo-Lanthar.

I am mainly a photojournalist, usually shooting with a Leica Q2 and a Sony A7R IV to reach beyond the Q2’s 28mm. But would love to bring an M into my work. I also like to shoot street photography and environmental portraits.

If you were to take an M out and about to chase after protesters, which Voigtlander 35mm would you go for and why? I’d like to open the floor to your genuine personal opinions to give me some more ideas. Would also be good to hear from people that have shot with other of the lenses so as to have a comparison.

Many thanks in advance! 🙂

Edited March 20, 2022 by Life By Stills

[kivis]

I tried them all. I went with the 35mm f/2 Ultron II  Black as it is for the best combo for value and performance.

[TomB_tx]

I use the Nokton 1.4 MC II on my M9 & film Ms where the speed is nice for indoors. On M10 I prefer the Summarit 35 f2.5 for its small size, handling, and sharper images.

I haven't tried the Ultron II yet, but it looks like a great use-for-everything 35.

[rramesh]

There are so many fantastic 35mm Voigtlander lenses.

• Ultron 35 f/2 II
• Nokton 35 f/1.2 III
• APO-Lanthar 35 f/2
• Color Skopar 35 f/2.5 II
• Nokton 35 f/1.4 II

They each have their strengths. For street I would suggest either the Ultron or the Color Skopar for their small size and ease of zone focusing.

[Camaro5]

I haven't tried them all and only have the 35 APO Lanthar.  Been really impressed with the image quality and sharpness, and it compares to a Summicron-M with maybe slightly less contrast.  It is a little bigger than a 28mm Summicron-M but I don't find it to be bulky.  I have read about some vignetting wide open but I haven't really noticed it.  

I've used it for street and automotive in daylight and low light and have no complaints.  For the price, to get an APO lens like this is a bargain.  

[rramesh]

If you are willing to try 40mm, Voigtlander has recently announced a really cool looking Heliar 40mm f/2.8 in M and LTM mounts.

https://petapixel.com/2022/02/15/cosina-unveils-voigtlander-heliar-40mm-f-2-8-for-l39-and-vm-mount/

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

You are obviously ain't need APO on the crowds or so. Leave it to flowers shooters.

Don't even touch with ten feet pole 35 1.4, it is nowhere near 35 1.4 MK II, which you won't really need on M10 with CMOS high ISO capable sensor.

35/2 is as good as Cron. On pictures.

The question which comes with any CV is build quality for fast handling on the reportage. The only 35mm I trust for it is Summarit-M 35 2.5, this lens is made for fast handling, CV are way to stiff for it and focus tabs are sub-fare on fast handling. IMO. 

I have 35 1.4 CV MKII just because I have M-E 220, not M10. But if light is not limiting or I'm not lazy to use SF26,   I choose Summarit-M 35 2.5 over it in no time.

If you limited by $, get CV CS 35 2.5. It does the job well for its price.

[Life By Stills]

3 hours ago, Ko.Fe. said:

The only 35mm I trust for it is Summarit-M 35 2.5, this lens is made for fast handling

Thanks for your suggestion of the Summarit, @Ko.Fe..

I have been actually looking into one of those too. I have the 75mm Summarit-M f/2.5 and love it.

Problem is that I can't seem to find a good copy of a 35mm Summarit. There seems to be plenty of 75mm and 90mm, just not a lot of the 35mm or 50mm. Hence my look into CV whilst I wait for a nice 35mm to come along lol.

[Life By Stills]

7 hours ago, TomB_tx said:

On M10 I prefer the Summarit 35 f2.5 for its small size, handling, and sharper images.

Thanks @TomB_tx. You're not the only one to have suggested the Summarit-M 2.5. @Ko.Fe. also suggested it too. But I can't seem to find a good copy of that one - they don't seem to be very easily available. I've got the 75mm and I see a few 90mm going. But there seems to be a lack of 35mm and 50mm sadly. So I'm thinking of picking up a CV in the meantime whilst I wait for a nice Summarit-M 35mm 2.5.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Life By Stills

[Life By Stills]

4 hours ago, Ko.Fe. said:

You are obviously ain't need APO on the crowds or so. Leave it to flowers shooters.

LOL. Although looking at how sharp it is, it might be one to pick up and aim up at the sky. Not your usual wide astro type lens, but could be one to have in the arsenal alongside CV 21mm f/1.4 or the Super-Elmar 21mm f/3.4. But that's a story for another post haha.

[Life By Stills]

7 hours ago, TomB_tx said:

I haven't tried the Ultron II yet, but it looks like a great use-for-everything 35.

 

9 hours ago, kivis said:

I went with the 35mm f/2 Ultron II  Black as it is for the best combo for value and performance.

 

I just read a review (https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-35mm-f2) which compares it quite favourably in terms of image to the Summicron 35mm f/2.

[cboy]

Why not the trusty Cron 35? Used by many a photojournalists tried and tested. Certainly it'll be justified since it's for work right??

I found my 35 summarit is nice with a ton of fine detail but I don't get the contrast punch or wow factor one gets with the Cron imo. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by cboy

[Life By Stills]

1 hour ago, cboy said:

Why not the trusty Cron 35? Used by many a photojournalists tried and tested. Certainly it'll be justified since it's for work right??

Hey @cboy, thanks for your reply. I had thought a bit about the Cron actually, but then I read Jack Takahashi's comparison that the CV 35mm f/2 Ultron actually performs better in terms of across the frame resolution.

Link here in case you're interested: https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-35mm-f2.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the comparison.

[stout_trapdoor9]

The APO gets my vote, I use it for street, the only minus is that it is a bit on the large side compared to the Leica Summilux I had previously used, but it doesn't bother me at all. These are taken with the Leica M10M and Voigtlander APO Lanthar 35/2.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Life By Stills]

18 minutes ago, stout_trapdoor9 said:

The APO gets my vote, I use it for street, the only minus is that it is a bit on the large side compared to the Leica Summilux I had previously used, but it doesn't bother me at all. These are taken with the Leica M10M and Voigtlander APO Lanthar 35/2.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Oh wow, @stout_trapdoor9 - thanks for the shots! They look amazing. I'll have a look and feel of the APO and see how it is compared to the others when I pop into a shop which has the lenses in stock. It might be that if I go for the APO that I pick up a 35mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar alongside for when I just want the ultimate compact set up.

[PCPix]

The Skopar really leads the pack for diminutive size and minimal outlay - not the sharpest, but really good enough for most situations, also small 39mm filters to match many Leica lenses. Great street lens.

I use mine alongside a Voigtlander 35/1.4 II and a Summilux FLE.

The Skopar goes on motorcycle trips etc. when I don’t want to haul anything else along - or on walkabout shoots.

The 35/1.4 II is still new to me and I’ve not yet decided it’s ‘place’. You don’t want the Mk I - definitely the Mk II. Used mine on a ‘social’ shoot at a gallery opening the other evening and it was particularly gentle on the older (well heeled) guests under mixed flash/tungsten lights - definitely a time when you don’t need biting sharpness 😉

And the FLE is used normally for corporate and industrial work when I need maximum image quality. The only other lens at this level is the Zeiss 1.4.

I definitely think Voigtlander are a force to be reckoned with - very good (and improving) image quality, excellent build quality and generally very well priced. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by PCPix
Spell

[Jeff S]

You want to be in the ‘Lenses’ M sub-forum, where there are many related discussions.  The Ultron II and the Light Lens Lab remake of the first version (8 element) Summicron are the hot topics for budget alternatives.  Here’s one….

Note that there’s also a brief mention of some focus issues for recent Ultron buyers…

 

That said, there are a number of glowing reviews on the Ultron II besides the one you’ve linked.  Such as… 

Matt Osborne is also a reviewer of Voigtlanders and has many practical video reviews and comparisons.  This one compares several…

Jeff

[stout_trapdoor9]

2 hours ago, Life By Stills said:

Oh wow, @stout_trapdoor9 - thanks for the shots! They look amazing. I'll have a look and feel of the APO and see how it is compared to the others when I pop into a shop which has the lenses in stock. It might be that if I go for the APO that I pick up a 35mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar alongside for when I just want the ultimate compact set up.

No problem - I bought the lens based off of a really good review (Review: Voigtlander 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar VM — Jack Takahashi), another determining factor for me was the filter size which it shares with the Voigtlander 50 APO (I use orange and yellow filters because of the M10M monochrome sensor). It is stupid, stupid, sharp at every aperture. Voigtlander make really good lenses, I have also acquired the new Voigtlander 50/1 simply on the basis that although it isn't cheap, Voigtlander bang for buck is incredible. 

[ejg1890]

I have the Voigtlander 35mm's f/2 ultron and Nokton f/1.4 II SC.  Which 35mm you decide should be based on the conditions you expect to shoot.  Below are several of my random thoughts, not very well organized.

If outside and brightly lite conditions then a 2.5 would be sufficient. If day and night then probably a 1.4 or 2.0. I have recently acquired a Leica M10-R after shooting Nikon for years. I also have a Q2M. Personally I have found the M10-R does not have the dynamic range of the Nikon (also canon and sony for that matter). The highlights especially can be blown out for anything .7 over exposed with a lose of data. Recovering details from the shadows is better roughly 2-2.5 underexposed but when attempting to recover 3+ underexposed there will be more noise.  The Leica M10-R does NOT have IS as does your Sony or Q2. I can shot my Nikon Z6 and Q2 at 1/15 second without issues, that's not the case with the M10-R. Concentrating on being still I may get 1/30 with a 35mm but prefer 1/50 to 1/60 to ensure clarity.  Many doing street photography prefer to shot at 1/200 or 1/250 at a minimum. That requires a faster lens and/or higher ISO. But again I do believe the M10 has more noise when pulling detail out of the shadows at 3 or more underexposed, the higher ISO would make that worse. (the M10-R is about the same as my Z6 at controlling noise at similar ISO but its also 24mp vs 40mp.)

So for street and photojournalism I would recommend a faster lens of 1.4 or 2.0. The 35 f/1.4 MC is a very small lens for its capabilities. However, it is soft at 1.4 and gets better stopping down to 2 and no issues at 2.8. The lens is designed for an "older" photographic look at 1.4 but gives way to a modern look as its stopped down (f/4), The f/2 ultron is also small for its capabilities and gives the photo more of a "modern" look throughout the range. 

The last item is manual focusing on the M10-R. I began purchasing manual focus lenses several years ago for my Nikon Z6. I can state manual focusing through the viewfinder on the M10 is VERY different than manual focusing on either the Z6 or Q2. Focus peaking is an option on the M10 similar to your Sony or Q2 but it will quickly drain the battery. Focusing on a rangerfinder does take practice and time. There is a big difference even between the Q2 and M10.  

Edited March 21, 2022 by ejg1890

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Dennis]

Short answer: 35 Summicron Asph v1 or v2 … OR … The Voigtlander 35/1.4 MC II

 

No-short answer: I'm lucky enough to have a few 35s, and if I have to shoot some documentary/PJ stuff tomorrow, I will not hesitate to bring my Summicron as the first choice. There is a lot of love/hate for this lens. But I agree w/ what @cboysaid above for PJ work. Light, small, I would say the perfect size for an M-camera. The focus tab is so smooth and fast. Modern enough but not clinical. In certain situations, it's prone to ghost flare. I dislike veiling flare very much, but I can live w/ ghost flare, which sometimes I find very 'natural'…. Besides that, a super workhorse.

IMHO, I don't need perfection, APO lenses, or super sharpness when telling stories, like PJ work. I just want a super-fast lens that I can rely on and deliver in any situation. I would not choose the CV APO for its bulk (it's not huge, but it does block the VF) and for the lack of focus tab… Focusing it's slower than when one uses a focus tab. Some users find the Cron Asph boring. I disagree. Maybe some users expect a lens to improve a boring scene to photograph. I say a boring scene is boring, and a 'better' lens can't do anything about it. Just saying. This would be my first choice. I have no experience with Ultron II, but having the Cron, I don't need it. I don't like the MFD at 58cm of the Ultron II… It's doesn't work well w/ my muscle memory and fast MO of the focus tab. I always use the OVF, so the movement between 58cm and 70cm is useless, and it slows me down unless one uses the LV.

.

The Nokton is honestly a gem lens, very unique. Like two lenses in one. I use it mainly at f2, f4, and f8. Wide-open, it has a glow that could be nice or bad, depending on personal choice. I like it and use it from time to time. But it's very sharp in the middle. At f2, the vignette decreases a lot, and the glow almost disappears. You can notice only in the bright lights. At f4 and f8, I bet you to find the difference w/ other modern lenses. It's so tiny and light, focus tab.

.

Also, I would not reply to just one review before buying a lens. Read as many opinions as you can. Try it on hands will be best, but not always possible. Let us know what your final choice will be.