jukeboxjohnnie Posted June 19 Share #1 Posted June 19 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I wonder whether anyone can help me pick the better of the two 28mm lenses in the title. Ive a M11P Safari, and although its not going anywhere, im a bit disappointed with shots taken with two current 35mm f2 Summicrons I have, they only seem sharpish to me at 100% and no more. I get sharper files from my A7RIV with GM primes and any GFX combination Ive owned. Yes I know I miss focus sometimes but Im clued up enough to see when Im looking at a focused file with a decent shutter speed. Im assuming its like another thread I saw where it was explained to a newbie that the 50mm f2 M is an older design and struggles at 60mp. Im a 28mm shooter anyway, so need the right lens. So I was wondering whether to shell out £4400 for the Leica 28mm f2 Summicron version 3, or go for the £900 new Voigtlander Apo Lanthar 28mm f2 VM announced this month. I dont mind that the Voigt is physically bigger, what I need to say is I value a sharp modern look above everything, I like clinical clear images and see 'character' optics as defective and to be avoided, hence my Sony and GFX preferences. Do readers here know which 28mm is going to suit me better? Id like to have Leica glass on but not if its like the 35mm f2. Many thanks Edited June 19 by jukeboxjohnnie misspelling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 19 Posted June 19 Hi jukeboxjohnnie, Take a look here Leica Summicron 28mm f2 version 3 vs Voigtlander 28mm APO Lanthar VM. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jukeboxjohnnie Posted June 19 Author Share #2 Posted June 19 2 minutes ago, Al Brown said: The Voigtlander APO will be hard to beat by any aging M 28mm Summicron, its last optical formula is from 2016 despite the 2023 facelift. Thanks Al, I was sort of guessing that may be the case without anything to back it up. Ive a dim view of Cosina after the releases of the 80's and 90's but its probably time to give them another chance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanillasludge Posted June 19 Share #3 Posted June 19 Since the VM is not available quite yet it’s too early to be 100% certain, but my experience with Cosina is they don’t brag unless it’s true, and they were definitely bragging at CP+. It’s likely to be a stellar lens. In my few shots with it vs my Ultron it had less vignette and extremely good clarity. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukeboxjohnnie Posted June 19 Author Share #4 Posted June 19 3 minutes ago, Vanillasludge said: Since the VM is not available quite yet it’s too early to be 100% certain, but my experience with Cosina is they don’t brag unless it’s true, and they were definitely bragging at CP+. It’s likely to be a stellar lens. In my few shots with it vs my Ultron it had less vignette and extremely good clarity. Sound good thanks for telling me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukeboxjohnnie Posted June 19 Author Share #5 Posted June 19 2 hours ago, Al Brown said: The Voigtlander APO will be hard to beat by any aging M 28mm Summicron, its last optical formula is from 2016 despite the 2023 facelift. The double MTF is from Voigtlander 28 APO, the triple from Leica 28 Cron v3. Of course MTF curves mean absolutely nada in real life scenarios. 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! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukeboxjohnnie Posted June 19 Author Share #6 Posted June 19 Just now, jukeboxjohnnie said: Thanks for the curves Al, I knew someone would have a technical answer Just now, jukeboxjohnnie said: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
costa43 Posted June 20 Share #7 Posted June 20 Advertisement (gone after registration) 8 hours ago, jukeboxjohnnie said: I value a sharp modern look above everything, I like clinical clear images and see 'character' optics as defective and to be avoided If you do not care about the Leica brand then I would strongly consider the Voigtlander. It’s not possible to fully recommend a lens that’s not been released yet but this is about as easy as it will ever get. It will be a superb optic I’m sure and you get to keep £3.5K. There is no doubt in my mind that it will resolve better than the Summicron judging by the MTF, the statement made by Voigtlander that this will be their highest performing wide angle ever and their track record with the other APO lenses. For someone that does not care about subjective things like character, it is the one to go for imo. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted June 20 Share #8 Posted June 20 (edited) I don’t know about the APO Lanthar, but I thought I might become happy with my 28mm Ultron ii for a sweet price compared to the Summicron, but I found out that it has extreme purple fringing. If you shoot mainly B&W it wouldn’t hurt, but just saying that I would be carefull before being seduced by the price. Or wait for a Jimmy Cheng test on youtube. Edited June 20 by otto.f Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanillasludge Posted June 20 Share #9 Posted June 20 I have not noticed color issues that I would call “extreme” in my Ultron II. On occasion there can be some slight axial chromatic aberrations but they are easily removed by lightroom. I would hope the Apo 28 would eliminate that problem On a 24mp m240 the lens can cause aliasing due to the very high resolution. If I have a complaint it’s about the vignette, which seems as bad as the Summicron V1. As a positive, the flare resistance is spectacular, so a hood is essentially decorative. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted June 20 Share #10 Posted June 20 The Voigtlander will be stelar.. At a cost equivalent to GBP£700 you will be able to sell it for little loss if you don't like it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
o2mpx Posted June 24 Share #11 Posted June 24 (edited) Isn’t the 28mm Elmarit f2.8 regarded as very sharp also if a slower lens is acceptable? Edited June 24 by o2mpx 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
streetrattakesphotos Posted June 25 Share #12 Posted June 25 (edited) I've shot with the 28 Summicron v3, the 35 APO Cron, and the 50 APO Lanthar, so I could try to speak for the differences. The 50 APO Lanthar and the 35 APO Cron are similar in rendering style. When I saw the first images from the 35 APO Cron, it was quite clear what CV was going after when they made the 50 APO Lanthar. So I would expect that the 28 APO Lanthar would have a similar "look." The 28 Summicron v3 and the 35 APO Cron have significantly different character. If you care about sharpness and crispness, then the 28 APO Lanthar is probably the way to go. If it's like the 50 APO Lanthar, it will likely be a stellar lens. The 28 Cron v3 is weird in that the images it renders are maybe closer to the Summilux images that I see? The lens is rather soft wide-open, especially for brightly-lit subjects, even while it preserves ample detail. It's almost like it was made to be a portrait lens at f/2. The kicker is that Leica has not released a 28 APO Cron, which means that there isn't really a contender for the 28 APO Lanthar. Edited June 25 by streetrattakesphotos 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted June 25 Share #13 Posted June 25 9 hours ago, o2mpx said: Isn’t the 28mm Elmarit f2.8 regarded as very sharp also if a slower lens is acceptable? Good question, if it's not about the Summilux 28, one can seriously ask whether playing with depth of field isn't rather limited with a 28. The Elmarit also has the benefits of lower weight and less bulky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted June 25 Share #14 Posted June 25 (edited) On 6/19/2025 at 10:04 PM, jukeboxjohnnie said: I dont mind that the Voigt is physically bigger, You might be pleasantly surprised when it arrives. Edited June 25 by pedaes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatlux Posted August 8 Share #15 Posted August 8 I know it is an old thread. By now several reviews have established that the APO Lanthar is an exceptionally good lens. But I would just like to mention that the Summicron remains entirely usable on an M11. I have the V1 and, while there's no denying that corners are weaker wide open, that's not what I am usually after when shooting at f/2. I quite like the overall character of the lens when shooting wide open, and I can't really fault the lens when stopping down. It is sharp and crispy, even on a 60Mp sensor, and devoid of any obvious aberrations. Its main weakness in my opinion is its tendency to flare when shooting against the light. I know that the V2 (and V3) improved corner sharpness, not sure they addressed the flare issue. Would I buy a V3 today at close to 5x the price of an APO Lanthar? Most probably not! But I'll not sell my V1 either - I love how it renders and like that it remains small and light and shares its filter size (46mm) with most of my other lenses from 21 to 90mm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted August 8 Share #16 Posted August 8 Am 19.6.2025 um 23:04 schrieb jukeboxjohnnie: with two current 35mm f2 Summicrons I have, they only seem sharpish to me at 100% and no more. Something must be wrong with your lenses and/or the combination of camera and lens. Properly adjusted, a Summicron 35 asph is plenty sharp. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanillasludge Posted August 9 Share #17 Posted August 9 Jimmy Cheng has done an excellent comparison video on the Apo 28 vs Summicron. Voigtlander 28mm Apo-Lanthar Review (Compared to Leica 28mm Summicron)" width="200" data-embed-src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/8De0o0iQ0jY?feature=oembed"> I admit I’m a little disappointed in the level of vignette on the new lens, as that’s my primary complaint about the Ultron AND my old Summicron. Also, it looks big and ungainly with the hood attached. You can’t beat the price/performance ratio though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdk Posted August 26 Share #18 Posted August 26 Here's a shot with the Voigtländer 28mm/2 Apo Lanthar, f/4, 1/500s , ISO 800 on M11-P at an evening steel drum concert in our village. This is a fantastic lens for color photography. It's really transparent, all aberrations minimized. I have not scientifically compared it to my Leica 28mm/2 Summicron-M (2023 version), but the Apo Lanthar appears optically bettering secondary color of out of focus areas and color fringing of high contrast edges is absent. 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! 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/422342-leica-summicron-28mm-f2-version-3-vs-voigtlander-28mm-apo-lanthar-vm/?do=findComment&comment=5854188'>More sharing options...
sdk Posted August 26 Share #19 Posted August 26 (edited) Size comparison of the Leica 28mm/2, 2023 version, v. the Voigtländer 28mm/2 Apo. Grid in cm on my copy stand. As you can see they are about the same width, but the Leica is shorter. The hood on the Apol Lanthar is big, so it seems like they anticipated a lot of people would be composing with an EVR rather than the RF window. That's what I do most of the time with wide angles, focus with RF and compose with the Visoflex 2 EVF. 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! Edited August 26 by sdk Increased comments. 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/422342-leica-summicron-28mm-f2-version-3-vs-voigtlander-28mm-apo-lanthar-vm/?do=findComment&comment=5854214'>More sharing options...
sdk Posted August 27 Share #20 Posted August 27 28mm Apo Lanthar Close focus example, a Monarch caterpillar on Milkweed at Stone Barn Farm preserve in Bar Harbor, Maine. F/4, 1/125s,100 ISO, 0.5 meters (minimum focus distance). Full Frame: 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/422342-leica-summicron-28mm-f2-version-3-vs-voigtlander-28mm-apo-lanthar-vm/?do=findComment&comment=5854563'>More sharing options...
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