Ultron 28/2 Review

[pklein]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I need to check with Zeiss but I seem to recall something like that as well. If that is the case, it's an exception to the norm. One can always ask a tech to adjust a lens so that it gives peak focus at some aperture other than wide open...

 

I had DAG adjust my old pre-asph 35/2 Summicron for 2.8 rather than 2.0. That made it focus correctly at all apertures except f/2, where it front focuses a couple of inches. Since I mostly use the 'Cron as an outdoor lens, it made sense.

 

My 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH behaves just like Leica and a lot of people here have noted, with a slight focus shift back at f/2.8-5.6. The shift is small enough that all I have to do is focus on the closest thing I want in focus (like on a person's nose rather than an eye), and it's fine. And if things are happening too fast, I just focus on what I want, and it probably won't matter in practical terms unless I'm enlarging really big. The Summilux is so astoundingly good wide open that I put up with the other issues.

 

I think the crucial factor for the 28/2 CV is going to be how much focus shift there is. If it's like the Leica 35 Summilux ASPH, it will still be pretty usable once people get over the pixel peeping and just take pictures. If it's much more that that, then it may be a lens you can use confidently only at f/2 and f/8. Or, it might be possible to have it adjusted like my 35 Summicron, so it's correct at all stops except wide open.

 

--Peter

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[pklein]

Another vote here for the CV 28/3.5 - it's the 'permanent' lens on my M8 and regularly produces pin-sharp images, capable of enlargement to poster size - up to 90cm wide. The CV 28/1.9 will also produce cracking images provided that you don't want to shoot into the sun.

 

The CV 28/3.5 is one of the best lenses I have ever used. I still remember how I bought one used, and then almost immediately got a bargain on a chrome 28/1.9. I mentioned to Sean that maybe I'd sell the slower lens. He wrote back two words: "Maybe not." All it took was quick look at a couple of shots from the 28/3.5 to see the wisdom of those two words. So I kept both, one for inside and one for outside. Still vastly cheaper than the Leica alternative.

 

Moral: Listen to Sean. He knows stuff.

 

The 28/1.9 is very different from its slower cousin. In daylight, with an IR filter, it never gives me a jet-black tone--everything starts a couple of percent above zero on the histogram. There must be a significant amount of stray light bouncing around inside that lens. The good news is that if I move the black point up a bit, all's well. This doesn't help the flare issue if light sources are in the frame, and I don't like it's rendering of flesh tones in color (a little muddy-looking). It may be that it's a better B&W lens than a color lens. But it indeed does focus on what the rangefinder says it's focused on.

 

--Peter

[Guest zoz]

I had DAG adjust my old pre-asph 35/2 Summicron for 2.8 rather than 2.0. That made it focus correctly at all apertures except f/2, where it front focuses a couple of inches. Since I mostly use the 'Cron as an outdoor lens, it made sense.

....

I think the crucial factor for the 28/2 CV is going to be how much focus shift there is. If it's like the Leica 35 Summilux ASPH, it will still be pretty usable once people get over the pixel peeping and just take pictures. If it's much more that that, then it may be a lens you can use confidently only at f/2 and f/8. Or, it might be possible to have it adjusted like my 35 Summicron, so it's correct at all stops except wide open.

 

Revitalising an old thread...

 

I use the CV 2/28 and I´m very happy with it.

It shows focusshift but mine (bought new several weeks ago) seemed to be optimised on f/2.8. At close focus it shows frontfocus at f/2 and backfocus from f4 on (which is compensated by depth of field at about 5.6).

This suites me fine, because I rarely use the lens wide open, not only because of wrong focus but because of the bokeh which is much more pleasant at f/2.8.

This is anyway only an issue at close distances!

 

Focus shift:

 

CV 35/1.4

CV 40/1.4

CV 28/2.0

 

 

Little or no focus shift:

 

CV 28/1.9 Aspherical

CV 35/1.2 Aspherical

CV 35/1.7 Aspherical

CV 50/1.5 Aspherical

 

Interesting trend - yes?

 

My CV 1.5/50 shows clearly focus shift either...