Are Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar Lenses Really This Good??

Jim Moore · Dec 12, 2005

I've been keeping an eye on the Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar Lenses selling on eBay hopeing to snatch one at a good price.

Are they really worth $1,000 +++ ??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7568932464&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Jim

df cardwell · Dec 12, 2005

No.

They are excellent lenses, but being Voigtlander, radioactive, saying APO and having those cool rings have kept the price up beyond performance.

Think 210 Ektar.

I'd better get my asbestos suit now. Excuse me.

.

Dan Fromm · Dec 12, 2005

Here's another http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7567367373

And another http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7567367641

Another cult, whose existence has long been rumored, surfaces ...

Claire Senft · Dec 12, 2005

I used to have a linhof Technica with a 105mm Apo Lanthar. Not particularly good wide open.

Dan Fromm · Dec 12, 2005

Claire Senft said:
I used to have a linhof Technica with a 105mm Apo Lanthar. Not particularly good wide open.

And what, pray, does utility have to do with a cult object's desireability?

Cheers,

Dan

Dave Wooten · Dec 12, 2005

"Today, every optical glass manufacturer is making lanthanum crowns and flints, and the availability of these extreme glasses has greatly helped to improve photographic objectives. Current lens patents indicate that lanthanum glasses are used in practically every modern photographic objective." from A History ofthe Photographic Lens Rudolph Kingslake 1989 page 77 IV. The Lanthanum Crowns.....

Steve Hamley · Dec 12, 2005

No. If you shoot color, they shoot very warm IMO. I have a nice 150mm Apo Lanthar that is the later non-radioactive glass (which isn't brown) and it has a very orange cast to it. Nice B&W lens but not that good.

Steve

rbarker · Dec 13, 2005

Note that most of the "action" took place between 9:13 and 9:15 - another clear case of bidding frenzy, I'd say. My condolences to the winner.

A visit to the S.K. Grimes site to read his comments on dial Compurs would be a good idea prior to bidding on one of these, too.

Ole · Dec 13, 2005

rbarker said:
A visit to the S.K. Grimes site to read his comments on dial Compurs would be a good idea prior to bidding on one of these, too.

That's no Compur, it's a Compound #3.

APO-Lanthars are good, IMHO. Same "soft transitions" as the Heliar, but sharper where sharp. But $1000 good? I don't thing any lens is! But better than a Tessar/Xenar? Yes, for some uses...

Paul Sorensen · Dec 13, 2005

Steve Hamley said:
No. If you shoot color, they shoot very warm IMO. I have a nice 150mm Apo Lanthar that is the later non-radioactive glass (which isn't brown) and it has a very orange cast to it. Nice B&W lens but not that good.

Steve

Quick. sell it before the madness ends. Perhaps the non radioactive ones are not as desireable, I don't know, but that doesn't mean it won't go for 1K on eBay! Gentlemen, start your bidding!

Steve Hamley · Dec 13, 2005

You may see it offered on eBay (or here) when I get around to replacing it with a Heliar. There's nothing wrong with it if you use it for B&W, it's just not worth what they bring, especially if you do any color.

The madness has been going on for years.

Steve

Ole · Dec 13, 2005

Dead Link Removed

Shot with a 210mm f:4.5 Apo-Lanthar - on colour slide film.

Dan Fromm · Dec 13, 2005

Ole, not to be insulting, but what conclusion do you want me to draw from that little digitized image? I don't have to be shown a picture to believe that your 210/4.5 AL passes light and forms an image.

Cheers,

Dan

Ole · Dec 13, 2005

Dan, the colours are as close a match as I could possibly get to the original slide. It was a respone to another poster who claimed APO-Lanthars are unusable for colour.
A digitised little image like this can't really be used to show anything but colour, can it?

BTW, that lens had a visible warm cast when looking through the lens.

Steve Hamley · Dec 13, 2005

Ole,

If you mean me, I didn't say they were unusable for color, just that they had a strong warm cast. This cast can obviously be useful or attractive in some situations shooting color, and not in others. The cast sort of reminds me of a built-in 81B, but a bit more yellow than red. I have a comparison scan with an Apo Sironar-S I did for a friend, if I can find it I'll post them.

Steve

Dan Fromm · Dec 13, 2005

Ole said:
Dan, the colours are as close a match as I could possibly get to the original slide. It was a respone to another poster who claimed APO-Lanthars are unusable for colour.
A digitised little image like this can't really be used to show anything but colour, can it?

BTW, that lens had a visible warm cast when looking through the lens.

Ole, thanks very much for the clarification. Nearly all old lenses can be used for color. Only people who haven't used them claim otherwise.

Cheers,

Steve Hamley · Dec 13, 2005

Here's a link to a comparison of a heavy crop done for a friend of mine to compare bokeh of a 150 Apo Sironar-S and a 150mm Apo Lanthar. Both were done near f/5.6 to f/5.6 and a half (different shutter speed scales). The Apo lanthar is considerably warmer and lower in contrast, but the bokeh is much better as expected.

http://www.pbase.com/sahamley/image/53528684

Steve

Jim Moore · Dec 13, 2005

Thanks for the info guys..

Steve... That is a very interesting comparison..

thuggins · Sep 10, 2018

I know it's an old thread, but I was about to post the same question. It appears that the situation has gotten crazier since this thread was started.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Voigtlande...610694?hash=item2aa7f70706:g:Df4AAOSwdIBa6kI6
List Price = $8499.00 This one is in the US so there is no chance of someone making a conversion rate error, or not knowing how much a dollar is worth.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/142904085893
List Price = $14000.00 This one is in the Netherlands, so perhaps a decimal point was misplaced?

I have a Bessa I with a Vaskar that was serviced by Jurgen. It is a lovely camera and certainly worth approx. $200 after a professional CLA and a not so professional bellows repair. I have enough confidence in it to take it on vacation next week (Bessa I and Olympus Infinity Stylus seem like the perfect pair for limited space and weight.). The prices of Bessa II's seem way out of the ballpark, anyway, considering the cameras are well past a half century and will certainly have some issues with the bellows. You could buy at least five virtually new Bessa III's (rebadged Fuji) for less. I have only spent more than $14000 for two cars in my entire life.

Perhaps someone can help us out with understanding this. Does the camera perform some sort of bizarre and depraved s*x act for you each time the shutter is released? If so, is there a video?

jim10219 · Sep 10, 2018

It’s a collector’s item, so it’s priced as such. Plus it has the letters APO in it, which is the Latin abbreviation for “six months of salary”, I believe.

I’m sure it’s a great lens, but I’m also sure there are better ones for less money. I’m also laughing that someone would suggest that an APO lens is not good for color.

RauschenOderKorn · Sep 11, 2018

It is very easy: Supply is limited, but the interest of people is growing. So the prices increase.
Especially the Bessa with the Apo-lanthar has been a long time collectors item.

Marco Gilardetti · Sep 11, 2018

Remember that "Buy It Now" prices mean absolutely nothing. Only completed listings of bid sales tell the real international value of an object.

In any case, Bessa II with Apo-Lanthar lenses were top-of-the-line folding cameras that sold in very few numbers back then, and as a consequence they are very sougth-after and demand great prices today.

I'm one of the many that would indeed like to buy one of those and carry it with me as an alpine camera, but unfortunately the prices are so high that it doesn't make any sense.

I wonder why the Japanese owners of the Voigtlander brand don't reissue this camera, as it regularly sells at a much much much higher price than a new Bessa III.

EdSawyer · Sep 11, 2018

The regular bessa II with color heliar is a fine camera too, and much more affordable. plus a faster lens than the apo lanthar.

Marco Gilardetti · Sep 11, 2018

Yes indeed, but I's the Bessa II with Apo-Lanthar lens that I lack! I have no problem confessing that I am one of those under the spell of pedigree lenses like the Apo-Lanthar. As a matter of fact, I own a Linhof-selected 150mm Apo-Lanthar for 4x5'' format, and incidentally I agree with above posters that it is a good lens with its personality, but it doesn't stand up to contemporary apochromatic lenses, and in that sense it is overrated and overpaid.

Not having to use any TTL focusing aid, at least in my opinion maximum aperture is a negligible factor when choosing a camera of this type.

Are Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar Lenses Really This Good??

Jim Moore

df cardwell

Dan Fromm

Claire Senft

Dan Fromm

Dave Wooten

Steve Hamley

rbarker

Ole

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Paul Sorensen

Steve Hamley

Ole

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Dan Fromm

Ole

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Steve Hamley

Dan Fromm

Steve Hamley

Jim Moore

thuggins

jim10219

RauschenOderKorn

Marco Gilardetti

EdSawyer

Marco Gilardetti

Are Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar Lenses Really This Good??

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