Voigtlander Pulled Me Back!

NortheastPhotographic · Apr 30, 2021

Picked up an M4 to go with my new Voigtlander 35/2 ASPH. I think CV has just been nailing it with their recent 'vintage' line, which are not vintage at all except maybe style. The 50/1.5, 35/2, 28/2, 21/3.5 all seem to be outclassing the admittedly aged ZM line up, and giving Leica a serious run for the money. They sell a lot of cool lenses such as the 1.2s and the APOs, but I feel like the balance is hit just about perfectly with these 'vintage' line lenses. Some character, sharp, no focus shift, affordable, and most importantly, small.

I forgot how small the M4 is, they really nailed it with this one IMHO. Can't wait to put some Ektachrome through it.

warden · Apr 30, 2021

That's a looker, congrats! I'll be interested to see images and your opinions from that lens. It's within about $50 of the ZM 35 f2.8 which is an excellent performer too.

Huss · Apr 30, 2021

Very nice! And yes, the lens being small is key in making the camera/lens package enjoyable to use.

Arthurwg · May 9, 2021

Now that I'm shooting a Barnack screw-mount Leica I'm dismayed to see that Voigtlander has discontinued most of it's LTM lenses, just when I want one.

Huss · May 10, 2021

Arthurwg said:
Now that I'm shooting a Barnack screw-mount Leica I'm dismayed to see that Voigtlander has discontinued most of it's LTM lenses, just when I want one.

You can easily find them used, especially the 35mm lens. I have the 28 3.5 (really good), the 50 2.5 and the 25 f4.

Arthurwg · May 10, 2021

Yes, the 28/3.5 is the one I'm after.

craigclu · May 13, 2021

I've had good luck, too. I've got a mix of mostly ZM's and V'landers. The 40 ƒ1.2 has distinct characters, dreamy/smooth wide open and very sharp when stopped down a bit.

Huss · May 13, 2021

Hmm, my 40 1.2 is sharp wide open. Perhaps your RF is not aligned for the lens? i.e. missed focus.

craigclu · May 13, 2021

Huss said:
Hmm, my 40 1.2 is sharp wide open. Perhaps your RF is not aligned for the lens? i.e. missed focus.

Plenty sharp enough for the situations but it has a different look than when stopped down. Great lens. I also have the 40 ƒ1.4 Classic that is on a CL 99% of the time. Nice little lens that gets along well with the CL. The standard lens hood conflicts with the RF on the CL so I switched to a smaller, generic one. My 25mm Color-Skopar has served me well, a 50mm ƒ3.5 Heliar is a good performer and a little-used 75 ƒ2.5 does well enough. I thought the 75 might be more useful than the 90 Leica glass I have but neither gets much exercise.... That's the Voigtlander glass I have now and I can't say any have been disappointing at all.

Huss · May 13, 2021

craigclu said:
Plenty sharp enough for the situations but it has a different look than when stopped down. Great lens. I also have the 40 ƒ1.4 Classic that is on a CL 99% of the time. Nice little lens that gets along well with the CL. The standard lens hood conflicts with the RF on the CL so I switched to a smaller, generic one. My 25mm Color-Skopar has served me well, a 50mm ƒ3.5 Heliar is a good performer and a little-used 75 ƒ2.5 does well enough. I thought the 75 might be more useful than the 90 Leica glass I have but neither gets much exercise.... That's the Voigtlander glass I have now and I can't say any have been disappointing at all.

Not only is CV glass superb, but it looks and feels really nice too!
I have that 50 3.5 Heliar in Nikon S mount. I'd like it in M mount... What are the odds that you have a Nikon RF and would like to swap?

craigclu · May 13, 2021

I had (kinda) a Nikon RF many years back. None of my friends are currently film folks or even avid anymore so allow me to share my Nikon saga here.... When my wife was teaching Kindergarten, her co-worker (also K teacher) invited us over to meet her visiting grandchildren. They were pre-school age and walking around with a camera. I asked her about it and she said "That old thing? They can play with it, it was my Dad's." I looked it over and luckily the kids hadn't touched the lens and it was a nice, minty example. I don't recall all the details all these years later, but I sold it for pretty good money for her when eBay was just starting out (after running a little film through it). Five more minutes with the kids and it could have ended up in the sandbox!

Huss · May 13, 2021

Oh jeez! Some things are ok to give to kids to play with and trash, like digital cameras... but a nice film camera that is obviously really nice (even if you don't know a thing about cameras)? Good thing you were there!

Kodachromeguy · May 13, 2021

Last summer, I bought one of the little Voigtlander 25mm ƒ/4 lenses in Leica M mount. I love it. It is tiny and inexpensive compared to the Leica 24s, and it uses the same 39mm filters that are on my other Leitz lenses. It works for the type of photos that I take. The example below is from Tallulah, Louisiana, USA. We have a lot of small towns here in the South with abandoned commercial strips.

Voigtlander Pulled Me Back!

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