Showcase Voigtlander 28 f2.0 Ultron

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Thanks for your comments, Amin. Also, thanks for catching my mistake; it is a f2.0 lens. I've updated the post to reflect that. I make that mistake often. I think 28 f2.8 is more poetic or something. I just rolls off the tongue with such ease.  

 

It's a very sharp lens, especially in the center. Any softness you see in these images is likely my fault. For example, I missed the focus a bit in the first image and second image seems like I might have reduced the sharpness in my post-processing while converting it for the web; it does seem sharper when I looked at it in Lightroom just now.

I'm still learning this lens and I'm certainly still learning how to get the most from the RAW files in Lightroom, but that's what I enjoy most - the learning process.

 

There are roughly seven lenses that I would consider if you were looking for a 30mm to 40mm equivalent lens in a rangefinder mount. Three of these lenses are made by Cosina Voigtlander (CV) and four are made by Zeiss (ZM).

CV 21mm f4
CV 25mm f4
CV 28mm f2

ZM 21mm f4.5
ZM 21mm f2.8
ZM 25mm f2.8
ZM 28mm f2.8

The Zeiss lenses are going to cost around a thousand dollars or a bit more new. The CV 28mm is around six hundred new and the other two CV's are around four hundred new. I chose my Voigtlander because it was moderately wide and relatively fast at f2.0. The Zeiss lenses are excellent lenses and give that characteristic Zeiss look if that is something you are wanting.

Do these lenses have issues? The answer is yes. Magenta cast is possible on all of them, although I've only seen it once with my 28mm. I see it much more frequently with my 15mm lens. Is it correctable? Again, the answer is yes, if you are willing to put in the work. Programs such as Cornerfix can help out in this regard. Also, if you shoot in black and white it is less of an issue. Vignetting can also occur and you will notice it more frequently the wider you go. I rarely notice vignetting with my 28mm, but it happens with my 15mm more often. Mounting issues can happen with some M-mount and LTM lenses, but not with any of the lenses I've mentioned. Mostly these mounting issues are a concern with some older wide-angle lenses or collapsible lenses. The only other issue you should probably be aware of is the minimum focusing distance which is much longer on rangefinder lenses than on SLR lenses. This issue can be mitigated with certain adapters. There is a Hawk's Helicoid Adapter that uses a helicoid to shorten the minimum focusing distance.

To be honest, none of these issues are show-stoppers for me. They can be dealt with or worked-around if needed and sometimes you just don't notice them or decide to use them to your advantage. My CV 15mm has plenty of issues with magenta casts and vignetting, but with the way I use it most of the time, neither bother me. Sometimes I actually quite like the look.

 

You'll get good results with your C/Y lenses. I did in the short time that I owned some. However, don't pass up the Voigtlander 28mm, if you are interested, because of color casts or vignetting, because it really won't be a problem. Rangefinder lenses wider than 28mm will present more of an issue as they get wider.

 

I've never used the older thread mount version of the lens but I've always read good things about it. If it is in really good shape then that doesn't sound like a bad price for that lens.