Two new (and fast) prime lenses: Voigtlander 35mm f/2.0 APO-Lanthar (Sony E-Mount & Leica M mount) and 35mm f/2.0 Ultron aspherical II for Leica M mount. Let’s dive into the beauty of manual lenses!
Prime lenses from Voigtlander (German: Voigtländer) are popular with both photographers and videographers because they combine excellent optical performance with fully manual control, although (depending on the model) they have an electronic interface to the host camera for EXIF data.
Voigtlander 35mm f/2.0 APO-Lanthar
The new 35mm APO-Lanthar covers full frame sensors and will be available for both Sony E-mount and Leica M mount. The Sony E-mount version supports EXIF data transfer for automatic lens correction and 5-axis image stabilization (if available).
Also, this is an exclusive feature of the E-mount version: “The selective iris system optionally enables silent iris adjustment in video mode”. I’m not 100% sure if it means silent as in quiet or as in smooth (i.e de-clicked).
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The optical design consists of 9 groups of 11 lens elements including five low-dispersion elements, two double-sided aspherical elements and a floating element. The 12 aperture blades form a circular aperture at f/2.0, f/2.8, f/5.6 and f/16, which allows a circular bokeh from a point light source.
This Voigtlander 35mm lens sports an apochromatic design, Voigtlander claims that said design reduces chromatic aberration levels to virtually zero.
The E-mount version weighs 352g and measures 62.6mm in diameter and 67.3mm in length. The Leica M version weighs 304g and measures 55.6mm in diameter and 58.1mm in length.
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2.0 APO-Lanthar lenses will ship next month for around $1,150.
Ultron Vintage 35mm f/2.0 Aspherical Type II
The Voigtlander Ultron 35mm is more of a purist lens for photographers, I’ d say. It offers the same optical design as the original (Type I) version, but features an updated focusing “groove” for easy focusing – manually, of course! It consits of 8 optical elements in 5 groups. The minimum focusing distance is 0,58m and the apeerture consits of 10 blades.
The whole thing is constructed entirely of metal, including the clicked aperture ring and focusing ring. Given this fact, the lens is surprisingly light, it tips the scale at 210g and measures 52mm in diameter and 28.1mm in length. It uses a 39mm front filter thread.
The Ultron comes in either black or silver finish and it will ship next month for around $850.
The Leica M mount can easily be adapted to fit other makes and models such as Sony E-Mount, Fuji X-Mount or Nikon Z-Mount cameras.
links: Voigtlander (German) | Cosina (Japanese)
Are you a Voigtlander shooter? What do you think about these new lenses? Share your experiences in the comments below!
