Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2017/05/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]?I took delivery of two Voigtander lenses this week. I looked quickly at
their performances relative to other lenses I have, judging this based on
targets across a small valley and a sharp mountain ridge a half mile away.
The initial reactions using the Sony a7r (v. 1) with KolariVision
Ultra-thin cover glass (about like the M9 at the edges, in general).
The 15mm Heliar III is not nearly as good as the Leica Tri-Elmar 16-18-21.
In addition to lower wide aperture edge performance, it never sharps enough
to be competitive at the edges and has bad color fringing. So, it's now
traveling back to NY.
The Voigtlander ("VM") 35mm f/1.7 "Ultron," (ASPH) however, is the best
35mm lens I've yet used. It knocks out my Leica 28 f/2.8 and Zeiss ZM
Compact 35mm f/2.8 lenses at the edges at wider apertures. It also has
good even color across the field, very unlike the more compact Leica 28mm
f/2.8 and ZM 35mm f/2.8. Some testers say it's the best all-around when
size and weight are in the equation.? I do not have the Leica 35mm f/2
ASPH for comparison.
No matter how thin the cover glass on the Sony (or any digital camera), the
pattern above is consistent with the general observation that compactness
carries a price in terms of either performance or cost.
The VM 35mm f/1.7 compromises its compactness with a bit more length, but
also with more air relative to glass, and thus less weigh, than the Leica
35mm f/2 ASPH.
FWIW
Paul