Voigtlanders - The Ultimate Street Lenses? 15mm Super Wide Heliar, 35mm Skopar + 40mm f1.4 Tested!
Vložit
- čas přidán 10. 07. 2024
- These little Voigtlander lenses are the nicest street photography lenses I've used. I took them to Cambridge and London to test them - check out the results!
Lenses: 15mm f4.5 Super Wide Heliar, 35mm f2 Colour Skopar and 40mm f1.4
Support at www.patreon.com/Zenography?fa...
All images shot on the Sony A7 Mark 1
I am using the 40mm Nokton Classic in combination with a shift focus adapter (LM to NEX) on my Sony A7. Even with the small lens hood the lens is small and light-weight. The best pictures are the taken ones and due to the compact size of this setup I am carrying it mostly with me. This is a brilliant (rangefinder-like) combination which works well under all lighting conditions and allows me to get close to 35 cm to the photographed objects (due to the shift focus adapter). What I like very much is the sharpness and color neutrality of a modern lens combined with a well-controlled and not too exuberant vintage character. If I had to choose one lens only (from my 25 lenses) I would take this absolute fantastic Voigtländer lens. So longer you are using it so more you are loving it.
It's a great little lens for sure, and on an A7 it does feel very rangefinder like!
Thank you for doing this review. I’m looking to get a 40mm Nokton and seeing it used around my favourite street stomping ground was so relevant.
The detail on the basket shot is stunning, so sharp. Great review. 👍
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for viewing. My top-notch Voightländer is the Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 APO-Lanthar. Regret not to buy that one when it was new and "cheap".
I love the 40mm Nokton and I think its my favourite lens. I love the "character" of the Voigtlanders, and the 40mm focal length seems to capture what my eye sees the most naturally.
Great review ! Glad to see you review some modern glass. I purchased the 40mm f1.4 a few months ago and wow do I love it. My feelings on the best street prime lens echo your experience, a 50 being a bit too tight and the 35 bit too wide. I found it to be just right for me. The rendering on the lens is delicious. It has the a look of a vintage lens with modern sharpness beautiful bokeh and a unique signature. It’s beautiful. The build quality is fantastic making it a joy to use. The focusing tab I’m still getting used to so it’s a matter of more use and developing muscle memory so to speak. Based on your review of the 15mm I think I will take a harder look at that one and experiment with that wider angle of view. As always your reviews are so well done and infused with your personality and creativity. It’s a joy to view your work. Thank you for your voice and creating content that has such depth. Well done as always.
Many thanks, very glad you enjoyed it!
Another great segment. Your colour street photography is of an exceptional standard. Impressive.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
Simply superb! Regards Ulf
Many thanks Ulf, glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Lovely colours
Thanks!
Recently I purchased a Nikon ZF and two of the lens that I purchased is the Voightlander 4omm f1.2 and the 15mm f4.5 both primes look and work great with the ZF.
Great video. I own the Voigtländer 40mm f1.4. I use it on my Minolta CLE and the Fujifilm X-E3 for street photography. Great little lens.
It's a great street lens, for sure!
Yes, they are truly outstanding! After owning one, I now own four after a short order- I’m in heaven 10
15 35 50 and someday 21
It sounds like you have a wonderful collection there!
I opted for the Rokkor 40mm f2 when researching M mount lenses for my Minolta CLE. Online reviews showed the Rokkor is better suited for B+W, while the Voigtlander lended itself better to color. As a B+W shooter, it was clear. It is absolutely wonderful and I recommend it.
I've just bought a 40mm 1.8, and will be testing it soon!
There are 2 versions of the 40mm multi and single coated, MC better for colour, SC better for b&w😁
Lovely street images
Thanks, glad you liked them!
I have the 15mm 4.5 and 40mm 1.4 adapted to Fujifilm. These lenses are some of my best lenses. It looks great on my XE1.
Another great video. Could you start showing what the lenses you review look like attached to your camera in future videos?
I'll try to do more of that, thanks for watching!
Wonderful set of lens reviews. I was particularly interested to see what the 40mm would deliver. Ever since I tried the 28mm Canon FD on my Fuji I fell in love with this focal length. It just feels right to me. As you said here there are not many options for 40mm on full frame. I am interested to see what the price is on this one. Thanks for sharing the photos. Always lovely.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I can't say I have taken such good pictures with mine, but I love them.
They're great little lenses, quite a revelation!
The reds on the first two were blasting and vivid, especially on the wide angle. Oranges and yellow too 3:16 . Maybe the Sony A7-1 just has a fantastic sensor. Lots of object separation due to colour contrast 7:46 but then the church sign shot with the 40mm is so subtle and muted with the stone and fence colours 8:00. I never get reds like that. I find a lot of digital cameras make reds look too pink and I can't figure out why, even if you change white balance.
The a7 has a very nice sensor - digital cameras have always had trouble with reds; my old Nikon d80 didn't like them at all! Not so with the Sony though, it seems to take reds in its stride. Of course, some of the credit must go to the lens!
15mm at f4.5 is would/should be the ultimate zone focusing lens haha. looks great
It really is!
On a FF body, yes, but this is 30mm?
@@stephenmason5682 35mm so should be same full frame size.
unless am i miss understanding your question?
@@JayGrapherTh oops, I guess I missed the FF comment? She was speaking to me at the time, I thought it was using these old lenses on MFT like my old Olympus lenses!
Yes, at f8 everything sharp from 0.8meter to infinity😜
Finally! the 40mm 1,4 tested!
it does have its downsides though- a decent amount of CA (for its age) a fair amount of vignetting, and situationally harsh bokeh
It's not perfect but I love the colours, and it's pretty sharp too. And 40mm just seems to work on the street!
@@zenography7923 I do love the 40-45 focal length. I wish it were more common.
I own the the 40 and the 35 is on the way. Love the 40 focal length.
The 40 seems to have an inordinate amount of vignette for a lens so close to normal.
I have one, I also had a 25mm Color Skopar and neither of them showed any vignetting, perhaps it's to do with sensor size.
I use/d mine on Fuji x APSC cameras
Corners are a bit dark on full frame, it's true.
I am shooting the Voitlander Heliar 50mm f3.5 VM (Vintage Line) M-mount adapted to my Fujifilm X-T1. It is reminiscent of famous Voigtländer classics from the 19th century (Heriataipu). It has five elements in three groups. The lens is difficult to use and requires some practice. However, the results are worth the trouble.
Have you ever considered doing a video making up the "ultimate" kit for mirrorless using the best or your favorite examples form across the vintage spectrum?
That's a really good idea, thanks!
good idea, "the best of..."
is rhe 15mm the first VM, after the M39? (before the III version?)
My first Voigtlander was the 50mm nokton, 2 months ago! Now i have the 10 and 21 also- got my ete on the 35… cant go wrong
Beautiful lenses indeed - enjoy!
@@zenography7923 i could resist! I order the 35 also but the 15mm lens hood is fixed so i ordered the Laowa 15mm zero D instead, not the same but ok?
The 35 & 40mm Skopar’s have rear elements that are too close to the sensor and on some full-frame cameras there will be colour cast and smearing in the corners, which make them unsuitable for landscape and architectural photography. I’ve noticed that on my A7r IV, lenses such as the Contax G 28mm Biogon which performed dreadfully on the original A7r, now work amazingly well even in the corners. I suspect this is due to Sony using a thinner sensor glass. It will be interesting to see if these Skopar’s perform equally well on the A7r IV…if they do then they’d make excellent pancake lenses.
Do you have any comment on the value to be had from getting an original Sony A7 Mark 1, for someone who has a few nice Zuiko primes that I don't want to sell? I do also have an EM10ii micro 3/3 mirtorless and an entry level Canin APS-C that was resurrected lately. I have some old OM film cameras too that I really should use but digital is too easy and I came to digital way too late (2014).
The a7 mark 1 is a wonderful little camera - I shoot all the images for the channel with one. I've never regretted buying mine, my advice would be if you can, go for it!
which of these lenses are m42 mount? Can you suggest a cheap adapter for voigtlander to fuji x series camera?
The Voigtlanders I tested had a Leica M mount - to find an adaptor search for Leica M to Fuji X mount on ebay or amazon!
You should try Voigtlander's 40mm f2 Ultron. Really beautiful. It might "only" be an f2, but the rendering of this lens is amazing.
Now that sounds interesting! I'll keep a lookout for one...
@@zenography7923 there three versions of it, I think. I don't think there's any change in the optical formula, but the third one is the one I prefer. The focus ring is smooth and really long.
Yeah, it seems like splitting hairs, but I really enjoy the 40mm focal length for exactly the reasons you describe. I have been using the G.Zuiko 28mm f3.5 on my fuji aps-c and it is very enjoyable. Would be nice to have the 1.4 aperture though.
Somehow 40mm seems just right - something of a Goldilocks focal length!
Curious when you shoot non digital and show color images what your process is to final screen display. These lenses all seemed to show heavy vignetting, unless you printed them that way, or shot on digital which gave you the vignetting.
A pity you couldn't include the 25mm f4 Snapshot-Skopar in your review. It is just made for street photography, although a bit wide for some. An unusual feature is that it has click stops on the focus ring at 3m, which is hyperfocal for f8 from about 1.5m to infinity, at 1.5m, and at 1m.
That sounds like a very nice lens!
There's something very appealing about the Cosina Voigtländers. The look great, they're relatively compact, and are wonderful to use. I must admit I kind of want one, but do I need one? :P Maybe it's a good thing their MFT lenses are a little bit too expensive, and they don't make them for Fuji. ;)
Need or want, I know exactly what you mean!
My problem here is, I'm already using the 12 - 50 kit lens which equals 24mm? I also use my old Olympus om lenses, but they are softer by comparison? Great nostalgia using old lenses, but they don't compare!
Vintage lenses are generally softer than moderns, but not always!
I used to own that 40mm Nokton and a Leica CL (the old analogue one) body. Kinda miss that lens, really. The 35mm version has quite a bit of barrel distortion (enough to be annoying), but it's not as noticeable in the 40mm version. And it's so small and lightweight for an F1.4 lens.
I liked it, small and lightweight as you say, and somehow seems just right on the street!
Very nice video, even if I am not a Voigtlander/Cosina fan. I had the Ultron 35mm f1,7 Aspherical (first version) and was really disappointed with it. Perhaps my sample was defective.
It could well have been. They usually get good reviews, and I was very impressed with these three!
Aha! Cambridge GOOD! Oh I so hoped you were using these lenses on a "period correct" rangefinder body.
These shots are all digital I'm afraid, full frame though, so the lenses perform as designed...
Any thoughts on Canon LTM lenses from the 50's-60's?
I haven't used any of these, though I hope to do so soon!
@@zenography7923 Looking forward to see it one day.
What adapter do you use?
Just a very simple, so called 'dumb' adaptor - essentially a metal tube with appropriate mounts at each end. With focus peaking, it's all I really need!
...and another few lenses on the long list of "lenses i want, but can't afford"...
I know what you mean! These lenses were on loan from a friend - wish they were mine though!
Be clever, buy a Bessa L with the 15mm used for around 250Euros😁
All shot in Cambridge?
Some of the pictures are in London, apparently.
Mostly in Cambridge, but some in London too.
Carl Zeiss inmho
You don't happen to do wine reviews, do you?
I'm pretty sure you could adapt your voice/writing and have a nice wine biz.
He has an unusual and incredibly hypnotic voice. I reckon some people probably watch the videos just to hear him speak.
@@ryanstark2350 If I was in the voice/acting business, I'd sure be studying his style.
Now that sounds like a good job!
If only I could afford one🤷
I was lucky to be able to borrow these - would love to own them though!
@@zenography7923 you can find the Olympus roaming around for pretty cheap usually around 75 to 100 I wouldn't pay more than that
Are the wife and kids sleeping?
:)
Unbearable theatrical-MYSTERY text voice-over that is not any more interesting than a commercial leaflet text converted into first-person statements.
(Just as the sound of wind, how ever attention-triggerinvg effect it has on human brains, does not make -even slowed down- a boring visuas any less empty. It manipulates us into believing we must watch-out for a hidden life-saving clue.)
I'd rather just only see these photos here just pure, with soms technical comments, and than document-myself elsewhere.
Just the voice god gave me, friend!
Then don't listen 👂 .....