I purchased my Voigtlander 35mm SC f/1.4 from B&H for $629 USD. This lens is made by the Cosina company who makes all of the Voigtlander products and many other 35mm cameras and lenses in the past. This is an M-mount lens made for cameras like the Leica rangefinder system, and it carries a 43mm filter size. There are two seperate versions of this lens; the only way to differentiate between the two models is the markings around the front element. The model I purchased is the SC or single coated model, and the other version you can purchase is the MC or multicoated model. These two models carry the same cost, but the single coated model in theory should give a more classic rendition, and the multicoated model should produce less flare. The first thing I will say about this lens is that it is very attractive. Cosina packed a tremendous amount of lens in a very small package and this is very abundant when holding this lens in your hands. The Voigtlander 35mm SC f/1.4 weighs about 7oz with 8 elements in 6 groups squeezed inside of a 1.1" X 2.2" package. It is especially beautiful when paired with the Sony A7, which I highly recommend. The next thing that drew me towards this specific lens is the price. At $629 brand new there are almost no 35mm lenses with maximum aperture of f/1.4 anywhere near this price point. For example you can purchase a Sony Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 for $1,498 or a Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical for $4,995; this is not to say this lens is in the same league as these two lenses, but this is a good representation of most modern 35mm f/1.4 lenses. With this combination the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 was an obvious choice for very versatile everyday lens. |
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The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 consists of entirely metal and glass which balances quite well on my A7 and Bessa R2. It has an extremely smooth focus throw, although it is very short like most rangefinder lenses. I do appreciate the large focus tab that protrudes from bottom of the focus ring; it makes manual focus smooth and precise. There is also two textured tabs on opposite sides of the aperture ring which makes changing apertures very easy. The aperture ring on the Voigtlander feels very tactile at each half stop. I find myself fiddling with the aperture and focus ring a lot while walking between shots simply for enjoyment. The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 has the build quality of a lens much more expensive than itself; it really adds to the overall aesthetic of this lens. It is a shame that many modern digital lenses no longer carry such a solid feel. Part of the beauty of this lenses and other lenses like it is the lack of automation. With a lens that is completely manually you never have to worry about parts going bad as long as you care for it properly. I'm confident that this lens will be around longer than myself and that it will be passed down for many years to come.
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At f/1.4 center sharpness is reasonable for a lens such as this. You will notice a moderate amount of purple fringing at 1:1 in the high contrast areas when shot wide open, but the fringing goes away when stopped down to f/2. The corner sharpness at f/1.4 is simply awful, and remains very poor until f/4 when it finally sharpens up. This lens performs very well at f/4 and up and best sharpness is achieved at f/8. The corner sharpness is worsen by the dramatic amount of vignetting seen at the wider apertures. The vignetting of this lens is a quality that I enjoy; it gives a dramatic feeling without any editing. This lens is part of Voigtlander's classic series and it represents that well. When shot wide open you will get tons of classic qualities, but when stopped down it performs very well. You will also notice the moderate amount of barrel distortion, but I don't find it too much of an issue because it is easily fixed in post production. I'm sure you can find a profile for this lens some where on the internet to fix some of the vignetting, distortion, and fringing issues, but personally I like them and find that they give this lens a little character.
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