Voigtlander SL-II Ultron 40mm f/2.0 : Specifications and Opinions

Reviews

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Airy

sent on 15 Febbraio 2021

Pros: Compact, sharp on stopping down, excellent color and "pop", close focus ability magnified by close-up lens, "streetsweeper" focal length

Cons: Barrel distortion, halos on night shots, odd bokeh and low peripheral sharpness at f/2

Opinion: A good, and extremely useful lens in a very small package. There are some optical compromizes esp. wide open, but the pictures are good and do not lack character. Manufacturing quality and handling are, as usual with Voigtländer, top level. Despite the small size, operating the aperture and focus ring is not troublesome (beware of thick gloves though). On Nikon, best paired with a 105/2.5 AI for a nice, light, high quality travel kit.

The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Marco Brugnoli

sent on 06 Giugno 2020

Pros: Weight, lens quality

Cons: He misses the star the beautiful one like the older brothers.

Opinion: Lens that I find wonderful for a negligible weight. I use it on Nikon D850 in my photo laps, ideal when you do days in the mountains limiting weights. For me, having a lens like this has cut the weight of the backpack. That said, let's talk about the quality of the lens. The lens remains a step below my Sigma lenses as sharpness and detail, but finding the strengths with an e F9 -11 and with a curated post we are on par. The worst part of this lens is in the nocturnal with the stars, where they present a swipe or tail those bright ones, putting in difficulty then in the development in the post. In the night technique of the Multi manual exposure from a spectacular rendering of colors with a character of the top lens. Also at night it is precisely in the MEMMB the stars of the lights are flattened and dampened, a prerogative of the Voigtlander lenses of recent years. But I find that lenses so when used well in landscape as sunrises and sunsets with or without filters, give a unique chromatic rendering with a particular expression.

Sonomoha

sent on 10 Maggio 2020

Pros: Construction, optical quality.

Cons: Flare in some conditions

Opinion: Remarkable optical quality that makes the lens can be safely used at full opening. It is built very well: compact, very light and a smooth manual focus ring. Another practical aspect, is an "AI-P" lens for the Nikon version, so even if the focus is manual, it allows you to change the opening from the machine directly. The connection with the machine allows the use in all shooting modes, whether Automatic or Semi Automatic or all Manual. Exposure automations via the AI-P chip make it easier to use even with entry-level machines. In one particular case it sins a little, with a little flare that is only present if you have the sun in front. Voigtlander did not project a more efficient lampshade even with the further version of the lens and I did not have time to look if some other solution exists but the problem of flare for me is a minor thing. I didn't see any particular impact.

Vittorio73

sent on 07 Luglio 2019

Pros: Uniform sharpness, micro contrast, construction and jays, lightness.

Cons: Undefined series lampshade and yield of sunstars (light points) poorly defined with closed diaphragms.

Opinion: A miniature Zeiss at a third of the price. For those who love manual focus the fluidity of the dinghies is pure enjoyment. I added a small 39mm cylindrical lampshade to the standard one solving many side light flare problems. The 9 rounded blades of the diaphragm give a very nice bokeh to open diaphragms but the yield of the sunstars a little confused to closed diaphragms (I would have preferred straight slats).

Elio Di Claudio

sent on 07 Settembre 2018

Pros: Sharpness and resolution, even at F/2 outside the center and a short distance away. Solidity, stiffness, colour, ergonomics.

Cons: Close-up Bokeh slightly nervous, excess flare in certain situations.

Opinion: What about, I have at home three Ultron of several generations (50/2, 50/1.8 SL 35 and this 40/2). It is certainly the normal that I love the most and complements perfectly the Micro 55/2.8 AIS or the ZF 50/1.4. It is a lab optics as conception and yield, you can control every detail of the operation. It has the same technology as the Otus, which is basically a scaled-out prototype. Like all Ultron, it is quite uniform as a field yield, with a low distortion for a 40 mm (1.2-1.5%), of which it is certainly the most successful short Planar interpretation. It is practically apocromatic (CA all secondary and narrow). The resolution is always very high, even at F/2 off axis, with a hint of a complex coma (but the point of focus is very thin), optimal result at F/4, but little, great tightness at all diaphragms. Beautiful construction, especially the latest (I have rubber rings), CPU for Nikon, perfect on Sony A7r. Nervous Bokeh ahead, good behind, but a 40 mm has little out of focus. Super recommended. It solves more of the Sigma 35/1.4 at F/2 (less contrafixed as well, but more microcontrabeen).

Aigor956

sent on 07 Novembre 2016

Pros: Lightness, mechanical perfect, the focusing ring amazing, stellar clarity, three-dimensionality to Leica level (no exaggeration). The macro lense is moving.

Cons: a muddy coat colors, but just a hair, just to find fault. But its territory is the Bianconeri.

Opinion: Since I felt I no longer disconnected from my Nikon D700. I bring often only behind him, nothing else. Manual MAF has an advantage: it focheggia the scene and do not need rifocheggiare with every shot. Obviously, for this we have to be photographers and manage properly the diaphragms and its depth. The little guy is always crisp, already wide open, and there it will be worth your nobility. It is not an easy lens but not so difficult, you have to know the basics of photography and forget the rules. They say that the blurred both nervous: true but utterly charming, I love that electric current flowing through the background of my portraits. In short, a Leica lens to almost a sixth of the price, and if you please. Short final note: there is provided a dedicated macro lentina from fear; The construction is solid as a rock; the rings have a impiacentito pleasure, the ring of the MAF is rubbed with a magnificent perfection so as to allow Adjustcatkins almost micrometric with a little game of the fingertips. Last but not least the ridiculous price for so much more qualità.rnP.S.rnRisolve sensor of my D 700, I'd be curious to try it on a fixed sensor.