Which look of which lens did you prefer? And what is your opinion when it comes to the question "Is Leica glass worth the money"? I would be interested to learn more about your thoughts, so please feel free to share them here. Also: In case you want to support my work and get access to additional content, please head over to my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/karinmajoka Lots of love, Karin 🤍
Hallo, Ich hatte bis vor kurzem das VOIGTLANDER ULTRON 28MM F2.0 TYPE II VM ASPHÉRIQUE zu meiner Leica M, das wirklich ein klasse Objektiv ist. Fantastische Schärfe, 1A Fertigungsqualität sowie hervorragende Farbwiedergabe, die Photos waren total beeindruckend! Man kann dieses herrliche Objektiv zu 100% empfehlen. Da ich mir nun eine Q3 zu meiner M hinzugekauft habe, dessen 28er das Voigtländer ja ersetzt, habe ich das 28er Objektiv von Voigtländer zu meinem Bedauern verkauft. Grüße aus Luxemburg.
Die Nokton Linse. Warum? Die Farben sehen besser aus (wärmer), der Helo Effekt bei F1.4 ist genau der Look den ich feier und es gibt kein chromatischen Aberration wie bei der Leica.
First of all, thanks for this cool comparison, it's a great idea to have these two excellent lenses go head to head. I honestly had the right guess during the video as to which was the Leica lens. The images with the Summicron had that slightly clearer, cooler color shades, aka "Leica look", to me. With the Nokton, I found the colors more vibrant and the look a bit more washed out, more vintage style. If money was no object, the Summicron would be my first choice, but in real life I would probably go with the Voigtländer and still be very happy with it. 🙂
Nice comparison. Just by looking at the photos, I couldn't say which was shot on which lens. But I did work out who was shooting which lens quite early on in the video. I won't say how I knew, so as not to spoil it for other watchers. I owned the Nokton 35mm and it's a fantastic little performer.
Haha, I know what you are referring to. I only noticed it later because we did not film everything from behind. I just hoped people would not pay too much attention ;) Thanks for your comment!
Do a comparison for the summicron vs Voigtlander Ultron v2 35/2 please. The Ultron is better but would love to see if you still chose the Summicron for character. Thx
It was not a blind test; I can recognize from the beginning that Karin is using Voigtlander because of the hood during the photowalk.-) I own both these lenses, I use Nokton for BW and Summictron for color.-)
I prefer the Nokton, as it's more "Rock & Roll. The lens is not perfect, in the same way we as humans are not perfect, and it's always good to embrace the error. Also, as Henry Cartier-Bresson once said: "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept"... That's not to say this statement should be used as an excuse for poor technique, rather that not every image has to be sharp to be credible...
Hmmm… like them both. Own them both ( version 1&2 of the Voigtlaender). Use them both. Strangely the voigtlaender V2 is on my M8 for B/W most of the time. The 35 2 is on my film Leicas or on the 240. But … the enlarged prints of shots taken with the 35 2 are breathtaking sometimes, by enlarged I mean poster size for exhibits or the wall at home with a size of 1.5 to 1 m or even bigger…
Think the Summicron is more dreamy, cause of that ill use it with more contrasty film like Colorplus! But i love that in Gold the Nokton punches out the colours cause of contrast!
I figured that the images that were tack sharp were from the summicron. While the others weren't tack sharp. Not necessarily a bad thing if you want some character vs sterile images. I was looking at the corners of the image for sharpness. At least in my opinion that's how I was able to tell the difference. which do you prefer?
cool video Karin! :) I'm curious if you can test the Summilux 35mm in the near future :) I recently sold my 50mm 1.4 Summilux ASPH, because I realised that at my current situation with 2 small kids I only shoot casually with the M system and therefore 2500€ sitting on the shelf collecting dust is something I didn't like. I settled for the Nokton 35mm 1.4 for now as my only M lens since it makes financially sense, but I have to admit, I miss the Summilux :..D Grüße aus BaWü :)
I think one has to expect more fall-off (vignetting) the more a lens can open. The Noctilux shows even more vignetting. In that aspect the two lenses aim for a different design with different objectives. The Summicron is a bit the all rounder.
To me, the difference is obvious. I have a Summicron 35 that I use a lot. And I have a Voight 28 Ultron, which I don't use because I don't like the imaging of those lenses. I bought my first M camera thinking I could shoot with third party lenses and save money. But it didn't work out. Only Leica lenses capture the essence
Vielen Dank! Schöne fotos. Of course, the Leica lens was much better when I looked through a microscope at the pictures. . 😇. I never considered a Leica lens for my MP. For that money, I could buy several Voightländers and never notice the difference. I am talking about my type of amateur photography, not about the photos by pros. I have several Ultrons f2 and they are small and light and even with hood do not block too much of the view finder. This is very important for me. I have one second hand Leica 24mm, which I sometimes use in cities or for landscapes. For parties with many people, it is great for an atmosphere of togetherness, coupled with the (Voightländer) 75mm for more intimacy. I can tell the difference only by the angle. But don't forget I am just an experienced amateur, not a professional.
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it! Haha, that's what I call next level pixel-peeping, but I am sure some people would go as far as using a microscope 😂 I have to admit that I have tried the 35mm Ultron and was not a big fan - this show how subjective this whole lens game actually is. I know it's a brilliant lens when it comes to image quality, but I just could not work around the tactile experience and small, almost invisible distance scale.
I have a significant collection of both Voigtlander and Leitz lenses. The Voigtlanders run the gamut from just OK to unmitigatedly superior. The Leitz lenses range from simply awful to barely acceptable. No contest in my view. NOTHING I have seen, by anyone, comes even REMOTELY CLOSE to the optical quality of my three Voigtlander APO Lanthars.
I bought the Nokton 35 mm 10 months ago and have been extremely happy with it. I don't mind small imperfections like vignetting, but the reason why I decided to change it for a Leica Elmarit was the focal length. I wanted to exchange it for a 28 mm lens instead and having seen som reviews, I decided the pricy Elmarit 28 mm was right for me. I expect to shoot it a lot for street, cityscape, architecture and landscape and the 50 mm Summicron for portraits and everything else. I ended up becoming annoyed by the constraints of a 35 mm and wanted something more versatile and moderne as my go to lens. But I have to say that the colour rendering of the Nokton and sharpness produces really lovely pictures. I will try to sell it, but I will keep it, if I can't get a decent price on it.
Strange, to me the Nokton actually looks sharper in the centre from f2 (at 13:30). Either way if the 'sharpness' is the thing people notice about your photos then that's not a good sign. Some of the most amazing images I've ever seen aren't even fully in focus! For me I prefer cheap stuff because I can be more adventurous and focus on capturing images than worrying about super expensive gear.
Glad it’s not just me! The Nokton certainly does look sharper in the centre crops from f2, and not just because of the higher green/red colour fringing on the lens engraving from the Summicron. Unless maybe those crops were captioned the wrong way round…
As a collector of the very finest cameras, I personally believe that’s all about their character, charm and experience of shooting. The fun factor. Not necessarily the price, sharpness or speed. It’s about that instant moment that you grab that equipment and, from the first few shots, you know you are hooked. That sweet formula that makes in love for photography again and again.
Also agree. I’ve had a few dozen lenses over the past 20 years, budget to Leica APO lenses, as well as some of Sony, Canon, Sigma and Voigtlanders best. Quality was ultimately not the prevailing factor for me. “Good enough” with great ergonomics (largely, compactness) wins. If the lens quality is the make or break for a picture, then I wasn’t taking a great picture to begin with.
I have both lenses and with film I don't think there are enough differences to justify the cost of the Leica, but with my M11 it is pretty obvious that the Leica is much sharper. I also have the Voigtlander 35 APO Lanthar and it is a bit sharper than the Leica and there is no color fringing when looking into the sun, you should check it out. So far the APO is my best 35mm lens (even compared to my Nikon Z & F glass) but it's kind of large and obtrusive so I have yet to decide between the two.
This was great - it's just a shame that the lens hoods gave this away quite early on who was shooting what. Still very interesting results. Great video.
Totally true, I only realised it in the edit (and hoped people would not pay attention too closely haha). But it was so bright that day, that shooting without a lens hood would be a terrible option.
I preferred the Nokton more and it had more of a look I wanted. I have a bunch of the Cosina Voigtlander lenses and I love them. I also have a Super Nokton for my Micro 4/3 body and it's a top favorite even though I rarely shoot it wide open
My impression is that the differences aren't really big if you shoot film and mostly use medium apertures, like in street photography. I own the Nokton 35mm 1,4 (Version I though) myself and like the compactness and the image quality is mostly great. It has some annoying issues though, the distortion and vignetting can be nasty and wide open it is really soft, which makes not really a good option for low light. So I look for an upgrade, but the Leica 35mm lenses are definitely out of my price range 😕 Maybe the new Voigtländer Ultron 35mm 2,0 or the Zeiss Biogon? We'll see... Happy shooting, I would also like to see a video about your experiences with the M10 so far!
Great content! The purist will not agree but I guess you can enjoy a Leica camera with a non Leica lens. Sure a lot of the Leica lenses are great. But totally not in reach of my budget. So Voigtlander makes great lenses you can enjoy the great M bodies with a very good lens without paying the price most people can not afford. Another great alternative for me are the Carl Zeiss lenses. A bit higher in price as Voigtlander but IMHO also better performing. And now I am gonna make the purists 🤮. I own 2 7Artisan lenses. Both very well made. Focus is smooth and tight! All metal and glass. A 35mm f2 and a 50mm f1.1. And both perform above what there price would suggest! I use the 50mm on my old M8 that is 66mm on that camera. I shoot Monochrome jpegs with this camera, and the results are absolutely stunning! Keep up the good work!! Kind regards.
Nice comparison video! Some others have noted the lens hood giving it away, which I noticed as well 😅, but I guessed it right before that, but ONLY because of some distortion on some of the straight on shots of buildings where a window edge or other straight line was at the edge of the frame. If it weren't for that distortion I probably wouldn't have been able to tell much of a difference. I have the Nokton myself and have always enjoyed shooting with it and am perfectly happy with the photos it makes. I definitely don't feel like the Summicron is worth $2000 more for my purposes...but then, i've never actually used one myself.🤔
I have the nokton 35 1.4 and love it! There is just one thing that didn’t really show up that much in the review though. At wider open apertures the colors change pretty vastly for me, a lot of times I really like how this looks (also the bokeh gets swirly at 1.4) but it could be seen as an imperfection
I honestly rarely use any lens wide open, which is why I did not really put this in the focus of the review - but that is in fact a good point! The Bokeh of the Nokton is a but more agitated and swirly, but the Bokeh on the Summicron is a bit more calm and smooth in my opinion. Imperfections are not always a bad thing. :)
I might be wrong but I feel like there is a slight color cast to the Nokton, the skin tones looked a little yellow-greenish on the film shots. The Summicron seemed more clinical in it's color rendition. With that being said, in this day and age it's almost nothing at all to slightly nudge a slider in lightroom to fix the difference. All and all I think I actually like the Nokton a bit better. I especially like the price a lot better. I just don't see the $2000 of extra value in the Summicron to make it worth it unless you are taking very technical photos in which case you probably wouldn't be using a range finder. Also, Leica owner spends $1500 on a camera and $2600 on a lens to only shot the cheapest budget film.(Just kidding😉)
i liked your photos more. i use a voigtlander nokton 40mm 1.4 on my Leica CL and i know it gives a better contrast usually than the leica lenses :) i also love the build of the voigtlander lenses! 😃
Aaaach… Leica lenses, schmeica lenses!!!! 😉 Every year or so, I think, I sooo much need a Leica M, then it takes me a couple of weeks to realise, how much i still have to pay for the house and then I remember how much fun it is to shoot my Nikon FE2. Damn gas! 😅😊
Hahaha, I guess we can all relate (not to the point with the house, I wish though... 😂). GAS is real and the worst thing is that I cannot be cured by actually buying what you want haha.
Leica lenses are super expensive, but from my experience, they hold their value well. I sold some Lenses after using them for years and got the same price for them. I also like that they are designed to be used fully opened. When you compare the Voigtländer f1.4 to the even more expensive Summilux, you will see a massive difference at f1.4. But I can also understand that not everyone can afford such lenses. I want to say that these lenses are not only crazy expensive but also great performers.
I think if you're really into Leica and know you'll use the system for a long time, having your most used lens be a Leica might be worthwhile, then use third parties for the rest of your focal lengths
There's no point having a faster lens if it doesn't perform well wide-open. I only shoot Leica glass and prefer the subtle creamy fall-off and 'soft' sharpness. Highly recommend the 28 Elmarit prea(spherical) inexpensive (by Leica standards) and just jaw-dropping gorgeous.
What a great review and very helpful in decision making considering that I’ve shot with the voigtlander 35 1.4 MC & MCII for four years. I’ve been trying to find out if it was worth the swap. I’d say very much so from this video.
I choose the lens that gives the images I like the most. My three favourite lenses are 21mm Elmarit f2.8 ASPH, Nokton 35mm f1.4 classic MC II and Planar 50mm f2 ZM. I tried a variety and chose on image not price nor brand. I can’t be bothered with the Leica snobs, they are obviously more bothered about being big heads than their image quality :-)
It depend, Voilander=cosina form JP - same as Carl Zeiss - msome of leica is APCHROMATIC - usualy F2, fast lens is not apchromatic - and apochromatic is best qulaity - BUT i compare some with TTArtisan APO-M 35mm F2 ASPH. - one of best lens on Leica - i use it on GFX100S - hi qulaity, bettre that cosina and leica
The fact that the voigtlander goes from a pro mist filter look to tack sharp adds a level of creative flexibility for night time photography with lights that some would not think about. Otherwise give me a sony body and a 35mm gmaster for sharpness. 😛
I own and shoot the Nokton VM II a lot, and I felt that Elmar was getting different results than what I would have gotten so I figured he would be shooting the Leica. That being said it was just a guess, but pretty early saw I was right (Lens hood gave it away). What I didn't expect was the chromatic aberration of the Leica, it was a bit much for my liking and this video just showed me it probably wouldn't be worth the upgrade. I also thought the Nokton was a bit sharper in the centre (maybe because of the fringing) but yes the Leica is way better in the corners. In the end, on film I probably wouldn’t see the difference in sharpness, but I would like to have less distortion and my Leica 50mm feels better than my Nokton, and when shooting film, with a Leica its a huge part of the experience. But, I just can’t justify the much higher price when the Nokton just seem really good as well so I probably stick to it for a little while longer. Thanks for the Video!
I can’t tell… I’m surprised as I thought I knew the look of both of those lenses. I thought they were quite different lenses but you show that the differences are in real life very small… thank you.
I totally agree! I still think the Leica outperformed the Nokton when it comes to technical details. But in the end it does not really matter because the "real life" test results showed how close and hard to distinguish they actually were.
Karin, I now challenge you to try out some vintage LTM lenses on your M6, which are even less money than the Nokton. The Canon lenses are little jewels made with Japanese precision and are frequently compared to Leica's best from that era. They probably won't outperform your Summicron ASPH, but perhaps your audience might enjoy a review.
I actually got a 50mm Canon LTM lens as a gift recently which works great. It has some fungus though so it wouldn't be a fair comparison - but it's a fun lens for sure!
I have that same 11827 35mm Summicron and use it on my M6 TTL and also M11. Having taken it all over the world, I can say it's a completely solid performing lens at all apertures. Glad I didn't compromise.
That sounds great! Actually, having the M10 now, tipped me over the edge staying with the Summicron and not the Nokton. I love how the Summicron renders on digital as well, it's so versatile!
I’m a bit late to comment … use the Voigtländer Ultron 1.7 35 mm, which is impressive in both sharpness and rendering. But I‘m still tempted by the Summicron V5 or 6, and trying to stay strong … 🎉
I spotted the Leica lense. But I guess it was 50/50 chance cause both look great and verry similar and I definitely couldn’t have said that is the Leica and the other not for sure. 2000€ are just not worth it .
So So close! I’m just blown away that you can get such amazing quality and sharpness from film. I preferred the Leica but as said it was so close. Great video and a decision I’m going to have to make soon when I get my M6 or MP.
Great video! What would you recommend like first 35mm lens for Leica M: Voigtländer Ultron Vintage Line 35mm f/2 Aspherical Type II or Zeiss C Biogon T* 35mm f/2.8 ZM Thank you
the Summi has better color and bite.... His street pics just pop more than Mr. Nocton's. Yes it was easy to see. The Nocton's pics look like you used older film.
From the first few photos my bet was on Karin using the Nokton. After a few more I was quite sure she does. Those photos just had much more of the orange tone (for me, subjectively, too much). One thing 3rd party lenses can't beat Leica lenses at is the colour reproduction. With Elmar's photos it was clear how more natural the colour reproduction is, even despite the "vintage" orange tone of the Kodak 200 film. Of course, a blind comparison is much easier if you know you're comparing 2 groups of photos made with just 2 lenses, than having a bucket of photos which are not labelled A / B and you have to guess each photo individually. My conclusion - I was considering buying Nokton as my 35mm lens (right now shooting with a 50mm Summicron) and I came here to validate whether Nokton is enough for my needs. The decision is I'm starting saving for a 35mm Summicron instead.
In a word........NO. I have a good selection of Summicron, Elmarit, Voigtlander, Zeiss Planar, and Distagon lenses. The Viogtlander Skopars, Noktons and Ultrons are as good as the others by Zeiss and Leitz. But the Voigtlander APO Lanthars are BY FAR the best of all of them.
This Voigtlander lens was the first I bought for my M11P, but I have bought a couple of Leica lenses since, the 50mm Summilux and the 28mm Elmarit. Suffice to say I never use the Voigtlander now.
Jesus I am sure no one asks you about your gear when you make great pictures. It was funny to see at the Newton exhibition in Berlin that he also used fairly a lot of cheap stuff, such as Pentax etc. At the peak H. Newton was charging 100 k per day. I am sure he just would have laughed at someone who would have asked him …. why he also uses prosumer gear….😮…. a great picture is a great picture ….🎉….he and hid wife are just the much better photographers compared to myself😂😂😂😂😮😮🎉🎉
Dear Karin, great video. Have you tried the Voigtlander 35mm Ultron F2? I am looking for a budget M mount lens. I simply can't justify spending almost 6000 for the Summilux as an amateur photographer.
Nice to see pictures from Münster. A nice and fair comparison. The Nocton looks very good but I guess in the end we all want the summicron. did not know that they are so close...
I feel like the Voigtlander 35mm F2 APO Lanthar is a better comparison to the Simmicron. After having had it, it's 50mm F2 APO and 90mm F2.8 APO Lanthar siblings i'm absolutely mind blown at just how sharp and CA free those lenses are even wide open.
Leica glass was the best 70 years ago on 35mm cameras. It was no comparison - the precision engineering, coatings, designs, glass quality was unmatched. Medium format cameras obviously had a superior image quality and great optics from Zeiss and others, but on 35mm Leica was king. The bodies of course were elegant and durable and rangefinders were discrete and allowed for slow handheld shots for photojournalism, street, art photography and other scenarios that made it a more versatile tool. Other manufacturers weren't producing bodies that were as full featured and none of them had optics that could compete. However, In the very late 70's, and continuing into the 80's and 90's, all the big manufacturers caught up. Nikon AI glass was exceptional and rivaled what Leica was producing and many other manufacturers had caught up as well. Still, that reputation had stuck due to effective branding and marketing. The vast majority of people will fail in blind tests or prefer non-Leica lenses and there really is nothing to justify the price tags associated with Leica glass. They don't have special MTF curves, they don't have special designs (they've been reproduced and copy cats have existed for years), all manufacturers have exceptional coating and fantastic manufacturing processes with finer tolerances that today are superior then stuff we considered elite in the 80's and 90's. Of course some vintage lenses do have unique characteristics in out of focus areas but there are lots of modern lens designs like that as well. Realistically, you have to go out of your way to buy 'bad lenses' nowadays cause even the cheap stuff is very good by historical standards. Ultimately people can of course buy whatever they want but for the hobbyist or working photographer, paying for a 3000 dollar f2 35mm lens is totally unnecessary and it's not going to unlock any new potential in you. Put another way - your shot will not go from forgettable to award winning because you used Leica instead of voigtlander. However, by saving that 2000 dollars you might be able to go on a trip and take an award winning shot with that voigtlander :) With that said, I understand many people are very motivated by what equipment they use and it compels them to pick it up and shoot which is important so. Yea.
I'm doing research I found a Nikon Z7 with a Sigma 135mm DG lens and a Leica M240 with a summicron-m 35mm f/2 asph on it. And yes found they were in a bin, I live in a nice building I'd say some rich bloke tossed it. Shutter was not working properly on the Leica, but sorted that out!
The Cosina made Voigtländer 35/1.4 VM II is a really *fine* lens, considering it's price point. Pixel Peepers are not being photographers, for real. And onto 35mm film, one doesn't see a difference. People who gaze at 300, even 400% at every extreme corner of the frame...looking for all kind of optical flaws...what gives? Even their very own, delicate eyes aren't being perfect. And nobody, and nothing on this world truly is. People should leave the church in the village.
I guess, beside Leica owners, most of people know that anything branded "Leica" is mainly just for those who can afford it, no matter how sharp their eyes are at nitpicking or how high their photographic skills are, or how trully needed these products are for their photography. In fact, by not putting a Leica lens on your M body you defeat the main concept of owning a M camera : the distinctive factor. Kidding aside, I know the other 35mm rangefinders are... different, maybe not as comfy or hyped. But still, my point stands : you can make them work. Buy a Bessa put any lense you want and keep the change you saved (thousands of euros) and shoot a shit ton of films :)
It looks like the Leica lens' settings were a bit off. Several images were overexposed. So I preferred the Voigtlander, based on correct exposure. Both lenses delivered color, contrast and clarity equally well. Good thing. I have all Voigtlander lenses on my M11.
If you use Leica Cameras and lenses really hard as daily users then the prices will yield their values. If you only use the leica system as seasonal user then the prices outweigh the values. I used M cameras, summilux and summicron as daily users, only after years of ownership I begin to detect in which fields these summiluxes and summicron outshine other camera system. Am not talking about MTF because current Sony GM lenses have very high MTF, am talking about how we tend to take 2nd,3rd, 4th look at pictures we took using Leica lenses. There is something that makes the object stand out as if they are alive in the pictures.
I got a summicron 35 a few months ago and I really love it but I don’t like how expensive it is and I’m thinking of selling it for that reason alone. Also recently I tested out a Q3 and so something will have to go (summicron 35) but hopefully I can try out a nokton at some point Also I just wanted to state that in my opinion the chromatic aberration on the summicron is a benefit. I think it adds s really nice dimension to the images but I’m a fan of chromatic aberrations
I totally get that, sometimes you have to shuffle some gear around to make room for something new. Interesting thought about the chromatic aberrations, seeing it as a strong point rather than weak point.
I love my Voigt collection for the SL2S , placebo makes you think Leica lens may be leaps ahead while actual perceptual difference maybe negligible. Great video
I preferred the Leica, but I think it might have been the exposure. I didn’t see a difference in the quality of the images. I have some Zeiss and Voightlander lenses. The quality is excellent for the price.
Chromatic aberration isn't a minor point. Colour fringing isn't any good and much more annoying picture quality than looking into the most insignificant edge of a picture by magnifiers with a frenzy of activity. So the Nokton pleases me more than the Summicron and even offers more aperture. @philosimot
Outside of holding its value better in the long term paying x3 the price for the Summicron doesn't make sense for practicality IMO. But most Leica owners I know reach a point where they *feel* as if they need to own Leica glass or are missing out on something. Fancy camera can't be as cool if you're using a third party lens. Especially in comparison to the better Voigtlander lenses like the 35 f2 Ultron which IMO is better than the Leica counterpart.
I clocked the Summicron right away simply because I use a 50mm Summicron F2. The modern crons are so sharp. I found your Nokton to have noticeably warmer tones with a little more distortion. I’m currently shopping for a 35mm lens so this comparison was super helpful. Because I mostly shoot cars, I think I would go with the option that is more neutral in color rendering to highlight the true color of the cars. The sharpness doesn’t matter as much to me.
I find that Leica is not worth 4 times the cost of the Voigtländer lens. I'd rather buy the Voigtländer and spend the rest on a nice vacation. Leica prices are totally nuts.
Enjoy your Summicron! 🙂 I was unable to tell the differences between the two lenses, in the street photographs shown in your presentation. It does not suprise me that your side-by-side comparison images showed the Nokton to have more visible distortion, or that the Summicron has sharper corners. I have owned neither lens, but did quite much “homework” on 35mm lenses, in the past. I test-shot a new friend’s Voigtlander Nokton II MC, during a meeting at a coffee shop in a nearby city, earlier this year. (In return, he had the opportunity to try my M10, before he made a decision whether to buy a pre-owned M10-R from an on-line seller.) My initial impression of the Nokton was quite favorable! Cosina/Voigtlander makes excellent lenses. I already have several of them, for the Nikon F-mount and for Leica. My APO Lanthar 50mm Aspherical may is one of the most stunningly “perfect” lenses I have ever used. Ultimately, however, when I did buy a 35mm lens, this past summer, I opted for Leica, though a Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim “Re-Edition” lens. This may well be the only Leica M lens I ever purchase new, rather than pre-owned, so, I am glad that it works well, for me. I already had the excellent, but large Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM, with very modern optics, so, it made sense to buy the Leica 35mm M lens with a more-vintage character and compact size. I know that I will have to sell lenses, to compensate my budget, but feel that it will be worth it.
Thank you, I am sure I will! :) That's true, some differences in the 101 comparison where kind of "expected" but it's still great to actually test it and not only trust what people are saying about these lenses. I had the chance to try out the re-released Summilux In Wetzlar on its release day and really enjoyed it for the short time I had it. A great lens to achieve great performance closed down, but really artsy, painterly quality shot wide open. Thanks for your comment!
Great video, as always. I only have 2 M lenses - a 50mm Leica Summicron and the latest CV 35mm Nokton f1.5 - so it’s impossible for me to compare the results of different types and manufacturers of lenses at those focal lengths. That said, I see no reason to buy anything other than the CV 35mm for that focal length. I shoot digital and mainly for a black &white final image so colour rendition is irrelevant. Personally, I can discern no practical difference in the “look” of a CV lens from a Leica or Zeiss - I must just be blind to it!
Leica is quality hence the price tag. If you can afford Leica glass its the obvious choice, and yes the images show it. If you can't afford Leica then the Nokton is a great lens for the price.
Honestly it is hard to understand through a video on YT. Then I have to say that for what I have seen I prefer the Voigtländer. Or, it is better to say I don’t see the difference to justify the price tag of the Leica
Of course you can see the difference but to talk about “best” and “worth it” is to subjective they are just different. People pay a lot more for other lenses with bigger flaws to create a certain look.
At first I was busy trying to spot the differences and guess which lens took the shot, but soon I realized all the photos are bad snapshots. In this case, lens is irrelevant.
Which look of which lens did you prefer? And what is your opinion when it comes to the question "Is Leica glass worth the money"? I would be interested to learn more about your thoughts, so please feel free to share them here. Also: In case you want to support my work and get access to additional content, please head over to my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/karinmajoka
Lots of love, Karin 🤍
Hallo,
Ich hatte bis vor kurzem das VOIGTLANDER ULTRON 28MM F2.0
TYPE II VM ASPHÉRIQUE zu meiner Leica M, das wirklich ein klasse Objektiv ist.
Fantastische Schärfe, 1A Fertigungsqualität sowie hervorragende Farbwiedergabe, die Photos waren total beeindruckend!
Man kann dieses herrliche Objektiv zu 100% empfehlen.
Da ich mir nun eine Q3 zu meiner M hinzugekauft habe, dessen 28er das Voigtländer ja ersetzt, habe ich das 28er Objektiv von Voigtländer zu meinem Bedauern verkauft.
Grüße aus Luxemburg.
Die Nokton Linse. Warum? Die Farben sehen besser aus (wärmer), der Helo Effekt bei F1.4 ist genau der Look den ich feier und es gibt kein chromatischen Aberration wie bei der Leica.
B
That intro is my comment section 😂
Hahahah feel you! 😂
First of all, thanks for this cool comparison, it's a great idea to have these two excellent lenses go head to head.
I honestly had the right guess during the video as to which was the Leica lens. The images with the Summicron had that slightly clearer, cooler color shades, aka "Leica look", to me. With the Nokton, I found the colors more vibrant and the look a bit more washed out, more vintage style.
If money was no object, the Summicron would be my first choice, but in real life I would probably go with the Voigtländer and still be very happy with it. 🙂
Nice comparison. Just by looking at the photos, I couldn't say which was shot on which lens. But I did work out who was shooting which lens quite early on in the video. I won't say how I knew, so as not to spoil it for other watchers. I owned the Nokton 35mm and it's a fantastic little performer.
Haha, I know what you are referring to. I only noticed it later because we did not film everything from behind. I just hoped people would not pay too much attention ;) Thanks for your comment!
Do a comparison for the summicron vs Voigtlander Ultron v2 35/2 please. The Ultron is better but would love to see if you still chose the Summicron for character. Thx
It was not a blind test; I can recognize from the beginning that Karin is using Voigtlander because of the hood during the photowalk.-) I own both these lenses, I use Nokton for BW and Summictron for color.-)
I prefer the Nokton, as it's more "Rock & Roll. The lens is not perfect, in the same way we as humans are not perfect, and it's always good to embrace the error. Also, as Henry Cartier-Bresson once said: "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept"... That's not to say this statement should be used as an excuse for poor technique, rather that not every image has to be sharp to be credible...
Hmmm… like them both. Own them both ( version 1&2 of the Voigtlaender). Use them both. Strangely the voigtlaender V2 is on my M8 for B/W most of the time. The 35 2 is on my film Leicas or on the 240. But … the enlarged prints of shots taken with the 35 2 are breathtaking sometimes, by enlarged I mean poster size for exhibits or the wall at home with a size of 1.5 to 1 m or even bigger…
I was wrong! After a couple shots I thought Karin had the summi for sure!
No sabría decir cuál prefiero pero (en la mayoría de los casos) sí sabría diferenciar las fotos de uno u otro, la verdad.
In Münster läuten die Glocken 5:35 Also schönes Wetter zum fotografieren.😸
Think the Summicron is more dreamy, cause of that ill use it with more contrasty film like Colorplus! But i love that in Gold the Nokton punches out the colours cause of contrast!
I figured that the images that were tack sharp were from the summicron. While the others weren't tack sharp. Not necessarily a bad thing if you want some character vs sterile images. I was looking at the corners of the image for sharpness. At least in my opinion that's how I was able to tell the difference. which do you prefer?
cool video Karin! :)
I'm curious if you can test the Summilux 35mm in the near future :)
I recently sold my 50mm 1.4 Summilux ASPH, because I realised that at my current situation with 2 small kids I only shoot casually with the M system and therefore 2500€ sitting on the shelf collecting dust is something I didn't like. I settled for the Nokton 35mm 1.4 for now as my only M lens since it makes financially sense, but I have to admit, I miss the Summilux :..D
Grüße aus BaWü :)
I think one has to expect more fall-off (vignetting) the more a lens can open. The Noctilux shows even more vignetting. In that aspect the two lenses aim for a different design with different objectives. The Summicron is a bit the all rounder.
yes I watched that video over and over again
To me, the difference is obvious.
I have a Summicron 35 that I use a lot.
And I have a Voight 28 Ultron, which I don't use because I don't like the imaging of those lenses.
I bought my first M camera thinking I could shoot with third party lenses and save money.
But it didn't work out.
Only Leica lenses capture the essence
The light and compositions made the difference.
I honestly thought you were the one with the Leica lens 😮
I like that your friend is named after a Leica lens ;)
Vielen Dank! Schöne fotos. Of course, the Leica lens was much better when I looked through a microscope at the pictures. . 😇. I never considered a Leica lens for my MP. For that money, I could buy several Voightländers and never notice the difference. I am talking about my type of amateur photography, not about the photos by pros. I have several Ultrons f2 and they are small and light and even with hood do not block too much of the view finder. This is very important for me.
I have one second hand Leica 24mm, which I sometimes use in cities or for landscapes. For parties with many people, it is great for an atmosphere of togetherness, coupled with the (Voightländer) 75mm for more intimacy. I can tell the difference only by the angle. But don't forget I am just an experienced amateur, not a professional.
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it! Haha, that's what I call next level pixel-peeping, but I am sure some people would go as far as using a microscope 😂
I have to admit that I have tried the 35mm Ultron and was not a big fan - this show how subjective this whole lens game actually is. I know it's a brilliant lens when it comes to image quality, but I just could not work around the tactile experience and small, almost invisible distance scale.
Yes. Next question.
You totally have it away with the side shot of your shooting the Nokton. Oooooops!!! Maybe be more careful on future “blind” test. 😂
Summicron colours rendering looks more natural for me. Voigtlander is too warm
You can get vintage Leica lenses not all of them are expensive. I picked a 50mm Sumitar for $550 I have my eye on a vintage 50mm Summicron for $1200
That's great! Good deals are still out there, we just need to be lucky
I have a significant collection of both Voigtlander and Leitz lenses. The Voigtlanders run the gamut from just OK to unmitigatedly superior. The Leitz lenses range from simply awful to barely acceptable. No contest in my view. NOTHING I have seen, by anyone, comes even REMOTELY CLOSE to the optical quality of my three Voigtlander APO Lanthars.
compare these 2 lenses just like compare the time between Rolex and Casio
I though B was going to be the Leica lens ngl
I bet this video was actually just made as an excuse for you to shoot some colour film😏
I think the voigtlander looks great. It was the one that I preferred.
It's a great lens and I saw really happy with it for the most part. :)
I bought the Nokton 35 mm 10 months ago and have been extremely happy with it. I don't mind small imperfections like vignetting, but the reason why I decided to change it for a Leica Elmarit was the focal length. I wanted to exchange it for a 28 mm lens instead and having seen som reviews, I decided the pricy Elmarit 28 mm was right for me. I expect to shoot it a lot for street, cityscape, architecture and landscape and the 50 mm Summicron for portraits and everything else. I ended up becoming annoyed by the constraints of a 35 mm and wanted something more versatile and moderne as my go to lens. But I have to say that the colour rendering of the Nokton and sharpness produces really lovely pictures. I will try to sell it, but I will keep it, if I can't get a decent price on it.
Strange, to me the Nokton actually looks sharper in the centre from f2 (at 13:30). Either way if the 'sharpness' is the thing people notice about your photos then that's not a good sign. Some of the most amazing images I've ever seen aren't even fully in focus! For me I prefer cheap stuff because I can be more adventurous and focus on capturing images than worrying about super expensive gear.
Glad it’s not just me! The Nokton certainly does look sharper in the centre crops from f2, and not just because of the higher green/red colour fringing on the lens engraving from the Summicron.
Unless maybe those crops were captioned the wrong way round…
As a collector of the very finest cameras, I personally believe that’s all about their character, charm and experience of shooting. The fun factor. Not necessarily the price, sharpness or speed. It’s about that instant moment that you grab that equipment and, from the first few shots, you know you are hooked. That sweet formula that makes in love for photography again and again.
Also agree. I’ve had a few dozen lenses over the past 20 years, budget to Leica APO lenses, as well as some of Sony, Canon, Sigma and Voigtlanders best.
Quality was ultimately not the prevailing factor for me. “Good enough” with great ergonomics (largely, compactness) wins. If the lens quality is the make or break for a picture, then I wasn’t taking a great picture to begin with.
I identify as Leica Glass
Love this comment 😂
I have both lenses and with film I don't think there are enough differences to justify the cost of the Leica, but with my M11 it is pretty obvious that the Leica is much sharper. I also have the Voigtlander 35 APO Lanthar and it is a bit sharper than the Leica and there is no color fringing when looking into the sun, you should check it out. So far the APO is my best 35mm lens (even compared to my Nikon Z & F glass) but it's kind of large and obtrusive so I have yet to decide between the two.
The Voigtländer 35mm f2 Ultron beats the Summicron 35mm f2 in image quality and is also sharper than the Nokton 35/1.4. Absolute recommendation.
I was thinking that would be a better comparison
Spotting the chrome ring on Karin's lens at 2:38 spoilt the game for me. 😏
Me too 😅
This was great - it's just a shame that the lens hoods gave this away quite early on who was shooting what. Still very interesting results. Great video.
Totally true, I only realised it in the edit (and hoped people would not pay attention too closely haha). But it was so bright that day, that shooting without a lens hood would be a terrible option.
I had noticed the lens hoods also but still enjoyed the video, especially the side my side comparison.
I preferred the Nokton more and it had more of a look I wanted. I have a bunch of the Cosina Voigtlander lenses and I love them. I also have a Super Nokton for my Micro 4/3 body and it's a top favorite even though I rarely shoot it wide open
My impression is that the differences aren't really big if you shoot film and mostly use medium apertures, like in street photography. I own the Nokton 35mm 1,4 (Version I though) myself and like the compactness and the image quality is mostly great. It has some annoying issues though, the distortion and vignetting can be nasty and wide open it is really soft, which makes not really a good option for low light. So I look for an upgrade, but the Leica 35mm lenses are definitely out of my price range 😕
Maybe the new Voigtländer Ultron 35mm 2,0 or the Zeiss Biogon? We'll see... Happy shooting, I would also like to see a video about your experiences with the M10 so far!
Great content! The purist will not agree but I guess you can enjoy a Leica camera with a non Leica lens. Sure a lot of the Leica lenses are great. But totally not in reach of my budget. So Voigtlander makes great lenses you can enjoy the great M bodies with a very good lens without paying the price most people can not afford. Another great alternative for me are the Carl Zeiss lenses. A bit higher in price as Voigtlander but IMHO also better performing.
And now I am gonna make the purists 🤮. I own 2 7Artisan lenses. Both very well made. Focus is smooth and tight! All metal and glass. A 35mm f2 and a 50mm f1.1. And both perform above what there price would suggest! I use the 50mm on my old M8 that is 66mm on that camera. I shoot Monochrome jpegs with this camera, and the results are absolutely stunning!
Keep up the good work!!
Kind regards.
Nice comparison video! Some others have noted the lens hood giving it away, which I noticed as well 😅, but I guessed it right before that, but ONLY because of some distortion on some of the straight on shots of buildings where a window edge or other straight line was at the edge of the frame. If it weren't for that distortion I probably wouldn't have been able to tell much of a difference. I have the Nokton myself and have always enjoyed shooting with it and am perfectly happy with the photos it makes. I definitely don't feel like the Summicron is worth $2000 more for my purposes...but then, i've never actually used one myself.🤔
I have the nokton 35 1.4 and love it! There is just one thing that didn’t really show up that much in the review though. At wider open apertures the colors change pretty vastly for me, a lot of times I really like how this looks (also the bokeh gets swirly at 1.4) but it could be seen as an imperfection
I honestly rarely use any lens wide open, which is why I did not really put this in the focus of the review - but that is in fact a good point! The Bokeh of the Nokton is a but more agitated and swirly, but the Bokeh on the Summicron is a bit more calm and smooth in my opinion. Imperfections are not always a bad thing. :)
I might be wrong but I feel like there is a slight color cast to the Nokton, the skin tones looked a little yellow-greenish on the film shots. The Summicron seemed more clinical in it's color rendition. With that being said, in this day and age it's almost nothing at all to slightly nudge a slider in lightroom to fix the difference. All and all I think I actually like the Nokton a bit better. I especially like the price a lot better. I just don't see the $2000 of extra value in the Summicron to make it worth it unless you are taking very technical photos in which case you probably wouldn't be using a range finder.
Also, Leica owner spends $1500 on a camera and $2600 on a lens to only shot the cheapest budget film.(Just kidding😉)
i liked your photos more. i use a voigtlander nokton 40mm 1.4 on my Leica CL and i know it gives a better contrast usually than the leica lenses :) i also love the build of the voigtlander lenses! 😃
Aaaach… Leica lenses, schmeica lenses!!!!
😉
Every year or so, I think, I sooo much need a Leica M, then it takes me a couple of weeks to realise, how much i still have to pay for the house and then I remember how much fun it is to shoot my Nikon FE2.
Damn gas! 😅😊
Hahaha, I guess we can all relate (not to the point with the house, I wish though... 😂). GAS is real and the worst thing is that I cannot be cured by actually buying what you want haha.
Leica lenses are super expensive, but from my experience, they hold their value well. I sold some Lenses after using them for years and got the same price for them. I also like that they are designed to be used fully opened. When you compare the Voigtländer f1.4 to the even more expensive Summilux, you will see a massive difference at f1.4. But I can also understand that not everyone can afford such lenses. I want to say that these lenses are not only crazy expensive but also great performers.
I agree with that! :)
I think if you're really into Leica and know you'll use the system for a long time, having your most used lens be a Leica might be worthwhile, then use third parties for the rest of your focal lengths
There's no point having a faster lens if it doesn't perform well wide-open. I only shoot Leica glass and prefer the subtle creamy fall-off and 'soft' sharpness. Highly recommend the 28 Elmarit prea(spherical) inexpensive (by Leica standards) and just jaw-dropping gorgeous.
What a great review and very helpful in decision making considering that I’ve shot with the voigtlander 35 1.4 MC & MCII for four years. I’ve been trying to find out if it was worth the swap. I’d say very much so from this video.
Thanks for sharing! :) Glad you are happy with your choice!
I choose the lens that gives the images I like the most. My three favourite lenses are 21mm Elmarit f2.8 ASPH, Nokton 35mm f1.4 classic MC II and Planar 50mm f2 ZM. I tried a variety and chose on image not price nor brand. I can’t be bothered with the Leica snobs, they are obviously more bothered about being big heads than their image quality :-)
It depend, Voilander=cosina form JP - same as Carl Zeiss - msome of leica is APCHROMATIC - usualy F2, fast lens is not apchromatic - and apochromatic is best qulaity - BUT i compare some with TTArtisan APO-M 35mm F2 ASPH. - one of best lens on Leica - i use it on GFX100S - hi qulaity, bettre that cosina and leica
The fact that the voigtlander goes from a pro mist filter look to tack sharp adds a level of creative flexibility for night time photography with lights that some would not think about.
Otherwise give me a sony body and a 35mm gmaster for sharpness. 😛
I own and shoot the Nokton VM II a lot, and I felt that Elmar was getting different results than what I would have gotten so I figured he would be shooting the Leica. That being said it was just a guess, but pretty early saw I was right (Lens hood gave it away). What I didn't expect was the chromatic aberration of the Leica, it was a bit much for my liking and this video just showed me it probably wouldn't be worth the upgrade. I also thought the Nokton was a bit sharper in the centre (maybe because of the fringing) but yes the Leica is way better in the corners. In the end, on film I probably wouldn’t see the difference in sharpness, but I would like to have less distortion and my Leica 50mm feels better than my Nokton, and when shooting film, with a Leica its a huge part of the experience. But, I just can’t justify the much higher price when the Nokton just seem really good as well so I probably stick to it for a little while longer. Thanks for the Video!
I can’t tell… I’m surprised as I thought I knew the look of both of those lenses. I thought they were quite different lenses but you show that the differences are in real life very small… thank you.
I totally agree! I still think the Leica outperformed the Nokton when it comes to technical details. But in the end it does not really matter because the "real life" test results showed how close and hard to distinguish they actually were.
I prefer the Nokton here. Not that they look hugely different. May be I just prefer the images you took this day.
Karin, I now challenge you to try out some vintage LTM lenses on your M6, which are even less money than the Nokton. The Canon lenses are little jewels made with Japanese precision and are frequently compared to Leica's best from that era. They probably won't outperform your Summicron ASPH, but perhaps your audience might enjoy a review.
I actually got a 50mm Canon LTM lens as a gift recently which works great. It has some fungus though so it wouldn't be a fair comparison - but it's a fun lens for sure!
I have that same 11827 35mm Summicron and use it on my M6 TTL and also M11. Having taken it all over the world, I can say it's a completely solid performing lens at all apertures. Glad I didn't compromise.
That sounds great! Actually, having the M10 now, tipped me over the edge staying with the Summicron and not the Nokton. I love how the Summicron renders on digital as well, it's so versatile!
I have a Voightlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic E on my Sony camera. I absolutely love it.
I’m a bit late to comment … use the Voigtländer Ultron 1.7 35 mm, which is impressive in both sharpness and rendering. But I‘m still tempted by the Summicron V5 or 6, and trying to stay strong … 🎉
I spotted the Leica lense. But I guess it was 50/50 chance cause both look great and verry similar and I definitely couldn’t have said that is the Leica and the other not for sure. 2000€ are just not worth it .
So So close! I’m just blown away that you can get such amazing quality and sharpness from film. I preferred the Leica but as said it was so close. Great video and a decision I’m going to have to make soon when I get my M6 or MP.
Great video!
What would you recommend like first 35mm lens for Leica M: Voigtländer Ultron Vintage Line 35mm f/2 Aspherical Type II or Zeiss C Biogon T* 35mm f/2.8 ZM
Thank you
the Summi has better color and bite.... His street pics just pop more than Mr. Nocton's. Yes it was easy to see. The Nocton's pics look like you used older film.
From the first few photos my bet was on Karin using the Nokton. After a few more I was quite sure she does. Those photos just had much more of the orange tone (for me, subjectively, too much). One thing 3rd party lenses can't beat Leica lenses at is the colour reproduction. With Elmar's photos it was clear how more natural the colour reproduction is, even despite the "vintage" orange tone of the Kodak 200 film.
Of course, a blind comparison is much easier if you know you're comparing 2 groups of photos made with just 2 lenses, than having a bucket of photos which are not labelled A / B and you have to guess each photo individually.
My conclusion - I was considering buying Nokton as my 35mm lens (right now shooting with a 50mm Summicron) and I came here to validate whether Nokton is enough for my needs. The decision is I'm starting saving for a 35mm Summicron instead.
In a word........NO.
I have a good selection of Summicron, Elmarit, Voigtlander, Zeiss Planar, and Distagon lenses. The Viogtlander Skopars, Noktons and Ultrons are as good as the others by Zeiss and Leitz. But the Voigtlander APO Lanthars are BY FAR the best of all of them.
This Voigtlander lens was the first I bought for my M11P, but I have bought a couple of Leica lenses since, the 50mm Summilux and the 28mm Elmarit. Suffice to say I never use the Voigtlander now.
Jesus I am sure no one asks you about your gear when you make great pictures. It was funny to see at the Newton exhibition in Berlin that he also used fairly a lot of cheap stuff, such as Pentax etc. At the peak H. Newton was charging 100 k per day. I am sure he just would have laughed at someone who would have asked him …. why he also uses prosumer gear….😮…. a great picture is a great picture ….🎉….he and hid wife are just the much better photographers compared to myself😂😂😂😂😮😮🎉🎉
Dear Karin, great video. Have you tried the Voigtlander 35mm Ultron F2? I am looking for a budget M mount lens. I simply can't justify spending almost 6000 for the Summilux as an amateur photographer.
That's great. I shoot w a Summilux 35 and before that w Voigtlander and Zeiss and I was 100 % sure Karin had the Summicron. 100% wrong !
Nice to see pictures from Münster. A nice and fair comparison. The Nocton looks very good but I guess in the end we all want the summicron. did not know that they are so close...
Münster is not such an easy city for street photography though. Totally agree, they are in fact really close!
I feel like the Voigtlander 35mm F2 APO Lanthar is a better comparison to the Simmicron. After having had it, it's 50mm F2 APO and 90mm F2.8 APO Lanthar siblings i'm absolutely mind blown at just how sharp and CA free those lenses are even wide open.
Leica glass was the best 70 years ago on 35mm cameras. It was no comparison - the precision engineering, coatings, designs, glass quality was unmatched. Medium format cameras obviously had a superior image quality and great optics from Zeiss and others, but on 35mm Leica was king. The bodies of course were elegant and durable and rangefinders were discrete and allowed for slow handheld shots for photojournalism, street, art photography and other scenarios that made it a more versatile tool. Other manufacturers weren't producing bodies that were as full featured and none of them had optics that could compete.
However, In the very late 70's, and continuing into the 80's and 90's, all the big manufacturers caught up. Nikon AI glass was exceptional and rivaled what Leica was producing and many other manufacturers had caught up as well. Still, that reputation had stuck due to effective branding and marketing.
The vast majority of people will fail in blind tests or prefer non-Leica lenses and there really is nothing to justify the price tags associated with Leica glass. They don't have special MTF curves, they don't have special designs (they've been reproduced and copy cats have existed for years), all manufacturers have exceptional coating and fantastic manufacturing processes with finer tolerances that today are superior then stuff we considered elite in the 80's and 90's. Of course some vintage lenses do have unique characteristics in out of focus areas but there are lots of modern lens designs like that as well.
Realistically, you have to go out of your way to buy 'bad lenses' nowadays cause even the cheap stuff is very good by historical standards.
Ultimately people can of course buy whatever they want but for the hobbyist or working photographer, paying for a 3000 dollar f2 35mm lens is totally unnecessary and it's not going to unlock any new potential in you.
Put another way - your shot will not go from forgettable to award winning because you used Leica instead of voigtlander. However, by saving that 2000 dollars you might be able to go on a trip and take an award winning shot with that voigtlander :)
With that said, I understand many people are very motivated by what equipment they use and it compels them to pick it up and shoot which is important so. Yea.
I'm doing research I found a Nikon Z7 with a Sigma 135mm DG lens and a Leica M240 with a summicron-m 35mm f/2 asph on it.
And yes found they were in a bin, I live in a nice building I'd say some rich bloke tossed it.
Shutter was not working properly on the Leica, but sorted that out!
The Cosina made Voigtländer 35/1.4 VM II is a really *fine* lens, considering it's price point. Pixel Peepers are not being photographers, for real. And onto 35mm film, one doesn't see a difference. People who gaze at 300, even 400% at every extreme corner of the frame...looking for all kind of optical flaws...what gives? Even their very own, delicate eyes aren't being perfect. And nobody, and nothing on this world truly is. People should leave the church in the village.
Love your new Viedo, Karin! His name being Elmar makes it quite confusing though ;) 😄
I guess, beside Leica owners, most of people know that anything branded "Leica" is mainly just for those who can afford it, no matter how sharp their eyes are at nitpicking or how high their photographic skills are, or how trully needed these products are for their photography. In fact, by not putting a Leica lens on your M body you defeat the main concept of owning a M camera : the distinctive factor. Kidding aside, I know the other 35mm rangefinders are... different, maybe not as comfy or hyped. But still, my point stands : you can make them work. Buy a Bessa put any lense you want and keep the change you saved (thousands of euros) and shoot a shit ton of films :)
It looks like the Leica lens' settings were a bit off. Several images were overexposed. So I preferred the Voigtlander, based on correct exposure. Both lenses delivered color, contrast and clarity equally well. Good thing. I have all Voigtlander lenses on my M11.
If you use Leica Cameras and lenses really hard as daily users then the prices will yield their values. If you only use the leica system as seasonal user then the prices outweigh the values. I used M cameras, summilux and summicron as daily users, only after years of ownership I begin to detect in which fields these summiluxes and summicron outshine other camera system. Am not talking about MTF because current Sony GM lenses have very high MTF, am talking about how we tend to take 2nd,3rd, 4th look at pictures we took using Leica lenses. There is something that makes the object stand out as if they are alive in the pictures.
I got a summicron 35 a few months ago and I really love it but I don’t like how expensive it is and I’m thinking of selling it for that reason alone. Also recently I tested out a Q3 and so something will have to go (summicron 35) but hopefully I can try out a nokton at some point
Also I just wanted to state that in my opinion the chromatic aberration on the summicron is a benefit. I think it adds s really nice dimension to the images but I’m a fan of chromatic aberrations
I totally get that, sometimes you have to shuffle some gear around to make room for something new.
Interesting thought about the chromatic aberrations, seeing it as a strong point rather than weak point.
This should NOT be any surprise for you if Summicron is better than Nokton. It will be a surprise if Voigtlander is better than Leica.
I love my Voigt collection for the SL2S , placebo makes you think Leica lens may be leaps ahead while actual perceptual difference maybe negligible. Great video
The Voigtlander 35 ultron F2 would be a better test as it’s a fab performer. I have this and the Voigtlander 35 F1.4 nokton.
I preferred the Leica, but I think it might have been the exposure. I didn’t see a difference in the quality of the images. I have some Zeiss and Voightlander lenses. The quality is excellent for the price.
Chromatic aberration isn't a minor point. Colour fringing isn't any good and much more annoying picture quality than looking into the most insignificant edge of a picture by magnifiers with a frenzy of activity. So the Nokton pleases me more than the Summicron and even offers more aperture. @philosimot
The Lecia lens produces images with more contrast. Good or Bad?
Outside of holding its value better in the long term paying x3 the price for the Summicron doesn't make sense for practicality IMO. But most Leica owners I know reach a point where they *feel* as if they need to own Leica glass or are missing out on something. Fancy camera can't be as cool if you're using a third party lens. Especially in comparison to the better Voigtlander lenses like the 35 f2 Ultron which IMO is better than the Leica counterpart.
if you really want to fool the Leica snobs and make people guess, then blur out the lenses in post next time. Anyone could already tell :p
I see no difference. I do own a Voightlander 35mm 1.4 Nokton Classic SC. It's great. Thanks for the video.
I clocked the Summicron right away simply because I use a 50mm Summicron F2. The modern crons are so sharp. I found your Nokton to have noticeably warmer tones with a little more distortion. I’m currently shopping for a 35mm lens so this comparison was super helpful. Because I mostly shoot cars, I think I would go with the option that is more neutral in color rendering to highlight the true color of the cars. The sharpness doesn’t matter as much to me.
I have the Nokton and it’s really my favorite lens. It’s just so bright and beautiful
I find that Leica is not worth 4 times the cost of the Voigtländer lens. I'd rather buy the Voigtländer and spend the rest on a nice vacation. Leica prices are totally nuts.
Enjoy your Summicron! 🙂 I was unable to tell the differences between the two lenses, in the street photographs shown in your presentation. It does not suprise me that your side-by-side comparison images showed the Nokton to have more visible distortion, or that the Summicron has sharper corners. I have owned neither lens, but did quite much “homework” on 35mm lenses, in the past. I test-shot a new friend’s Voigtlander Nokton II MC, during a meeting at a coffee shop in a nearby city, earlier this year. (In return, he had the opportunity to try my M10, before he made a decision whether to buy a pre-owned M10-R from an on-line seller.) My initial impression of the Nokton was quite favorable!
Cosina/Voigtlander makes excellent lenses. I already have several of them, for the Nikon F-mount and for Leica. My APO Lanthar 50mm Aspherical may is one of the most stunningly “perfect” lenses I have ever used. Ultimately, however, when I did buy a 35mm lens, this past summer, I opted for Leica, though a Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim “Re-Edition” lens. This may well be the only Leica M lens I ever purchase new, rather than pre-owned, so, I am glad that it works well, for me. I already had the excellent, but large Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM, with very modern optics, so, it made sense to buy the Leica 35mm M lens with a more-vintage character and compact size. I know that I will have to sell lenses, to compensate my budget, but feel that it will be worth it.
Thank you, I am sure I will! :)
That's true, some differences in the 101 comparison where kind of "expected" but it's still great to actually test it and not only trust what people are saying about these lenses.
I had the chance to try out the re-released Summilux In Wetzlar on its release day and really enjoyed it for the short time I had it. A great lens to achieve great performance closed down, but really artsy, painterly quality shot wide open.
Thanks for your comment!
Great video, as always. I only have 2 M lenses - a 50mm Leica Summicron and the latest CV 35mm Nokton f1.5 - so it’s impossible for me to compare the results of different types and manufacturers of lenses at those focal lengths. That said, I see no reason to buy anything other than the CV 35mm for that focal length. I shoot digital and mainly for a black &white final image so colour rendition is irrelevant. Personally, I can discern no practical difference in the “look” of a CV lens from a Leica or Zeiss - I must just be blind to it!
Leica is quality hence the price tag. If you can afford Leica glass its the obvious choice, and yes the images show it. If you can't afford Leica then the Nokton is a great lens for the price.
So I couldn't tell which was the Leica lens. Nevertheless, I like the look of the Voigtländer better. If I had to choose, it would be the Voigtländer.
Not gonna lie, it changed per pic for me, so I might choose cheaper lens if i was forced to make a choice.
Honestly it is hard to understand through a video on YT. Then I have to say that for what I have seen I prefer the Voigtländer. Or, it is better to say I don’t see the difference to justify the price tag of the Leica
Of course you can see the difference but to talk about “best” and “worth it” is to subjective they are just different. People pay a lot more for other lenses with bigger flaws to create a certain look.
Nokton is a summilux pre asph v2 modern copy. Compare both. Summicron has a different look
Plot twist; You both shot on your Voightländers and in the next video you call out the Lecia experts! 😮😅
Hahahaha, genius idea, I should do something like this for April's fools next year 😂
At first I was busy trying to spot the differences and guess which lens took the shot, but soon I realized all the photos are bad snapshots. In this case, lens is irrelevant.
I mean I could tell from the start only because you had a round lens hood and Elmar’s was squared.