A fast 35mm lens which is very sharp, has nice bokeh and is also small? This sounds too good to be true but the Voigtländer Ultron 1.7/35 VM is all that. Of course there is are also a few issues but all in all it’s a pretty great lens.
Sample Images
Specifications
-
- Diameter: 53 mm
- Length: 50,9 mm
- Filter Diameter: 46 mm
- Weight: 238g (black version) 330g (silver version)
- Number of Aperture Blades: 10
- Elements/Groups: 9/7
The Voigtländer 1.7/35 sells for $779 at CameraQuest*, Amazon.com* or B&H Photo*. At ebay.com* you might find it for a little less.
Check ebay.de* for prices in Europe, last time I checked they were around 739€.
*= Affiliate Link
Versions
Optically there are two different versions of this lens.
The older M39 version is engraved with Aspherical and it also has a different focusing ring than the newer M-mount version. I have never used it but from other people’s reports it is neither as sharp nor does it have as high contrast as the younger M-mount version.
The M-mount version is the one this review is about. It comes in two versions: The silver one has a brass focusing ring and is a little more expensive, the black one is lighter because it is made from aluminium not brass and more affordable.
Compatibility
The lens has a Leica M-mount, so naturally you can use it on a wide range of M-mount cameras.
If you want use it on the Sony Alpha 7 like I do, you need an adapter like this one (affiliate link).
Because the Sony a7 has a much thicker filter stack than the Leica M240 the corner performance and field curvature of the Voigtländer you will experience is different from that on the M240.
Built Quality
The Voigtländer 1.7/35 is very well made, everything is either metal or glass, tolerances are very low and the markings are engraved and filled with white paint.
Size, Weight and Handling
The Voigtländer is a small lens. It is as short as my FE 2/28 but quite a bit thinner. On the a7 it looks a bit small .
The very thinfocusing ring isn’t that pleasant to use, focusing is smooth but it is too thin to feel pleasant and the elevations are too distinctive if you ask me. Still much better than any Sony FE lens.
The aperture ring in contrast is pleasant to use and much grippier than the focusing ring. It stops down in half steps from f/1.7 to f/16 and has quite distinctive clicks.
Lens Hood
The screw-in hood is well made. It has a significantly higher diameter than the lens which is a bit annoying because it looks a bit displaced on the 1.7/35.
Cosina does provide not only one but two caps, on fits over the hood and offers additional protection. I found it very handy.
There seems to be a very nice optional hood but I couldn’t find any additional info on that.
Close Focusing Distance
At 50cm the short focusing distance is quite long compared to SLR or Mirrorless lenses. I didn’t find this to be much of an issue but in the a7 you have the option to use a helicoid adapter (Affiliate link) for a much shorter short focusing distance.
Image Quality
Vignetting
At least on my a7 the Voigtländer 1.7/35 vignettes a lot, I guess the sensor is partially responsible and I would guess that there will be less vignetting on the Sony a7rII with it’s BSI sensor.
At f/1.7 vignetting is very noticeable and even the most extreme settings in Lightroom won’t correct it fully. In my experience this wasn’t really an issue since I like to have some vignetting in my images anyway but other people will prefer a different style.
Even stopped down to f/8 some vignetting remains and I had to correct it in a few of my landscape images.
Color Shift
Many Leica M mount lenses show some color shift when used on digital sensors.
At least on the Sony a7 the Voigtländer 1.7/35 shows only very minor colorshift, I haven’t noticed it in any real world image.
I have read from other people that it is more of an issue on the a7r and also visible on the M240. Extrapolation from other peoples experiences I would guess that it is a no-issue on the Sony a7s and a7rII.
Field Curvature
The Ultron 1.7/35, when used on the a7, shows a lot of field curvature. Since the lens has a rather flat field of focus on the Leica M240. I am pretty sure that this is caused by the Sony a7’s rather thick filter stack.
In my use the field curvature sometimes caused distracting corners, because the curvature is backwards bent the background can suddenly come into focus in the corners even though it is nicely blurred in the center. But this only happened in a few images at longer distances. For portraits and other scenes at shorter distances the field curvature wasn’t really noticeable. You wouldn’t want to use this lens for astro photography because of the feld curvate (and vignetting).
For flat landscape scenes I found that the Ultron is very sharp from corner to corner, more on that topic under sharpness.
Flare Resistance
It is very hard to make the Voigtländer show any ghosting, only when I tried very hard I managed to get a small blue blob. I haven’t seen a better performance from any lens.
Veiling flare is usually very well controlled but I had a few situations were it was an issue but those were extreme scenarios and the a7’s reflective sensor might have played a role there.
Distortion
I see a truly negligible amount of barrel distortion, this is a very good performance.
Chromatic Aberations
Lateral CA are very well corrected and hardly visible.
LoCA are well corrected, they are of course there but well enough corrected that I never found them distracting.
Bokeh
The Voigtländer has very good bokeh, especially for a 35mm lens which often struggle in this aspect.
At shorter distances the Voigtländer has very smooth bokeh:
The cat eyes effect at f/1.7 is quite pronounced, also notice the absence of onion rings:
At f/2.8 it is much less obvious, you can also notice the nice round shape of the out-of-focus highlights thanks to the 10 bladed aperture:
At longer distances the bokeh becomes a bit more nervous and the field curvature can cause the corners to become especially nervous:
Sony a7 | f/1.7 | full resolution
Sun Stars
Wow! Voigtländer lenses are known for great sun stars and the CV is no exception. And you already get them at f/2.0.
Sharpness
The Voigtländer 1.7/35 is a very sharp lens.
At f/1.7 it is sharp across most of the frame.
Here is the 100% crop:
Even very close to the corner it is quite sharp from f/1.7:
But keep the field curvature in mind, the center of the above image is out of focus.
At f/2.8 most of the frame is excellent:
At f/8 it is very sharp across the frame even for infinity scenes but you have to keep the field curvature in mind.
For good to very good corners you should stop down to f/8 and place your focus carefully so that the field curvature is taken into consideration, focusing on the center (like I did for this test) won’t give you the best results.
With my a little too thin adapter the center was sharpest at the 5m setting but the corners are not very good at this setting. At the 3m setting the center is stilll very, very sharp but now the corners are very good as well.
Conclusion
Good
- very sharp across most of the frame from f/1.7
- very sharp across the frame at f/8
- Bokeh
- Built quality
- Size
- Price (in Europe)
Average
- Price
Bad
- Very pronounced field curvature (on Sony cameras)
- Vignetting
- Colorshift on a7r
The Voigtländer 1.7/35 is the most exciting lens I have reviewed in 2015 (so far).
It is very sharp across most of the frame from f/1.7, which alone is quite an achievement for a smallish and fast 35mm lens. But it als has better bokeh than almost any other 35mm lens, it is smaller than most, very well built and the price is considerably lower that that of the competing lenses by Leica and Zeiss.
When used on the Sony a7 the very pronounced field curvature can be an issue, sometimes it benefits a scene but more often it subtracts. You have to take it into consideration, but when you do it isn’t much of an issue.
So all in all the Voigtländer Ultron 1.7/35 is a great lens, with only one flaw. To me it is the most attractive 35mm option for the Alpha 7 series right now.
The Voigtländer 1.7/35 sells for $779 at CameraQuest*, Amazon.com* or B&H Photo*. At ebay.com* you might find it for a little less.
Check ebay.de* for prices in Europe, last time I checked they were around 739€. If this review was helpful to you, please consider using one of my affiliate links. Thanks ?
*= Affiliate Link
The right adapter to use this lens on a Alpha 7 series camera can be found on Amazon.com| Amazon.de (affiliate links).
Full resolution sample Images Voigtländer 1.7/35 on Sony a7
All images are processed in Lightroom from Raw. Many more samples in my flickr album.
Other Articles
- Manual lenses on the Sony a7 – a beginners guide
- Affordable manual lenses for the Sony Alpha 7,7r,7ii,7rii and 7s
- My other lens reviews
- Social Media
This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.
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Thanks for posting this, Phillip. Your findings closely match mine withthe Ultron on an A7R, although possibly the R shows a little more magenta shading in the corners. Shot side by side with my nFD 35 F/2 it is significantly sharper wide open and this gain holds until shut down to about F5.6. However the FD has slightly better corner sharpness. The Ultron shows much less colour fringing than the FD, and less flare wide open – it’s very useable wide open, and the bokeh is gorgeous.
I compared it against my nFD 2.8/35 and the conclusion was the same. Thanks for your input!
Hi, you’re reachning also my conclusion. Tested on M9, M(240) and A7 in dark conditions. Impressive sharpness and pop. The bokeh is really pleasant. I apply lens correction on it, and certainly I’ll use the right one when it will be available in LR. A very good performer.
It will be certainly a better choice than the Zeiss Biogon 35/2, particularly on A7 series.
Thanks’ a lot for the review and the wonderful mushrooms.
Cheers
Is it worth or should I save a little bit more and get a Loxia?
I have not seen any review mentioning corner issues with the Loxia.
I think the Voigtländer is a lot sharper at f/1.7 and it has much nicer bokeh as well. Instead of the oxia I would get a Minolta MD or Canon FD 2.8/35: just as sharp and a lot more affordable, only downside i see is no exif and flare resistance.
Can you compare this with Minolta MD 35mm 1.8. It costs around $330 in ebay. Is it worth paying 330 for that lens.
I don’t own that Minolta but from what I have gathered the Voigtländer has much smoother bokeh and it is much sharper at f/1.7 stopped down the Minolta will have sharper corners because it does not suffer from field curvature. And $330 is a very high pricefor that Minolta
I’ve noticed the price for legacy glass in Australia is stupidly high on ebay. Forcing me to search op shops! People want 150+ for minolta 50 1.7’s!!
Amazing! I can’t decide if sony fe 28mm f2 or this one will be better for my A7 II. What do you think? I like 28 and also 35mm FOV. Thank you for your answer!
Well I prefer manual focus and think the Voigtländer is the more exiting lens. But the FE is more convenient to use.
Hi Phillip, thanks for another great review, particularly interested in your positive views of the bokeh. On that note, have you ever used the Contax Zeiss Distagon C/Y 35mm 1.4? Its a large and heavy lens but has a lovely bokeh and very sharp/good microcontrast. I use it on the A7S and the Minolta Rokkor 40mm f2 when I need a smaller package. I would love to see a comparison as I would definitely think about selling if they were comparable given the smaller size/weight of the Voigtlander. Thanks! Nick
Hi Philip. Nice review.
I don’t think curvature of field can be induced by the filter stack. The filter stack, if not matched to the lens design, can induce astigmatism (the cause of the mushiness in the corners of some RF lenses on A7 cameras).
So if the lens is showing a curved field, I think that is just a feature of the design. An acceptable trade-off, especially if it curves forward at the edges (can make certain kinds of pictures look sharper buy giving sharper corners in a 3d setting and a sharp central subject set back, at the price of softer corners in a planar subject like a test chart)
Hi David,
have a look at this thread over at FM: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1318519/6
I don’t see any curvature in the iamges taken with the M240 and knowledable people like Ron say there is no to very little curvature so I am quite sure about it.
Fascinating! I don’t see how that can be, but that’s just theory, and if it just aint so in practice. I suppose enough astigmatism can make the field a little sharper behind or in front of the focal plane, which will be a kind of field curvature (but not of the classic kind where it’s properly sharp all along a curved surface of focus). So are the edges decently sharp where they are best, or just better than they are in the nominal focus plane?
Anyhow tempting lens as an alternative to the Loxia….
they are quite good, have a look at this image, upper right corner: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96189377@N08/21388617468/in/photostream
It happens the contrary on the A7r: without an AA filter astigmatism (the one not due to the natural angled observation of the aperture) disappears and the filter stack applies a sort of tube extension toward borders and corners. In addition, prism effect on angled rays lead to a sensor originated CA, largely annihilated by software correction, and to some reflections within the stack (double images).
After CA correction, color subimages are aligned and MTF sharply increases on the borders. Adjusting the focus, if the lens is fine, leads to a high corner sharpness.
The Heliar 15 VM I has no curvature of field on A7r, only color cast and sensor CA. After Phase One Capture One 8 corrections with flat field, it is stunning.
ZM 25/2.8 has little curvature up to the border and moderate excess CA, but MAY suffer of reflections.
ZM 21/4.5 C has moderate field curvature starting at about 15 mm off center (5 m center focus distance, 1.5 m at the border on A7r), as shown by Zeiss MTF graphs. Best compromise calculated focus distance for Novoflex adapter is 2.75 m, valid after about f/5.6 o better f/8.
Anyway in full frame applications it is not recommended to focus at infinity or hyperfocal, but rather on readable finest details.
I found that all such lenses globally outperform any DSRL lenses on D 810 and is therefore advisable to compare shots after full, dedicated post processing with competent software..
still cant decide if 28 f2 FE or this one for A7 II … I want to use one of these lenses 80 % of the time…
I think the Voigtländer is the better “only one lens” lens
thank you for your comment. Could you please add some more pictures on your flickr account? Do you have some portraits also? 28mm will distort much more right? I am used to the Sony RX1 sharpness and bokeh. I know Voigtlander is totally different lens than zeiss 35 f2 but it has such a nice colors and contrast.
I will finish the review on Sunday or Monday with new sample images. I shot several portraits and I like what the CV35 did tere but I can’t share them for privacyreasons.
Thanks Phillip, very useful review. Very tempting!
Why you chose Voigtlander f1.7 instead of Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 Manual Focus M Mount Lens – Black. It is bit cheaper than 1.7 and compact. Is 1.7 sharper than 1.4?
because it is a much better performer
No doubt! The nokton classic is okayish on Leica but Ultron is way above when it comes to performance. This said, I like the classic/vintage look of images taken with VM35/1.4 MC
Hi Phillip!
Thanks a LOT that for your review and your beautiful shots, I just can imagine the amount of work all of that represents.
I wanted to know if you were planning to make a review of the Loxia 35/2? I haven’t found many good articles about this one and I like the way you do yours : used in “real” situations.
Then maybe compare it to the Ultron?… If you don’t plan to, comparing bokeh, sharpness, and that has an importance for the traveler I am : sizes and weights, what do you think?… I’m a interested in both lenses and it’s really hard to make a decision…
Thx
Check out this review of the Loxia 2/35: http://admiringlight.com/blog/review-zeiss-loxia-35mm-f2-biogon-t/
The Loxia doesn’t come close to the Voigtlädners Bokeh and it is also less sharp at f/2. Considering the price point I consider it a much less interesting option and I don’t think I will review it, my time is limited and I prefer to spend it on more interesting lenses 🙂
Thanks a lot for your response Phillip!
The link you gave me is very useful indeed…
Looking forward to read more of your reviews 🙂
I am in dilemma whether to go for Voigtlander Nokton Aspherical 35mm f/1.2 Lens II or Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron Aspherical Lens (Black/Silver). They both cost around $1000. I’m not concerned about the size or looks. Which one is sharper?
I was wondering exactly the same thing. Trying to make a 35mm choice for my A7II. The CV35/1.7 or CV35/1.2 are in the exact same price range. The CV35/1.4 is not an option anymore after reading reviews, confirmed by comments here.
For information, my photo store called Voigtander to command a Ultron 35 1.7.
They have been told that the lens is about to have a sony E-Mount version and I should maybie wait a bit.
Allready on the site, 10mm, 12mm and 15mm are officially in the way…
Hi Phillip,
Thank you for your blog! Do you know how this lens performs on film (to be used on a Leica M6). Should I choose this one over the Leica 2/35 Summicron asph?
Thanks a lot!
Fabien.
I think it will perform great on film and I would choose it over the Summicron ASPH 35
Hey there,
Really nice reviews !!!
One question : Do you know of any major differences between the M mount version ,
the one you reviewed and the L39 (Leica screw mount)?
it is a newer, different design. I think the M39 version is a good lens as well but it is less sharp at f/1.7
Thanks for the review- as usual, simple, clear, to the point.
Regarding new line of Voigtlander lenses (I have only 50mm Nokton) I just hate a focusing ring- it is narrow- you need to grip it tightly when focusing quickly and then it becomes uncomfortable-total deal-breaker to me.
I agree that it is annoying.
I actually emailed the voigt to change the design of focusing ring in the next generation of lenses. Please anyone who care email them and they may listen.
http://voigtlaender.de/kontakt.html
Carried over from your comment about this lens on FM Forum, “… I hope Cosina will release an E-mount version with less field curvature so I am still holding back with repurchasing it. ”
Do you think the less field curvature is possible without a full redesign?
Well Zeiss was able to make only a small modification to the ZM 2/35 and the Loxia works much better on a stock a7 than the ZM Biogon. My hope is that Cosina can do the same for the 1.7/35.
why would anyone want voigtlander to build native e-mount lenses? I think it’s not necessary because voigtlander has a very useful dan well built close up vm-e adapter leica m to e-mount. With native lenses you can’t make 50cm to 27.7cm minimum focus with 35mm f1.2 . in 21mm f4 you can move your minimum focus from 50cm to just 15.6cm. thats like… insanely close…. with this adapter which is quite expensive btw, it can do so much more. it feels like you have 2 lenses in one. This is why for those who use mirrorless camera especially sony’s, will have so much lens variety to use on.
Please show a little mor respect for other opinions.
The adapter is certainly useful but it is heavy and expensive. Add that M-lenses aren’t optimized for shorter distances so performance will suffer quite a bit up close.
With a native lens you would get exif information so you don’t have to adjust the stabiizer every single time you change a lens. You also don’t need to worry about an adapter and most importantly for the 1.7/35 I would hope that they modify the design slightly to get rid of the field curvature.
I can certainly understand that people would prefer to adapt M-mount lenses. nothing wrong with that. I adapt lenses all the time and enjoy it a lot. But please accept that in some cases some people prefer native lenses.
Well, while it is certainly true that you get a close focus advantage using a helicoid adapter on an M lens, the problem is that you cannot optimise the optics for performance on the legacy thin stack of Leica cameras, and the filter stack on the Sony sensors. So we can hope for much better performance, especially peripherally at wide apertures, with a lens redesigned for native use. Of course this requires a change in the optics (Like Zeiss did with the Loxia 50 and 35) rather than just a rehousing in a native mount.
Are you sure that the Loxia 50 is redesigned optically?
Thanks for the informative review. As per my post in the Sony Alpha forum, under legacy lenses, have you had a chance to have a look at the Tamron SP 35 f1.8? I’m interested in any thoughts you might have as its a tad cheaper than the Ultron and wouldn’t require yet another adapter (I have settled on Canon mount via Metabones 4 on my A7ii for my Contax and Canon EF lenses), and it would give me both AF and the focus throw seems like it might also be good with MF.
I haven’t used the Tamron but from other peoples samples I wasn’t too impressed by the bokeh and it is a much larger lens. But it is probably a hit sharper.
Guten Morgen. Ich benutze das tamron sp 35 1.8 über einen Adapter an meiner Sony Alpha 7. Die Qualität der Bilder spricht für sich. Den einzigen Nachteil den Ich an diesem Objektiv sehen kann,ist dass das Objektiv für Canon gemacht ist und das dadurch ein Adapter benötigt wird, nicht wirklich mit dem Autofocus funktioniert. ( Commlite ) Wenn jemand bessere Erfahrungen mit Metabones gemacht hat, bitte melden. 🙂 Der manuelle Focus hingegen ist Perfekt. 180 Grad Drehung und kein Focus by Wire ! Was mich wirklich stört, ist lediglich das Gewicht.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/140423709@N02/albums/72157674378024466/with/29344663793/
Ive read that this lens doesn’t focus closer than 1m unless modified is that true?
close focusing distance is 0.5m and you can use a helicoid adapter to reduce it further
I found another version of this lens on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Voigtlander-Ultron-35mm-F-1-7-Aspherical-For-Leica-L39-LTM-Mount-Exce-0348/191954682453?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38638%26meid%3Dfca4482c8c864014acc1ad63f1a191b8%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D9%26sd%3D201633959902
Do you know how it differs from the one you reviewed? I was considering it for my a7ii
I was thinking on getting this lens, but I have never used a lens with noticeable field curvature problems and I’m a bit apprehensive about it. I got used to manual focusing and taking 2-4 seconds longer for each photo. But I may pass on the lens if I now have to spend time focusing AND correcting / compromising for the curvature.
Can you please share your usual process of dealing with this lens’ curvature? How do you correct / minimize it? How bad does it get? Do you end up throwing away photos because of it?
For shallow DOF photos, I assume you just focus on the part of the subject that you want in focus (use focus magnification on that area and ensure it’s in focus), which is exactly the same as with any normal lens. Also, does focus peaking detect the curvature well? I usually just use magnification, but when I’m in a rush I use peaking on the lowest setting that detects the contrast.
For wide DOF photos (landscape, architecture, wide street photos) I assume you have to take a penalty hit and choose what’s not in focus. On the other hand, these photos tend to be stopped down so I guess the curvature is less noticeable. Or is it?
Thanks a lot!
Thanks for the detailed review. I’m a M9 shooter and debating whether to get this lens vs the 35FLE or ZM35/1.4. Many claim that the Leica and Zeiss lenses have more pleasing color and rendering. Do you find this to be true?
My opinion is that color is way overrated, epsecially in the digital age. I haven’t looked too deeply into the Zeiss but I think the Voigtlander is at least as good.
Phillip,
Have you found any other 35’s you like better than this in the year +- since you reviewed? Seems all adaptable 35’s have some flaw or other. I’m wondering with all the pluses if the field curvature here isn’t the lesser of all evils. Thanks.
I haven’t, not even close.
Hi Phillip,
Congratulations on your blog. I currently shoot with a CV 40 mm f1.4 Nokton on an A7II.
Do you think it’s worth the upgrade to the 35mm f1.7 ultron?
I think the 40mm lacks some contrast and sharpness. Will these improve with the 35?
Is it GAS what I have? Or is it actually reasonable to upgrade?
will improve with the 35
Good Morning. I use the tamron sp 35 1.8 over an adapter to my Sony Alpha 7. The quality of the pictures speaks for itself. The only downside I can see on this lens is that the lens is made for Canon and the adapter is needed, does not really work with the Autofocus. (Commlite) If someone has had better experiences with Metabones, please report. The manual focus is perfect. 180 degree rotation and no focus by wire! What really bothers me is just the weight.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/140423709@N02/albums/72157674378024466
how do u set the color on ur camera?
i miss the color on my m9, on a7II it isn’t produce good color in standard setting
I work in Lightroom and don’t do much with the color, usually the default profile. Try lifting the whites a bit.
May be a newb question here but I’m trying to find this lens on ebay shipping to New Zealand. I’ve been following your blog and am preparing to try infant photography in May, leading me to this lens and a the Minolta 58 1:1.2. Great work on the blog! Really enjoy it.
Any ways, I found several silver lenses that fit your description of the “silver brass” being more expensive, but I’m finding them for much less than the black one. I looked a the Voigtlander website and can find a silver version and it doesn’t look like the ones I’m seeing on EBay.
I notice that the “cheap” version I’m finding appears to be a Leica thread mount (LTM) instead of an M Mount. The lens also states aspherical on the front and has different marking style on the focus and aperture ring, it also doesn’t have the same stye focus ring all together. So something doesn’t seem right, main thing being the mount style and any complications with an adapter to E Mount.
Do you know if the LTM version would perform the same as the M Mount version with a adapter? I’m finding it for $450 USD, which much less than around $800 for the M Mount version.
Here is a link to one of the “cheaper” versions I am finding:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Voigtlander-Ultron-35mm-F-1-7-Aspherical-For-Leica-L39-LTM-Mount-0835-/201827653181?hash=item2efddd963d:g:qZsAAOSw~AVYrEG6
the LTM version does not have the same optics and it doesn’t perform as well
Thank you for the reply!
Hi Phillip:
Just so I have the version right, this is the one I am looking at getting:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1182786-REG/voigtlander_ba327a_vm_35mm_f_1_7_ultron.html
Can you also share any thoughts on how it plays out against the f1.2? The 1.2 is about $200 more than the 1.7 and given that I may not be able to invest in these often, I want to make sure i have besst version:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827619-REG/Voigtlander_BA237B_Nokton_Aspherical_35mm_f_1_2.html
Your guidance is appreciated, as always.
the 1.7 is the better lens apart fro that it isn’t as fast and you have the right version 🙂
Thank you Philip. Ordered the silver one, albeit reluctantly since I have an A7ii. Will see if at all it proves to be an eyesore.
what do you mean by right version? I also am deciding between the 1.2 and 1.7 for sony a7rii.. in your opinion, would the new lenses coming out for sony e mount – eg. 40/1.2 be better than the 35 1.2 in that it’s made for sony?
There is an older, weaker Version of the Voigtlander 1.7/35.
If they are better depends on their yet unknown performance. The 1.2/35 doesn’t seem to have any sensor related issues though.
thanks! I almost got the older version, but I think i’d rather pay a little more for the better one… I also have the very sharp but slow sony 35mm, 2.8 – how much effectively better low light capability would the 1.7 give – not in technical terms, but practical usage? I’m trying to justify getting this 1.7, over the 1.2, especially for shooting in bars and such. I like the idea of an even faster 1.2, but seems this 1.7 is a better lens overall. thoughts? 🙂
I think the 1.7 is by some margin the most attractive version, the 1.3 stops make a significant difference at least in my shooting.
Last question, sorry if too many. 🙂 This review was 2015 and I’m basically trying to find the best lens in 2017 I can get under 1,000 for sony A7RII. By best I mean the best low light/sharp performance and that has a special character. I know V. is coming out w/ some lenses just for Sony but they probably will be much more expensive. than what I can get used now eg. 40mm 1.2 (+ not sure when it’s out)… On the cheap side there’s the samyang 35mm 1.4 which has great reviews, but it’s a giant heavy lens (and maybe not so special). There’s also the V. 50 mm 1.1 and 1.5… Do you have any thoughts on the best of all these or rather wait?
Personally the 1.7/35 is still my favorite lens. For another person a different lens might be a better solution but only you know what matters to you and what not.
Thanks Philip, after reading your review I decided to buy one. And after servral months, I totally love this lens. Both on A7RII and R2A. Yes, film and digital, both superb image quality.
Just comment for thanking you!
You are welcome 🙂
Hi Philip,
Nice review thank you.. Question, what adaptor would I need for the Voigtlander 35mm 1.7 Aspherical to fit a Sony A7 mk2?
best,
Luke
I use this one: http://amzn.to/2qutKqu
Seriously, your website is awesome. The past few days I keep coming across it with all these MF lenses I’m looking up for the A7 series. Can’t say enough good things about it.
Hi and great article.
I’m looking for some advice, I currently have a7ii 55mm 1.8 and 35mm 2.8 but after looking through our incredible site I see I’m missing some of the wow factor [sun stars]. I do landscape and street photography generally. In particular I’m was wondering what your opinion is on voightlander 35mm 1.7 compared to the fe 35mm . I am going to bye one of the following as well, voightlander 28mm f2 ultron or fe 28mm f2??? I haven’t used manual lens before but don’t think it’s a biggy. I realize the 28 would be better for landscape but i do like the up close street photos as well, my issue is on the focus speed of the manuals? I’m thinking fe 28mm and voight 35mm , the fe because i wont have the time to frame shots, but miss out on the wider landscape and the 35 for frame time but don’t know if I’m going to sacrifice the wider view. The shots I’ve taken so far with the 35 for landscape appear to be fine but have nothing to compare too.
Also I need a light weight small tele I’m thinking the zeiss sonnar 100mm 3.5T c/y
I know this is a lot but am heading to Italy in 6 weeks and would like to know I’ve done all I can too have a compromise travel kit. If you could help with my decision making I’d be eternally grateful.
Regards Paul
I had the FE 2.8/35 for a while but to me it did not have the wow factor of the Voigtlander 1.7/35. I would also take the FE 2/28 over the 2.8/35 for street photography.
Thank you for your comments, I hate having to buy lens them sell them through poor choices. Any thoughts on a small tele???
Hi,
Thanks for the wonderful review.
I have a question about the focus ring part. I’d like to know whether I can fit the point finger in the concave area and use the thumb to adjust aperture simultaneously, like using a Leica focus-tabbed lens.
Thanks.
you can’t, too slippery
Thanks for replying.
Hello Bastian,
I’m a big fan of your reviews, when can we expect the VM SE 1,2 / 35?
And about the VM 35 / 2.0, can you write more information in comparison to 37 / 1.7?
I am looking forward to your answer!
Klaus
Phillip is working on the 35mm 1.2 SE review.
The VM 2/35 has rather nervous bokeh, like the older Summicrons.
Therefore none of us has any interest in having a closer look/reviewing that lens.
Thanks for the review. I had the FE 35 1.4 ZA which was too soft at 1.4 and the sharpness was not even. The one side was soft with lots of CA and the other one was ok. I replaced it with the Ultron 35 and surprisingly it is sharper at both the center and edges.
Wow, what a nice review and good comments. Maybe a stupid question, but do this lens als have a af function on my Sony a7ii? And what’s a good alternative in a price range of 500-750 euro?
Hope to hear from you!
No AF and no alternative 😉
That’s the spirit! Thanks a lot
I have this lens for my M240. I think it’s very very good on that camera and in my experience at least as good as the latest Leica 35mm 1.4.
Your review prompted me (yesterday) to buy an A7 ii as the M has to go in for a service. I am so impressed with the Ultron on the A7ii. I compare it with the the ‘Lux 35mm FLE and based on what I see even after 24 hours, I think Leica has to respond to this lens…. wide open I think it’s amazing, and wide open colour is (imo) a leap ahead of the FLE.
Thanks for your work and your help – it opened my eyes to the A7ii as a viable backup to the M240 – and boy, the combination is exciting.
My contribution for what it’s worth – AF is not really relevant or a great loss on a lens of this quality…. Focus peaking and magnification options put me back in control of images and I like it:
Bastian did a direct comparison with the FLE some time ago and that didn’t end too well for the Leica.
I was thinking hard about a 35mm as I plan on it to be the on my a7 most of the time… I just wanted to thank you and Bastian for all your help with my decision that finaly lead me to chosing this Ultron, I had for 2days now on a cheap amazon helicoid adapter and I can allready tell it is going to be go-to lens for most of the time… here are first test shots – allready lovin the sunstars, flare resistance and bokeh… https://flic.kr/s/aHsmgJJ4Ea
cheers and thanks again
Aleksander
Any thought on how to avoid sensor reflections of a7 while “making” sunstars with this gem of a lens?
cheers A.
Replace it with a a7rii 😉
Sorry for the not helpful reply but there is no other solution.
🙂 good one 🙂
but one consideration, in your a7 vs a7II comparison you say that already the a7II doesn`t have these reflections – changed opinion/new facts?
Yesterday I got a chance to play a bit with sunstars and maybe you can`t completly get rid of the reflections but recomposing can be very good at minimising the effect, so for now I will stick with the a7 😉
Cheers, A.
They are much less of an issue with the a7II but not completely gone and the a7rII seems to show even fever reflections.
Hello,
I think Ultron 35mm is very nice. I tried Fe, loxia and ultron i keept ultron for 35mm.
Nevertheless, yesterday making a sunset, I change ultron 35mm to loxia 21mm. I was astonished how much a monster of color and constrast loxia 21mm is. It is like an explossion… even if i use the plano convex lens.
A pity the 35mm Loxia is not as good as 21mm…
Regards
We all agree.
Philip,
Thank you for your wonderful review. Pictures are already talking to me. Do you know if anybody tried this lens on Sony A73? I wonder what kind of adaptor I would need. Does focus auto magnification stop working over a mechanical adaptor?
Should perform much the same.
Focus magnification works fine.
Hi Phillip, my compliments for your fantastic revieuws which I read with great interest. My question now is which lens you prefer for street and ‘circular’ photography, this Voigtlander Ultron 1.7 / 35mm or the Voigtländer 40mm f1.2 Nokton Aspherical. thanks in advance! Dirk
PS For use on my Sony A7R mark II.
I don’t doo street. What do you mean by circular?
By circular I mean a bit of general photography walking around everywhere.
Grt Dirk
Second Edition of 35mm F1.2 Nokton Asph II how is it compared to 35mm F1.7 Ultron?
Less sharp. Haven’t compared them in detail though.
Can someone tell why when using the Techart Pro autofocus adapter, this lens doesn’t allow focus working much out of the middle, other than other Leica M lenses (even the old Leica 35\1.4 non ASPH)? It doesn’t get focus anymore then, in the middle it does.
Hi,
I bought the Voigtländer for my A7R and am rather disappointed.
Heavy vignetting- which can be fixed in post processing- and CA at the left and right edges of wich I don’t know how to prevent or fix. An example at flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137683331@N06/42436587555/in/datetaken-public/
Is this due to the Sony? Can I avoid or diminish this effect?
Regards
That’s not CA but colorshift which is mentioned in the review. Just like the heavy vignetting. It can be fixed with the flat field plugin for LR or other tools.
Hi Phillip,
I was too quick with my judgment.
This lens is getting one of my favourites too.
Here an example:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137683331@N06/28823819617/in/datetaken-public/
Thanks for the review and the LR tips.
Ko
🙂
Hello Bastian or Phillip,
any idea why with the Techart Pro autofocus adapter and this lens (only) it’s not possible to set focus more than two steps out of center, as it then it gets no focus anymore?
Is it because this lens reaches so deep into the camera body?
No idea.
Hi Phillip Reeve, I was looking for a good 35mm for my A7III, today thanks to you I decided to go for the Ultron 35mm (a used one that I found for 450e).
I would like to thank you a lot for the work you’ve done and you’re still doing on this blog. I’m still a student and don’t have a lot of money and thanks to you I managed to won photography contests (Sony a7s and old Minolta 50mm f1.4 that I bought because of your review) and start earning money with my documentaries movies (with the Minolta 35-70 f3.5, again because of your review).
I’ve been taking photo since I’m 12 but recently I had stopped taking photographies for almost 2 years because of the gear I had, Canon 5D and autofocus lenses). Because of you I swtiched to Sony and manuel lenses and since then, I can’t stop taking pictures again and I hope that in a few months I will be able to make a living from it.
Manuel lenses brought back my passion.
You have a role in this, thank you. Cheers from France.
Aww! Very glad to hear your story! Continue the good journey 🙂
Would the Voigtlander lenses function well on a APS-C sensor, like the new Fuji X-T3? Would the vignetting be reduced since most Voigtlander lenses are full frame? I would assume sharpness would remain constant. Would micro contrast hold up on the X-Trans sensor? I am looking at a kit of manual lenses, say 15mm, 21mm, 35mm, and maybe 50mm. I am a landscape photographer and not looking for ‘fast’ lenses. Thank you. David
I have no information on filter stack thickness and micro lens array (if there is any) of the Fuji APS-C sensors which I would need to give a qualified answer.
Nevertheless vignetting figures will be lower when you use a full frame lens on a smaller sensor.
The X-Trans sensor design – to my knowledge – is mostly about giving better High ISO performance, sharpness in many cases (and with many Raw developers) is worse compared to that of Bayer sensors of the same generation.
So if high resolution and micro contrast with manual lenses are what you are after I would rather recommend a Sony full frame camera (which will cost no more than an X-T3) with Zeiss Loxia and Voigtlander lenses.
Hi,
will this lense still be the best 35mm option in 2019?
We can tell you on December 31st 2019.
2019 !… and I just discover this lens…Using it on a7iii with techart. Sometimes I miss the sony zeiss 2.8 because it fast af. I sold it before the arrival of the voigt so I never had the chance to to a “vs”. Anyway techart on a7iii do eye af ( it miss some times) and hoping this feature will be even better with the firmware update coming next april.
I also using the voigtlander 58 1.4 slii S, nikon ais mount. I love that glass but I’m wondering how good could be the 50 1.5 VM? Which is very similar to this 35?
Have you done a review on that 50? Pr wven on the 58 1.4?
Saludos and no doubt one of the best blog for Sony user, very much appreciated your efforts on this.
There is a review of the VM 50mm 1.5, and no, it is not as good.
But luckily the VM 50mm 1.2 is.
http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1523859.html#1523859
Thomas B did a small comparison of this 35mm 1.7 with the Minolta MD 35mm f 1.8 a lens with mitigated reputation… limited to landscape shot at infinity at fully open and at 5.6.
Surprisingly, the Minolta comes ahead but the biggest surprise is that the Voigtlander does not seem to perform well in absolute terms (ghosting at full aperture …).
What would be your explanation?
– Field curvature
– Lens variability
Please have a look at this article.
Thanks a lot! It makes sense. By the way, his test was done with A7rii, the same camera I own (could not resist the price fall).
That article I sent you the link to, 99% of pictures and charts have also been taken with A7rII.
Hi, I just got this lens used on ebay. I somehow feel that the aperture ring is loose, It makes clicks at each half stop, but the clicks feel like it’s dampened and much smoother compared to my other manual lens, I can easily rotate it with one finger. I was using the Pentax-M 50mm f1.7 and Olympus MC 24mm f2.8 before. This was my first voigtlander lens I got, to use daily on my a7rii. So, I don’t know what to expect. Should I be worried?
Well the clicks aren’t as distinctive as on my few Pentax lenses. Hard to say though at that distance.
Is there a difference between this M mount version and the previous L39 version. I see that the L39 version is half the price but is it optically the same?
They have completely different optical designs.
Thanks for the review! I wonder how you think about the voigtlander 35 2.5 and the newly released 35 f2. Are there going to be reviews on these two compact lenses?
No unless Cosina releases them in E-mount.
How does this work on Nikon z6? Has anyone tried?
The Z6 has a slightly thinner but still thivker stack than the Leica M so expect less field curvature than on Sony but more than on Leica. To which degree I can’t say.
Hi Phillip. I want to take a moment and thank you for this review and your other work. I purchased this lens on your recommendation and I fell in love with it until, sadly, last year it fell off a cliff. So I’m getting ready to replace it and I’m wondering if there is a meaningful difference between the black and silver. I had the silver, and I thought it was great, but it clashed with my camera body and it drew some comments. I might go for the black one, but it is not brass but aluminum. I didn’t mind the weight. Is there any practical reason to opt for the silver over the black version of the lens?
I purchased this lens after reading this enthusiastic review.
In case anyone is thinking of using this lens on a Canon R camera, I can say that whilst it is incredibly sharp, the vignetting is just as severe, as was reported during this review when the lens was mounted on the Sony A7. It also puts colour shading into the corners in some photos. These issues are too bad for me to want to continue using it on Canon R body, the photos need a lot of work in post.
I also have a Leica M10 and this lens performs beautifully on the Leica. This pairing gives truly outstanding results.
Just bought this lens to use with an A7R iii with a K&F adaptor.
The infinity stop is way off, 1/8 of a turn early. Anyone else experienced this.
This is normal. You can sell the adapter to someone looking to use the lens with the 5m PCX filter, some people are desperately looking for a too short adapter.
To you I recommend the Hawks Factory adapter where you can adjust the hard stop yourself.
Thanks for the recommendation. I think I will try shim the adaptor first, I’ve done this several times for Zuiko lenses. The large distance between infinity and the actual stop may have something to do with the small diameter of the lens.
The lens could also be defective, I remember someone who’s lens I tried because he complained about bad performance and it was also the case that infinity was reached way too early.
Just bought this for a Sony A7iii. Where can I buy talent , knowledge , patience and new eyes? Great website btw
Just a quick update on the adaptor issue. I looked at the Hawk and Voigtlander adaptors and thought they were ridiculously overpriced. I found a cheaper unbranded alternative here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LM-NEX-Close-Focus-Adapter-For-Leica-M-Lens-to-Sony-E-A6000-A7R-A7S-A7II-Camera/222708699090. It only cost about £40 and arrived within 10 days. First impression was that it was very well made ( I am an engineering machinist by trade). Things got better. This adaptor is by far the best fitting one I’ve ever bought. On both the A7R iii body and the lens there is no radial or linear play, the K&F adaptor was probably the worse.The next suprise was locking the helicoil at infinity on the adaptor and turning the focus ring on the lens to its infinity stop achieved perfect infinity focus. The helicoil moves about 5mm and is smooth and has good resistance. The adaptor is unbranded comes in a plain box with no information. Only marking is the Sony/Voigtlander code etched on the adaptor. All in all very happy and would recommend as a cheap alternative. Oh… and the lens isn’t bad either 🙂
Any reasons to pick up this lens instead of the new CV 35 1.2 FE version ?
Btw, thank you for the outstanding & constant quality of your reviews.
35mm 1.7 is sharper off center at wider apertures (see my review of the 35mm 1.2 III M-mount version).
For most people it will probably be smarter to get the 35mm 1.2 SE though, as it features electronic contacts and does not need a 5m PCX filter for best performance.
Great resource, thank you for all your hard work. Do you have a view on how this compares to the ultron 35mm f2?
The 2/35 is smaller, everything else is worse.
I have my first Sony, a A7 RIV, being delivered on Thursday. I have been pouring over your site for hours in my research for an initial lens. I’m looking for high portability and sharp(but not obsessively so) in the 28-50 range. Speed is not critical and I’ll be using it as bicycling( a new Mercia is being built as I write this) camera for landscapes, etc. Some close focusing would be nice. I had ordered the Sony FE 28f2.8 but cancelled that before shipment as I read more. Narrowed it to Samyang 35f2.8, Sony 35f2.8, Sony 35f1.8 and this lens. I see your lens adapter recommendation is much more reasonable than the Voigtlander. Does it also provide close focusing? I’d appreciate your input on a lens for my expected needs. Thanks again for your help.
If you are new to the camera, then I would recommend against the Ultron and either check out the Voigtlander 1.2/35 SE, Sony 1.8/35 or Review: Tamron 35mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2
Thank you Phillip. I’m going to grab the Tamron as a first Sony specific lens with the close focusing, your review re: sharpness and bokeh and 6 year warranty for $300. Can’t really go wrong. As per recommendations on your site, I’ve ordered one of the Pentax lens adapters that allows me close down the aperture on my latest lenses so I can use my 35mm f2.8 Macro, my 50mm Macro and my other legacy lenses for now. I wish the Tamron was smaller and the snob in me struggles with putting a $300 Tamron lens on a $3500 camera.
BTW I can’t find a B&H link for the Tamron lens. I’ll be buying it there and want to do whatever is it for them to kick you some money back. Thanks
Hi Philip, I went by your recommendation and picked up the Tamron 35mm f2.8. I find I love it home more often the not and am using my Pentax M28mm f2.8 with cheer Totally adapter. The size of the Tamron just feels absurd when using a Sony A7 for its ease of portability. IT does focus decently enough but hunts some and manual focus is not a great advantage. I wondered why you had steered me away from the Ultron. My first serious camera was a Nikkormat FTN with 50mm f1,8, 35mm f2.8, 24mm f2.8 and 105mm f2.5 lenses back in the late 60’s, early 70’s. I like the Bokeh of the M28 but will be exploring other manual options. Her’s a sample. https://www.flickr.com/photos/71834221@N00/50567835641/in/dateposted-public/
Thanks again for the site
David
Sorry I meant Fotasy adapter. Darn spell check!
After Phillipp’s very interesting report, I had decided on the VM 1.7/35.
I use it with great pleasure the Voigtänder VM 1,7/35.
My favourite lens in this area – I have tried many 35mm lenses, but this lens surpasses all previous ones.
Open already very good with great bokeh, and flare firmly. It doesn’t get any better than this – the sun stars are perfect because of the 10 apertures, you can’t get them like this with other lenses!
The Sony FE 2/28 is really good for the small amount – especially the closest focusing distance of 29 cm is great.
Have fun discovering old and new glass!
Greetings from Hannover
Klaus
Having ordered the Tamron but still being intrigued by older manual focus lens, has anyone tried this adapter instead of the Voigtlander one? The 7 artisans products have been well received here. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1552538-REG/7artisans_photoelectric_close_ring_e_s_close_focus_adapter_ring.html/overview
Don’t buy that adapter, lens sits wobbly, even when not extended.
Thank you so much Bastiank. Are there any alternative to the Voigtlander other than the Hawks that you recommend? Is the Hawks solid? Any reports on the Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II Lens, Voigtlander Nokton Classic 40mm f/1.4 SC or MC Lenses? Do they manage the filter stack or require the special filter? How do they perform? Thanks again.
I know it’s been a long time since you wrote this article, but to fill in the blank about the nice lens hood you mentioned, it appears to be a Voigtlander LH-9 (see https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1182788-REG/voigtlander_ba275a_lh_9_lens_hood_for.html).
Thanks for this fantastic review! Your sunstar example picture with the plant in the close foreground is particularly beautiful.
I just got a used copy with 5m PCX and I love the sharpness and out of focus rendering. I plan on combining it with a Tokina AT-X 90mm for a small do-most-things-well kit.
Hi Bastian or Phillips,
Do we have any tips on reducing the Field Curvature happening or occuring on Sony A7ii?
thank you in advance for responding this.
Yes, see here.
Hi Phillip,
Thanks for your great review. I noted this was posted in 2015, and it seems that the production of this lens has been discontinued. Would you recommend this lens on a digital Leica M body in 2022, compared to the new Voigtlander 35 APO?
Thanks in advance!
In my review of the VM 35mm 2.0 Apo-Lanthar these lenses are compared several times.
No need to get the 2/35 if you already have the 1.7/35 or can find it at a cheaper price.
I understand now why your reviews are highly respected in the camera world. After reading this I bought this lens and adapter for my Sony a7riii. For several years I have been carrying heavy Zeiss Milvus lenses and the size and quality of the Ultron has created a thought shift as it is easily the smallest lens in my kit yet produces images on par with the Milvus lenses. This lens is a gem!
Es ist immer wieder ein Genuss Deine Bilder anzuschauen !
In Deinem Review mit dem Ultron VM f1,7 , an der Sony A7
finde ich auch die Farbwiedergabe besonders toll.
An meinen Sonys benutze ich meißtens den neutral modus,
( die anderen finde ich immer zu bunt) bearbeite dann die raw Dateien in Photoshop, kämpfe aber immer noch mit den Farben bei Landschaftsfotos. Macht es Dir etwas aus mir Deinen Einstellungs-modus für Landschaftsaufnahmen in der sony zu verraten?
Herzliche Grüße
Peter Hollenbach
I love this website. I’m curious: can the Voigtländer VM-E adapter be used to alter the angle of light and therefore abate the issues with curved field of focus? Or does this simply shift the problem? Or does it introduce new problems?
The adapter alone has no effect on this issue.
Thanks!
Does MF assist work with this 35 1.7 and the adapter on sony a7c? Or only peaking? Thanks!
Depends on what you see as MF assist. You can still map a button to zoom in to focus properly, but the camera will not zoom in automatically when turning the zoom ring as it does with some lenses with electronic contacts.