{"id":15454,"date":"2020-07-04T05:55:17","date_gmt":"2020-07-04T04:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=15454"},"modified":"2020-07-08T12:20:29","modified_gmt":"2020-07-08T11:20:29","slug":"voigtlander-110mm-f2-5-apo-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/voigtlander-110mm-f2-5-apo-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Long-Term Review: Voigtlander 110mm F2.5 APO Macro Apo-Lanthar"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

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The Voigtlander 110mm F2.5 is among the very best E-mount lenses you can buy. It has been part of Phillips standard kit for 18 months and David has used his a lot as well. In this review we evaluate it in-depth and also share our experience.<\/p>\r\n

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Image Samples<\/h1>\r\n

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You can find many of the images shown in this review in full resolution in this album<\/a>.<\/em> \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Specifications<\/h1>\r\n

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Diameter<\/td>\r\n78 mm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Length<\/td>\r\n100 mm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Filter Thread<\/td>\r\n58 mm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Weight<\/td>\r\n771 g<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Max. Magnification<\/td>\r\n1:1<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Working distance<\/td>\r\n17 cm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Number of aperture blades<\/td>\r\n10<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Elements\/ Groups<\/td>\r\n14\/12<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

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$1099 at\u00a0CameraQuest<\/a>, Amazon.com,<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>B&H<\/a>, ebay.com<\/a> (affiliate links). If you purchase the lens through one of these affiliate-links we get a small compensation with no additional cost to you.\u00a0<\/em> If you are in Australia you can purchase it from the Australian distributor, Mainline Photographic<\/a> for AUD 1595.<\/p>\r\n

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Disclosure<\/h1>\r\n

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Phillip bought this lens from his own money. David got a review copy from the Australian distributor, which he then purchased.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Features<\/h1>\r\n

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The Voigtlander 110mm F2.5 Macro APO-Lanthar is a fully manual lens so you have to change focus and aperture by yourself. The camera can’t change the aperture so S- and P-mode will not work as with native lenses.<\/p>\r\n

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It has electronic contacts to communicate with the camera though, so you will have correct exif-data, and the OSS in all Sony cameras with IBIS will automatically know the correct focal length and distance to use the 5-axis stabilizer. Focus magnification can be automatically activated when the focus ring gets turned.<\/p>\r\n

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The Voigtl\u00e4nder focuses down to life size magnification (1:1) like the Sony G 2.8\/90 Macro<\/a> or 2.8\/50 Macro<\/a>. It’s little brother the 2\/65 APO<\/a> only focuses to half life size (1:2).<\/p>\r\n

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Voigtlander also calls it an APO lens which means that chromatic aberrations are very well corrected. More on this further below.<\/p>\r\n

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Build quality and handling<\/h1>\r\n

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The Voigtlander 110mm F2.5 Macro offers very good build quality<\/strong>. The lens hull is made from nothing but metal and tolerances are very low. Most but not all markings are engraved.<\/p>\r\n

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There is no gasket around the mount and Voigtlander does not claim any weather resistance<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

After 18 Months of regular usage Phillip’s copy shows a small scratches at edges.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Of course I can’t tell you how durable the lens will be in the long term. All I can do is give you my superficial impression which is very positive in this case. Dealing with Voigtlander repairs can be a hassle since these are done in Japan and usually take many weeks.<\/p>\r\n

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Changing lenses<\/h3>\r\n

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If you have used Zeiss Loxia lenses you will probably have been frustrated by the fact that there is no good place to grab them when you change lenses. This is not an issue with the Voigtlander since you can easily grab it by its base which is even textured for better grip.<\/p>\r\n

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Focus Ring<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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The focus ring\u00a0<\/strong>travels around 250 degrees from 35cm (1:1) to 42cm (1:2), and a further 160 or so degrees to 1m and then about 70 degrees to infinity. That is a very reasonable transmission for a macro but it is steep at longer distances and therefore a bit slower to focus precisely. The ring itself is easy to grip and the resistance is about perfect. <\/strong>The Voigtlander focuses quite a bit beyond infinity which is also indicated by the focus scale.<\/p>\r\n

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Aperture ring<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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The aperture ring sits close to the mount and is less easy to reach than with some other Voigtlander lenses where it is a at the front. It is still pleasant enough to use. It is made from metal with distinctive stops and a very pleasant resistance. I am not a fan of 1\/3 stops since it makes it harder to count the stops but that’s what we get. The Voigtlander stops down to f\/22.<\/p>\r\n

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Hood<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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The Voigtlander 110mm F2.5 Macro’s hood is about 4 cm long and adds about 40% to the volume of the lens.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Since the front lens is rather exposed it makes sense to use a hood for protection. If your camera bag can fit the original one go for it but a cheap aftermarket lens hood<\/a> (affiliate link) which is only half as deep can be a good alternative.<\/p>\r\n

The lens hood makes a difference for flare resistance when the sun is just outside the frame.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Size and Weight<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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The 110mm F2.5 does not focus internally and therefore extends a lot when it is focused at short distances.<\/p>\r\n

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Voigtlander 3.5\/21 | 1.2\/40 | 2\/65 APO | 2.5\/125 APO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

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The CV 2.5\/110 is a substantial lens. Handling is still pleasant but many smaller lenses feel better matched with my a7 series In light of the great performance this is not a big issue but something to consider when you decide whether to purchase the lens.<\/p>\r\n

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Optical performance<\/h1>\r\n

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These results are based on the use with a Sony Alpha 7II or a7rII.<\/p>\r\n

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Flare Resistance<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

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If you have the sun in the frame you will notice a significant amount of veiling flare which reduces contrast:<\/p>\r\n

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The lens hood can make a dramatic difference when there is direct light on the front of the lens:<\/p>\r\n

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<\/div> Ghosting is very minor and only visible in more extreme scenarios:\u00a0<\/figure>\r\n

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So flare can be an issue but that is true for any longer lens I know of. The Voigtlander’s performance is actually above average for a lens of this focal length.<\/p>\r\n

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Sunstars\u00a0\"\"<\/h2>\r\n

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Well defined 10-pointed sunstars from f\/2.8.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Bokeh<\/h2>\r\n

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Scene 1: Short distance<\/strong>