The Voigtlander f/3.5 50mm VM Heliar – a review of two halves

September 16, 2017, 3:01 am

≫ Next: First B&W roll with the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 – Guest post by Barnaby Nutt

≪ Previous: DJ-Optical / 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 (ongoing) Review

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The Voigtlander f/3.5 50mm VM Heliar is a unusual lens that appears to me to have a fairly quiet, but almost invariably positive reputation. There isn’t a huge amount written about this lens online, nor in fact its collapsible predecessors, but what is out there talks of an optic that’s up there with the highest quality lenses ever produced in Leica ltm or m-mount. Funnily enough, this wasn’t what encouraged me to try one. What did was being contacted on Instagram by someone with one of the older f/2 versions suggesting that if I was a fan of the 3D rendering I get from my Zeiss 50mm ZM Sonnar, I should also try a Voigtlander Heliar. This planted a seed in my head that eventually saw me getting in touch with the UK Voigtlander distributor, Flaghead photographic. I enquired about borrowing a lens, and sure enough Hardy got back to me saying he’d be very happy to loan me a lens for a couple of weeks for review. Actually, the conversation with Hardy unraveled into a few more interesting opportunities, but more on that later… A bit of background on the Heliar formula The Voigtlander 50mm 3.5 VM Heliar is, […]

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First B&W roll with the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 – Guest post by Barnaby Nutt

September 30, 2017, 12:11 am

≫ Next: Voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar Review

≪ Previous: The Voigtlander f/3.5 50mm VM Heliar – a review of two halves

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At some point last week, I saw Hamish’s tantalising pictures on social media of ten boxes containing the new 7Artisans, 50mm lenses that he had for sale. It’s a lens that’s been causing quite a stir since its launch, due to the winning formula of being an M-mount 50mm, superfast and a divorce cheaper than buying the Leica equivalent.

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Voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar Review

November 26, 2017, 2:01 am

≫ Next: 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 – The Everyman’s Noctilux? – Guest Review by Mehrdad Abedi

≪ Previous: First B&W roll with the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 – Guest post by Barnaby Nutt

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The Voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar fits into a category of lenses I own that I can’t quite entirely rationalise. It’s a lens that I only use once or twice a year, but despite this I can’t part with it. Whilst some of my reasons for keeping it feel quite legitimate, a good few of my reasonings aren’t entirely rational! I shall start with the less rational, and work up from there...

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7Artisans 50mm f1.1 – The Everyman’s Noctilux? – Guest Review by Mehrdad Abedi

December 17, 2017, 1:31 pm

≫ Next: 7Artisans 55mm f/1.4 aps-c lens – Mini-review

≪ Previous: Voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar Review

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When I first looked at the 7Artisans 5mm f/1.1 specs I asked myself if this could be a kind of 'everyman’s Noctilux'. But hand in hand with this question comes the scepticism. Is it really possible? I think the "Made in China“ mark is enough for many people to sneer at a product like this.

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7Artisans 55mm f/1.4 aps-c lens – Mini-review

December 29, 2017, 1:43 pm

≫ Next: Voigtlander 25mm Snapshot Skopar – Review by Eddy Lambert

≪ Previous: 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 – The Everyman’s Noctilux? – Guest Review by Mehrdad Abedi

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The 7Artisans 55mm 1.4 is so inexpensive that I decided to add one to my own collection. I’ve not been using it that long, and haven’t taken a huge amount of shots with it, but thought I’d share a few early impressions...

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Voigtlander 25mm Snapshot Skopar – Review by Eddy Lambert

January 7, 2018, 2:03 am

≫ Next: 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 – my new mini super-sonnar

≪ Previous: 7Artisans 55mm f/1.4 aps-c lens – Mini-review

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The Voigtlander 25mm Snapshot Skopar is an unusual lens that won’t suit everyone but might be perfect for some. It’s small and light but also quite slow and comes only in Leica thread mount (LTM) without rangefinder coupling. It’s been discontinued for over 10 years but for those who want high quality results at a relatively low cost and with minimum hassle it’s a superb little lens and not too hard to find used. I love mine, especially for travel and landscape shots. Here are some reasons why:

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7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 – my new mini super-sonnar

January 20, 2018, 2:09 am

≫ Next: 7artisans 12mm F2.8 lens review (Fuji Mount) – by Iurii Zvonar

≪ Previous: Voigtlander 25mm Snapshot Skopar – Review by Eddy Lambert

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When I first heard about the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 lens, I must admit I was a little bit disappointed that it wasn't a full frame lens. The first images I saw of it looked a little odd too - they certainly didn’t do the design of the lens any favours. I’ve also not been massively overexcited about the CSC lenses 7Artisans produce, with my main interest really being in what they make for M-mount cameras. As such, I’ve found myself all the more surprised with how smitten I am with the 35mmc 1.2 - it’s a crazy little lens, but I can’t help but really like it.

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7artisans 12mm F2.8 lens review (Fuji Mount) – by Iurii Zvonar

March 2, 2018, 10:15 am

≫ Next: Adapting lenses, K&F Concept, Simon Forster & Another Podcast Appearance

≪ Previous: 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 – my new mini super-sonnar

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I have just received 7artisans 12mm F2.8 lens (FX Mount). This sample got generously provided by Hamish Gill (thank you!) in purpose of independent testing it on Fujifilm X mount camera and evaluating shooting results.

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Adapting lenses, K&F Concept, Simon Forster & Another Podcast Appearance

May 20, 2018, 2:24 am

≫ Next: A Lensbaby Burnside review – wacky, but potentially wonderful

≪ Previous: 7artisans 12mm F2.8 lens review (Fuji Mount) – by Iurii Zvonar

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I have for a long time been interested in using older lenses on both older and newer cameras. My relationship with this photography sub-hobby has not always been ideal (a subject I might come back to), but given the right approach, I find there to be a lot of fun in exploring elderly lenses and their various formula. For those not in the know, using older lenses on newer cameras involves using adapters - in this case a Nikon F to Sony E(/NEX) mount adapter made by K&F Concept.

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A Lensbaby Burnside review – wacky, but potentially wonderful

May 27, 2018, 12:40 am

≫ Next: 7artisans 55mm F1.4 on a Fuji X Camera – by Iurii Zvonar

≪ Previous: Adapting lenses, K&F Concept, Simon Forster & Another Podcast Appearance

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It’s been years since I’ve played with a Lensbaby lens. But whilst I don’t partake, I do keep up with what they’re up to - I find their slightly nutty lens ideas fascinating. I also enjoy the fact that even if I don’t feel a need for the sort of images their kit creates in my life, there are many other people who do. In a world filled with photographers desperately hunting for objective perfection in lenses, the likes of Lensbaby (and Lomography for that matter) give me some faith that modern photography isn’t entirely lost to those who operate at around 200% in the photo editing software.

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7artisans 55mm F1.4 on a Fuji X Camera – by Iurii Zvonar

June 1, 2018, 8:00 am

≫ Next: Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 vs 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 – by Simon King

≪ Previous: A Lensbaby Burnside review – wacky, but potentially wonderful

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Thanks to quite convenient focus assist system, it's a joy to use true manual focus lens on Fuji X cameras. It's the main reason I use these third party lenses available for Fuji X mount. One of my favourite adapted lens on Fuji X camera is the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5. It's designed for a full frame cameras, and is a bit heavy, but I like it for its small size and decent moderate sharpness - it's also great for portraits. Of course an APS-C alternative should be optically smaller so I have for a long time looking for other options. The 7artisans 55mm F1.4 made quite an interesting candidate, partly due to attractive price, but also for its 14-blade aperture.

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Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 vs 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 – by Simon King

June 2, 2018, 12:33 am

≫ Next: Canon 50mm f/1.4 ltm lens Review – An impressive classic gem

≪ Previous: 7artisans 55mm F1.4 on a Fuji X Camera – by Iurii Zvonar

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One of my first rangefinder lenses was the 50mm f0.95 Noctilux, which offers one of the most extreme light gathering apertures available to commercial photographers. I used this lens for most of my earliest work, including all of my first Fashion assignments.

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Canon 50mm f/1.4 ltm lens Review – An impressive classic gem

July 8, 2018, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Canon 50mm f/2.2 Leica thread mount lens review

≪ Previous: Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 vs 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 – by Simon King

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The Canon 50mm f/1.4 ltm is a lens that doesn’t seem to quite have the following it deserves - or at least that’s what you’d guess by looking at their used value. I think in reality, it’s possibly overshadowed by the two giants from the same era of Canon lenses: the 50mm f/1.2 and so called “dream lens” 50mm f/0.95. These two super-fast lenses have never really piqued my interest - the 0.95 looks like fun, but it’s also massive, doesn’t come cheap and isn’t exactly an ideal match for a Leica body. The f/1.2 comes cheaper, but for the money, there’s a whole heap of other classic lenses sat on my list that have been of much more interest to me to try first. Actually, the f/1.4 wasn’t really even on my radar until I saw a few images taken with one on Twitter a little while back - as I say, it had just been overshadowed.

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Canon 50mm f/2.2 Leica thread mount lens review

August 5, 2018, 3:26 am

≫ Next: A Sony 135/2.8 [T4.5] STF Mini-Review – By Rollin Banderob

≪ Previous: Canon 50mm f/1.4 ltm lens Review – An impressive classic gem

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I’ve had this little Canon 50mm f/2.2 for a while now - I bought it attached to a Canon P. Both camera and lens were items I’d eyed up on eBay a few times, so when I saw the combo for sale on one of the Facebook groups, I snapped it up. I’ve mentioned this lens a few times on my social media - as a rarity, it always seems to garner interest from people, so I thought I’d cobble together a mini review.

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A Sony 135/2.8 [T4.5] STF Mini-Review – By Rollin Banderob

October 11, 2018, 6:43 am

≫ Next: The odd ones – A Pentax MZ-S and 31mm, 43mm, 77mm Limited lens trio review – By Aivaras

≪ Previous: Canon 50mm f/2.2 Leica thread mount lens review

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As a photojournalist - in the vein of William Albert Allard, Eugene Richards and Alex Web - I strove to layer content in many parts of my images, and as such find obsession with overly thin depth of field (DOF) and the out of focus areas of a photograph, well, thin.. So what the heck am I doing with a lens that is the true bokeh grand master?

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The odd ones – A Pentax MZ-S and 31mm, 43mm, 77mm Limited lens trio review – By Aivaras

October 13, 2018, 1:00 am

≫ Next: Voigtlander 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar Leica Thread Mount Lens Review

≪ Previous: A Sony 135/2.8 [T4.5] STF Mini-Review – By Rollin Banderob

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I think that it would be unfair to judge and review Pentax MZ-S separately from the FA Limited line of lenses - it's my opinion that you have to look at them together as one set. They look good together, they are good in use together, and they are all ODD together. There is something about this kit that reminds me of the Contax G2 with its 45mm, 28mm and 90mm lenses. I understand that this argument may sound a bit strange, but for me this comparison somehow confirms that this kit should be reviewed as one.

The post The odd ones – A Pentax MZ-S and 31mm, 43mm, 77mm Limited lens trio review – By Aivaras appeared first on 35mmc.

Voigtlander 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar Leica Thread Mount Lens Review

October 21, 2018, 4:27 am

≫ Next: Lensbaby Lenses: Sweet vs. Edge – a Review – By Martina Kettner

≪ Previous: The odd ones – A Pentax MZ-S and 31mm, 43mm, 77mm Limited lens trio review – By Aivaras

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I recently bought myself a Voigtlander 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar. I’d been looking for a lens to compliment my 50mm ZM Sonnar that took, frankly, less energy to use. I wanted an invisible lens, one that takes modern looking photos with little lens character, that’s small, and I could use with comfort and little thought. I’ve found almost all of this in the 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar...

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Lensbaby Lenses: Sweet vs. Edge – a Review – By Martina Kettner

October 29, 2018, 8:00 am

≫ Next: 7Artisans 28mm f/1.4 late-prototype early impressions preview

≪ Previous: Voigtlander 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar Leica Thread Mount Lens Review

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I remember exactly when I saw a Lensbaby image for the first time – it was a street shot from Vienna. I had never seen such bokeh. The lens used for the image was the “Lensbaby Muse“. It looked like something a plumber would use to unclog your sink. Although I really liked the look of this particular image, I didn’t go out and buy a Lensbaby; as a student, I was quite broke and although I liked using my camera, I was not THAT into photography. Investing in a new lens would have been not a smart move so I forgot about the Lensbaby and I even forgot about photography for a few years. But the Lensbaby and I, we would come together eventually many years later! Last year I found myself browsing on Instagram and there it was again: The Lensbaby look. Dreamy still live photos, whimsical landscapes and all the blur I love so much when using my Holga or one of my modified cameras. I was hooked, and this time a Lensbaby should be mine. Now I just had to decide which lens to get. After looking at a lot of images from other photographers I […]

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7Artisans 28mm f/1.4 late-prototype early impressions preview

November 16, 2018, 1:46 am

≫ Next: The Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron – Speedy Value – By Hern Tan

≪ Previous: Lensbaby Lenses: Sweet vs. Edge – a Review – By Martina Kettner

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On Monday this week I received a 7Artisans 28mm f/1.4 late-prototype lens to play with. There’s been a lot of information churning around the rumour mills about this lens lately. But to my knowledge I’m at least one of the first to get my hands on one... so I thought I’d share some very early thoughts and a few sample images.

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The Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron – Speedy Value – By Hern Tan

November 19, 2018, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Returning to the Cheap Fifty: A Homecoming – By Max Cooper

≪ Previous: 7Artisans 28mm f/1.4 late-prototype early impressions preview

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Speed. For many, this quality has been edging down the list of priorities when it comes to purchasing a lens, especially in an era where sensors have got so good that them producing a useable file at ISO 12800 is hardly a talking point. Sadly, as a film shooter who is stubborn about shooting at night like some kind of owl, I need all the help I can get! And so, when I set off on my search for a versatile, one-lens-does-it-all 28mm, I ended up with 4 options: the obscenely expensive 28mm f/1.4 Summilux, the ever so slightly cheaper 28mm f/2.0 Summicron, and the two Voigtlander Ultrons. Now, the first two were far more than I would consider spending on a lens that would be beat up in due time (note: I’m no coddler of gear), so it was down to see what the Ultrons could deliver.

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