Voigtlander 20mm f/3.5 SL-II Aspherical AI-P Manual Focus Lens for Nikon

2017-07-05T13:02:55

A very interesting lens. BUT, if you are a pixel peeper demanding all corners be sharp and that there never, ever can be a hint of chromatic aberration, move along. Buy a 2-pound, giant prime lens from Sigma, or a $ 14-24mm from Nikon. Or, maybe the Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G would suit you. If, however, you love taking photographs that simply have a wonderful, overall, pictorial quality with lively appearance, great color, and depth, this could be a lens for you. Used within its limitations, it's a joy. If you like using an ultra-wide for very close images that provide a wonderfully steep perspective, this lens will focus a bit closer than 8 inches, which is much closer than the Sigma. Do you ever get weary while hauling around a few modern, "perfect" prime lenses that feel like bricks in your case after a couple miles? Then take a good, close look at the Voigtlander. It is tiny and light. And, finally, does paying a thousand dollars or three for a plastic lens bother you? Do you wonder how long that cute little autofocus motor will last? Wonder what it'll cost to replace? Oh, wait. By then, you'll be lining up to buy the latest plastic wonder lens. But, I digress. Do you appreciate quality construction with silky smooth, flawless, and long-lasting manual focus? Then your choices for Nikon are: old Nikkor MF lenses, expensive Zeiss lenses, or this Voigtlander. Because of its pictorial quality, close-focusing, tiny size and weight, and its wonderful build quality, this has become one of my favorite lenses.

RICHARD G.

2017-05-31T08:46:44

The Voigtlander 20mm AI-p f3.5 is sharp, compact and chipped to provide EXIF data. However, if you already have a Nikon AI 20mm f4 the difference is only 0.4 ounces in weight, a small amount in size and it's not chipped so you have to manually set the DSLR to record info, not a big deal. The Nikon 20mm f4 is a rare old lens, took me a while to find one. I was going to replace it with the Voigtlander. The Voigtlander is slightly sharper wide open, in fact it's even a little sharper than the 17-35 f2.8 Nikon at f8. But having both of the other lenses I couldn't see enough difference to warrant the extra expense. Now, if I didn't have those two other lenses, the Voigtlander would be the one to have. This is a beautiful lens and if you're looking for a good manual focus 20mm, this is the way to go! Hard focus at infinity is great for night shots, the smallness and 7.0 ounces makes this easy to carry with you all the time. The fact it is chipped insures good exposure and correct EXIF data. The comparisons of this to the newer Nikon AF-s 20mm f1.8 for what? 700 or 800 vs. 500 or so for this one, well... it comes down to size, weight and whether you want focus. I passed on getting the 20/1.8 for my 20/4 and had I found the Voigtlander 20/3.5 first, I'd have kept it. I've put together a series of images from a tripod and at f8 between the Nikon 20/4 and 17-35/2.8 and the Voigtlander 20/3.5 - the Voigtlander 20/3.5 is the slight winner against the Nikons. Best place to see it is the lower left corner... http://johnmeister.com/2017/05-May-20-KayakLakeCassidy-20mmTest/Voightlander-vs-Nikon-20mm/20mm-test-f8.html If you don't have a 20mm lens and don't mind manual focus, this is a great option. I wish I'd found it before the older Nikon. It's expensive, and if your budget is tight and manual focus a concern, then you might consider the Nikon 20/1.8, it's 12 ounces instead of 7 and very sharp. But if you want a nice lens to have with you all the time, THIS Voigtlander should be in your pocket or bag. It's a superb lens.

John M.