Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 SL-II Aspherical Compact Pancake Manual Focus NormalLens for Canon EOS Film & Digital Cameras
SKU: VT402EOS
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Questions & Answers
Shopper : How is the IQ on one of these lenses on a Canon 5D MkII? I like the small size for use walking around the city.RAED A : The IQ is beautiful with good color saturation and detail on my Canon 7D. I did not try it on a 5DMKII.James D : I use this lens on a 50D, and it performs well. I've seen photos taken on the 5D or 5DII, and it seems to work well on those bodies too. Look for the Cosina Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 group (CV40) on Flickr to see how this lens performs.
To me, the small size, build quality and IQ are all reasons this is a fun lens. It allows you to be as light-weight as possible while carrying an SLR camera. If you need even wider, there is a Voigtlander 20mm lens that is about the same size too. I've read a review or two that stated the 40mm has better IQ than the 20mm, but the 20mm is still good.MORRIE C : The Voightlander Ultron 40mm f2 is a great lens. I've enjoyed using this lens and it is on my camera most of the time. It is small and very well built.
I purchased this lens for a trip to Vietnam. I wanted a light weight lens that was compact and this Voightlander fit the bill. Since buying it I have found that I use it more than I thought I would. The image quality if very good on my 5DII. I especially like the look of this this lens when the photos are converted to B & W.JIM D : Works well, extremely sharp and well made lens.MARCUS RILEY C/ M : I used the lens on a 5d mkii and a 1ds mkiii, and was impressed by the image quality. I got the lens for the same reason you mentioned, to use as a small 'walking around city'-type lens. It's a great lens for that purpose; i.e. casual shooting when you have time to focus and is wonderfully compact and a joy to use. For example, I walked around a historic palace for a day and it was the perfect casual, light, lens. The image quality is very good. That doesn't mean it is the sharpest lens in the world (it is sharp, even wide open), but it has very few flaws and the overall image is very pleasing and wonderfully 'balanced' in terms of sharpness, color, blur, and contrast. The only real flaw I have found with the lens is that it does have some focus shift when stopped down around f/3.5-5.6. Wide open, obviously there is no focus shift, and after f/5.6 enough is in focus that you don't have to worry about the shift. It wasn't an issue for me because I tend to either stay around f2.0, or close down to f8 depending on the subject. But I found you could use the in-camera focus adjust to adjust the focus confirmation to compensate for the focus shift, or just remember around f4 that after the focus confirmation lights up, to nudge the focus fraction close to compensate. But overall it's a really classic lens that is a joy to own and use and provides very very pleasing and classic-photography-style images.BRITT D : I used this on a APS-C sized sensor but the lens is tack sharp and has very good contrast. for a walk around lens its great, focus ring is smooth and its built like a tank, all metal. i would guess on the 5d mark ii it wouldnt be any different sharpness wise. go for it its a great lens.NIKOLAJ B : Have not spend that much time with it so far - but looks so far very crisp on a 5DII. Use also liveview at 10x for nailing the focus. Super compact but not that lightweight. The close-up attachtment is annoying though. Very nice build quality.
Also consider Canon 35mm/f2 - much lighter and still very impressive - nice close focus at 0.25m - not the same build quality though. - and propably not as sharp in corners.KENNETH G : I tested one on a 5dMKII and found it to be distinctly unsharp across the frame . I returned it. Of course, it might have been a bad sample.TYSON R : The IQ is great. I had originally bought this with the intention of using it on a micro 4/3 camera, and as a bonus would be used on my 5DII. I have the 35L, so I wasn't really anticipating using it much, but I was very happily surprised. The focusing is buttery smooth, the size makes the 5D almost feel pocket camera like and the IQ is much better on a full framer than I anticipated for the price. Great little lens for video too.LUKASZ O : I've been using this lens for several months now and it is my definite favorite. IQ is very high IMO right from f2. Contrast and color are very good. Flare, distortion and aberrations are controlled well. It compares quite well to Zeiss 35 2.0 at much lower cost and at 1/3 the size. If you can manage with only MF this is a great lens.Kahn R : The IQ for the lens is great on Canon 5D MkI. Its pretty sharp at f2.0 and gets quite sharp by f2.8. The images are neutral to a touch warm but I find it very pleasant with a bit of vignetting at f2.0. I use this primarily for street photography and as point of reference, I feel quite comfortable using this rather than my Canon 35mm f1.4L for almost all situations where speed of focus is not critical. The size and weight savings is incredible. This lens basically never leaves the camera.RANDALL K : Can't speak for 5D yet still using a 7d. Great there and the size is great for a less visable profile on the streets.MIKE J : I'm using a film camera (EOS 1V) and find it fine. All my other lenses are "L" so I don't notice the IQ per se. Certainly need a full frame camera for the manual focus.- like the EOS5D.STEPHEN D : I've been using this mostly on a 50D, sometimes on 5D MkII. Bought it so I could use the combination as a smaller, lighter walking around camera. The IQ is great. Really nice lens, as long as you don't mind manual focus. Personally, I always use manual focus.ED C : To be direct, the image quality is great. I used this as my primary lens and love it. As you know it is a manual focus lens which for me is fine. I put a Nikon lens hood on it from a 35mm lens. All of photography is geared toward B&W prints in the end. I also love the focal length on my Canon. Again, it is a very sharp and clear lens!RICHARD S : I own a 5D II and in my experience the IQ was excellent. Once in a while you'll get images with reduced contrast when light enters the lens at a funny angle. (So what?)
Bottom line for me was, I wanted to take my 5D everywhere. I carry a LOT of stuff in my daily grind, so I hoped this lens would make my 5D manageable enough. It didn't.
Happy as I was with the optics, I ended up selling it for a Panasonic LX5. That was a lot better but... then I got a fuji x100. THAT was the answer for me. Perfect trade off between size and IQ. (Lots pricier than than the voigtlander though)
The difference is: When I had the 40mm on my 5D II or the LX5 -- I had a camera I took with me in case I needed to take a picture. The x100 is a camera I WANT to take with me and makes me WANT to take pictures.JOSH C : In my honest opinion, the IQ is great but it is great in a completely different way than my L series lenses. Using my 5DMKII, there is a colder color representation and high contrast giving a realty moody feel. The lens is softer for most general landscape shooting but I have had ultra sharp results in macro to portrait ranges in a bright aperture.
I'm looking to buy another voigtlander because I love the size, build quality and smooth focus for video.ZACHARY W : I use this lense on a 7D. I had been looking for something that was really sharp. I have stopped looking since I got this lense. I am very pleased with the image quality. The size is very nice. Makes the camera a lot more compact. I bought it based on reviews. I figured the lack of autofocus meant all of the price was invested in the glass. Also being small and having few elements seemed to be a bonus. Some people complained that the bokeh was not so great, but it really isn't bad.Gustave W : The image quality on my 5D MkII is excellent. However, remember that this is a manual focus lens - you must focus carefully to ensure sharpness! If you are used to manual focus lenses, you will have no problems. If not, you will need to practice a bit. You may also want to refer to the review of this lens by Ken Rockwell on his website under Canon Lens Reviews.
Shopper : Why Did You Choose This?BROOKS W : Sharp, compact, excellent lens with very smooth manual focus.ARNEL A : I love taking photos using fast prime lens and found 35mm a bit wide and 50mm a little bit long. I got intrigued by what 40mm has to offer. I bit the bullet and bought one from Adorama and did not look back after that. The manual focus is a joy to use, buttery smooth and fast. The color is outstanding and tack sharp. Build quality is much better than Canon's L lenses.
Reviews about this item
Review Summary
2012-04-15T21:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Fantastic little lens!
Wow. Excellent contrast. Far exceeds my expectations. Don't let the manual focus prevent you from purchasing this lens - especially in shooting still subjects. It is not the lens for every situation, but in the situations where subjects are still, you will not be disappointed. It is my new favorite lens. (I say that about all my lens). But I am continually impressed by this lens each time I use it.
DogFather
2011-11-06T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Awesome!
I also own the Zeiss 50mm 1.4, but find myself taking the Voigtlander with me more often due to it's lightweight and compact design. Cheaper than the Zeiss, Voigtlander is manufactured in the same factory by Cosina and feels so much more solid then the (plastic) Canon 50mm 1.4. I can not recommend this lens enough.
Damian R.
About Voigtlander 40mm F/2
FEATURED REVIEWS
Awesome!
By Damian R.
I also own the Zeiss 50mm 1.4, but find myself taking the Voigtlander with me more often due to it's lightweight and compact design. Cheaper than the Zeiss, Voigtlander is manufactured in the same factory by Cosina and feels so much more solid then the (plastic) Canon 50mm 1.4. I can not recommend this lens enough.
Fantastic little lens!
By DogFather
Wow. Excellent contrast. Far exceeds my expectations. Don't let the manual focus prevent you from purchasing this lens - especially in shooting still subjects. It is not the lens for every situation, but in the situations where subjects are still, you will not be disappointed. It is my new favorite lens. (I say that about all my lens). But I am continually impressed by this lens each time I use it.
This is a 40mm f/2.0 Aspherical lens for the Canon system. It comes with dome-shade and close-up filter. This is a great lens with electronic contacts that can "talk" to your Canon camera regarding exposure. Manual focus lens. This is the new, version of this lens. The focus ring on this version is fully metal.
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Key Features
- Two Aspherical Elements
- Manual focus lens with fully compatible metering
- CPU matrix metering for full meter compatibility with current digital SLR's
- Canon EOS mount
- Lets you control the F stop from the camera (set the aperture ring to f/22)
What's in the box:
- Dome Hood
- Close-Up Lens