Fred Miranda published his review of the new Voigtländer APO-ULTRON 90mm f/2 VM lens for Leica M-mount (pre-orders now open at B&H Photo | Foto Koch | Calumet Photo). Here are his final thoughts:
“The Voigtlander 90mm f/2 APO-Ultron stands out as Cosina’s best telephoto lens to date. While Cosina has previously produced good 90mm APO lenses, such as the 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar, I found that the real-world performance didn’t always match the impressive optical design and special glass. The new Voigtlander 90mm f/2 APO-Ultron, however, offers significant improvements, vastly surpassing the f/2.8 Skopar version and even competing with the Leica APO-Summicron 90mm f/2 ASPH. In fact, it performs better at both wide and smaller apertures, where the Leica has traditionally excelled, offering higher resolution, better contrast, and stronger flare resistance.
The Leica, an older design, was ahead of its time but lacks the modern multi-coating and special glass formulas found in newer lenses like the Voigtlander. Despite this, the Leica still delivers high resolution images with a certain charm and less clinical rendering compared to the Voigtlander.
The Voigtlander 90mm f/2 APO-Ultron also brings several advantages: it creates well-defined sunstars, maintains a more neutral field curvature, eliminates detectable focus shift, and performs well at minimal focus distance, even at wide apertures. It is also excellently corrected for axial CA, which can be a key benefit for certain types of shooting.
On the other hand, the Leica APO-Summicron 90mm f/2 ASPH. shows slightly lower distortion and less optical vignetting, resulting in a more pleasing off-axis rendering.
If you’re in the market for a high-performance 90mm telephoto lens with strong correction, the Voigtlander 90mm f/2 APO-Ultron offers excellent performance. While it’s marketed as a portrait lens by Cosina, it may not be the best choice for portraits unless your subjects have flawless skin.”
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight (339g) for a 90mm f/2 lens.
- Lens does not block the 90mm framelines at most distances.
- High resolution and contrast across the entire image field, even when wide open.
- Strong performance at minimal focus distance.
- Well-built with tight tolerances; my copy was properly centered and calibrated with the rangefinder. (I will test another production copy and report back)
- Aperture mechanism creates defined 12-pointed sunstars from f/2.8 onwards, optimal after f/4.
- No detectable focus shift.
- Neutral field curvature from close distance to infinity.
- Pleasant rendering with high contrast subjects and smooth transitions.
- Excellent resistance to ghosting and veiling flare.
- Strong chromatic aberration control.
Cons:
- Noticeable pincushion distortion, although easily correctable.
- Relatively long 0.9m minimum focus distance.
- Higher optical vignetting compared to some other 90mm f/2 lenses.
- Short focus throw requires precise focusing.
Voigtländer APO-ULTRON 90mm f/2 VM lens next to the Leica APO-Summicron-M 90mm f/2 ASPH:
Read the full review here.
Previous Fred Miranda reviews can be found here.
Additional information on the Voigtländer APO-ULTRON 90mm f/2 VM lens can be found here:
New Voigtländer APO-ULTRON 90mm f/2 VM lens for Leica M-mount announced
