Tags
35mm, Aperture, black and white films, Cosina, Cosina Voigtlander, CV, F1.4, Film, films, Ilford, Ilford DDX, Kentmere, Kentmere 400, Leica, Leica M2, lens review, M3, M4, M6, M7, Shutter speed, Tri-X, TriX, VC, Voigtlander, Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 review, Voigtlander R3A, zeiss, Zeiss 25mm F2.8
This is a quick user review of the ultra small, ultra fast Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 (SC). Just in case you do not know what the SC stands for, it means Single Coated. There is a MC (Multi-coated) version which claims higher contrast. For me, the SC is good enough, and judging by the images, its darn high contrast enough for me!
Specifications of the lens can be found here. If you are in Singapore and would like to know where to get your filthy paws on a brand new copy, Chiif Cameras is the dealer for Voigtlander. I am not affiliated with him, its just that he is the friendliest camera dealer I know to date.
Back to the 35mm. Its small. Its light. Its darn fast.
People will say it has distortion, pin-cushion etc. But Hell, its S$780 thats about US$600. What do you get for US$600? Speed and a fantastic weight/size ratio. Or, you could go for the Leica 35mm Lux or Cron, which will set you back 3-4 times the cost of the CV (Cosina Voigtlander). It was a no-brainer for me.
I am not a professional photographer. I am merely a serious hobbyist. This is as value for money you can get. At S$780, this is a steal!
- Surprised
Distortion? Do I really care? Come on lets be realistic. As a hobbyist, do we really need the zero distortion? Or the superb sharpness of the Leica’s? The fact that we can ‘bang’ the shot at f1.4 with this S$780 lens as compared to a S$3,000 Leica ‘glass’, gives us great pleasure already.
The other contender would be the Zeiss 35mm F2.8 or the F2. That my friend, is another S$1,550 for the F2. I could get the Cosina Voigtlander 15mm F4.5 AND the CV35mm 1.4 for that price!
- Smiles
I have to admit that I don’t shoot as often as I should with this little baby. I am more of a 50mm guy. In recent weeks, the 35mm has crept into my ‘shooter’s bag’ more often than my 50mm Zeiss Sonnar (ZM). I shoot with the Leica M2, M3 & M6. My favourite being my M3 for its fantastic viewfinder and focusing patch. The M2 however, is a thrill to work with when I hook up the Zeiss 25mm F2.8 on it….
- When darkness falls…
These shots above are from a roll of Kentmere 400 shot at ISO 1600. Developed with Ilfotec DDX (my favourite developer at the moment 
). As the Massive Development Chart did not have the rated times, I used my personal times of 14min 30sec, with 2 inversions/minute. I started off with a full 1:10min inversions too, similar to the way I develop TriX and most of my other films. Looks like I should also write about the underrated Kentmere films too
The built quality of the speedy Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 is lovely. Its diminutive size is not to be messed with as it packs a good weight in your hands. I am not saying its heavy, I am saying it feels damn good in your hands
Sleeping
Just in case you are wondering, most of the shots are not post processed. They are straight from the scans via my Epson V600. I am embarking on a series titled R.A.W where I shoot and compile them into shots that do not have post processing. Why?
Well, its personal. I am looking to keep it as natural as possible. To see the film and nature of the shot as it truly was in my eyes. It may seem cliche, but I am tired of spending time in front of the computer and giving my mouse an orgasm.
The Wait
The competitors for a 35mm are varied, and so are their prices. Look at Leica’s 35mm Cron’s, and they are only F2. Their prices though, remain sky-high. Not to mention the 35mm Lux, which is F1.4. The wake up call is the price. The Lux goes for an average of S$3,000 – S$6,000. Or even more if you consider the ASPH Chrome versions. The Chrome though, is SLURP. The Voigtlander 35mm do not come in chromes though, if you happen to be a sucker for chrome.
The Kid
Friends
To a serious hobbyist like myself, I personally feel that the Voigtlander and Zeiss range of lens more than suffice in terms of cost-per-ratio value. At their price point and image quality (IQ), they present a fantastic option to try various focal lengths and a fair price.
