I want to know how does Voigtlander 125mm Macro compare to Leica 100mm Macro in terms of optical quality. Which is better?

-- Azhar Fadzil (cheahmad.azhar@mmu.edu.my), April 05, 2002

Answers

Say does it come with a tape measure so you can focus it with a M? On second thaught I will pass. God grant me the serenity to except the things I can not change. PLEASE!

-- Al Henry (J Henry@provide.net), April 05, 2002.

Henry's right...neither lens come with a tape measure. But they aren't available in the M-mount either.

As for the Voigtlander, you can't use it on a Leica-R. FWIW: http://www.cosina.co.jp/sllenses/125.html

-- Andrew (mazurka@rocketmail.com), April 05, 2002.

Thanks for the response (if you call that a response).

Anyway, is anybody else here by any chance knows the performance of Voigtlander 125mm Macro compared to Leica 100mm Macro?

-- Azhar Fadzil (cheahmad.azhar@mmu.edu.my), April 05, 2002.

Of course that's a response. Whether you find it useful is another matter.

If you go to the URL I give, you'll find a link to MTF graphs. You can also try looking up the MTF performance of the Leica at www.photodo.com

Since this is a Leica forum and you ask about a non-Leica mount lens, perhaps it's better if you say something like "I'm considering the M42 version with a Leica-R adapter" to make it more on-topic and attract more response.

-- Andrew (mazurka@rocketmail.com), April 06, 2002.

Azhar

I suspect you will not get a good answer on this one as the Voigt does not fit directly on a Leica R camera, so unless the person involved is happily using adapter mounts then you will not find out. As a Leica R user I certainly would not buy a VC reflex lens as there is no aperture or meter coupling via an M42 adapter. A pity as these are most handsome looking lenses. I wish they had made them in R mount.

As you know the 100mm Apo Macro Elmarit is a a legendary lens and to be quite frank I think it unlikely that the VC 125 mm will seriously compare with it: but the devil is in the details - do you need or can utilize the extra resolution that the Leica lens can provide?

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.

Azhar, Have you handled this 125mm Macro? It is as big as the 120mm for the Hasselblad but with dubious construction. If you squeeze the barrel the lens makes this creaky noise. The aperture iris while has lots of blades they are not even. I am sure it is a fine lens based on what VC has had offered but for $800 I would expect at least Nikon built quality. By the way I have the 75mm VC in AiS mount and it is as good as the LTM version.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), April 10, 2002.