Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Lens Review

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Review:

If you’re in the market for an M mount 35mm lens, there are ton of choices.  There are large maximum aperture lenses for people who need the extra light gathering capabilities to ultra compact options for photographers who may want something discreet and easy to carry around.  There are also lenses where the main focus is to get the best image quality possible like the new Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH.  In fact, according to Voigtlander, the 35 APO not only offers the highest resolution, and best color correction out of their 35mm lenses but they also call it their most powerful 35mm lens of all time.  That’s a pretty bold statement, and one that made me very eager to test the 35mm APO.  Here’s what I think of it.

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Build Quality:

So, let’s take a look at the build quality first, which I have to say, is quite impressive.  The APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH retails for $1,149, which is still not a cheap lens but it also feels very much like a Leica lens, which has many of you know, cost quite a bit more.  In fact, Leica recently released their new APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2 ASPH, which retails for $8,195.  Like the Leica version, the 35mm APO is essentially an all metal design that has been beautifully assembled.  The focus ring is probably one of the smoothest I’ve used in quite a while, and offers just the right amount of resistance, at least for me, so the end result is something that not only feels high end but also helps you be precise when you need to do critical focusing.  The aperture ring is equally as pleasing to use.  It clicks in half stops, and rotates nicely as you go through the selections.  There seems to be a very subtle dampening effect as you click through the settings that again, adds to the high end feel of this lens.  Bottom line is, this is probably one of the most beautifully made lenses that I’ve used in a while.  I am definitely impressed.

↑ Here’s a picture of the APO-Lanthar 35mm f2 Aspherical on a Leica M body.  

↑ I’ve been using the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 Aspherical with the Panasonic S1 quite a bit.

As for the size and weight, the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH is larger than say a 35mm Summicron.  In fact, it’s actually closer to a 50mm in terms of size, and very similar to the 50 Lux.  It will block some of the viewfinder of an M rangefinder camera but I think if you’re a veteran M user, it won’t bother you too much.  I’ve been using Ms for decades, and I didn’t even notice the blockage until I read about it online somewhere haha.

↑ Here’s a photo that will hopefully give you an idea of the size of this lens.  From left to right: Summicron-M 35mm f2 ASPH Black Paint, Summilux-M 50mm f1.4 ASPH, APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH, and Summicron-M 50mm f2.

For those who are looking for an ultra compact 35mm, this may not exactly fit the bill but with that said, it’s not huge.  It’s not going to weigh you down at the end of the day, and it’s still plenty discreet for all you street photographers out there.  In other words, it’s still a reasonable size for a 35mm, and for an M body.  Many of you know I am now in the SL system but I have kept my film Ms, and I did actually take this lens out with my M6 TTL Millennium a few times.  It worked great, and it was perfectly balanced with my M.  What also helps is it weighs 10.7 oz/304 g, so it’s still light enough to carry around all day without feeling fatigue.  Also, the nice heft that it has only adds to the high end feel of this lens.

↑ Closer view of the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH.

The only thing is it does not come with a lens hood.  If you want one, the correct one is the LH-13 Lens Hood, and you’ll need to purchase it separately.  I didn’t have one with my loaner, and truthfully, I didn’t need it.  I didn’t have any issues with things like flare, for instance.

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Image Quality:

Let’s talk about image quality now, which to be honest, is what the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH is all about.  This is supposedly one of Voigtlander’s best lenses in terms of optics.  As I mentioned earlier, Voigtlander even says that this “offers the highest resolution and best color correction.  It can be called our most powerful 35mm lens of all time.”  That is high praise and let me just say that after testing this lens, I don’t doubt that statement.  This is seriously one of the best Voigtlander lenses that I’ve tested.

↑ Taken in Chinatown with the Sigma fp L with the lens set at f5.6 and 500 ISO.

↑ This was takenw with the S1 while I was walking around downtown.  The settings were 2500 ISO and f5.6.

↑ Here’s a photo I took at f8 with 125 ISO.  This was taken around Chinatown in Manhattan.

↑ This was taken in Chinatown with the S1 using 3200 ISO and f5.6.

It starts out with sharpness, which is just so good.  The amount of detail the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH retrieves is downright pretty incredible.  I’m not even talking about say the overall picture or the main subjects in a photo. I’m talking about all the micro detail as well.  The best part is the lens is sharp throughout the frame at all aperture settings.  The corners and edges definitely hold up well even at f2.

↑ This was taken with the Sigma fp L using f8 and 100 ISO.  This was just to test for sharpness.

↑ As you can see, this lens is razor sharp even with the fp L’s 61 megapixel sensor.

↑ Here’s one taken around Chinatown with the S1 at f2 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

↑ This was taken in the New York Botanical Garden with the S1, and the settings were f8 and 100 ISO.

I was mainly using the Panasonic S1 because I was reviewing that camera but I also used this lens on my Leica M6 TTL Millennium, and a Sigma fp L, which has 61 megapixels.  This lens was definitely up for the fp L’s sensor. It produced beautifully sharp images.

↑ This was taken around Chinatown using f11 and 500 ISO.  The camera was the S1.

↑ Here’s a photo taken at f2 with 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken in the center of Chinatown using f5.6 and 160 ISO.

↑ This is another photo I took at f2 with 100 ISO.

Of course, the praise does not stop there.  First off, you’re getting beautifully three dimensional images from the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH.  That pop or that depth we all look for in good lenses is all here.  Furthermore, since this is an apochromatic design, it has better control over issues like color fringing and chromatic aberrations.  As I mentioned earlier, flare wasn’t an issue for me under normal usage meaning not purposely trying to make the lens flare.  I did see a little vignetting at f2 but nothing out of the ordinary.  Stopping down just a bit removes it.

↑ This was taken using f5.6 and 1250 ISO.  The camera was the S1.

↑ Here’s another photo taken around the Wall Street area with the S1 using f5.6 and 1250 ISO.

↑ This was taken with the S1 using f8 and 250 ISO.  This was at the New York Botanical Garden.

↑ This was taken right on Canal Street with my lens set at f8.  I used 125 ISO.

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Bokeh:

To top it off, I found the bokeh to be quite smooth thanks in part to its 12 blade diaphragm.  It’s not my style to analyze every bokeh ball in each photo.  I tend to look at the big picture, and overall, I find the images shot at f2 to be buttery smooth, and very pleasing to the eye.  The subject is sharp as a tack yet the background is nicely blurred out.  What’s also great is how nice this lens transitions from a sharp tack subject to a smoothed out background.  Bottom line is the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH produces beautiful bokeh, at least to me.  It’s a more modern look but overall, definitely very pleasing.

↑ Here’s a photo from the New York Botanical Garden taken with the S1 at f2 using 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s another taken at the same place with the same settings as the photo above.

↑ Here’s one more photo taken at f2 with 100 ISO.

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Pros And Cons:

Pros:

• Beautifully made with high quality raw materials.
• Focus and aperture rings offer a superb feel.
• Priced reasonably.
• Image quality is breathtakingly good.
• Excellent bokeh

Cons:

• Not many cons I can think of but for some, maybe a bit larger than they expected.

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH Verdict:

Overall, the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH really is probably the best Voigtlander 35mm out so far.  It really feels like Voigtlander made every possible effort to create their ultimate 35mm f2 lens.  The build is absolutely superb, and the optics are some of the best out there.  It’s really a dream lens, and this is coming from a person that doesn’t even like using the 35mm focal length :)!  Best of all, the retail price is $1,149, which to me, is very reasonable.  I feel it’s even reasonable after you factore in the optional LH-13 Lens Hood, which costs $109.  As I mentioned before, the Leica version of this lens costs $8,195.

↑ Here’s one more photo of the APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 Aspherical attached to my M6 TTL Millennium.

As for faults or issues, I don’t really see any that would bother me.  This is one of my shorter reviews because the truth is, there isn’t much bad that I can say about it.  One could argue it’s larger than some 35mm f2 M mount lenses, which is true.  But I didn’t even really notice it much until I put it side by side with my 35mm Summicron.  The point is, the size is totally manageable, and did not hinder the way that I used it.  I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of compactness for the image quality that this lens produces.

Bottom line is the 35mm APO is a superb lens.  In my opinion, Voigtlander outdid themselves with this one.  If you’re in the market for an M mount 35mm, and you want something that just produces killer photos, I definitely recommend this lens.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If you’re considering purchasing the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH, and my review helped you decide, please help support this site by purchasing from the links below or any mentioned in this review.  It will not cost you anything extra. Thank you for your support!

APO-LANTHAR 35mm f2 ASPH at B&H Photo

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