Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 Ultron MC + SC VM (Leica M)
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the new Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 lens for Leica M mount. It compares both single coated (SC) and multi-coated (MC) versions of the lens and includes alternative 75mm lenses for Leica that you might want to consider.
New! Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 Ultron for Leica M
If you follow this blog or watch my videos on YouTube, you’ll know I’m a big fan of Voigtlander lenses for Leica cameras. I even sold some Leica equipment in favour of Voigtlander leading to my new nickname by some of MrVoigtlander.com. Once the new Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 Ultron lens was announced I was keen to get one to try. A big thanks to Flaghead Photographic (Official UK Voigtlander Distributor) for sending me the lens(es) to test.
Voigtlander 75mm 1.9 vs 1.5
As an owner of the amazing Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 VM lens I was very interested to see how the new 75mm Ultron compared. Could the new Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 lens beat my favourite Nokton 75mm f1.5? Currently the Nokton is one of my go to portrait lenses but the new UItron is smaller and lighter so that would work well for my overseas photoshoots.
YouTube: Comparison – Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 vs f1.5 Nokton
Here you see both lenses side by side for size and the results of the comparison test. Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 vs 75mm f1.5 Nokton.
Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 Portraits
I timed the testing of the Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 MC lens with a planned trip to Italy for photoshoots. Here are some example Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 portraits that I shot during my trip in Italy. (There is a full blog post still to come from Italy so to see lots more model photography follow the blog so not to miss out!).
Request from YouTube viewers – SC vs MC test
After sharing the first video on YouTube some viewers said it would be nice if I can test the single coated version of the lens verses the multi-coated copy. I asked Flaghead Photographic nicely and they kindly send me the Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 SC to review. Let the testing commence!
Planned trip to Warsaw, Poland
The Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 SC version of the lens arrived just in time for me to take it on my trip to Poland. The new Ultron 75mm lenses are so good for travel. Compact and lightweight so easily fit into your nice camera bag.
Test photos – Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 SC
Here are a few test photos (full res) using the Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 SC Ultron. I share lots more example photos from Warsaw in the second YouTube video. (Test photos include me photographing the vintage 5cm Tessar lens if you wonder why I show this lens. Bokeh testing!)
New Lightroom preset for Leica cameras “Warsaw Colour”
I was influenced so much by the vibrant colours of Warsaw Old Town that I made myself a new colourful LR preset to suit these postcard style travel photos. I’ve made it available here if you are interested. Here is the MrLeica Warsaw Colour preset applied to Leica camera RAW photos using different lenses.
Need Leica Presets?
Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 SC vs MC
I’m sure you’re saying, “Nice photos and all Matt but what about answering the big question. Should I buy the single coated or multi-coated version?” Don’t worry I made a second video to answer that with comparison photos from each lens. Spoiler alert. The results from the Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 SC vs MC shoot out were less different than expected. (So much so, I wrote to my Voigtlander contact and asked, “Are these lenses supposed to be different?”.
Verdict – Voigtlander 75mm 1.9 vs 1.5
In summary, what was my verdict comparing the new Voigtlander 75mm 1.9 vs 1.5 Nokton? Will I be buying the new Ultron lens and which version, SC or MC? My answer is, if you want a portrait lens (so a lens with the most subject background separation) I recommend the old Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5. If you stop down to f5.6 for your photography and size matters, I recommend the new Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9.
The new 75mm Ultron lens would be the best choice if you want to focus closer. 0.5m MFD vs 0.7m MFD of the Nokton. My choice would be the matte black MC version as the photos are almost identical to the SC lens and it looks cleaner for longer. The black paint single coated lens showed the dust and finger marks (oily skin or dry skin) so required constant cleaning.
Black paint or matte black finish
Black lenses are definitely better for street photography as they are more stealth and don’t catch people’s attention so easily. That said I prefer silver lenses.
Why? Silver finish often look more vintage but more importantly, one, they don’t show marks or scratches to the outside of the lens, and two they rarely need cleaning on the outside. As a guy that almost never cleans and polishes his lenses, both black Voigtlander lenses needed more care to keep them clean. The black paint SC version especially. Sadly the Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9 lens is not available in silver.
5% Voigtlander lenses
Visit my kitlist to get the 5% off code for all Voigtlander lenses. (UK only, sorry). Not affiliated, just trying to help you guys out. For non-UK readers check the lens price here.
Alternative 75mm lenses for Leica
If you are looking purchasing a 75mm lens for your Leica M mount camera what other options do you have? Here are some of the most popular.
- Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5
- Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm f2
- Leica Summilux-M 75mm f1.5
- Leica Summarit-M 75mm f2.5
Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 vs Leica 75mm f2 Summicron
The closest comparison in terms of maximum aperture is to compare the Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 vs Leica 75mm f2 APO. As a previous owner of the Leica 75mm APO Summicron I can tell you that the Leica glass is bigger, heavier and more perfect. The 75mm APO is extremely sharp and was often too much for my model photography on digital. It was very nice on film. Here are digital and film examples with the Leica 75mm APO –
Film gives a softer rendering which I like for my female glamour portraits). I later replaced the Leica APO lens with the Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 (which is also very good on film).
Something softer? Voigtlander 75mm f1.9 vs Leica 75mm f1.4
During my recent trip to Warsaw I also had the opportunity to test the legendary Leica Summilux 75mm f1.4 lens. How does this lens compare to the single coated version of the new Voigtlander Ultron? Again, the 75mm Leica lens is bigger and heavier. This time the Leica lens is perhaps similar in terms of sharpness when shot at f2 in the mid-zones verses the 75mm Ultron. The Voigtlander has a big advantage if you want to get closer to your subject with a minimum close focus distance of 0.5m (vs. 0.8m).
The f1.4 Summilux is a much more artistic lens shot wide open with good centre sharpness and then rapid soft fall off. The Leica Summilux 75mm f1.4 lens is popular for this reason and the new Ultron is very plain vanilla (as they say) in comparison. The discontinued 75mm Summilux would be my first choice for a 75mm lens for digital Leica portraits as it’s less perfect than my 75mm Nokton.
Want something even more arty? 75mm f1.5 Biotar
If you want the 75mm ultimate art lens my choice would be the 75mm f1.5 Biotar. Full video review still to come but here is it’s younger brother, the 50mm f1.4 Biotar. (At the end of the 50mm video you’ll see the 75mm and 50mm side by side). As you can see from the cover photo bokeh, these are creative lenses.
Need something faster? Leica Noctilux 75mm f1.25
Leica+Model Workshops
>> READ MORE LATEST POSTS
Enjoy these reviews? Follow me here so not to miss future articles.