Cosina discontinuing Voigtlander SLII manual lenses in KA mount

Laurentiu Cristofor · 09-09-2010, 10:01 PM

Wow, this is bad news. I liked the Voigtlanders a lot. B&H has been showing these as "temporarily unavailable" for the past months and they never even got the 90/3.5 - this explains it.

And these lenses have no equivalent in the Pentax lineup if you enjoy manual focusing - none of the Limiteds have focus as smooth.

Asahiflex · 09-09-2010, 10:32 PM

Originally posted by Digitalis

I missed out on the Legendary 125mm f/2.5 APO Lanthar SLII macro I'll be damned if I'm missing out on the 58mm f/1.4.

There's no such thing as the 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar SLII. The last 125mm Apo-Lanthars have been made in 2001, it was a VERY slow seller.

hangu · 09-09-2010, 10:57 PM

Originally posted by Asahiflex

There's no such thing as the 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar SLII. The last 125mm Apo-Lanthars have been made in 2001, it was a VERY slow seller.

All of the Voigtlanders are slow sellers. I've never seen any second hand ones on Ebay and have only seen it twice on this forum. It's hard to compete against the likes of A series and Takumars.

**Digitalis** · 09-09-2010, 11:01 PM

Originally posted by Asahiflex

There's no such thing as the 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar SLII. The last 125mm Apo-Lanthars have been made in 2001, it was a VERY slow seller.

okay, so they only made a SL Version, it isn't as if there is a huge difference between the two. The SLII lenses are chipped So matrix metering can be used but as long as the lenses have an "A" position any Pentax (D)SLR can use them.

I like the rendering of the Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 APO Lanthar. My only gripe is that it doesn't have a tripod collar.

I Called my Lens supplier and unfortunately there aren't any K mount voigtlander 58mm f/1.4's left from their principal supplier so he's going to look around and try to find me one...or if there aren't any left I'll get the lens in Nikon F mount and use it on my D3s - though I already own the Highly regarded 58mm f/1.2 Noct nikkor which makes things a bit awkward.

Last edited by Digitalis; 09-09-2010 at 11:07 PM.

BRunner · 09-09-2010, 11:34 PM

Originally posted by hangu

....It's hard to compete against the likes of A series and Takumars.

Unfortunately, there is no comparable Pentax or Takumar lens, which can beat APO-Lanthars in terms of image quality.

Pentaxor · 09-09-2010, 11:48 PM

Originally posted by BRunner

Unfortunately, there is no comparable Pentax or Takumar lens, which can beat APO-Lanthars in terms of image quality.

you just got to wonder how come they didn't sell that well eventhough they're are better.

BRunner · 09-10-2010, 01:09 AM

Originally posted by Pentaxor

you just got to wonder how come they didn't sell that well eventhough there are better.

Slow aperture on 3.5/90 and 4.0/180. This looks bad on paper and mostly missing AF. MF lenses are niche market and Pentax market is negligible in comparison to CaNikon.

To be honest, no other brand offers comparable lenses. Even Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is worse int terms of CA performance than APO 90 and 125. The only brand which in some areas beats APO Lanthars is Leica with their pricey and now discontinued APO-Telyt, APO-Elmarit and APO-Summicron lenses.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 09-10-2010, 01:09 AM

Originally posted by Pentaxor

you just got to wonder how come they didn't sell that well eventhough there are better.

Because the only way to realize something is better is to try it, but if money is involved, people usually get stuck with thoughts like "is it worth it?", "how can it be better?", "the lens I have is good enough", and "it doesn't even have AF".

xjjohnno · 09-10-2010, 03:52 AM

Digitalis, ring or email Mainline Photography. They are the Oz importer and who I bought both my Nokton and 90mm Apo Lanthar through. The orders took a couple of weeks to fill and the impression I had was that Voigtlander were only assembling the PK mount lenses to order.

Urkeldaedalus · 09-10-2010, 04:50 AM - **1 Like**

It's too bad that they are discontinuing these options, but honestly it makes sense to me and I'm not surprised at all. So I guess I would summarize my reaction as "sad, but not unexpected." The Voightlander and Zeiss options make much more sense for full frame systems, where expensive full frame manual focus lenses are usually cheaper and sometimes much cheaper than their autofocus counterparts. I lusted after the Zeiss ZK 21 f/2.8 for example, but I couldn't justify spending $1,700 for a 30 mm equivalent lens without autofocus.

It's probably not coincidental that Cosina announced a month or so ago that they will be building lenses for 4/3 cameras -- lens makers need to make lenses for the cameras people are buying the most of. Maybe if Pentax releases a 4/3 EVIL this will all work out for the best.

I guess I'm more concerned by rumblings that Tamron also will not release new lenses in the Pentax mount, as they along with Sigma really have helped fill Pentax's lens lineup for serious amateurs.

omega leader · 09-10-2010, 04:55 AM

Thats sad

I was waiting for the 180mm and 125mm and was going to buy them when they were released. As a student I was too poor when they were available new, now that I have money I can't get them.

Now we need Pentax to release a 180mm f4 limited.

ewalk · 09-10-2010, 06:12 AM

Originally posted by hangu

Sad, sad day but understandable. I should get in on the 58/1.4 ASAP.

Yup, I'm right there with you. I just ordered an open box 58mm from Adorama. Used, but about $40 less than the new Cosina/VL prices. If I recall correctly, they used to sell for around $379. Now you can't find a single one under $400+

farfisa · 09-10-2010, 06:34 AM

Originally posted by BRunner

Slow aperture on 3.5/90 and 4.0/180. This looks bad on paper and mostly missing AF. MF lenses are niche market and Pentax market is negligible in comparison to CaNikon.

To be honest, no other brand offers comparable lenses. Even Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is worse int terms of CA performance than APO 90 and 125. The only brand which in some areas beats APO Lanthars is Leica with their pricey and now discontinued APO-Telyt, APO-Elmarit and APO-Summicron lenses.

A friend and former forum member did a test between the Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 and the Voigtlander 125, and his conclusion was the same.

Those who have the Voigtlander can count themselves lucky. Then again, so can those who have the Zeiss 100/2, IMO! Both great, but it seems the 125 has the edge.

Have a look!
Clash of the Titan Macro’s | The Pictorial

WiseOx · 09-10-2010, 07:27 AM

I have the SL version of the 90, and it really is an amazing lens.....though I had considered flipping it, to fund the DA100mm WR macro. Now I'm torn.

dasuhu · 09-10-2010, 07:51 AM

Originally posted by ewalk

Yup, I'm right there with you. I just ordered an open box 58mm from Adorama. Used, but about $40 less than the new Cosina/VL prices. If I recall correctly, they used to sell for around $379. Now you can't find a single one under $400+

I'm so glad I picked up my mint w/ box 58mm SL II here on PF a couple weeks ago for $300. So good for portraits. Never letting this one go.

09-09-2010, 11:48 PM	#21
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by BRunner Unfortunately, there is no comparable Pentax or Takumar lens, which can beat APO-Lanthars in terms of image quality. you just got to wonder how come they didn't sell that well eventhough they're are better. Last edited by Pentaxor; 09-10-2010 at 10:31 AM.

09-10-2010, 04:55 AM	#26
omega leader Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 417	Thats sad I was waiting for the 180mm and 125mm and was going to buy them when they were released. As a student I was too poor when they were available new, now that I have money I can't get them. Now we need Pentax to release a 180mm f4 limited. Last edited by omega leader; 09-10-2010 at 04:57 AM. Reason: incompotence

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09-09-2010, 10:01 PM	#16
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Wow, this is bad news. I liked the Voigtlanders a lot. B&H has been showing these as "temporarily unavailable" for the past months and they never even got the 90/3.5 - this explains it. And these lenses have no equivalent in the Pentax lineup if you enjoy manual focusing - none of the Limiteds have focus as smooth.

09-09-2010, 10:32 PM	#17
Asahiflex Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,795	Originally posted by Digitalis I missed out on the Legendary 125mm f/2.5 APO Lanthar SLII macro I'll be damned if I'm missing out on the 58mm f/1.4. There's no such thing as the 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar SLII. The last 125mm Apo-Lanthars have been made in 2001, it was a VERY slow seller.

09-09-2010, 10:57 PM	#18
hangu Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NYC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,071	Originally posted by Asahiflex There's no such thing as the 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar SLII. The last 125mm Apo-Lanthars have been made in 2001, it was a VERY slow seller. All of the Voigtlanders are slow sellers. I've never seen any second hand ones on Ebay and have only seen it twice on this forum. It's hard to compete against the likes of A series and Takumars.

09-09-2010, 11:01 PM	#19
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Originally posted by Asahiflex There's no such thing as the 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar SLII. The last 125mm Apo-Lanthars have been made in 2001, it was a VERY slow seller. okay, so they only made a SL Version, it isn't as if there is a huge difference between the two. The SLII lenses are chipped So matrix metering can be used but as long as the lenses have an "A" position any Pentax (D)SLR can use them. I like the rendering of the Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 APO Lanthar. My only gripe is that it doesn't have a tripod collar. I Called my Lens supplier and unfortunately there aren't any K mount voigtlander 58mm f/1.4's left from their principal supplier so he's going to look around and try to find me one...or if there aren't any left I'll get the lens in Nikon F mount and use it on my D3s - though I already own the Highly regarded 58mm f/1.2 Noct nikkor which makes things a bit awkward. Last edited by Digitalis; 09-09-2010 at 11:07 PM.

09-09-2010, 11:34 PM	#20
BRunner Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 27	Originally posted by hangu ....It's hard to compete against the likes of A series and Takumars. Unfortunately, there is no comparable Pentax or Takumar lens, which can beat APO-Lanthars in terms of image quality.

09-10-2010, 01:09 AM	#22
BRunner Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 27	Originally posted by Pentaxor you just got to wonder how come they didn't sell that well eventhough there are better. Slow aperture on 3.5/90 and 4.0/180. This looks bad on paper and mostly missing AF. MF lenses are niche market and Pentax market is negligible in comparison to CaNikon. To be honest, no other brand offers comparable lenses. Even Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is worse int terms of CA performance than APO 90 and 125. The only brand which in some areas beats APO Lanthars is Leica with their pricey and now discontinued APO-Telyt, APO-Elmarit and APO-Summicron lenses.

09-10-2010, 01:09 AM	#23
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by Pentaxor you just got to wonder how come they didn't sell that well eventhough there are better. Because the only way to realize something is better is to try it, but if money is involved, people usually get stuck with thoughts like "is it worth it?", "how can it be better?", "the lens I have is good enough", and "it doesn't even have AF".

09-10-2010, 03:52 AM	#24
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	Digitalis, ring or email Mainline Photography. They are the Oz importer and who I bought both my Nokton and 90mm Apo Lanthar through. The orders took a couple of weeks to fill and the impression I had was that Voigtlander were only assembling the PK mount lenses to order.

09-10-2010, 04:50 AM - 1 Like	#25
Urkeldaedalus Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,369	It's too bad that they are discontinuing these options, but honestly it makes sense to me and I'm not surprised at all. So I guess I would summarize my reaction as "sad, but not unexpected." The Voightlander and Zeiss options make much more sense for full frame systems, where expensive full frame manual focus lenses are usually cheaper and sometimes much cheaper than their autofocus counterparts. I lusted after the Zeiss ZK 21 f/2.8 for example, but I couldn't justify spending $1,700 for a 30 mm equivalent lens without autofocus. It's probably not coincidental that Cosina announced a month or so ago that they will be building lenses for 4/3 cameras -- lens makers need to make lenses for the cameras people are buying the most of. Maybe if Pentax releases a 4/3 EVIL this will all work out for the best. I guess I'm more concerned by rumblings that Tamron also will not release new lenses in the Pentax mount, as they along with Sigma really have helped fill Pentax's lens lineup for serious amateurs.

09-10-2010, 06:12 AM	#27
ewalk Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 316	Originally posted by hangu Sad, sad day but understandable. I should get in on the 58/1.4 ASAP. Yup, I'm right there with you. I just ordered an open box 58mm from Adorama. Used, but about $40 less than the new Cosina/VL prices. If I recall correctly, they used to sell for around $379. Now you can't find a single one under $400+

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09-10-2010, 06:34 AM	#28
farfisa Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,274	Originally posted by BRunner Slow aperture on 3.5/90 and 4.0/180. This looks bad on paper and mostly missing AF. MF lenses are niche market and Pentax market is negligible in comparison to CaNikon. To be honest, no other brand offers comparable lenses. Even Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is worse int terms of CA performance than APO 90 and 125. The only brand which in some areas beats APO Lanthars is Leica with their pricey and now discontinued APO-Telyt, APO-Elmarit and APO-Summicron lenses. A friend and former forum member did a test between the Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 and the Voigtlander 125, and his conclusion was the same. Those who have the Voigtlander can count themselves lucky. Then again, so can those who have the Zeiss 100/2, IMO! Both great, but it seems the 125 has the edge. Have a look! Clash of the Titan Macro’s \| The Pictorial

09-10-2010, 07:27 AM	#29
WiseOx Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Whitby (near Toronto), Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 433	I have the SL version of the 90, and it really is an amazing lens.....though I had considered flipping it, to fund the DA100mm WR macro. Now I'm torn.

09-10-2010, 07:51 AM	#30
dasuhu Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Rancho Cordova, CA Posts: 189	Originally posted by ewalk Yup, I'm right there with you. I just ordered an open box 58mm from Adorama. Used, but about $40 less than the new Cosina/VL prices. If I recall correctly, they used to sell for around $379. Now you can't find a single one under $400+ I'm so glad I picked up my mint w/ box 58mm SL II here on PF a couple weeks ago for $300. So good for portraits. Never letting this one go.