Cosina discontinuing Voigtlander SLII manual lenses in KA mount

farfisa · 09-10-2010, 08:01 AM

Originally posted by WiseOx

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.

Gotta admit, that DFA 100 WR does take the sting out of letting the 90 go!

Nice fast AF, and makes a great short tele and portrait lens too.

Possibly hurt sales of the SLII as well, since they're priced so closely ($549 for the 90, $609 at Adorama for the 100WR). Compared to a Canon 100/2.8 Macro, the Voigtlander is tiny, but the 100WR is even lighter than the VL 90 and has a beautiful build.

If I was only doing closeup stuff, I'd have to say I preferred using the Voigtlander because of the nicely damped focusing. Sometimes I see a little extra magic in the Voigtlander images, but it could be my imagination...

apemen · 09-10-2010, 10:11 AM

Originally posted by dasuhu

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.

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+

Me too. I am so glad I got a Nokton recently. It is special and the bokeh is unique.

Cedromar · 09-10-2010, 10:26 AM

So, beyond Adorama does anyone know of a US retailer with the 58mm still available? I hesitated ordering this one because of a post a while back about someone who had gone through 3 'new' copies all full of dust.

Boris · 09-10-2010, 10:28 AM

It is very unfortunate announcement that rather shadows those by Pentax. Somehow I am sure that Cosina is capable of producing highest quality glass that without K-mount support will be missed.

Pentaxor · 09-10-2010, 10:45 AM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

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".

true, but it raises the question of people buying old and manual focus Pentax lenses for the same price and even priced much more expensive that the Voigtlanders. I would think that this has got to do with preference and appeal with Pentax lenses as well. like the demand for Pentax OEM lenses are higher than a 3rd-party manufacturer. it was a gamble for Cosina to invest on the somewhat competitive K-mount arena where pricing is dictated by popularity demand and cheaper K alternatives. I would think they would have done well with the other mounts but not the K mount. Cosina could had implemented a different strategy like selling the lens cheaper for K-mounts.

Pentax for example did a pretty scheme with it's DA12-24.

blende8 · 09-10-2010, 11:06 AM

It is probably the very bad economy in Japan.
Everything is put to test.

Pentaxor · 09-10-2010, 11:26 AM

Originally posted by blende8

It is probably the very bad economy in Japan.
Everything is put to test.

could be. Officedepot here for example, had their 3 major outlets closed down this year alone. the recent one closed down this week alone. and the 4th or last remaining outlet could be in jeopardy as well. economic crisis is everywhere and still in effect. you can blame WallStreet for it. if I were the U.S., I would seriously consider regulating the economy and put those greedy people behind bars.

Bart · 09-10-2010, 11:32 AM

Originally posted by Cedromar

So, beyond Adorama does anyone know of a US retailer with the 58mm still available?...

Here you go: cameraquest

Shashinki · 09-10-2010, 02:56 PM

Only the 20mm is out of stock. Cosina still has some left of the others. If you order one from a dealer, they can still order it from Japan.

stevebrot · 09-10-2010, 04:19 PM

I almost fired off an order for the Nokton 58/1.4 to cameraquest today, but remembered that I don't have any money and have already spent more on camera stuff this year than I should have.

I also remembered that I already have a ton of fast 50s and while the Nokton is nice, it probably would not add that much to the utility of my kit.

Steve

Laurentiu Cristofor · 09-11-2010, 12:35 AM

Originally posted by Pentaxor

true, but it raises the question of people buying old and manual focus Pentax lenses for the same price and even priced much more expensive that the Voigtlanders.

I think that question is answered by what I mentioned before - the disbelief that the Voigtlanders are special.

Cosina made mistakes too - I don't know what they must have thought when they brought to market the 90mm before the 125mm or the 180mm that a lot more people would have been interested in. I expect the 20mm and the 40mm also didn't sell well given the competition from the DA Limiteds. The only one that must have fared better is the 58mm which was even more appealing after the price hike of the FA50.

xjjohnno · 09-11-2010, 04:29 AM

I sold my FA50 to fund my Nokton 58, funnily enough I actually sold it for more then I'd paid for it new thanks to enthusiastic Ebayers.

Pentaxor · 09-11-2010, 12:21 PM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

I think that question is answered by what I mentioned before - the disbelief that the Voigtlanders are special.

Cosina made mistakes too - I don't know what they must have thought when they brought to market the 90mm before the 125mm or the 180mm that a lot more people would have been interested in. I expect the 20mm and the 40mm also didn't sell well given the competition from the DA Limiteds. The only one that must have fared better is the 58mm which was even more appealing after the price hike of the FA50.

the good thing about the 58mm is that it doesn't have a strong direct competition. not even the Helios which is a cheap alternative would be as good as the 1.4. it doesn't necessarily cannibalizes the 50mm-55mm sales, but has it's own market at 58mm focal length which separates it enough to be different from the 50mm and 55mm.

vinceloc · 09-11-2010, 06:21 PM

I don't think Cosina produced their Voigtlander with Pentax users in mind. Truth is, CV lenses are much more popular among Nikon users for DSLRs.

I used to own the FA50/1.4, then the K55/1.8but I sold both and got the Nokton 58/1.4 SLII (when it was still at $379, yeah!!!), and don't regret it for most of the occasions I use the lens. I find it far better than both these Pentax lenses. Of course one should appreciate manual focusing photography rather than the more convenient AF system to really appreciate the lens.

urje · 09-13-2010, 05:08 AM

oh this is so annoying! I've been thinking about replacing my A50/1.7 with a CV 58/1.4 (and a DA40) for a while, but I really can't afford and justify it now, especially since I just got a whole bunch of lenses (including an FA50/1.4) on a good deal with a K-x a few weeks ago. But now they discontinue the line, it feels like it's now or never...

Ah, we'll see. Since they used to be slow sellers, who knows how long stock lasts here in Europe. They're too expensive to export anyway

If I miss out, there's always a DA70 and a cosina 55/1.2 for example...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Pricing on the new Voigtlander SLII 20/3.5 lens: $550!!!	mike.hiran	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	29	05-07-2009 12:12 AM
Rumour: Voigtlander 125mm f2.5 macro SLII in production soon?	roentarre	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	23	02-13-2009 06:39 PM
Voigtlander 40mm f/2 Ultron SLII	Rush2112	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	10	02-07-2009 12:13 PM
K110D Cosina manual lenses	photoguy2380	Pentax DSLR Discussion	8	06-12-2007 02:19 AM

09-10-2010, 08:01 AM	#31
farfisa Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,274	Originally posted by WiseOx 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. Gotta admit, that DFA 100 WR does take the sting out of letting the 90 go! Nice fast AF, and makes a great short tele and portrait lens too. Possibly hurt sales of the SLII as well, since they're priced so closely ($549 for the 90, $609 at Adorama for the 100WR). Compared to a Canon 100/2.8 Macro, the Voigtlander is tiny, but the 100WR is even lighter than the VL 90 and has a beautiful build. If I was only doing closeup stuff, I'd have to say I preferred using the Voigtlander because of the nicely damped focusing. Sometimes I see a little extra magic in the Voigtlander images, but it could be my imagination...

09-10-2010, 10:11 AM	#32
apemen Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ankara, TURKEY Posts: 181	Originally posted by dasuhu 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. 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+ Me too. I am so glad I got a Nokton recently. It is special and the bokeh is unique.

09-10-2010, 10:26 AM	#33
Cedromar Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 30	So, beyond Adorama does anyone know of a US retailer with the 58mm still available? I hesitated ordering this one because of a post a while back about someone who had gone through 3 'new' copies all full of dust.

09-10-2010, 10:28 AM	#34
Boris Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Israel Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 932	It is very unfortunate announcement that rather shadows those by Pentax. Somehow I am sure that Cosina is capable of producing highest quality glass that without K-mount support will be missed.

09-10-2010, 10:45 AM	#35
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor 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". true, but it raises the question of people buying old and manual focus Pentax lenses for the same price and even priced much more expensive that the Voigtlanders. I would think that this has got to do with preference and appeal with Pentax lenses as well. like the demand for Pentax OEM lenses are higher than a 3rd-party manufacturer. it was a gamble for Cosina to invest on the somewhat competitive K-mount arena where pricing is dictated by popularity demand and cheaper K alternatives. I would think they would have done well with the other mounts but not the K mount. Cosina could had implemented a different strategy like selling the lens cheaper for K-mounts. Pentax for example did a pretty scheme with it's DA12-24.

09-10-2010, 11:06 AM	#36
blende8 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bremen, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 1,521	It is probably the very bad economy in Japan. Everything is put to test.

09-10-2010, 11:26 AM	#37
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by blende8 It is probably the very bad economy in Japan. Everything is put to test. could be. Officedepot here for example, had their 3 major outlets closed down this year alone. the recent one closed down this week alone. and the 4th or last remaining outlet could be in jeopardy as well. economic crisis is everywhere and still in effect. you can blame WallStreet for it. if I were the U.S., I would seriously consider regulating the economy and put those greedy people behind bars.

09-10-2010, 11:32 AM	#38
Bart Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: WW community of Pentax users Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,646	Originally posted by Cedromar So, beyond Adorama does anyone know of a US retailer with the 58mm still available?... Here you go: cameraquest

09-10-2010, 02:56 PM	#39
Shashinki Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 355	Only the 20mm is out of stock. Cosina still has some left of the others. If you order one from a dealer, they can still order it from Japan.

09-10-2010, 04:19 PM	#40
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	I almost fired off an order for the Nokton 58/1.4 to cameraquest today, but remembered that I don't have any money and have already spent more on camera stuff this year than I should have. I also remembered that I already have a ton of fast 50s and while the Nokton is nice, it probably would not add that much to the utility of my kit. Steve

09-11-2010, 12:35 AM	#41
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by Pentaxor true, but it raises the question of people buying old and manual focus Pentax lenses for the same price and even priced much more expensive that the Voigtlanders. I think that question is answered by what I mentioned before - the disbelief that the Voigtlanders are special. Cosina made mistakes too - I don't know what they must have thought when they brought to market the 90mm before the 125mm or the 180mm that a lot more people would have been interested in. I expect the 20mm and the 40mm also didn't sell well given the competition from the DA Limiteds. The only one that must have fared better is the 58mm which was even more appealing after the price hike of the FA50.

09-11-2010, 04:29 AM	#42
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	I sold my FA50 to fund my Nokton 58, funnily enough I actually sold it for more then I'd paid for it new thanks to enthusiastic Ebayers.

09-11-2010, 12:21 PM	#43
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor I think that question is answered by what I mentioned before - the disbelief that the Voigtlanders are special. Cosina made mistakes too - I don't know what they must have thought when they brought to market the 90mm before the 125mm or the 180mm that a lot more people would have been interested in. I expect the 20mm and the 40mm also didn't sell well given the competition from the DA Limiteds. The only one that must have fared better is the 58mm which was even more appealing after the price hike of the FA50. the good thing about the 58mm is that it doesn't have a strong direct competition. not even the Helios which is a cheap alternative would be as good as the 1.4. it doesn't necessarily cannibalizes the 50mm-55mm sales, but has it's own market at 58mm focal length which separates it enough to be different from the 50mm and 55mm.

09-11-2010, 06:21 PM	#44
vinceloc Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 367	I don't think Cosina produced their Voigtlander with Pentax users in mind. Truth is, CV lenses are much more popular among Nikon users for DSLRs. I used to own the FA50/1.4, then the K55/1.8but I sold both and got the Nokton 58/1.4 SLII (when it was still at $379, yeah!!!), and don't regret it for most of the occasions I use the lens. I find it far better than both these Pentax lenses. Of course one should appreciate manual focusing photography rather than the more convenient AF system to really appreciate the lens.

09-13-2010, 05:08 AM	#45
urje Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Deventer, NL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 113	oh this is so annoying! I've been thinking about replacing my A50/1.7 with a CV 58/1.4 (and a DA40) for a while, but I really can't afford and justify it now, especially since I just got a whole bunch of lenses (including an FA50/1.4) on a good deal with a K-x a few weeks ago. But now they discontinue the line, it feels like it's now or never... Ah, we'll see. Since they used to be slow sellers, who knows how long stock lasts here in Europe. They're too expensive to export anyway If I miss out, there's always a DA70 and a cosina 55/1.2 for example...