The new SLRmagic 25mm f/0.95 lens is in the middle between the Voigtlander and the Leica.
So here we are with the next super fast f/0.95 lens! After the Hyperprime 50mm and the two Voigtlander 25mm and 17.5mm SLR magic will develop another 25mm f/0.95 lens! It will very likely arrive on market by end of the year and have an extimated price similar of the [shoplink 25691 ebay]Hyperprime 50mm lens (here on eBay)[/shoplink].
They also send me some image samples which they told “are representative of 70% of what our final lens can produce. We noticed some purple fringing and we will try to address that issue before the production model“. They will show that lens at Photokina in September (Hall 3.1 at booth B059).
Below you can find an f/0.95 image comparison (Click on them to enlarge). On the left the SLRmagic and on the right the Voigtlander. The SLR Magic lens has thinner DOF. It is because it is a T0.95 lens and not a f/0.95 lens. Images may look blurry in some comparison photos but it is just because of thinner DOF. You can see the thin plane of focus is actually quite sharp. The ISO was 200 and shutter speed was 1/15 on a manfrotto portable tripod with WB at 3000K.
Comparison at f/0.95
Comparison at f/1.4
The advantage of the SLRmagic lens over the Voigtlander is the smooth aperture ring (perfect for cinematographers), it’s sharper wide open, and less purple fringing.
[poll id=”135″]
This would become the fourth m43 lens with f/0.95 aperture. The other three are the:
[shoplink 15659 ebay]Nokton 25mm (here on eBay)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 30452 ebay]Nokton 17.5mm (here on eBay)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 25691 ebay]Noktor SLRmagic 50mm (here on eBay)[/shoplink]
64 Responses
“You can see the thin plane of focus is actually quite sharp.”
I can’t see that actually. To my eyes nothing in the SLR Magic shot is even close to the Voigtlander.
Besides, what’s the point of shooting a test chart if you can’t actually focus on the test chart?
yeah- I guess they can’t blame AF miss fire 😉
Leica 25, anytime.
Or get the Panny 14/2.5, 20/1.7, Sigma 30/2.8 and Oly 45/1.8 for the same price as one of the f0.95 lenses. Just as sharp, much smaller, much more flexible and all with AF = mildly interested in f0.95, but never going to buy.
One other interesting factoid- TOTAL weight of the four lenses is about the same as the Voigtlander too. You quite literally pay a heavy price for fast glass.
Yes i agree, right now I have the 20 and the 45, which covers almost every need i have for prime lenses. But among those three in the picture, still Leica.
I wouldn’t trade my Voigtländer 25mm for all of those lenses together.
+1 🙂
I wouldn’t trade all those lenses for a Voigtlander! I want small fast lenses over a reasonable range.
Except the sigma, I have all those lenses, and the voigtlander 25mm on order. Will let you know my results!
Damn… Can’t delete below on this phone..
“Besides, what’s the point of shooting a test chart if you can’t actually focus on the test chart?”
True. They included a ruler in the image but just focused one centimeter nearer than the Voigtlander.
Kudos to reintroducing T-stops however! Ho many more stops does that lens deliver than the Voigtlander?
sharper, it is, but the CA at the ruler border is pretty insane.
“They focused one centimeter nearer than the Voigtlander.”
Yeah, they should have tried to focus on 0 as with Nokton. Then we’d have a fair comparison.
“It is because it is a T0.95 lens and not a f/0.95 lens.”
I don’t see any more light in the SLR Magic picture. Shutter speeds are the same for both shots, so if both were done with the same aperture, I don’t see any light gathering advantage for the new lens.
But the main reasons I’m not interested are focal length and price.
Why duplicate Cosina’s 25mm F0.95? Why not make a 20mm or 30mm or whatever FL that is not covered by an existing lens?
And for the advantages described and sample images shown, I don’t see why would anyone pay anything close to Voigtlander for a lens that is slightly larger.
Come on, SLR Magic, make a 15mm F0.95 lens!
Update:
In these new (GH2) samples SLR Magic looks sharper than the Voigtlander, although there is still no advantage in the amount of light the two lenses can gather… Enough reason to choose it over the Nokton, but not enough for an upgrade. Again focused on different parts of the scale, though.
I still think they should have chosen a different focal length.
I wanna see original size images, and I’ll get interested in SLR 25mm depneds on How it has minimum focus distance.
So how exactly does a T0.95 differ from and ƒ/0.95? I’m pretty new to this whole T-stop thing.
F-stop (real name focal ratio) is mathematical relation between focal length and aperture diameter and doesn’t take light losses into account.
T-stop is based to amount of light getting through whole lens which is usefull for keeping accurate exposure when using manually set shutter speed and sensitivity.
DXO tests also light transmision, eg. Oly 45mm:
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Camera-Lens-Database/Olympus/Olympus-MZuiko-Digital-ED-45mm-F18/%28camera%29/677
T stop WILL always be higher than f stop, it’s impossible to have f0.95 lens to have T0.95, or is it?
Depth of field does NOT change between T and F stops. If anything, a T0.95 should have a LESS thin depth of field then an F0.95. The F value determines the depth of field, the T value determines how much light reaches the sensor.
Also the test charts are completely misfocused on the right, so I have no clue how you even dare to compare them.
+1 – a T0.95 is going to be equivalent to (for instance), an F1.0. So DoF should be deeper…
With all due respect Matt, you are incorrect.
A t0.95 lens means that the transmission is 0.95, meaning that the f stop has to be at least this, say f0.9. The depth of field depends on the f stop, and we are now comparing f0.9 to f0.95, so the t0.95 lens will have less depth of field.
You may be wrong here.
Assuming that T = 0.95 then F might be even smaller (as in larger aperture to compensate for light loss) in which case DOF is even smaller.
The Voigtländer should look better, definitely when the image is resized for the web. It does, however, bloom in max aperture.
I have the Voigtländer. Personally I prefer not to use it in maximum aperture as in most scenarios images look better with ISO pushed up one stop and the lens set @ f/1.4…. that said, the PL 25 is sharper than the Voigtländer at f/1.4, is lighter, has autofocus and does not suffer as much from ghosts and flair.
I don’t have the new PL (I have the old 4/3 version) but still think it is a better lens than the Voigtländer for stills. For video I think the Voigtländer still has an edge, as the new PL suffers from extreme focus breathing.
Wöltje wrote they are shipping my silver E-M5 today!! (Germany)
the bokeh is nice. until the final product and images taken for test then i will decide.
I guess I’m in the minority who prefers Voigtländer. For now at least.
It looks interesting, but if it’s at the same price range as the Voigtländer I don’t see a reason to get it, unless it offers something else.
Oh, and Leica 25mm, really?
I don’t know about you people, but I’d rather have a focus ring that is mechanically connected to the optics.
And something that doesn’t have a chip in it that tells the camera how to “correct” the image.
I’d rather have auto focus … the Leica is a beautiful lens …
+1
Why would a mechanical link between the optics and focus ring exclude auto focus?
I’m with you. The mechanicalness of the Voigtlander is awesome
I love my CV 25mm!
It’s a great throw back to the way lenses used to be made. I leaned photography on a MF lens, and have never really liked AF.
How have they not made a fast 35mm aleady, I feel like they would have sold a ton more 35s than 25s seeing how there are already 2 on the market. The sigma 30 is ok… But a 35mm at f2 or faster would better play of the market for sure… They have people getting paid to call those shots…?
double post :p
Maybe he Olympus ZD 35-100 f/2.0 might be something for you? 🙂
Yea, I want to see what Panasonic decides for the X’s. Pan/Oly are really building the suspense, but there is some great stuff coming out right now. I’m sure they are double checking their suply numbers, sounds like people are hungry for it
The M-mount Voigtländer 35mm F1.4 plus M-MFT Adapter is less expensive than the 17.5mm/25mm lenses with MFT mount, tiny and one of my favourite lenses. If you’re willing to spend some (or a lot) more money, there’s also the 35mm F1.2.
Of course the new Pana X lenses will be interesting for this focal length as well.
Yes, but given the 2x crop of the M4/3 sensor, the 35mm f1.4 is a 70mm equivalent focal length, while the 17.5mm f0.95 is 35mm. The 35mm is a rangefinder lens. They’re very different.
I have a Nokton 35mm and it’s a really nice little lens, perfectly scaled for M4/3 cameras and lots of fun to use.
As far i understood the original post by Arturo Navarro he was asking about a 35mm lens (the focal length, not the equivalent focal length). 😉
The NUT announced: you need a nut cracker to crack it. 🙂
Great SLR. Now go and make a MF 25mm f1.4 half the size and sharp.
Yet another machine vision lens hyped as pro glass. Many suckers will fall, in part because blogs like these, with absolutely no journalistic ethic, like to cash the check that hong kong scammer send them.
Why must every one make primes with the same focal lengths? Do we really need yet another 25mm?
Soon I won’t need the 14-42 (or 12-50), I can almost have a prime for every focal length between 12 and 50 mm.
Good thing the 75mm/1.8 and 60mm macro are coming. But what I really want is a decently fast (or even really fast) long lens.
This is pretty funny. So, base on the two HORRIBLE photos at the top of this page, I am supposed to answer a poll about a $1000 purchase? (I could have provided a better shot of the three lenses if I have handed my camera to a 3-year-old on the street without switching the camera to the wrong color balance….. And, in small, pathetic image number two (which is only 70% of what the lens will deliver???), I am supposed to be able to discern some kind of valuable info about this $1000 product? LOL. LOL. LOL.
Sometimes the web is REALLY stupid.
Did a lens company release these photos? Did this lens company ever hear about color balance?
A lens company….REALLY. Is it April 1st again?
Oh…wait..the lens company named themselves SLR Magic…. ….hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm……..now this is starting to make sense.
Probably taken using an iPhone or something — these things which are supposed to replace cameras 🙂
Any way you slice it…this is just embarrassing AND carelessly stupid coming from a lens company. At least the OM teaser was fun. The test shot above was obviously shot on a MFT camera, set on daylight in an indoor environment. Perhaps SLR Magic should hire a capable photographer next time they want to publish images representing their company and their lenses. It’s hysterically funny…
Not remotely interested in an overpriced, poorly designed, poorly-manufactured clone of an already fantastic lens from a mysterious company. No thanks.
removed!
The 50mm Hyperprime is something like $3500, for that price not a single person in the world will buy it as the Voigtländer is 1/3 of that – Admin that must be a typo?
Chris, not that hyperprime (which actually may be an incredible lens), ..the comparison is with this lens. It costs about $1000.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/items/?_nkw=Noktor+50mm&_sacat=&_ex_kw=&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=
Easy to get confused with these names.
I believe HyperPrime refers to SLR Magic-lenses. I have not heard this name associated with Voigtänder. I believe the lens in question is being sold as the Nokton 50mm f1.1 High Speed Standard Lens; which would make more sense, yes.
There are 3 lenses being confused here. The Noktor Hyperprime 50mm.
The Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f1.1 with a Leica M mount. $1049
http://cameraquest.com/voigt_5011.htm
The native Micro Four Thirds Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f0.95. $1199
http://cameraquest.com/voigt_m43.htm
AWH DAMNIT I just bought the nokton.
You’ll love it and NOT regret it! Honestly! It’s my favorite M4/3 lens.
Well I’ve been shooting video and wanting a smooth aperture, but I do love the Nokton.
Why is the Voigtlander bokeh in lemon shape? It ugly
IT’S BEAUTIFUL
There is a cash-back offer on the PL 25 f1.4 in the UK at the moment, so I will probably get one of those. I am surprised at how many manual focus fast primes we are getting, there must be demand for them.
If somebody would do a 14mm f1.4, I might be interested in that, manual focus or not.
They have a 12 t1.6 which is like a 12 f1.4
To be strict te sof is less on the SLR meaning it is a faster lens.
That slr magic lens distorts like there no tomorrow compared to the voigt, doesn’t it? When switching between them in browser tabs, the photos from the new lens almost pop out like it’s a fisheye.
Where is the fast 18-19mm 1.4 lens which gives a similar FOV as a 35mm on a full frame?
SLRmagic team:
please develop AF for m43/nex like sigma
The scammer behind SLR magic doesn’t develop anything, he just rebadge cheap machine vision and CCTV lens.
Before this becomes a war between Camp Voigt, Camp Leica, Camp Panny and Camp SLRmagic, let me offer my neutral opinion. From one who has actual hands-on experience with the Voigtlander 25mm and the Panasonic 20mm, I can tell you that these are very different animals.
The unique strengths of the Voigtlander are its ability to create shallow DOF (which cannot be replicated by any other camera or lens settings) and its ability to focus as close as 5″. The two combined to give the user tremendous creative range. It’s a creative tool, and trains me to take time to plan my shots.
The unique strengths of the Panasonic are its sharpness (pretty much across the field), its compactness and AF. I have to strap on a macro filter to get it to focus as close as the Voigt, but it’s a sweet “normal” lens in general use, especially considering its price.
Both are lovely lenses, but they are individually good at different things.
With the newer sensors, minimum f-stop can be compensated with higher ISO satisfactorily. I use a GF-1, and I don’t sweat having the f1.7 Panny on it in dim light.
Lenses are all engineering and optical compromises. There is no one lens that is superior in all applications than any other lens, within a reasonable price range.
Let’s focus on the pictures, and not just the lenses. Go out and shoot!
F0.95 is very exciting but still I prefer the summilux with auto focus & the incoming summilux with F1.2 is the one I want in my M4/3 gears .
I hope everybody will change his mind when the Pana 43mm f1.2 arrives.