APO LANTHAR SL 125mm F2.5
Large aperture medium telephoto macro lens
A review and Photo example of the Voigtlander APO LANTHAR SL 125mm F2.5.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The examples were taken with the HASSELBLAD X2D and SONY α7(Mirrorless digital camera).
Review
1．Overview
The Voigtlander Macro APO Lancer 125mm F2.5 is a medium telephoto lens with a minimum shooting distance of 18cm.
The filter diameter is 58mm and can be hidden by using the hood, but without the hood it looks like a pursed mouth, so I think the hood is essential. The M42 screw mount has the disadvantage that the position of the square hood will shift because there is no function to position the lens directly above.
2．Usage
The focus part is thick (about 9cm) and the focus ring is close to the base of the lens, making it a little difficult to operate, but the smooth helicoid allows you to adjust the focus position comfortably. The lens barrel extends in two stages, and when in the maximum macro position, the lens length is about twice as long.
It is the largest and heaviest of the early SL lenses, and feels like a mass of iron and glass. It is a very good macro lens, with a good balance of bokeh and resolution, and it is difficult to decide between the APO Macro and the Elmarit 100mm among medium telephoto macro lenses. There are many other unique lenses in the medium telephoto macro category, such as the Minolta 100mm and the Tamron 90mm, so you will just have to try them out as much as possible and choose the lens that best suits your expression.
3．Add info.
I have purchased this lens three times, first using the M42 mount version with the SIGMA SD10 and SONY α900.
In 2014, I found a used OM mount version at a low price, so I bought it and used it with the SONY α7 (ILCE-7).
In 2023, I purchased the EF mount version and used it with the HASSELBLAD X2D.
I purchased the EF mount version because I had the Hasselblad X and EF mount adapter TECHART TCX-01. Since the lens is an MF lens, I knew that the AF would not work when I started using it, but the lens was detected as XCD125mm by the X2D, and the IBIS (in-body image stabilization) seemed to be working, and some signals were transmitted from the lens to the camera, but the aperture did not move.
It is thought that some information was not correctly converted into signals with the X2D and TCX-01 at the time I owned it. As of 2024, the TCX-01 firmware has been updated to 7.0, so it may work, but we cannot guarantee it.
I didn’t want to sell it as it was, so I used it to insulate the electronic contacts with masking tape for sample photos. Since I didn’t know when the firmware update for the TCX-01 would be, I finally gave up on this combination and let it go.
I used it for a short time with the X2D, and when I used the EVF’s magnification function, there was no problem with focusing, but the focus position at full aperture was strict and even moving the focus ring a little would throw the focus off, so I had to look at the EVF for a long time, which made shooting difficult.
Some Canon EOS users have said that it is difficult to focus with SLR-type EOS, but I didn’t have any particular problems with the Sony α900 and SIGMA SDxx series that I used.
The lens comes with a case, a square hood, and a hood cap. In the case of used items, the hood may be missing, making it difficult to obtain later, so I think the completeness of the styling of this lens is only possible with the hood, so I recommend checking whether or not it comes with a hood before purchasing. .
The lens mount has been released in many mount formats, including Nikon Ai-S, Pentax K, M42, Canon EF, Minolta A mount, Olympus OM, and Yashica Contax.
Except for the latest Canon EF version, it does not have electronic contacts and only the mount shape has been changed. NIKON Ai-S is often seen on the used market, but I think that other mounts are not available in large numbers.
The Macro APO-Lantar 125mm is one of the Cosina Voigtlander SL lenses that has no successor lens. The Carl Zeiss brand APO-SONNAR 135/2 has a lens configuration relatively close to this lens, but the focal length, minimum shooting distance, and F-number are different, so I suspect that the feel of the lens is very different.
I don’t know why, whether it’s because of manufacturing costs or the lack of lens glass material, but I think it is still a lens that can be used well, so it is strange that a renewed version is not sold.
The other lenses without successors are the 75mm and 180mm. The 40mm and 90mm have had several successive generations of successor lenses.
The only prime lens with a focal length of 125mm that I have is the LEICA HEKTOR 125mm for the VISOFLEX, so I don’t think it’s an appropriate lens to compare specs with, but I’m including it here out of personal interest.
| Lens name | Macro APOLANTER | HEKTOR |
| Local length(mm) | 125 | 125 |
| Max aperture | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Min aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 9 | 20 |
| Lens Construction | 10elements in 9group | 4elements in 3group |
| Min distance(m) | 0.18 | 1.2 |
| Lens length(mm) | 76 | 77(VISO-M) |
| Lens Max diameter(mm) | 82 | 63 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 58 | 58 |
| Weight(g) | 690 | 726(VISO-M) |
| Release date | 2000〜2003 | 1949〜1960 |
| Price | ¥95,000 | – |
The following seven SL lenses were released at the same time as this lens.
The 12mm and 15mm lenses are used with the mirror up, so are not suitable for general photography. In effect, the lens series starts at 40mm. The later SL II series added the COLOR SKOPAR 20mm, COLOR SKOPAR 28mm, NOKTON 55mm, and NOKTON 58mm, a modified version of the Auto Topkor 58mm, increasing the variety of focal lengths.
- Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm (for mirror-up use only)
- Super Wide Heliar 15mm (for mirror-up use only)
- Ultron 40mm
- COLOR HELIAR 75mm
- APO LANTHAR 90mm
- Macro APO LANTHAR 125mm
- APO LANTHAR 180mm
All of the lens designs are consistent except for the two that are designed specifically for mirror up. The black lens barrel with a silver accent on the focus ring is a pleasing combination of classic a
Specification
| Items | ULTRON | COLOR HELIAR | APO LANTHAR | Macro APO LANTHAR | APO LANTHAR |
| Focal length(mm) | 40 | 75 | 90 | 125 | 180 |
| Max aperture | 2 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 22 | ← | ← | ← |
| Leaf blade | 9 | ← | ← | ← | ← |
| Lens Construction | 5群6枚 | ← | ← | 9群11枚 | 7群9枚 |
| Min distance(m) | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.38 | 1.2 |
| Lens length(mm) | 29.5(Ais) | 40.2(Ais) | 57.6(Ais) | 88.2(Ais) | 79(Ais) |
| Max diameter(mm) | 63.5 | ← | ← | 76 | 65.6 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 52 | 49 | ← | 58 | 49 |
| Weight(g) | 255 | 250 | 390 | 690 | 485 |
| Release date | 2002.05 | 2000.07 | 2002.03 | 2001.06 | 2003.08 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | ¥45,000 | ¥50,000 | ¥55,000 | ¥95,000 | ¥65,000 |
- The following is a list of early COSINA / Voigtlander brand lenses for SLR cameras. Two lenses, 15mm and 12mm, are excluded from the table below because they are special lenses that are used with the mirror up.
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.03.28:modified article
- 2023.06.08:firest post
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