Compact macro lens APO LANTHAR SL 90mm F3.5
A review and photo examples using the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 90mm F3.5 with a SIGMA SD15, SONY α900, and PENTAX K20D.
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Table of contents
Gallery
The following cameras were used to take the sample photos:
Review
1．Overview
The Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 90mm F3.5 is a lens released by Cosina under the Voigtlander SL brand in 2002. Although it doesn’t have a macro lens name, it is a medium telephoto lens capable of close-up photography at distances of up to 0.5m.
Its main specifications are a lens construction of 6 elements in 5 groups, a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m, 9 aperture blades, a 49mm filter diameter, and a screw-on lens mount.
Two types of lens hoods can be attached: a round hood (LH-75S) or a square hood (LH-75).
This hood is common to the COLOR HELIAR 75mm, APO LANTHER 90mm, and APO LANTHER 180mm.
2．Usability
I purchased the M42 version of the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 90mm F3.5 and used it with the SIGMA SD9, SIGMA SD10, SIGMA SD15, SONY α700, SONY α900, and PENTAX K20D, among others.
This lens shows exceptional sharpness on the SIGMA SD15, which I also used in the sample images. The FOVEON sensor, with its excellent color separation, and this apochromatic lens seem to be a perfect match.
It is also fully compatible with the SONY α900’s 24-megapixel full-frame sensor.
Finally, I purchased the PENTAX K20D to comfortably use M42 lenses, but in the end, since M42 lenses have no electronic contacts, they were unable to communicate with the camera, just like other cameras.
Because it has an APS-C size sensor, the viewfinder visibility is not as good as that of the α900 series, so I sold it after using this lens and a few others.
Now that I’m writing this, I think that a compact 90mm lens that can get as close as 50cm was a very easy-to-use lens.
When I owned it, I didn’t use this lens very often, because for macro photography the Macro APO LANTHER 125mm was convenient because it could get closer, and for snapshots I often used the ULTRON 40mm or COLOR HELIAR 75mm.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 90mm F3.5 is a compact medium telephoto macro lens.
The lens performance is impeccable, and it’s perfectly usable with cameras at 24 megapixels or higher. This lens has been released several times with minor changes, so it’s not that difficult to obtain. If you’re interested, give it a try and you’ll see for yourself that it’s a great lens.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
TheVoigtlander APO-LANTHAR 90mm F3.5 is a 90mm focal length lens from the Cosina Voigtlander SL series. It was succeeded by the SLII in 2010, which included a close-up lens. As of 2023, the lens concept has been completely revised and it is sold under the name APO-SCOPAR. The APO-SCOPAR is a compact lens with a total length of 41mm, abandoning the traditional macro lens approach and placing emphasis on portability.
| Items | APO LANTHAR | APO LANTHAR | APO SKOPAR |
| Focal length(mm) | 90 | ← | ← |
| Max aperture | 3.5 | ← | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 22 | ← | ← |
| Leaf blade | 9 | ← | ← |
| Lens Construction | 6elements in 5groups | ← | 7elements in 7groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.5 | ← | 0.9 |
| Lens length(mm) | 57.6(Ais) | 48.2(Ais) | 41(Ais) |
| Max diameter(mm) | 63.5 | 63 | 66.3 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 49 | 52 | ← |
| Weight(g) | 390 | 320 | 260 |
| Release date | 2002.03 | 2001.06 | 2021.11 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | ¥55,000 | ← | ¥68,000 |
- 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.
| 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 |
Reference links
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Update history
- 2025.8.16
- 2024.03.28:modified article
- 2023.11.10:firest post
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