Lens ReviewMorten ByskovNovember 19, 2023Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC review, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC sample images, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC image quality, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC adapted to Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC on Nikon Zf, Nikon Zf and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC, Ultron 75mm 1.9 review, Ultron 75mm 1.9 sample images, Ultron 75mm f1.9 sample images6 Comments

Nikon Zf and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC

Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC Review

Adapting the Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC (M-Mount) to a Nikon Zf

The Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC is a native M-Mount short telephoto lens and when I bought it earlier this year I intended to use it on a full-frame camera, only at the time I did not know which camera I would end up with.

I have tested the Ultron 75mm on a GFX 50R and my X-Pro2 and every time I have taken it out the results have been impressive. On the GFX the field of view is approximately 60mm in full-frame terms and you have to allow for some vignetting.

On the X-Pro2 the equation changes and the field of view is about 115mm in full-frame terms and this has worked well as an X-Pro2 telephoto option. I will have links at the end of this article from my Ultron 75mm experience with these two cameras.

Onto the Nikon Zf, which I acquired last month, and my thoughts on using the Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC on this camera.

The Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC adapted to a Nikon Zf with a K&F Concept adapter — The Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC (M-Mount) adapted to the Nikon Zf with a K&F Concept adapter

Specs, Handling, and Build Quality

The Voigtländer 75mm f/1.9 MC is a remarkably small and lightweight short telephoto lens. With dimensions of 2.2” x 2.1”, 56.8 × 54.1mm, and a weight of 10.2 oz, 290 g, it is indeed very compact compared to most full-frame options.

It balances well on the Nikon Zf and one of the advantages of adapting M-Mount lenses to Nikon Z-Mount is the relatively small size of the adapter compared to a Nikon F to Z-Mount adapter.

The focus ring is remarkably smooth and the aperture ring feels equally as nice with firm clicks and the right amount of resistance.

Other Specs:

12-blade diaphragm
7 elements in 5 groups
Manual focus
49mm filter
Minimum focusing distance: 19.7" / 50 cm
Aperture range: f/1.9 - f/16
Multicoated optical design
Included screw-in lens hood

Lions Gate Bridge and Burrard Inlet on a late October day. Sample image from a Nikon Zf and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC. — Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC

You have two types of lens coatings to choose from, the MC for multi-coating (matte black finish) or SC for single coating (black paint finish). The multicoated version should result in more contrast and deeper blacks in your images and vice versa for the single-coat version which should yield a more classical rending.

On the Nikon Zf, I have my AE/AF lock button set up to magnify focus as I found this the best-placed button for it. For almost all photos I will go through the procedure of punching in to adjust focus as accurately as possible. This is important with a telephoto lens as your depth of field is quite narrow and it is easy to miss focus.

With that said, I am very happy with my keeper ratio. The EVF on the Nikon Zf is excellent and it makes life so much easier when using manual focus lenses.

At the time this review was written the Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC was on sale for $629.00. The normal price is $699.00.

Jericho Sailing Centre, Vancouver. Sample image from a Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC and Nikon Zf. — Jericho Sailing Centre, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC

Image Quality

It was sample images from Leica 75mm lenses that initially got me interested in this focal length. For several years, I used an EF 85mm f/1.2L II from Canon but found myself drawn in by the more natural-looking 75mm focal length. You wouldn’t think 10mm would make such a difference.

Pair this focal length with a fast f/1.9 f-stop generating a very pleasing bokeh with a vintage-style rendering, without it being over the top, and in my book you have a winning formula.

I find shots at f/1.9 slightly soft but very pleasing. Stopped down by half a stop or to f/2.8 and the lens shines. This is where I use it about 80% of the time. You can, of course, stop it down for increased depth of field.

The sample images in this review can be viewed up to 2500 pixels wide, depending on your monitor size. Please click to view larger images or pinch-zoom if on your mobile phone.

Conclusion

A few days ago I briefly tried the Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm F2 Aspherical for the Nikon Z-Mount and was quite impressed by the overall feel of it on my Nikon Zf.

The 65mm is chipped and has macro capabilities in a native Z-Mount. This could be an attractive alternative to the Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC. It will only set you back an additional $100.00 but is considerably bulkier and heavier at 21.8 oz / 618 g.

The native Voigtländer Z-Mount lenses will give you EXIF information, and more importantly, provide focus confirmation and will even highlight the eyes on a face. You can then punch in and adjust the focus until a green light will verify that you have obtained accurate focus.

Fall colored leaves in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Sample image from a Nikon Zf and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC. — Stanley Park, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC

One of the advantages of a lens such as the M-Mount Ultron 75mm f/1.9 is the fact that it is smaller, lighter, and can be used with other cameras by simply changing your adapter to fit your camera of choice.

I have been impressed with the Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC when used on three sensor sizes. It fits in a pocket and therefore easy to bring along as a second lens on a photo walk when you want to travel light.

Optically in renders with a slight vintage style. The MC version, seen in this review, also keeps a modern and more contrasty look meaning the vintage look is not overdone. Keep in mind if you want a more classic look you can pick the single-coated SC version.

As promised here are links to two other posts using the Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC on a Fujifilm GFX 50R and X-Pro2:

Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC - Adapted to GFX
Classic Baseball Photos - Ultron 75mm f/1.9 and X-Pro2

Dog portrait, Stanley Park Seawall, Vancovuer. Sample image from a Nikon Zf and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC. — Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC

Pros

Solid build quality
Superb bokeh
Vintage character rendering

Cons

Manual focus only
No EXIF info going to the camera

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

Thank you for reading my review. If you are planning a purchase and would like to support us, you can do so, at no additional cost, by using the affiliate links below. A small commission goes to us and helps us keep the wheels turning at 5050 Travelog.

Check the current price at B&H Photo

Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC - B&H Photo

Nikon Zf - B&H Photo

Thank you for being supportive.