Contender for the BEST 50 mm lens ever made - The Voigtländer 50 mm f/2 APO Lanthar Lens Review

There are many fantastic 50mm lenses available to rangefinder enthusiasts and Leica M system shooters. So what makes one stand out? Is it rendering? Size? Sharpness? Portability? Joy of use? Color reproduction? Price to performance? Well, what if I told you that one lens brings so many of these factors to the table that it deserves to be in the discussion for Best 50mm lens ever made? The Voigtländer 50 mm f/2 APO Lanthar lens in M mount is just such a lens. Released in 2020 to some fanfare, It remains one of those rare lenses that should be considered for anyone who's serious about taking their photography to the next level, particularly while keeping the budget respectable.

[@cemalsagnak7504]

Excellent review Ashwin , can't agree more, one of the best I ever used if not the best. I own and love this lens !

[@billtaylor-mountford3907]

Really nice and succinct review of the Super Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO Lanthar. Thanks for the clarity and precision in your descriptions.👍🏼

[@carlosmcse]

It’s certainly the sharpest and nicest in terms of IQ 50mm from Voigtlander. But it’s not the “best”. That’s for each person to decide what best for them. I got rid of this one for the Summicron. I would argue it’s the 50mm Summicron Mandler lenses that are the “best” 50mm ever made for Leica. The APO from Leica is ridiculously priced to even be considered for me. And probably most regular people.

[@caffeinatedcameras]

That’s why it’s titled “Contender” which means it’s not definitive.

[@frontstandard1488]

Excellent review and very very good photography. My respect to your artistry. I just bought this lens to use on mirrorless with 47 megapixel sensor. Waiting for the adapter still so haven't used it yet. However this has filled a need for my kit very well.

[@monsoonlight9632]

I have this lens and use it on my M240 and love the results it gives me. Great video and review!👍

[@theleicarevue-reviewsfromt2229]

Thanks so much. It's a wonderful lens for certain!

[@andretim75]

Wonderful review !
As you pointed it out -- it is really a lens which is meant to be used for quite purposes and situations and I think it holds up amazingly for portraits indeed. Maybe just better than some of the 1.4 or even 1.2 options on the market. I suppose it will be very natural looking in portrait sessions , without any distortion !!

[@kqschwarz]

I have this lens on my Sony A7R5 and the Sony version is everything you say it is. Love it.

[@dhritimanbatchu]

Thanks for this review Ashwin. I am enjoying shooting this on a good old M246 Monochrom. In fact I'm loving the results so much that I want to adapt it to my Nikon Z cameras. What's your take on adapting M mount lenses to mirrorless systems? In some of the stuff I read online, people mention the filter stack of mirrorless cameras affect optical performance, but the retailer assures me that optically there should be no difference? Not sure which is more accurate, it'd be great if you could weigh in.

[@andretim75]

I got this lens now on my Z7 and it works beautifully -- absolutely great. I chose the m-mount version since I also shoot film on Leica M bodies !

[@MiladJP]

Between the 50mm and the 35mm APO, I think the 35mm gets the closest to the Leica 35mm APO, however I think that from 7 different 50mm lenses, the Voigtländer 50mm is on my top 2 of all time.

[@clipsTL]

Thanks for this review, Ashwin! Is the lens flattering for portraits? Meaning I want it rendering details but won't overly highlight imperfections / blemishes. Does the focus falloff create a nice atmosphere for portraits. Choosing between this and the 50 Nokton 1.2 ASPH. Thanks again!

[@chesslover8829]

You might want to look at the TH-cam reviews by MrLeica (aka Matt Osborne). He covers the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 and the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2.
I would say the Nokton might be more to your liking.
Between f/1.2 and f/2, the Nokton gives a more dreamy and less clinical look compared to the APO-Lanthar.
At f/4 and beyond, the Nokton is very sharp and is nearly indistinguishable from the APO-Lanthar, so you get two lenses in one with the Nokton.
Wide open, the Nokton does exhibit a small amount of lateral chromatic aberration in high-contrast, back-lit scenes, which can be easily corrected in post processing. Note that the Nokton's bokeh is softer and more dreamy than what the APO-Lanthar can produce.
The APO-Lanthar should appeal to anyone who wants a sharp, highly corrected color lens at f/2.

[@loubenii]

Hey there! Did you just strip the paint off logo or paint it as well? I just bought an extra one to test a similar thing. Thanks for the review!

[@PetervanderPlaat]

Thanks for this review

[@1946gsp]

Nice review. Honest and straightforward. Plus and minus concerns noted. One small thing: it's pronounced AH po chro MATIC

[@johannesbasuki391]

I have Leica apo 35 and 50mm . I bought voigtlander apo 35 and 50, after watching reviews , thinking that they can replace Leicas , to safe a lot of money.
Fully regretted , big in size , nothing to compare with Leica. I sold both Voigtlander lost 40 pct of the value.

[@petermagio4795]

so you saying spending 16000 on a set of Leicas apos is better v 2000? come on man, thats absurd to say. the performance is equally the same, size is bigger yes, but i sure can live with that and save 14000$ you WILL NOT get the APO performance from any lens other than the Lanther ones v Leica ones. period