Fred Miranda wrote:
High contrast lighting, around 9-10am.
That fourth picture is wonderful. I do always enjoy the scenery you have for your reviews
I really don't see too much wrong or out of place in the rendering of this set, nor did I see anything particularly offputting in Juha's set.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Great lens for walking the streets of Tokyo, Juha. Nice to hear the LH-90IIS does not introduce any additional vignetting, that's a pleasant surprise. I'll be testing both Cosina 52mm '40 and 90' hoods today as well.
Even in very high contrast scenes, I'm not seeing much fringing in your images. What stands out instead is a high-contrast, highly detailed lens with noticeable vignetting wide open (though less than the TTArtisan), and a painterly rendering.
I'm curious about your findings regarding the hoods, especially interested in finding out whether there are any differences between LH-40N and LH-90IIS in terms of hood length. I went for the LH-90IIS since I could buy a new one easily from Fujiya Camera whereas it would be harder to find an LH-40N from the 2nd hand market since they are no longer available in Tokyo stores as new. I'm fully satisfied with the LH-90IIS but curious about any differences between the 2 if there are any.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
I'm curious about your findings regarding the hoods, especially interested in finding out whether there are any differences between LH-40N and LH-90IIS in terms of hood length. I went for the LH-90IIS since I could buy a new one easily from Fujiya Camera whereas it would be harder to find an LH-40N from the 2nd hand market since they are no longer available in Tokyo stores as new. I'm fully satisfied with the LH-90IIS but curious about any differences between the 2 if there are any.
I'll post some test shots comparing vignetting without a hood, with the supplied hood, and with the more streamlined LH-40N and LH-90IIS. I will also check for any changes in flare behavior. They should arrive tomorrow.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'll post some test shots comparing vignetting without a hood, with the supplied hood, and with the more streamlined LH-40N and LH-90IIS. I will also check for any changes in flare behavior. They should arrive tomorrow.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to your findings I'm sure LH-90IIS doesn't get in the way of light reaching the sensor (corners never show any abrupt shadowing etc.) but I'm not sure if it's as effective when it comes to blocking flares and such as the native hood. I suppose it might be reasonably effective though.
An AI search gave me the following results about it's effectiveness when adapted on different focal length lenses, I assume this summary might be reasonably accurate:
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Based on user reports from photography communities (such as RangefinderForum and Nikon Cafe), here is the consensus on its performance across different focal lengths on Full Frame sensors:
* 90mm to 105mm (Native Range): Perfectly safe. No vignetting whatsoever.
* 58mm / 50mm: Works perfectly. Many users use this on the Voigtländer 58mm f/1.4 Nokton SL IIs and the 50mm f/1.2 without any issues.
* 40mm: This is generally considered the "safe" limit. It is a very common pairing for the Voigtländer 40mm f/2 Ultron SL IIs. It provides a tight look without cutting into the corners of the frame.
* 35mm: The "Danger Zone." On a 35mm lens, the LH-90IIS typically does not vignette if used alone. However, if you stack it on top of a thick UV filter, you may start to see slight "shading" or mechanical vignetting in the extreme corners.
* 28mm and wider: Vignetting is highly likely. Users have reported that on a 28mm lens, the hood is just deep enough to become visible in the corners of a full-frame shot. It is generally not recommended for anything wider than 35mm.
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Today I happened to find an unused or like-new LH-28N in Katsumido camera shop at Ginza. It is another 52mm screw-in CV dome hood that was discontinued in 2015. That one is specifically for Color-Skopar 28mm F2.8 SLIIN. Those hoods are somewhat rare in 2nd hand market nowadays so I picked it up for potential future use. That one has a 43mm opening and is meant to come with a 43mm plastic CV cap. The copy I found did not include the cap but I have a spare one already from before. I think on Septon 40/2 that one wouldn't block much light at all but if there is another 28mm pancake release from CV later to go along with the 40/2, it might be a great fit there.
Samples 6: Car show at various distances with Sony A7CR
High contrast lighting, around 11-12am.
Vignetting and distortion were not corrected in any of the samples. Most images use the Cobalt Kodachrome profile (1987 version), with a few using Adobe Color.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
I'm curious about your findings regarding the hoods, especially interested in finding out whether there are any differences between LH-40N and LH-90IIS in terms of hood length. I went for the LH-90IIS since I could buy a new one easily from Fujiya Camera whereas it would be harder to find an LH-40N from the 2nd hand market since they are no longer available in Tokyo stores as new. I'm fully satisfied with the LH-90IIS but curious about any differences between the 2 if there are any.
Hi Juha,
I received both hoods today (LH-40N and LH-90IIS), and they are absolutely identical. Cosina simply changed the front engraving from 40N to 90IIS.
Since the LH-90IIS is readily available, I'd say it is a great option for a more compact hood for the CV 40/2 Septon (half the length), as long as you don't plan to use a filter in front of the hood.
Maybe this was covered already and I somehow missed it but how is the sharpness at close focusing distance? More thinking of center sharpness for e.g. people photography. I felt like this was a weak spot on the Nikon Z 40/2 (while acceptable at longer distances).
I received both hoods today (LH-40N and LH-90IIS), and they are absolutely identical. Cosina simply changed the front engraving from 40N to 90IIS.
Since the LH-90IIS is readily available, I'd say it is a great option for a more compact hood for the CV 40/2 Septon (half the length), as long as you don't plan to use a filter in front of the hood.
Thanks for confirming! It's very nice to know that LH-90IIS is actually the original Ultron 40/2 dome hood for all intents and purposes, as that removes any doubts about whether there might be some hidden compatibility issues.
I really like mine and since I never use filters it's nice to have this more compact option. It'll probably become a permanent fixture on my Septon.
Also, very nice impactful colors on your latest set as others have mentioned.
Fred's new photos look good, there is some bite and presence to the photos but its still lacking something special. It would be nice to see similar photos but stopped down to F5.6 or F8.
Speaking of "something special".
Here's a little reminder.
bijosn wrote:
Lack of correction or undercorrection that intentionally or unintentionally creates a more appealing rendering. Il, try post some examples tomorrow if i remember.
Nifty Fifty wrote:
Lack of correction or undercorrection that intentionally or unintentionally creates a more appealing rendering. Il, try post some examples tomorrow if i remember.
Sure, start a new thread and i will reply on that. I dont want to hijack this thread which is a review for the septon.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
Thanks for confirming! It's very nice to know that LH-90IIS is actually the original Ultron 40/2 dome hood for all intents and purposes, as that removes any doubts about whether there might be some hidden compatibility issues.
I really like mine and since I never use filters it's nice to have this more compact option. It'll probably become a permanent fixture on my Septon.
Also, very nice impactful colors on your latest set as others have mentioned.
It's actually easy to add a high-quality UV or ND glass behind the LH-40N or LH-90IIS compact hoods (without increasing the overall size). You can transplant the glass from a UV filter, and mount it into a 3D-printed holder designed to sit behind the hood. I've done this with the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 and Voigtlander 18mm f/2.8 lenses, as shown here:
bijosn wrote:
Spherical aberation
- can create a dreamy look with a glow in the highlights and creamy soft bokeh
eg. the zeiss plan 50mm classic between f1.4 and F2 close up https://www.flickr.com/photos/mickevmix/54820509451/in/pool-planar50mm/
Excuse me, but what is the point of this apples-to-oranges comparison? On the one hand, you claim that everyday photos taken from a medium to long distance lack that "something special," and then, when asked what a photo with "something special" would look like, you post a close-up you found online that definitely says more about the photographer's (existing) taste and (also existing) skill than about the lens's performance in relation to photos like the ones from the Septon, which you used as the basis for your statements. I had assumed that you wouldn't just search for images online, but that you could and would offer your own experiences and provide relevant image examples.
To produce a dreamy look with a glow in the highlights and creamy soft bokeh at close range, you don't necessarily need a lens you consider to have character; it works just as well with a 1.2 Nokton, which you might not consider to have all that. Here are just two examples straight out of the camera, which I quickly snapped handheld on the kitchen counter. Yes, yes, I know it's a 50mm Nokton, and you kept talking about the 40mm. But the fact is, the 40mm probably glows at least as much!
On the other hand, when I look at sample images from the ZF Planar, I wonder where the much-lauded character has gone, the one that elevates it above such mundane lenses as the Nokton or the Septon. I'm not saying that all lenses render the same, not at all, but simply reproducing typical influencer characterizations can't be the be-all and end-all either.
However, I don't see anything here that couldn't also be achieved with a Nokton. https://www.bluespaces.de/carl-zeiss-planar-14-50-zf-2/
bijosn wrote:
Field of curvature and vignetting
- when combined with good center sharpness create great portraits
eg. voigtlander 35mm f1.4 classic
Quite apart from the fact that whether the characteristics of the 1.4 35 have a positive or negative effect depends entirely on the subject matter, I am very surprised that you cite this lens as an example of more appealing rendering, because you recently wrote the following: bijosn wrote:
I dont get the appeal of the nokton 35/40 1.4s, they seem to render flatly, have low contrast and there is no presence to the images.
And regarding your comment about the Nokton 1.2 40, which you probably only know from the website, I'll say it again here. Web searches are all well and good, but they can't be the basis for telling others what a particular lens can and can't do. You wrote: bijosn wrote:
The Nokton 1.2 seem better but come across lacking a bit of contrast globally, colors seem subdued and the images come off as being a bit too "gentle" and lacking "presence".
B&H offered to lend me BOTH the Septon and 40 Nok for my review, best news all week after this thread
I think the car show photos are pretty good examples of how pleasing it can be in the center and in the focal plane but just kinda wacky in the bokeh even in the beginning of the outer third of frame.
Fred Miranda wrote:
It's actually easy to add a high-quality UV or ND glass behind the LH-40N or LH-90IIS compact hoods (without increasing the overall size). You can transplant the glass from a UV filter, and mount it into a 3D-printed holder designed to sit behind the hood. I've done this with the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 and Voigtlander 18mm f/2.8 lenses, as shown here:
RoamingScott wrote:
B&H offered to lend me BOTH the Septon and 40 Nok for my review, best news all week after this thread
I think the car show photos are pretty good examples of how pleasing it can be in the center and in the focal plane but just kinda wacky in the bokeh even in the beginning of the outer third of frame.
Nice. Are you considering comparing it to the 40 ultron?
I'm with you on the outer thirds of the septon at those apertures but I also wouldn't mind stopping it down some more if that improves things.
So I'm curious about the middle apertures f2.8-f5.6, especially 2.8 and f4 for general purpose scenes where the subject isn't super close but not necessarily at infinity -- mainly because I tend not to do a lot of those.
At f8 I think I'd be happy with this or the 35/1.4 classic for casual shots with some postprocessing. I'm not sure how they compare exactly though. I've seen rather sharp samples from the classic at f8. But don't have either one yet, still trying to pick one first.
Also looking forward to the first 1-2m portraits with this at f2, 2.8.
I'm sure LH-90IIS doesn't get in the way of light reaching the sensor (corners never show any abrupt shadowing etc.) but I'm not sure if it's as effective when it comes to blocking flares and such as the native hood. I suppose it might be reasonably effective though.
