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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Voigtländer SL APO Lanthar serial numbers production volumes
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SL Ultron 40/2, M42 mount, 9541068


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SL apo-lanthar 90/3.5, Olympus OM mount
9220762
Click here to see on Ebay.de


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125/2.5
mount: Canon FD
s/n 9121395 Japan


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Just arrived! Very Happy

About the 125/2.5, mine is Nikon Ai-S, S/N 9250545 and was bought (as new condition) in 2007 from Japan (eBay).

Ciao,

Emanuele


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Apo Lanthar SL-II 90mm f3.5
PK mount
Serial number 8020918 Made in Japan
Nokton SL-II 58mm f1.4
PK mount
Serial number 9820148 Made in Japan


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Hi everyone,

thank you for your contributions, although I don't always reply I always note these and add them to the database. I will share any information that changes my estimates on production numbers, the first post in this topic is always up to date of latest knowledge.

Vilhelm


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What differenciate SL II from SL ?

thanks


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SL II has a CPU chip. Metering with AI-S mount can be done wide open from camera control. Exif data would be placed in file.


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kopimorning wrote:
What differenciate SL II from SL ?


The main practical difference is that SL II have electronic contacts and thus (on Nikon, Canon and Pentax) communicate with the camera electronically. This is particularly helpful for lower-end Nikon cameras which have electronic coupling but lack mechanical (AI) coupling.

There are cosmetic differences, the SL range tend to have chrome bayonet mounts for the hood and chrome focus ring. The SL II have black rubber focus ring and screw-in hoods.

The SL range was made in some mounts (e.g. Olympus, M42) that don't have an SL II equivalent.

The hood shapes are different.

The SL II versions of the Ultron 40/2 and the APO-Lanthar 90/3.5 come with dedicated close-up diopters which the SL versions did not.

The SL are all discontinued and hard to find while the SL II are current production.

So far, the optical formulae for those lenses issued in both SL and SL II have been identical.

There was no corresponding SL version for the SL II 20/3.5

The packaging is different, SL used pale green or pale blue boxes while SLII uses dark grey or black.

The SL versions of 90/3.5, 125/2.5 and 180/4 use the three coloured r,g,b rings on the barrel to indicate they are APO (same as old, German-made APO Voigtländer) while the SL II 90/3.5 - the only APO re-issue to date - omits these for an all-black look.


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Wow .... thank you very much for the detailed info

how about image quality produced by both type, any difference ?



ChrisLilley wrote:
kopimorning wrote:
What differenciate SL II from SL ?


The main practical difference is that SL II have electronic contacts and thus (on Nikon, Canon and Pentax) communicate with the camera electronically. This is particularly helpful for lower-end Nikon cameras which have electronic coupling but lack mechanical (AI) coupling.

There are cosmetic differences, the SL range tend to have chrome bayonet mounts for the hood and chrome focus ring. The SL II have black rubber focus ring and screw-in hoods.

The SL range was made in some mounts (e.g. Olympus, M42) that don't have an SL II equivalent.

The hood shapes are different.

The SL II versions of the Ultron 40/2 and the APO-Lanthar 90/3.5 come with dedicated close-up diopters which the SL versions did not.

The SL are all discontinued and hard to find while the SL II are current production.

So far, the optical formulae for those lenses issued in both SL and SL II have been identical.

There was no corresponding SL version for the SL II 20/3.5

The packaging is different, SL used pale green or pale blue boxes while SLII uses dark grey or black.

The SL versions of 90/3.5, 125/2.5 and 180/4 use the three coloured r,g,b rings on the barrel to indicate they are APO (same as old, German-made APO Voigtländer) while the SL II 90/3.5 - the only APO re-issue to date - omits these for an all-black look.


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kopimorning wrote:
how about image quality produced by both type, any difference ?


ChrisLilley wrote:

The SL II versions of the Ultron 40/2 and the APO-Lanthar 90/3.5 come with dedicated close-up diopters which the SL versions did not.

So far, the optical formulae for those lenses issued in both SL and SL II have been identical.


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My understanding is that coatings are also the same between SL and SL II, but I don't know for sure. Unlike the optical diagrams, this information is not presented on the Cosina website.


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Thanks Lucius!

Will go for SL then ... Smile



Esox lucius wrote:
kopimorning wrote:
how about image quality produced by both type, any difference ?


ChrisLilley wrote:

The SL II versions of the Ultron 40/2 and the APO-Lanthar 90/3.5 come with dedicated close-up diopters which the SL versions did not.

So far, the optical formulae for those lenses issued in both SL and SL II have been identical.


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Since these are not turning up frequently:

SL 1 Ultron 40/2, Nikon AIS, 9640466
Click here to see on Ebay


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would you explain me what's the meaning behind these names: heliar, ultron, nokton, septon, dynarex, apo-lanthar ? are they all about focal length?

appreciate much Smile



ChrisLilley wrote:
Since these are not turning up frequently:

SL 1 Ultron 40/2, Nikon AIS, 9640466
Click here to see on Ebay


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kopimorning wrote:
would you explain me what's the meaning behind these names: heliar, ultron, nokton, septon, dynarex, apo-lanthar ? are they all about focal length?


No, they are mainly about lens speed (aperture) and lens design.

As an example, history of the heliar name
http://www.antiquecameras.net/heliarlenses.html

ulron is a moderately fast lens and nokton is a very fast one.

apo is short for apochromatic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apochromat
and lanthar refers to the use of lanthanum glass.


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Contax (C/Y) version of the CV125mm serial 9121762 spotted


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kds315* wrote:
Contax (C/Y) version of the CV125mm serial 9121762 spotted


Thank you Klaus! This is a very very very rare lens. One of a handful that I have spotted, and time period involved is 3 years. One in a production run which probably ranges from only 250 to 500 copies ever manufactured.


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Saw another 125, Nikon AIS mount: 9120070

http://regex.info/blog/2010-07-13/1564


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.... and a 2/40 SLI, M42 mount: 9640927, seen on eBay...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160462316983&category=3323&emailtemplateid=24504043&sellerid=RiQT1QfV9O2ouh9hYPjWpg==&buyerid=FpRekKD1aqBP0gBywjzCoA==&refid=store&ssPageName=ADME:B:SEMK:US:LISTG#ht_4281wt_1112


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More sightings on eBay:

90 SLI/AIS: 9160947

180/AIS: 9340801

125/M42: 9150330


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The earlier SL series Voigtländer lenses were very rare on eBay until about a 18 months ago. Now the prices have stabilized, leaving the 125/2.5 at about 1400-1500 EUR, 180/4 at 550-700 EUR, 90/3.5 at 500 EUR.

In 2010, the amount of APO-Lanthars on eBay has gone through the roof. Lots of people cashing in now that the prices have stabilized, probably also many sellers who count on Cosina introducing SL II versions of all the discontinued lenses.


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cv125/2.5 nikkor mount serial #9250677




Last edited by Fons Baerken on Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:30 am; edited 3 times in total


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Welcome Fons!


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Nikon AIS CV180/4 9330720.
Mine Smile