Voigtlander APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 ASPH VM - Finding My 90mm Rhythm

Lens Review

After the Summicron 90mm f/2 Pre-ASPH, I wasn’t sure about getting a 90mm again, partly because using a rangefinder to focus with telephoto lenses is not easy if you shoot wide open. However, that perspective of giving compression to my photographs sparked my interest in the 90mm again, especially being a fan of the Nikon 105mm f/2.5 AIS. I wanted a lightweight, sharp lens on the M system, and when Voigtlander announced this APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 ASPH lens in January 2025, it immediately caught my eye. The idea of an APO lens that is more compact and lightweight than the Leica APO-Summicron 90mm f/2 sounded very appealing.

I briefly mentioned my experience with the lens when I first got it in this post. Thanks to Simon, who brought it all the way from Japan when it was first released. It soon became a lens that I wanted to bring on my trips. Why? I guess I wanted to unlock an extra spectrum of 90mm perspective when I shoot landscapes or some clean street scenes. It did the work nicely!

Build Quality

I am very impressed with the silver finish on the lens. It feels premium, instead of the traditional black option that I had on the Voigtlander 75mm f/1.5 VM, which I later replaced with the silver version too. The silver somehow gives me a nice touch to match my silver MP. The hood that comes with the lens is also nice, and the finish feels great. I was more of a black paint guy until the recent silver MP acquisition. From that day, life is different and I want silver lenses more than black ones.

It is capable of a minimum focusing distance of 0.9 m, with an apochromatic design to eliminate chromatic aberration using 8 lens elements. In terms of size, with a maximum aperture of f/2, it is considerably much bigger than 90mm f/2.8 lenses, but it is still a nice size to carry around with a weight of 340g. The filter size is 52 mm, which is a common size in the Cosina lineup and can be shared with my Nikon lenses as well.

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APO-Ultron 90mm

No obvious aberration was noted from the images I shot, and it handles flare pretty well. It gives me a sharp cut of scenes, similar to the 75mm f/1.5. Compared with the Leica 90mm, Leica’s colour science is probably slightly warmer, with a bit more richness in micro-contrast, and the main difference is always the gradual transition. Leica has better tonal and depth of field transition than Voigtlander. But the Voigtlander is definitely good enough if you haven’t handled a Leica before, and the APO-Summicron 90mm f/2 is more expensive, especially the silver APO version, and heavier as well. The colour is the typical Voigtlander tone with a much cooler cast compared with Leica. I think the weight and price matter to me, which kills the idea of upgrading.

One thing I got curious about is why they only named it APO-Ultron instead of APO-Lanthar for this 90mm. Some people online said this lens is not at the highest standard, so they gave it the APO-Ultron name instead. If you know more details about this, comment and let me know!

Bokeh

I think f/2 is just right for the blur that I need. Unlike the clean cut of the Summilux 90mm f/1.5 ASPH, the isolation on this lens is more natural, pleasant to look at, and predictable. At close range, it is a superb portrait lens, giving me nice depth of field. It is creamy, but less so than the APO-Summicron 90mm.

Sharpness

Although the lens shows some minor pincushion distortion when I shoot architectural images at wide open, I must say I am impressed with the details it captures. When you zoom in, you can still see so many layers. It is sharper from f/4 to f/8. At f/2 wide open, the sharpness will be a little bit softer.

In general, it gives me really nice pop when I shoot landscapes. I shot these at f/8 in Hokkaido, Japan.

I am particularly happy with this lens in a scene I experienced when it was 0°C in Unzen, Japan. We were heading to the town to wait for the sun to come out and melt the ice. Meanwhile, I took a few shots, and it worked great to capture the surroundings and perspective with great sharpness.

90mm Perspective and Practicality

I must stress that using a 90mm on a Leica rangefinder is not the most ideal case. Firstly, what you see is not what you get. The frameline is only an indication; the closer you get to the subject, the less accurate the frame becomes. Secondly, focusing with fast lenses on a rangefinder can be challenging, especially if you want to recompose your shot after focusing. If you only shoot and keep things in the middle, the accuracy is much higher. I use the 1.25x or 1.4x magnifier on the Leica MP to make it easier to focus, and so far so good.

But the good thing is the imagination. A 90mm gives me more room for visualising the scenes because you are not exactly seeing what the lens gets. It leaves more room for us to experiment. It always surprises me in a good way. For those who want precise focusing and framing, using an EVF or an SL camera would be a better choice. This time in Hokkaido, I took this lens with me and used it on the Leica SL2-S, and the result was amazing! I recently got a Visoflex 2 to use on my Leica M11-P. Let’s see how it goes!

It’s a lens that allows you to stay with your family while still shooting some scenes nicely. A 90mm always gives me a distinct look, whether you shoot in portrait orientation or landscape. Portrait orientation will give you better room to fit things in your frame. Like I said before, with 28mm or wider you become the participant, you need to get close and be part of the action. With 75mm, 90mm or above, you are an observer, you select what and how you want to capture and isolate from the rest of the frame. You are the master of ignoring or including things that come into your vision.

When we got to Hokkaido’s mountain Asahidake, we took the tram all the way up to the hiking trail with the 90mm and the golden shimmering light, and I shot it with Kodak Ektar 100. It was great. I just need to be very careful with the shutter speed to avoid any camera shake.

I thought I wouldn’t use it often and would end up selling it after trying it a few times, but it has become one of my most highly regarded trip buddies. I always look to it when I plan my next trip because it surprises me every time, and the image quality is so good, sharpness, rich colour, and nice bokeh. If you haven’t tried 90mm, you definitely should! You might feel a little bit out of place at first and slowly get your rhythm. One tip to watch out for is your leveling. When shooting in portrait orientation I need to pay extra attention to the horizon. You can always fix it in post, but I like to get it right in the first place so I don’t waste my frame. In terms of the rendering, if you prefer a less sharper lens, try the Leica Summicron 90mm f/2 Pre-asph.

Final Thoughts

One question you might ask: will you upgrade to the APO-Summicron 90mm f/2 ASPH? From an everyday perspective, maybe not. From the image quality perspective, I am curious to try it out more, because I got the 75mm f/1.5 Nokton and later got the Summilux 75mm f/1.4 V2 and found the Summilux fits my taste better. The most attractive part of this APO-Ultron 90mm is the weight and price. It’s easy to carry and it feels great using it daily. If the hood could be a little bit shorter, it would be even better. This is definitely a keeper for my upcoming journeys!

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