Alongside the Nokton 28mm f/1.5 Aspherical lens for E-mount cameras, Cosina announced a new fast, compact apochromatic portrait prime for rangefinder cameras. The Voigtlander APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 lens, available in VM mount, promises excellent optical performance in a portable design that does not obscure a rangefinder’s viewfinder frame.
Alongside the APO-Skopar 90mm f/2.8 VM, the new APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 is Cosina’s longest VM mount lens and the brand’s fourth “Ultron” series VM prime, joining the existing Ultron Vintage Line 28mm f/2 Aspherical, Ultron Vintage Line 35mm f/2 Aspherical, and Ultron 75mm f/1.9. The new 90mm f/2 is the first Ultron lens to incorporate an apochromatic design, meaning that it is precisely engineered to nearly eliminate axial chromatic aberrations. As Cosina puts it, the apochromatic design “makes the on-axis chromatic aberration of RGB as close to zero as possible.”
The lens’ new optical design uses abnormal partial dispersion glass for six of its eight elements. These elements are arranged across seven groups. The optics are also tightly packed, making the lens compact, measuring just 63.3 millimeters (2.5 inches) long. The lens has a maximum diameter of 61.9 millimeters (2.4 inches) and accepts 52mm filters. The APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 weighs just 340 grams (a hair under 12 ounces).
The lens features a 12-bladed rounded aperture diaphragm, and the aperture is manually controlled. The focus is manually controlled, too, in rangefinder lens fashion. The lens has an all-metal helicoid focusing unit promising smooth, precise autofocus with “appropriate torque.” The lens is rangefinder coupled, depending upon the camera, and has a focusing range of 0.9 meters (35.4 inches) to infinity.
Sample Images
Pricing and Availability
The Cosina Voigtlander APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 will ship in black and silver colorways when it arrives at retailers in January 2025. The lens has a suggested retail price of 120,000 yen in Japan, which converts to about $780 at current exchange rates. Official U.S. pricing has yet to be confirmed, but photographers should expect the final price to be in that ballpark. The company’s 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar is currently on sale for $749, for reference.
Image credits: Cosina Voigtlander. Real-world sample images by _K/.
