That robot mind control ray is everywhere.

1point4photography brings you clear evidence of our robot overlord’s mind control device, the waves of which have been captured on film here, for the first time ever, through our exclusive Reveal-a-Ray-O-Vision. Stay tuned.

Er, clearly the CV has some flare control issues . . . This one is going in version 2.0 of the book for sure, though.

For an eloquent articulation of why one might choose a fast lens over a technically more competent but slower lens, see Dante Stella’s The Legend of Lux-Do. Goofy, yes. Tongue in cheek, definitely, but then fast lenses are not serious things.

Despite all the folderol about photo-journalists needing them to get that crucial shot, most photo-journalists I’ve known are far more comfortable using a flash. The chances of successfully shooting in low light are far higher with a flash, but fast lenses aren’t about succeeding on the same terms that we normally use to judge photographs. No, fast lenses are about hubris, plain and simple. They are about knowing you can walk into that dingy bar, take the darkest booth in the back, and still be able to get a picture.

Ultimately, fast lenses are fun. Fast lens that also happen to be cheap and small, like my new CV 35 F1.4 SC, are particularly fun, despite their limitations. If you are worried about distortion, light fall off, resolution or pretty much anything other than being able to say, “but this one goes to 1.4,” don’t bother. Nothing to see here. Move along. There are a plenty of well lit bars near the mall.

One of the worries of a single coated lens is flare resistance. The CV 35 1.4 SC seems fine on this account. Although there is definitely evidence of flare here, it does seem to fill in the shadows as is often advertised for single coated lenses. Lower contrast is the result as is clearly shown in the second picture. I’ll need more experience with it before I can use it to effect, but it doesn’t seem likely to cause any insurmountable problems.

I should note that I do not own the hood for this lens, but I do have B+W MRC filter on the front of it.

Zeiss ZM Biogon 35mm F2 versus Cosina Voigtlander Notkon Classic 35mm F1.4

Biogon @ F2

Biogon @ F2.8

Biogon @ F4

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 1.4

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2.8

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 4

A few crops from the center. No sharpening applied.

Biogon @ F2

Biogon @ F2.8

Biogon @ F4

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 1.4

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2.8

CV 35 1.4 SC @ 4

Methodology

1. Drink beer
2. Arrange bottles in triangle like shape
3. Find tripod
4. Set up tripod approximately 1 meter from foremost bottle
5. Click button, manipulate aperture
6. Switch lenses, lather, rinse, repeat

Conclusions

• The Biogon is nearly free from distortion.
• The CV is not.
• Focus drift, at least at this distance, doesn’t seem to be problem for either lens.
• Neither of these lenses gets that much sharper as you stop down - at least not at this distance - so you might as well shoot wide open.
• I’d rather drink beer than test lenses, and that’s the only one of these conclusions that I’d fight over.

See another comparison here: CV SC versus Lux Asp versus UC Hexanon

Hexar RF, CV 35 F1.4 SC, TriX, Xtol 1+1

I’ve just finished scanning the first roll of shots from my new Cosina Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 SC (worst name ever for a lens). It’s a tiny little thing, and the focus tab is going to take some getting used to, but it seems to work. What do you think?

Hexar RF, KM Hexanon 50MM F2, Delta 400, Xtol, 7min, 68F

If I go too long without using the 50 Hex wide open, I sometimes forget how pretty an image it can make. It isn’t the sharpest lens in the world, but it’s smooth wide open, much like some older lenses. However, unlike many older lenses, you can shoot it against light without fear of flaring the image out.

Hexar RF, ZM Biogon 35, Delta 400, HC 110B

It’s all over the strange web backwater that is the rangefinder crowd; Cosina has a new 35 F1.4. It’s not clear if it’s M or LTM mount or even if it will be available outside Japan. If google translate is to be believed it will offer ‘width of expression,’ ‘throttle opening blur taste,’ and a ‘Food dedicated’. If nothing else it looks like a good compact alternative to the brilliant but giant CV 35 F1.2. Get your fix of wild speculation here and here.

The Biogon usually handles flare better than this. Perhaps there was a big, greasy fingerprint on it this day. Keep your optics clean.

A couple of bits of gearheadedness to pass on:

• Colin pointed out a little propaganda-review of the ZM Biogon 35 over at Zeiss’ website (PDF version here).
• Jeff Ascough on Cameras and the Desire to Upgrade. Jeff Ascough is arguably one of the best wedding photographers in the world, a dedicated M shooter, and he isn’t buying an M8. His three criteria for new gear purchases are insightful.
• Olympus has released some more notes on the long-upcoming E-3. I’ll be curious to see if this thing ever makes it to market.

Editor’s Note: Two typos in a six line post is exactly the kind of accuracy and attention to detail for which I strive (2 points to whomever can point out the overly pedantic bit of grammar in this post). Would you believe that I used edit and index books for a living? Sigh . . . I gotta stop trying to write this stuff before my coffee kicks in.