September 2025

[Birna Rørslett]

I agree the IR image looks nice, however it also seems curiously non-sharp and soft as far as details go. I wonder whether this is due to the non-disclosed 11-20mm lens, or the much less than optimal practice of keeping the file with a far too high pixel dimension combined with excessive jpg compression. The better approach is having smaller pixel dimensions preferable not more than 2000 pix on the long side, and use a much higher jpg quality. The latter approach gives superior images for web.

[Birna Rørslett]

I finally arrived at  a long-standing goal, viz. making my "X-ray" lenses (Rodenstock, Oude Delft 50/0.75 class) mount to my Z fc/Zf and achieve infinity focus. I ordered a custom adapter from RafCamera.com and combined this with a factory Z mount, in order to get a little more breathing space between the rear of the adapter and the overhang of the finder. The clearance is now less than 0.2 mm, but this proved to be all that was necessary. The Oude Delft Rayxar will focus to infinity only on the Zf because of its rear section which blocks the inner frame of the DX models. With the Rodenstock TC-heligon there is no such problem and this lens will focus nicely to infinity on all my  Z models. I haven't tried the Z50 though and its prominent finder overhang might still be an issue. However, I no longer own any Z50 thus the issue is moot

turned out I had made a measurement error for the adapter thus mounting the factory Z mount required some additional metalwork. Ruth got tired of my noisy work and moved over to the piano instead. She was a bit curious what happened when I tested the lens later, as the photo below demonstrates.

The Rodenstock is not the sharpest lens in existence, however it is *fast* and indeed gets to f/0.75 as focus distance increases towards infinity. This means daylight shooting with the DX models having a to 1/4000 sec shutter speed demands the use of an ND filter. I have added filter threads to my Rodenstock. Bokeh is as expected, dreamlike smooth. Despite the lens not being designed for ordinary light conditions, colours are pretty faithfully rendered in a delicate, muted fashion.

[Frank Fremerey]

Coming home: commuters in Brussels today.
Z50 (IR @ 720 nm), 11-20mm af-p @ 11mm, f/5

Hey, Joost, nice to hear from you & great picture!

[Frank Fremerey]

turned out I had made a measurement error for the adapter thus mounting the factory Z mount required some additional metalwork. Ruth got tired of my noisy work and moved over to the piano instead. She was a bit curious what happened when I tested the lens later, as the photo below demonstrates.

Nice to see her on her piano! All the best to Ruth!

[Birna Rørslett]

City Reds

Z30, Voigt 15mm f/4.5, shot from the hip in the old-fashioned way

[ARTUROARTISTA]

I finally arrived at  a long-standing goal, viz. making my "X-ray" lenses (Rodenstock, Oude Delft 50/0.75 class) mount to my Z fc/Zf and achieve infinity focus. I ordered a custom adapter from RafCamera.com and combined this with a factory Z mount, in order to get a little more breathing space between the rear of the adapter and the overhang of the finder. The clearance is now less than 0.2 mm, but this proved to be all that was necessary. The Oude Delft Rayxar will focus to infinity only on the Zf because of its rear section which blocks the inner frame of the DX models. With the Rodenstock TC-heligon there is no such problem and this lens will focus nicely to infinity on all my  Z models. I haven't tried the Z50 though and its prominent finder overhang might still be an issue. However, I no longer own any Z50 thus the issue is moot

turned out I had made a measurement error for the adapter thus mounting the factory Z mount required some additional metalwork. Ruth got tired of my noisy work and moved over to the piano instead. She was a bit curious what happened when I tested the lens later, as the photo below demonstrates.

The Rodenstock is not the sharpest lens in existence, however it is *fast* and indeed gets to f/0.75 as focus distance increases towards infinity. This means daylight shooting with the DX models having a to 1/4000 sec shutter speed demands the use of an ND filter. I have added filter threads to my Rodenstock. Bokeh is as expected, dreamlike smooth. Despite the lens not being designed for ordinary light conditions, colours are pretty faithfully rendered in a delicate, muted fashion.

I'm glad you were able to achieve your goal,

[pluton]

Coming home: commuters in Brussels today.

Epic scene.

[Fons Baerken]

Ferry

[John Geerts]

Oude Markt

Z9  Voigtländer Color-Ultron 50/1.8  (42M)   wide open.

According to the Pentaxforum: "The  Voigtländer Color-Ultron 50 mm f/1.8 is a vintage standard prime lens produced in the 1970s and early 1980s, primarily in M42 screw mount and QBM (Rollei bayonet) versions. Designed by Dr. Albrecht Tronnier, it’s the third-generation Ultron and shares its Planar-type optical formula with Carl Zeiss lenses of the era. It features a 6-element/5-group design, a 6-blade diaphragm, and multi-coating (MC) for improved contrast and flare resistance.
With a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, it delivers excellent low-light performance, shallow depth-of-field, and creamy bokeh—especially from f/2.8 to f/5.6. The lens focuses down to 0.45 m, uses a 49 mm filter thread, and weighs around 230 g, depending on the mount. It’s fully manual, and the M42 version lacks an A/M switch, requiring a flanged adapter or aperture pin modification for digital use.
Engraved as Color-Ultron 1.8/50, it’s praised for its sharpness wide open, micro-contrast, and distinctive rendering. Some versions have a concave front element, while later ones are slightly convex. Though not as well-known as its Zeiss cousins, it’s a hidden gem among vintage 50s—offering a unique blend of German optical heritage and character-rich performance."

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/voigtlander-50mm-f18-m42.html

[ARTUROARTISTA]

Mantis, Micro-NIKKOR Auto 3.5mm

[Thomas Stellwag]

Oude Markt

Z9  Voigtländer Color-Ultron 50/1.8  (42M)   wide open.

have this lens as well, like it very much for portraits

[Frank Fremerey]

the current version of the voigtländer 4.5/15mm is a keeper.  Rich in details, very well corrected in geometry

[John Geerts]

have this lens as well, like it very much for portraits

Agree, but I also like the color and rendering in city views and macro / nature. It gives the Z9 an ancient look ;-)

[golunvolo]

Leading lines: getting to the other side.

  Z9, 24-70 f4S

[golunvolo]

Great job convincing the seagull to enter the frame in the *correct* position, Paco

  Seagulls are photo friendly here