Voigtländer Septon 50/2 on Nikon DSLR

[MEPER]

During a break from homework and inspired from the other threads using unusual lenses on Nikon digital bodies I remembered I had a vintage Voigtländer Septon 50/2 lens and an adapter for it also. I took a couple of test shots just to determine if lens was useable or not. First impression is positive. Lens sharp and nice colors. Has a bit of field curvature as only flaw I have found so far. Also sharpness at full aperture and bokeh is ok. Couple of images attached included a 100% crop for each. I have not been out on the street so images shot out of window and inside living room. 100% crop from inside picture is the computer monitor. Lens has a very nice built quality. Think lens deserves to be tested more?

[John Geerts]

Yes, nice lens.  I have one too, on a Bessamatic.

Do you use a cheap Chinese DKL-Nikon F adapter?  Without problems?

[MEPER]

Yes, A nice lens and the lens was also attached to a Bessamatic. I gave away the Bessamatic and kept the lens.
I think it is just a cheap DKL-Nikon F adapter. It has apertures 1.8 - 22 to select from with clicks. It seems to work. It can be a little hard to get the lens to click into place so it is fixed.
I have another adapter made by a company from GB. It holds the lens with set screws and the aperture if fixed when you has inserted the lens (aperture selected by turning the lens in the adapter before it is fixed by the set screws). I use that adapter for a Color-Skopar X 50/2.8 lens.

[John Geerts]

Thanks for the explanation. No Infinity problems then?

I was thinking to use it on the Nikon Z-camera's and have two adapter options as a direct DKL-to Z is not there yet.  The DKL-to F and connect via the FTZ. Or the  DKL-42M and connect via my macro-adapter to Z. That last option had advantages as the close-focus distance of most Septons is a 90cm.   The DKL-F has the advantage to use on the other Nikon Camera's

[MEPER]

With the DKL and the special made adapter I am able to infinity focus so it works well.
I also have a Voigtländer Super-Dynarex 135/4 I could try. It is a cheap lens on the 2nd market but it may be a fine lens.

[Erik Lund]

Nice old lens, looks like great fun to explore it more, it definitely is capable of a vintage look
On a side note,,,
Funny to be able to instantly recognize the exact location just from the air raid shelters in the second image  I happen to pass that area sometimes 

[MEPER]

Yes, I should find time to go out and find out more about the lens!
Bokeh seems fine.
The 2nd image is shot from my balcony. I have many of those images as it is easy if the purpose is just a test :-)

[John Geerts]

A quick shot with the H. P20   the Bessamatic - Voigtlander Septon 50mm f/2.  Now waiting for the adapter to arrive from China (with all the delays)

[MEPER]

The Septon is a very nice lens. I have seen many fine images on the web shot with this lens.
Relative sharp wide open and very nice bokeh.
The designers probably knew what they did many years ago. Think the lens is from 1966. 

7 elements (not surprising that is why it is called septon) in 5 groups:
http://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_4809.html

The scores it quite good but don't know what is "behind" the scores.

[John Geerts]

Thank you for the information:

Also here lots of information is to be found: 

http://www.der-klinterklater.de/lanskop.html#septon

The original Bessamatic was made between 1959 and 1962.  With an original price of nearly 470 DEM in  1959. The Septon lens  nearly three times more expensive than the original 50mm, the Color Skopar.

On this website some tests with the lens were performed:
https://www.digicamclub.de/showthread.php?t=15899&page=4

[MEPER]

OK.....so first version was from 1959 with 0.9 m close distance and from 1965 is was 0.6 m.

I also have a Prominent camera with original Ultron, Nokton and Color-Skopar. I tried to find a Z-adapter that could mount the lenses but could not find it but it is possible via two adapters. Either Prominent to Leica M or Prominent to 39mm. I read one place that the Septon design originates from the Ultron. The Ultron 50/2 for the Prominent is also a nice lens.

[John Geerts]

The Prototype for the Voigtlander Septon is the Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f2.0.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voigtl%C3%A4nder_Bessamatic


Zeiss worked together with Voigtlander at that time, resulting in two Voigtlander lenses:  The Septon 50/2  and the Colour Ultron 50/2.8


Unfortunately there is no direct Z-adapter, but I guess change the mouth to a Nikon F gives more options for use.  Connection with the FTZ has advantages with regard correct tagging. ( Non-CPU lens-data works better with the FTZ-adapter)

[MEPER]

I have many adapters on the way from GB and China and will wait to see what I get as it is hard to remember but think I should be able to mount a classic Ultron on the Z50 which is also under way :-)

I have been searching this link which was previous "Taunusreiter":
http://www.klassik-cameras.de/Bessa_RF_histo_dt.html#Septon

There is a lot of interesting information about classic cameras and lenses.

What I think is very impressing is the Color-Skopar 50/3.5 for the Prominent. It is almost an APO lens?
A bit down the page "Color-Skopar 2.8 order 3.5" is written that the max. color derivation for the 50/3.5 is 1.5 "winkelsekunden" which should mean that if you make a x400 enlargement then the max. color error (must be in the far corner) will be 0.1mm. It requires something when lens is assembled. But maybe those specifications are quite normal for primes.

There are also mentioned 1964 prices and Septon was close to 300 DM. 
 

[MEPER]

Yesterday I was out on a short walk with D5200 + Septon to test a little more how lens performs. Three images attached with 100% crops of each. The first image is with full aperture. I tried to focus on the tree to the right to evaluate bokeh of the lens and also to verify sharpness. I can see that I may not have nailed 100% focus on the tree. I used center sensor for MF and reframed afterwards. This is not the right to do it also taking into account that lens has a bit of field curvature. But I think it shows that lens may be sharp enough for portraits at full aperture. Now I got a Z50 body so interesting to see how MF works using this body. The next two images are with lens stopped down a bit. Think it shows that lens is quite sharp.

 

[Erik Lund]

You will also 'fool' the light metering when you re-frame after focusing, unless you are in full manual mode.
For lens testing I would switch to Live View for consistency until you get the Z50