Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR II Announced

Voigtlander, handled in Japan by Cosina, announced the APO-LANTHAR 35mm F2 Aspherical II, a new interchangeable lens for full-size (Nikon FX format) mirrorless cameras that use the Nikon Z mount, in December 2024, and the APO-LANTHAR 50mm F2 Aspherical II in November 2024.

These lenses position as successor model to the APO-LANTHAR 35mm F2 Aspherical and APO-LANTHAR 50mm F2 Aspherical, which discontinued in June 2024. While retaining the optical performance that has been well-received from previous models, the exterior design image has been unified with other Voigtlander full-frame Z-mount interchangeable lenses. These changes strengthen this lens family’s appeal and functionality.

Major changes (APO-LANTHAR 35mm and 50mm common changes)

Total lens shape change
Change the aperture and depth scale color
Change in focus knurling design
Changed to reverse mountable bayonet type hood

Major changes (APO-LANTHAR 35mm only)

Minimum shooting distance changed from 35cm to 27cm
The focus rotation angle has been increased to approximately 250°, improving operability when using manual focus.

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm F2 Aspherical II (scheduled for release in December)

The APO-LANTHAR 35mm F2 Aspherical II is a manual focus semi-wide-angle lens that covers a full-size image circle. The apochromatic design eliminates various aberrations, including axial chromatic aberration, while achieving high performance in terms of resolution and contrast reproduction (see MTF performance curve below).

The lens is made up of 11 elements in 9 groups, and contains 5 anomalous partial dispersion glass elements, 2 double-sided aspherical elements, and a floating mechanism built in. It delivers flawless imaging performance from a minimum shooting distance of 0.27m to long distances, and boasts performance that will completely change the perception of the familiar semi-wide-angle lens of a full-frame 35mm F2.

Photo: Takashi Koike
*Click on the image to enlarge

Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm F2 Aspherical II (scheduled for release in November)

The APO-LANTHAR 50mm F2 Aspherical II is a manual focus standard lens that covers a full-size image circle. The apochromatic design eliminates various aberrations, including axial chromatic aberration, while achieving high performance in terms of resolution and contrast reproduction (see MTF performance curve below).

The lens is made up of 10 elements in 8 groups, 5 elements of anomalous partial dispersion glass, 2 double-sided aspherical lenses, and a floating mechanism is also built in. It boasts performance that will completely change the perception of the familiar standard lens, the 50mm F2.