Voigtländer versus SLR Magic
So, today I did comparison between my much loved Voigtländer 25mm 0.95 (Maybe I love the 17,5mm even more) and a lens from a small company in Hong Kong that keeps surprising us with great lenses. I think SLR Magic is the most interesting company for Micro Four Thirds right now. Before I used their 12mm 1.6 and their 35mm 1.4. I especially love the wide one which is now also available with a gear ring for follow focus.
Both lenses feel robust. The Voigtländer focusses as smooth as butter. It’s such a pleasure to use that lens. The SLR Magic 25mm is not as smooth. There is also a tiny, tiny bit of slack on the focus ring when you turn it. Maybe preproduction fault. Not sure. Let’s hope. The Voigtländer does not have a lens gear to use a follow focus. The 25mm SLR magic does have one. Minimum focus distance of the SLR Magic will be 26cm, while the Vogitländers minimum focus distance is 17 cm.
I actually dislike a scientific approach to compare lenses. A great video or photo is not about the sharpness, coma, blur or other pixel peeping stuff. But since I had 2 lenses with the exact same focal length and lens speed I was curious if SLR magic would be able to ‘beat’ the Voigtländer.
I took my vintage Polaroid and shot it with both lenses in same condition. First fully open, both at o.95.
Here’s a 1:1 crop, both fully open.
To my surprise the SLR magic is razor-sharp! It beats the Voigtländer.
Here’s the same set-up shot at f2.0
The SLR Magic 25mm will be in the market cheaper then the Voigtländer. Not sure what the exact prize will be.
Click pic underneath to see the Voigtländer fully open in crispy quality.
Click pic underneath to see the SLR Magic fully open in crispy quality.
You can see the whole set in full resolution on my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22948809@N07/sets/72157632604080834/
I hope I will be able to do a video with the SLR magic 25mm soon. Promising lens!
25mm T0.95 will cost $799 but will come with a rebate offer for first two months. After rebate lens is $649
Hi!
I was about to link to you from 43rumors but I noticed an error on your f/0.95 test pics. The focus point of the Nokton is actually on the camera lens marks while the focus of the SLR magic is on the letters. Clearly a mistake. Can you repeat the test?
Thanks!
Focus might vary. Focus of Voigt is on the ‘P’, SLR Magic on the R. Nevertheless big difference!
How does the SLR compare to the Voigtlander 17.5mm
Hard to compare if the focal length is different.
Hi, Was wondering what the weight of the SLR lens is?? Even with the full grip on my E-M5 any lens over 16 ounces feels a bit heavy… but certainly manageable. Thanks, Peter
Not sure about exact weight. More or less simular to Voigtländer.
When will the SLR be available for sale? That’s what holding me back for purchasing the Voigt.
Is the Voigtlander 17.5mm sharper wide open than the 25mm?
Regarding the SLR Magic 12mm GH3 four (4) focus point test. Thank you for sharing…it’s great. Can you offer a 1 2 3 from M menue how you set it up. Please.
I have the 12mm T1.6 and the 35mm T1.4 SLR Magic …I have been streaming film since age 10…SLR Magic Team is knocking it out of the park. If, you are artistic minded wantng real CIN (flaws) and good depth with cool muted hues i.e. if, just for PM at night shooting is a real treat.
Thanks for this test. Very informative. What I take away is that SLR Magic appears to be making solid product. Having both the Voigt 25mm and 17.5mm, I’ve been interested in whether the SLR 12mm would fit nicely next to the Voigts (which I love) and the rest of my MFT (adapted) kit. It seems that their build is good! But I have to say that shooting @ .95 is nice but as the test shows, focusing on even the wrong letter in your subject can create mixed results, especially at such close distances as the Polaroid pic. At 1.2 the Voigts begin to sharpen up nicely and the truth is for live action shooting, .95-1.4 become problematic if the subject moves at all! I’d be curious to see if anyone else has found that the bokeh on the Voigt or SLR .95 changes all that much between .95 and 1.4. It doesn’t make a big difference to my eye. Cheers.
I’m using the SLR 12mm next to Voigtländer 17.5 and 25mm, also the Canon FD 50mm 1.4 is one of my faves. These 4 are a great team together.