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Lens review

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2

8 January 2024
Maciej Latałło

3. Build quality

The following chart presents a comparison between basic parameters of the Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 and other small 25-28 mm lenses designed for the Fujifilm X system. As you see, this group is dominated by small, lightweight, and handy optical constructions with typically 6-7 elements.

In the photo below the tested lens is positioned between the Fujinon XF 35 mm f/1.4 R and the Voigtlander Nokton 35 mm f/0.9.

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality

The Ultron 2/27 starts with a metal mount surrounding contacts and a rear element, 18 mm in diameter. The element changes its position. For the focus set at infinity it is positioned practically on the same level as the contacts, when you pass to the minimum focusing distance, it hides inside the barrel about 8 mm deep, revealing the inner tube which is perfectly blackened, ribbed, and matted, without any slits. From this side everything seems to be in perfect order.

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Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality

The mount itself is surrounded by a metal bottom with the name of the producer 'COSINA CO. LTD' and its serial number.

The proper lens starts with a narrow, metal ring that doesn't move; on this ring you find a distance scale with markings for apertures from f/22 to f/4.0, a red dot, making an alignment with a camera easier, the mount type, and information that the lens was produced in Japan.

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality

A manual focus ring, less than 5 mm wide, is the next part. On the ring you can find a distance scale expressed in meters. Behind the infinity marking there is also the focal length value of the lens, and then a small handle in order to ensure you a firmer grip and easier operation.

The ring moves smoothly with an even but not especially defined resistance. Still, we found this resistance to be enough to ensure you a comfortable performance. When you move the ring, the whole optical system moves as well so, as a result, after passing to the minimum focusing distance, the size of the lens increases by almost 0.5 cm. Running through the whole distance range needs a turn through an angle of about 110-120 deg. It is a value ensuring you very precise settings.

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality

Further on you find a narrow aperture ring, with aperture value markings from f/2.0 to f/22 and some fine ribbing. The ring moves every 1/3 EV step and, thanks to the contacts, is able to pass information to the camera body. In case of our X-T2 camera the values, displayed on the screen, were always a tad higher than the ones set at the ring but, what's interesting, EXIF files already featured the right aperture values.

It seems small physical dimensions of this lens and all its parts are the biggest problem and a real challenge in practice. Even with the help of a special external aperture handle it is not easy to reach the focus ring and the fact that its resistance is weak also influences the change of aperture. As an owner of big fingers, during the test I often inadvertently changed the focus when trying just to set the aperture; as a result I spoiled all the previous settings. Maybe the producer should guarantee a possibility of aperture control from the camera body, making the physical aperture ring just an option; it would eliminate at least some of the operational problems.

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality

The lens ends with an immobile part of the barrel that passes into a thread that can be used both to fix 43 mm filters or a small hood, added to the lens in the box.

The front element is just 18 mm in diameter, slightly convex, surrounded by a part of the barrel with the name and parameters of the lens.

There are two colour variants of this lens available, black and silver.

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality

When it comes to optical construction, it is rather simple, as it befits a pancake-type lens. You deal here with just 6 elements positioned in 4 groups. One element is made of anormal partial dispersion glass. Inside you also find an aperture with as many as 10 blades, that can be closed down to f/22 at the maximum.

Buyers get in the box with the lens: both caps, and a small hood.

Voigtlander Ultron 27 mm f/2 - Build quality