Voigtländer Portrait Heliar 75mm f/1.8

The Voigtländer Portrait Heliar 75mm f/1.8 is a manual focus portrait lens for full frame mirrorless cameras, available for Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon RF. According to Cosina it is Voigtländer's first lens with controllable spherical aberration, and that feature defines the whole design.

Optical design

The lens has 6 elements in 3 groups, a 9-blade aperture and an aperture range of f/1.8 to f/11. The special part is the spherical aberration control ring. Turning it under or over corrects spherical aberration. Cosina describes the under-corrected setting as a soft focus area with flare in the highlights and a smooth background, and the over-corrected setting as a sharp focus point with a rigid, bubble-like background. Turning the ring changes the aberration and the focus position, so Cosina recommends checking focus after every adjustment. The ring also changes the f-stop by up to 1/3 EV, and the under-corrected side reduces the light at the edges of the frame.

Focusing and handling

Focusing is manual with a full-metal helicoid. The closest focus distance is 0.7 m (maximum reproduction ratio 1:7.4), which limits close-up work. The lens has electronic contacts: Exif data is recorded, the camera can magnify the viewfinder image when the focus ring turns, and the distance information supports in-body stabilization on bodies that have it. The lens itself has no stabilizer.

Build and size

Filter diameter is 62 mm on all versions. The Sony E version weighs 560 g and measures 70.0 x 88.0 mm. The Nikon Z version is slightly longer and heavier at 580 g and 71.2 x 90.0 mm, and the Canon RF version weighs 570 g with 70.0 x 86.0 mm.

Where it fits

The lens is a distinctive alternative to conventional portrait primes. If autofocus matters, the Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S, the Samyang / Rokinon AF 75mm F1.8 FE, the Meike AF 85mm f1.8 Pro STM or the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM are options in their systems. Within Voigtländer's own range, the Nokton 75mm f/1.5 (Nikon Z, and Canon RF as the 75mm F1.5 Nokton) offers a brighter aperture without the adjustable aberration.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Adjustable spherical aberration for different out-of-focus looks
• Full frame image circle with electronic contacts and focus magnification
• Full-metal helicoid and a 9-blade aperture
• Common 62 mm filter size

Cons

• Manual focus only, closest focus 0.7 m
• 560 to 580 g is heavy for a 75mm f/1.8
• The aberration ring shifts focus and slightly changes exposure, so it needs rechecking
• No stabilization in the lens, minimum aperture f/11

Verdict

The Portrait Heliar 75mm f/1.8 is for photographers who want to shape the rendering of the background themselves and are happy to focus by hand. It is less convenient than an autofocus portrait lens, but it offers something those lenses cannot.