Are Z lenses APO lenses?

Started Aug 27, 2022 | Discussions thread
labalaba Senior Member • Posts: 1,053
Re: Are Z lenses APO lenses?
1

The Voigtlander 180mm f4 APO-Lanthar I own shows very little chromatic aberration and this is also mentioned in the Optical Limits review and elsewhere. The 125mm f2.5 Apo-Lanthar, which I have not used, is supposedly as good or better, as reported in numerous reviews. I once read a test comparison of this lens, the Leica 100mm Apo-Macro-Elmarit R lens, and the Cosina Zeiss 100mm f2 macro which confirmed that the two apo-macro lenses were significantly better color corrected than the zeiss. The Leica 280mm f4 Apo-telyt-R is a legendary lens. Each of these discontinued Apo lenses sells used for significant sums, which tells you what people think of them. I would trust an 'Apo' designation from Leica or Voigtlander to indicate that the lens is indeed very very well corrected for chromatic aberrations. I don't believe this is 'just marketing'. Sigma, I have no comment, I don't own any of their lenses.

PS.  Most Leica M or R lenses are very very good, as you will know if you have used them.  Only a very few of them are designated 'Apo'.

PPS.  I use optical microscopes professionally, and when an objective from Zeiss, Leica, or Nikon (the brands I use) is marked 'Apo', that means something.  Nikon do mark their microscope lenses 'Apo' when that is appropriate.

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