Welcome to Mars - Just 40km from home

Thursday, 1 December 2022 08:26

Sometimes, I still get surprised by what's essentially in my back yard. This Martian landscape, sans Rover, looks pretty convincing to me but it's litterally directioned at my home town only 40km away.

It was unusually hazy and windy this day, which provided a unique atmosphere. The light was still typically harsh and bright, even with the haze, so the shadows are well defined and very deep. It brings across the arid and harsh environment that a desert actually is. 

I took this and other photographs while walking along the west side of the Rossing mountain, together with my wife and the four-legged thing. Eighty minutes of walking out here was plenty exposure for us.

I was photographing with the amazing little Voigtlander Ultron 28mm ASPH II. I don’t know what the design objective Voigtlander had for this lens, but they really hit a home run with it. The Ultron 28mm stands out from its counterpart, the Ultron 35mm, not only in imaging, but also in build. They share a very different design language and the feel and design cleanliness of the Ultron 28mm inside is just one step above the rest. If they wanted to hit hard against the very high performing Leica Summicron 28mm ASPH II, then they did a fantastic job, essentially matching and exceeding some aspects of the Leica Summicron which is nothing short of impressive. Remember this is a USD 900 lens vs a USD 5100.

The perfomance of the Ultron 28mm is far ahead of the Ultron 35mm. I would suggest anyone to really consider the former even if the 35mm focal lenght is preferable. I am - possibly was - absolutely a 35mm guy, but this lens has changed or is changing me. I don’t lust over 35mm lenses as much as before. Even the new Nokton 35mm f/1.5 ASPH just does little to tickle my interest. If I only had the Ultron 35mm, I would be lusting over the new Nokton, simply becuase of how disspointing the Ultron is. I’m glad that lens is sold now, even if it was at a loss.