it has been a long while since i held this lens, my Ms would usually be fitted with either a 35 or 50.
but on the off chance that i managed to touch this lens again, these are a couple of close-ups shots at 1/30 and 1/25, below that of the "rule of thumb" 1/focal length to aviod visible handshake.
while there is likely to be some presense of the effects of handshake, esp if you view the shots at 100% in digital... for the most part, these pictures usuable, or at the very least not "automatically discarded" due to handshake.
Voigtländer 75mm Heliar classic, 1.7m, 1/30sec handheld
Voigtländer 75mm Heliar classic, 1m 1/25sec handheld
the shots were somewhat artifical, with the iso at iso160. naturally, increasing the iso to iso320 or iso640 would increase the shutter speed to something more reasonable. shots were taken seated on a high stool... sit, lean, hold your breath, no chicken wings, whatever helps... but wasn't done with any thumbsup, grip, etc. maybe i could have taken a better shot if i had them?
focusing problem? well, the "model" didn't move, but i don't think i took more time than i would have my 35 or 50 when focusing through the viewfinder... there were no retakes, and no magnifier was used either. sure, i can accept that the longer the focal length, the lower your "hit rate". but the drop from 35 to 50 to 75 is not as steep as many might think it is.
point of all this? this is not a very difficult focal length to use. i think many might shy away from it, just because it might be too difficult, hard to compose, focusing accurancy issues... i'll admit that it is different, a different perspective, and different frame, and used well... as seen in some of the sample shots in this thread and flickr... this is nice focal length to use, be it maybe not the standard kit.
lastly, just to also say that while many shared photos have been portait shots, and it is indeed a good portrait lens, it is also a good midium-tele for street or documentary photography, esp for those who prefer to standoff from their subject(s).
Voigtländer 75mm Heliar classic
