Strange lens question

[GearJunkie]

So, I got in an open box Voigtlander ULTRON 40mm f2 SL AI-S f mount (not SL ii) lens.
I've run across something a bit strange with it that I'm trying to understand. When shooting with it on my Nikon DF, I originally thought it had haze in the lens, however, after a number of test shots and checking the shots against viewing the area photographed they are exact to the lighting.
What's odd is that I feel like all the other lenses I have sharpen (or brighten up) the colors in some way when I look through them but this lens doesn't. The pictures it produces are basically exact to life instead of brighter and with more contrast like every other lens I have.
Is this just normal for a high quality uncoated lens? I believe all my other lenses have some form of coating.

 

[RAZKY]

So, I got in an open box Voigtlander ULTRON 40mm f2 SL AI-S f mount (not SL ii) lens.
I've run across something a bit strange with it that I'm trying to understand. When shooting with it on my Nikon DF, I originally thought it had haze in the lens, however, after a number of test shots and checking the shots against viewing the area photographed they are exact to the lighting.
What's odd is that I feel like all the other lenses I have sharpen (or brighten up) the colors in some way when I look through them but this lens doesn't. The pictures it produces are basically exact to life instead of brighter and with more contrast like every other lens I have.
Is this just normal for a high quality uncoated lens? I believe all my other lenses have some form of coating.

Where do you see that this lens is uncoated?

 

[GearJunkie]

Where do you see that this lens is uncoated?

From everything I've been able to find there is nothing that specified a coating on the first generation of the Ultron SL. Maybe there is a coating? I just haven't been able to find any coating specified.

 

[480sparky]

You should be able to tell if it's coated or not by reflecting light sources off the surface. If you see colored reflections, it's coated.

 

[GearJunkie]

You should be able to tell if it's coated or not by reflecting light sources off the surface. If you see colored reflections, it's coated.

Zero color variation.

 

[cgw]

Zero color variation.

Strange lens question indeed. No one apparently specifies a lens as "coated" since it's been ubiquitous for the past 50 years. The only uncoated lenses I own are a couple ancient NAI Nikkor primes from the early 1960s.

 

[GearJunkie]

Here is a photo taken with it (it doesn't meter well btw...) if I follow the in camera metering it is the only lens that I have that is massively off.
This was taken at ISO 2000, lens at f2, shutter 1000, exposure comp at +3.
Those settings show the exposure should be extremely under exposed by the cameras internal meter, however, after the shot is taken, the histogram is dead on.
Bokeh is very small and almost seems like a haze instead of a focus bokeh. When comparing color to the actual scene photographed it is exact...not close, but absolutely exact.
Focus fall off is pretty close around the subject. It makes an almost dreamy feel to the image.
This is straight off the card JPG fine. No post processing at all. I could upload the raw .NEF as well if anyone would like to view that.

 

[snowbear]

I don't think the raw .nef is really a viewable image on it's own, only raw data. You'd be seeing an imbedded .jpg.

 

[480sparky]

... I could upload the raw .NEF as well if anyone would like to view that.

You can't here. But if you want to use a file hosting site, that would work.

 

[GearJunkie]

You can't here. But if you want to use a file hosting site, that would work.

I can make it available if anyone thinks it would help beyond the jpg

 

[GearJunkie]

Well, I think I've identified the problem. I used my microscope to focus through the lens at each element layer and it has haze on every element.
Not sure if someone tried to clean it of fungus and used something way too harsh or what. It's perfectly even distribution and compounds at every element so by the time you've focused through all the elements it looks like a really aggressive mist filter.
Ahh well...looks like this one is a return.