Back in July we reported on the announcement of Voigtländer's new APO-Lanthar 90mm F4 Close Focus VM; a compact medium-telephoto prime lens designed for full-frame Leica M-mount rangefinder cameras.
It was originally scheduled to arrive in August 2026, but after a slight delay we can now confirm that the lens available to buy from B&H in the US and Wex in the UK, either in black or silver finishes, both priced at $749/£599.
The APO-Lanthar name denotes that the lens is derived from the Apochromat design. This manufacturing process was developed to reduce chromatic aberration in film photography, but the technology is claimed to still be effective for supressing fringing in digital photography today.
Inside the APO-Lanthar 90mm F4 Close Focus VM you'll find eight elements arranged in seven groups, with six elements made from anomalous partial dispersion glass which is said to deliver high resolution, strong contrast, and consistent performance across the frame.
Despite its advanced optical design, the lens measures just 54.8mm long and weighs only 235g. The compactness is helped by the relatively f/4 modest maximum aperture, which negates the need for the large elements which would be required for f/2.8 and faster optics. Another benefit of the smaller barrel size is it reduces viewfinder blockage when the lens is used with an optical rangefinder.
Image samples
Close-focusing performance is another major aspect of the lens’s appeal. The APO-Lanthar 90mm F4 Close Focus VM can focus down to 0.5m, extending beyond the typical 0.7m limit for many rangefinder-coupled lenses.
At its closest setting, it offers a maximum magnification of 0.28x, while Voigtländer says the apochromatic correction helps maintain image quality even when photographing subjects up close.
The lens also includes a high-precision rangefinder coupling mechanism, an all-metal helicoid for smooth focusing, and a click that identifies the point where focusing moves beyond the coupled range.
A compact dedicated metal hood is included, extending by only around 9mm to reduce flare without significantly interfering with the camera’s framelines.
