Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 SE lens review
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- Another Voigtländer lens, this time with an unusually bright maximum aperture, especially for a full-frame 35mm optic.
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I think this review was a bit harsh on this lens... Never had it and it's the first time I hear about it. But if I had 1000$ to pay for a 1.2 35mm lens I would not hesitate to choose this tiny MF lens over that gigantic AF Sigma lens. Sometimes it's not all about sharpness and lab results. It's about the feeling. I really like the feeling of this lens and think it's bokeh rendition is really nice and has some 3D pop effect as far as I can tell from this review samples. I bet it would be a joy to use even with all of it's compromises, but yes I wish it was a couple of hundreds of dollars cheaper at least!
It is! and i love the fact that it is not that space telescope of a lens. Once its dark AF usually does not do what i want in the timeframe i would like and mechanical MF is way nicer in that case then focus by wire.
@spidermann5000 I have several space telescopes for my Sony A7R III-a. I bought this lens for its compactness and dual purpose: 1) At f/2.8 and smaller apertures, it functions incredibly well as a landscape/architectural lens; 2) At f1.2 to f/2.8, it performs very well as a portrait lens, and is very flattering to female faces. (This lens also works well for street photography, especially with zone focusing.) If one needs corner-to-corner sharpness wide open (e.g., at f1.4) for the Sony platform, there is the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM for $1,398. The Voigtländer is currently selling for $699. Even though Chris was unenthusiastic about this Voigtländer lens and prefers technical excellence over vintage characteristics when shooting wide open, all of his sample images in his video are quite lovely. His images are what ultimately sold me on this Voigtländer lens.
Totally agree! So many reviews testing lens as a sharpness things. Please talk about rendering, colors, bokeh more than circle lights. Not about ca, flaring or corner sharpness….
I have been looking for good reviews of this lens for months. Thank you for testing this lens.
At least from my experience with the VN 40/1.2 and going through other reviews of their lens line up.
I think their approach to lens optics is a mix of retro/vintage/character aesthetics at anything wider than f/2.8, and transitioning into more of a modern lens smaller than f/2.8
I suggest all of you complaining about the lens to check also Dustin Abbot review. I think he managed to better and fully to describe the pros and cons of that lens.
Just in time for me!
Keep in mind its size and the joy that focus peaking is on evs! I think it is geared more towards the process of taking pictures then just the result and i would love to call one of them mine.
Found a good deal on a used one... well two days in my posession now and it sure looks used now😅
With something over 2k clicks with it by now i must say i freaking love it! Coplainwise i'd say i would rather love it declicked but thats it. With auto iso set to max out at 25k you can pull of alot, that is unless you aim for unrealistic shutter speeds. I aim for at least 1/60 to kill off most motion blur but of course you can go slower and basically shot handheld at night.
BTW. focusthrow is 150° -ish. A-ring in front needs some time to get used to but you will want it that way after a while.
Great lens for concerts and events (if you can get close enough), ill never learn how to use a flash tho 🤣
I think the next voigtlander lens that might be more up your alley is the apo-lanthar 110mm f2.5 ;)
Thank you for the great review! Having owned several manual Voigtlander lenses I can say that the Apo Lanthar series are very sharp and well corrected (for example the 50mm f2 Apo Lanthar, the 65mm f2 Apo Lanthar or the 110mm macro f2.5 Apo Lanthar) whereas the Nokton lenses are fast and have some "character". Especially the 50mm f1.2 Nokton is an incredible lens - not technically, but the images it renders have such a lovely vintage character 😍 If I had to choose between the ultra sharp 50mm f2 Apo Lanthar and the Nokton 1.2 I'd probably choose the Nokton for its gorgeous images.
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
Looks very similar to the (seemingly now discontinued) 40mm f1.2 (which I own).
I really enjoy the 40. It’s a much smaller price and size than a modern on-brand 1.2… and it gives you that choice of ‘artistic’ 1.2 effects and separation, or actually very sharp performance if you stop down a bit. With the electronic contacts you get automatic configuration of IBIS and Exif details. Peaking is useful to nail sharp eyes for portrait type shots.
The 40mm f1.2 is a super one-lens walkaround choice. As observed in various reviews, Fred Miranda, Phillip Reeve, Marc Alhadeff, Dustin Abbott, the lack in contrast at f1.2 is gone at mid to long focal distances. For its build, size and weight, the 40mm f1.2 is a great joy. Also, the Voigtlander website shows both the E and SE versions of the 40mm f1.2 - Perhaps they are not discontinued.
@@kobuskirstein7539 Yeah the 40mm is weaker at close focus and functions best mid range and beyond. Though I have seen members of the Fred Miranda forums use some kind of close focus screw on filter that allows using the mid-range adjustment (on the focus ring) for close-up subjects, thus improving the mfd clarity.
I love the 40 1.2, one of the best new manual focus lenses out there.
only SE versions are discontinued
Nokton is a classic line by cosina which purposely reserved some spherical spherical aberration no to be corrected to achieve dreamy bokeh and vintage look. Im not a bokeh guy but this is just tooooo gorgeous. I'm happy with crispy and color fringe free images that my APO-LANTHAR produce. But I'm really considering to get one of this just for the bokeh.
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
@@cameraprepper7938 if you don't need 1.2 you can just stop down for the same effect
I think the usual criteria used to judge the likes of sigma lenses don't always apply on lenses like voigtlander. The 1.2 series from Voigtlander are actually more fitting of the title "Art". I actually loved the images from this review more than images from most reviews since the images have such great character that us a combination of rich and vivid colors, great 3D pop/microcontrast, lovely bokeh... plus the fact that this lens is handcrafted and built to last for generations. Not everything is sharpnes, it's about what you see not how much you see!
Also this lens is several times cheaper than competing leica lenses while offering as good or better build quality and brighter apertures. It's a relative bargain and a breath of fresh air in the age of oversized and overly corrected lenses.
It might be technically far from perfect but you took some great pictures with it
That was my impression as well. I love the look of this lens.
Thank you for the review. Would love to see a comparison of this lens against the Voigtlander 40mm F1.2, as though the focal distance is very similar, the actual optical formula is quite different. I have the 35mm F1.2 adapted on my GFX100 and is absolutely one of my favorite combos ever.
Hi! Can you please review the Sigma FP L camera? TIA! This Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 SE has a very nice color!
Thank you for the review. I think it would be better to ask a Z mount version of these M mount designs for review, since the sensor stack on that mount is significantly thinner and generally you will get better edge and corner performance there. FE mount is the worse for these lenses due the thick sensor stack on Sony.
I thought the CV 21mm F/1.4 did fairly well. Also their APO lineup on FE is superb.
Clearly we need to crowdfund him a Leica. You know, for science.
@@giklab He already has a Z7. I think will do for now :)))
This lens is not an M-mount design, it is an E-mount design (the optical formula are slightly modified for the sensor stack differences). Voigtlander do not make this lens in Z-mount, so what you are asking is impossible.
A 1000$ F/1.2 lens and you have to stop to F/2.8 or 4 in order to have a nice image. No way. So overpriced !
if you pay 1.2 you shoot 1.2 if you buy 2.8 you are stuck there and some trade offs have to be made if unless you dont mind a tripod.
i think this lense not for sharpie landscape purpose..
it's for a portrait with character images
This one has a uniq and amazing lens flare
There are some optical differences with older versions (the mount options are a bit different too), but you can save quite a bit of money looking for the version 1 or version 2. Both are, I believe, smaller than this version too. You do lose the EXIF data with those versions, and some other things, but those older versions are considered quite solid.
Hi Chris! Could you please review the Nokton 23mm and 35mm f1.2 for fuji X cameras?
They just release third version Voigtlander 35 f1.2. I don’t think it’s for Sony but there are adapters.
How much color rendering difference between the Sony GM lenses and Voigtlander. If you shot raw, will it make a difference?
In Voigtländer the i is silent.
It seems like it's only barely useable below F2 so I think its real competitor is actually SIGMA 35mm F2 Contemporary when it comes to compact dimensions and build quality on a 35mm. Much cheaper also.
what are you shooting? if anything its to clean at 1.2 😂 F2 is not even in the same postcode as F1.2 once you run out of light and sometimes there is little you can do about it... or need with this gem.
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality (also better then the Sigma) !
@@cameraprepper7938 well i guess we can agree on one thing tho: these lenses are fun to use!
what is the distance of your chart from the lens Chris? when you do this chart analysis, isn't it only assessing the lens at that distance?
Is there any chance to see some full resolution jpg/raw of test chart for lenses that You tested? Because with youtube compression hard to see difference in terms of sharpness/resolution, only contrast and CA is easy to distinguish between lenses. Tried to search on your patreon but all is blocked, are there test charts to download after becoming patreon supporter?
Hey Chris, love the channel. some photographers have told me that Voigtländer lenses render very natural and lifelike. that it's magic is not on it's sharpness. Have never own one can't say from my own experience.
I Know some people that own the Voigtländer 58 1.4 and man those images look so so good. so maybe adding another metric to the tests could be a good idea. just thinking . >>>thanks for the work you do.
I'm own 3 voigtländer lenses. 10mm heliar, 21mm Color-Skopar and the 35mm Apo-Lanthar.
Each of these 3 lenses has its own charm and justification. I especially love the beautiful colors and the micro-contrasts of the Voigtländer. I also find the small size very useful for street photography and hiking. I have to admit that I chose the 35mm Apo-Lanthar because it is very sharp from f2 and is very well corrected, and costs about 400 euros less. In that sense, I don't really understand the point of the 35mm f1.2. In my eyes, it only really makes sense for open-aperture portrait shots.
@@WU_Foto I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
the color is amazing,dispite the poor close up sharpness,i think 35 2 apo would be a better choice
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
Looks like the Voigtlander 35mm F2 APO is the way to go.
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
Chris, a question if you don't mind, but don't feel obliged.
I see that the APS/c sensor limits the smaller apertures and presume it is to do with pixel size. So my question is,: If that is the case then, why don't the insanely smaller pixels of a full frame 50!60Mp sensor have the same effect. Or, isn't it anything to do with pixel size? Cheers - Trevor
Oh that is really neat! I was just commenting the other day that modern manual lenses are few and far between nowadays. most companies have focus by wire. And a lot of manual lenses are cinema lenses which cost tens of thousands of dollars
At $1000, I see no way for this to be my choice. It looks like one of these f/0.95 Chinese lenses, that are good from 2.8. But they are 1/3 of that price, if not less.
Its like wanna be 1.2 but not exactly
There aren't that many manual focus lenses with exif that produce these kind of sunstars. Loxia and Voigtländers..there are some Laowa lenses that do too but then no exif. It has no floating elements that's why the close up iq isn't stellar, it's meant for portrait distances where it has OK sharpness wide open and pretty good bokeh (for a 35mm) discounting forest scenes, see Preeve's review. It's pretty sharp across the field at f/8 and with beautiful sunstars, it can yield very nice portraits at 1,5m distance if you're not the kind of person who likes to count pores. There seems to be no more Voigtländers or Loxia for Sony E though, so yes, niche market. I can certainly see the appeal though.
Yep, it's all marketing. Slap on "f/1.2" and jack the price up on a below average lens that doesn't have autofocus.
I have the 7 artisans 35 0.95 and it's great from 1.2. Well, not "GM Great", but very useable
@@justinhoward6755 Yet exif and sunstars, where else do you find that? It literally cannot be "all marketing" as it has no direct competitors. Not that I'm doing much good here; it's a polarizing lens due to its cost but please at least realize it's pretty unique in its parameters. You can always purchase the Sigma 35 1,2 and cart around
1.2 is always a plus.
No way, this is worth $1000. Get the APO f/2 if you are set for voigtlander!
The Apo f2 is great 👍
when the light goes dark you'll appreciate it.
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
Can you do a review on the Voigtlander Fuji lenes
I think TTartisan lenses is now giving Voigtlander a run for its money, competition is good in this case, I have the TTartisan 35mm 1.4 M mount and I can use this between Sony and Panasonic cameras with the correct adaptors, a great lens which works superbly from wide open.
Voigtländer and TTartisans are NOT in the same league !
I'd be curious how this compares to the SLR Magic 35mm f1.2 Cine lens. It's way cheaper and while I'm pretty sure the image quality isn't as good as this, it might not be far off.... and It's literally 1/4 the price 😬
Its a great lens but if the SLR Magic was that cheap here i would have gone that route instead. also the a-ring clicks... okay for stills but not so much for video.
I've tried the slr magic one and it was amazing for video, dreamy bokeh but no resolution at all lol. I sold it for cheap and really regret it, but im not going back, gotta upgrade!
I got the f1.4 version. And yeah its not Sigma 35mm f1.4 ART lens but its a fun lens. These lenses are great if you can get a bargain and find it used. Otherwise? I would prefer to be paying this kind of money for a lens MADE IN GERMANY rather than a German lens that is made in Japan.
Thanks!
Thanks for your support!
How is in the midle from f4 bis f 11? IIts missing.
It's just as sharp. That will always be the case, which is why I don't put in the results.
@@christopherfrost Thank you1
nice!
Unreasonable price.
The absolute opposite to your videos - Thanks a lot!
🙋♂️
Your Genius links are broken
I think Voigtlander should stick to making their APO lenses.
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
@@cameraprepper7938 exactly and even then f1.2 is only really needed in 85mm lenses or 55mm is lowest acceptable for me.
I own it for the M-mount. I don't understand why they inverted the aperture ring and made such an ugly design for the E-mount
It's as if they didn't have room for low dispersion glass in such a tiny body...
Im guessing professions like war reportage would appreciate the small lense and large aperture whilst sacrificing quality
it spoils the image
great lens - they shouldn't stop down to 1.2
so its a 2.8
I do not need aperture 1.2, so I have the much better performing Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding image quality !
I guess the only reason to get this over the Venus Optics Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF is size and weight.
Otherwise, the bokeh of this lens isn't great in my own opinion. (To be honest, I've yet to like the bokeh from any Nokton.)
Size, weight, exif and sunstars
True, it's very annoying that Laowa can't bother itself with electronic contacts.
That doesn't look wide enough to be a proper f/1.2.
Second!
Ah yes, another overpriced Voigtlander lens with poor specs.
Damn, this is worse than my cheap 7 Artisans 35 0.95. Voigtlander seems to be going the Zeiss way, milking their brand into oblivion
You have to make compromises to fit an f/1.2 lens in that size. Producing such a lens is hardly milking their brand, in fact this is a style change to an update of an update of a lens from 2009, so they actually have significant history there.
@@Bayonet1809 Price of this crappy lens in no way compromise.
@@Bayonet1809 Yeah, but my equally small, 300 dollars, 7 artisans 35 f0.95, produces better images. Not great images, but better than this and hey, it's 300 dollars
@@kistovisback Your 7Artisans lens only has coverage for APS-C, and your assertion that it produces better images has not been proven.
@@Bayonet1809 Yeah, it is only apsc but there's full frame options of the same kind (eg ttartisan). As for image quality we can watch reviews and see charts and the like. I think even Christopher has a some reviews for these chinese manual extreme wide aperture lenses.
$200
wow, disappointed
Practically unusable lens, too many defects, unbelievable that in 2022 such lenses are being made.
and that price... lol