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Nokton 40/1.2 reality check

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Bas Hamstra

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Browsing this group in Flickr:

Voigtländer 40/1.2 Nokton | Flickr

...I saw so many fantastic images with this manual focus lens, from all camera brands or at least Sony and Canon that I need a reality check. Is the lens really that good? Everything is so filmic and looks more real!
  1. Yes, the lens is that magical, screw that lens on and become magical too!
  2. Only very talented photographers will buy an expensive manual focussing lens, what you are seeing is human photographing and post processing skill.
  3. The world is not black and white, it's both 1 and 2 blah blah blah
 
Yea, an amazing lens but found the MF so limiting for some people shots (asking them to freeze in place) that I dropped it like a bad habit for the 35mm GM f1.4. Was missing too many shots but if in focus..magical.
 
Geekapoo said:
Yea, an amazing lens but found the MF so limiting for some people shots (asking them to freeze in place) that I dropped it like a bad habit for the 35mm GM f1.4. Was missing too many shots but if in focus..magical.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your feedback! Yeah I totally understand you, but as someone who has never even tried MF lenses I am very curious. But yeah, 800$ used to cure curiosity?
 
I recently purchased the 35/1.4 Nokton (in m-mount, however I have an m-to-e adapter) and had planned to do a 3 lens shoot out with the ultra-cheap Pergear 35/1.4 v. the Nikon 35/2 v. the Voigtländer 35/1.4.

I have not completed my comparison and have yet to mount the Voigtländer on my a7R4.

While Voigtländer is a well-known name and I have 2 of their cameras, I also have two of the (new) Cosina Voigtländer lenses which seem to be well made and comparable to what you get from (say) TTArtisan.
 
Bas Hamstra said:
Browsing this group in Flickr:

Voigtländer 40/1.2 Nokton | Flickr

...I saw so many fantastic images with this manual focus lens, from all camera brands or at least Sony and Canon that I need a reality check. Is the lens really that good? Everything is so filmic and looks more real!
  1. Yes, the lens is that magical, screw that lens on and become magical too!
  2. Only very talented photographers will buy an expensive manual focussing lens, what you are seeing is human photographing and post processing skill.
  3. The world is not black and white, it's both 1 and 2 blah blah blah
Click to expand...
 
Also, it’s worth checking out the Phillip Reeve reviews of these lenses. They’re the best sources of information about how they perform.

phillipreeve.net

Voigtländer 40mm f1.2 Nokton Aspherical: Review

In-depth review of the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 Nokton Aspherical; with many samples and extensive tests.
phillipreeve.net phillipreeve.net
 
grsnovi said:
I recently purchased the 35/1.4 Nokton (in m-mount, however I have an m-to-e adapter) and had planned to do a 3 lens shoot out with the ultra-cheap Pergear 35/1.4 v. the Nikon 35/2 v. the Voigtländer 35/1.4.

I have not completed my comparison and have yet to mount the Voigtländer on my a7R4.

While Voigtländer is a well-known name and I have 2 of their cameras, I also have two of the (new) Cosina Voigtländer lenses which seem to be well made and comparable to what you get from (say) TTArtisan.
Click to expand...
I got the 35/1.4 Nokton as a cheap-ish replacement for my droped 35/1.2Nokton. I thought its smaller and a bit slower but otherwise compareable, turns out its not and i hated using it. For one the coma is just bad and it lacks the smoothness of the 35 1.2 its also a bit to small for my clumsy hands.

The 40/1.2 Nokton however is a fantastic lens. For me it works best in the dark. I found it difficult to nail focus in daylight when stopping it down (as counterintuitive as it sounds) if you get used to it you can reliable get very nice snapshots. The focus throw is just long enough to make precise adjustments but its also short enough to get where you need it to in a heartbeat. Wide open it has a dreamy look to it but it lacks contrast and the drop in resolution to the sides is noticeable, however I dont like that you only get round bokeh balls wide open, getting sunstars at f1.6 can be handy tho.Its a very fun lens but it demands comittment.

I now run an 35GM and while its a great lens i miss that 1/3rd of a stop every now ant then and sometimes i feel its to easy, but at the same time allways getting at least a couple of shots that arent oof(with 99.99% certainty unless you screw the SS) and having a hand free if needed is a big plus.





Not the greatest image but it shows that i used it quite alot.
Not the greatest image but it shows that i used it quite alot.
 
Bas Hamstra said:
Geekapoo said:
Yea, an amazing lens but found the MF so limiting for some people shots (asking them to freeze in place) that I dropped it like a bad habit for the 35mm GM f1.4. Was missing too many shots but if in focus..magical.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your feedback! Yeah I totally understand you, but as someone who has never even tried MF lenses I am very curious. But yeah, 800$ used to cure curiosity?
Click to expand...
You could try to buy one used. Really is an amazing lens but at least I had to be willing to miss (not reproducable) shots. My keeper rate was high but missing occasional shots made it a non-starter.

Nokton 40 samples:

--https://photos.app.goo.gl/CC3xpLjR54iKpswv7


Richard
https://www.flickr.com/photos/154538030@N02/albums
 
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Geekapoo said:
Yea, an amazing lens but found the MF so limiting for some people shots (asking them to freeze in place) that I dropped it like a bad habit for the 35mm GM f1.4. Was missing too many shots but if in focus..magical.
Click to expand...
Never heard anyone complaining about missing group shots. Of course I do not shoot those wide open but usually around F4. Mind you I never shoot staged group shots. You will always have someone open the mouth or close eyes at the wrong time.

The best place to view Nokton 40/1.2 photos is to go to the Fred Miranda site. The Sony Nokton site (https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1512530/299/#lastmessage) is at 300 pages full of magnificent images from all over the world.
 
Joachim Wulfers said:
Geekapoo said:
Yea, an amazing lens but found the MF so limiting for some people shots (asking them to freeze in place) that I dropped it like a bad habit for the 35mm GM f1.4. Was missing too many shots but if in focus..magical.
Click to expand...
Never heard anyone complaining about missing group shots. Of course I do not shoot those wide open but usually around F4. Mind you I never shoot staged group shots. You will always have someone open the mouth or close eyes at the wrong time.

The best place to view Nokton 40/1.2 photos is to go to the Fred Miranda site. The Sony Nokton site (https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1512530/299/#lastmessage) is at 300 pages full of magnificent images from all over the world.
Click to expand...
 
Geekapoo said:
Joachim Wulfers said:
Geekapoo said:
Yea, an amazing lens but found the MF so limiting for some people shots (asking them to freeze in place) that I dropped it like a bad habit for the 35mm GM f1.4. Was missing too many shots but if in focus..magical.
Click to expand...
Never heard anyone complaining about missing group shots. Of course I do not shoot those wide open but usually around F4. Mind you I never shoot staged group shots. You will always have someone open the mouth or close eyes at the wrong time.

The best place to view Nokton 40/1.2 photos is to go to the Fred Miranda site. The Sony Nokton site (https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1512530/299/#lastmessage) is at 300 pages full of magnificent images from all over the world.
Click to expand...
I like a very narrow DoF for some portraits so yes, it can be tricky. Shooting wide open, for me, is part of the magic of the lens if done right.
Click to expand...
You are correct. However, a portrait and a group shot are totally different thing. I also love the lens for the way I can shoot wide open. My Flickr account includes an album dedicated to the Nokton 1.2/40. Have a look at it if you wish. But depending on the shots, you do not necessarily always get a very narrow DoF. Case i point the photo below:

Original Townhall in Ancaster, ON
Original Townhall in Ancaster, ON

But I also love the separation effect shooting at f4.0 for instance like here:

d67cd0eac4fa4d9e90517924532a2a22.jpg

Of course you have to be OK with MF to enjoy these types of lenses.

Another one at f12

5a5315a9098e42e988360d4fabd112c2.jpg

BTW, all my photos are shot in JPEG.
JoWul
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jowul/
 
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For portraits and group shots, it's like birding..what is the %keepers? My 35mm and 50mm lenses always yield higher # keepers vs the Nokton 40mm BUT the Nokton will outperform quality-wise.
 
Last edited:
Bas Hamstra said:
Browsing this group in Flickr:

Voigtländer 40/1.2 Nokton | Flickr

...I saw so many fantastic images with this manual focus lens, from all camera brands or at least Sony and Canon that I need a reality check. Is the lens really that good? Everything is so filmic and looks more real!
  1. Yes, the lens is that magical, screw that lens on and become magical too!
  2. Only very talented photographers will buy an expensive manual focussing lens, what you are seeing is human photographing and post processing skill.
  3. The world is not black and white, it's both 1 and 2 blah blah blah
Click to expand...
The 40mm is a beautifully built lens, which provides an excellent manual focusing experience. Like a lot of the modern Voigtlander lenses, it isn't tack-sharp wide open, but gets very sharp with lots of micro-contrast stopped down.

You have to decide as a photographer whether a) you like the manual focus experience and does it work for what you are shooting? and b) are you okay with these characteristics of this lens?

Looking at the Flickr link you posted, most of the images on the first page are an example of editing not the lens. If you are looking for that style, you could create it with any number of lenses with vintage characteristics when wide open.

No lens is going to magically create the images you want on it's own. No digital lens/sensor combo actually looks like film.
 
alh00020 said:
Bas Hamstra said:
Browsing this group in Flickr:

Voigtländer 40/1.2 Nokton | Flickr

...I saw so many fantastic images with this manual focus lens, from all camera brands or at least Sony and Canon that I need a reality check. Is the lens really that good? Everything is so filmic and looks more real!
  1. Yes, the lens is that magical, screw that lens on and become magical too!
  2. Only very talented photographers will buy an expensive manual focussing lens, what you are seeing is human photographing and post processing skill.
  3. The world is not black and white, it's both 1 and 2 blah blah blah
Click to expand...
The 40mm is a beautifully built lens, which provides an excellent manual focusing experience. Like a lot of the modern Voigtlander lenses, it isn't tack-sharp wide open, but gets very sharp with lots of micro-contrast stopped down.

You have to decide as a photographer whether a) you like the manual focus experience and does it work for what you are shooting? and b) are you okay with these characteristics of this lens?

Looking at the Flickr link you posted, most of the images on the first page are an example of editing not the lens. If you are looking for that style, you could create it with any number of lenses with vintage characteristics when wide open.
Click to expand...
The first page isn't the best, would the same statement hold if you focused om the images of Nick Baronzzi? They look stunning to me...he swears by that lens, and he also used the Sony 35 for a while (not sure it was the G) and tbh those images look good too. He just knows how to handle DOF.
alh00020 said:
No lens is going to magically create the images you want on it's own. No digital lens/sensor combo actually looks like film.
Click to expand...
Still, to me these Nick images look very filmic, even the colors seems a bit different, in the sense that they have a nostalgic feel. But it's very possible that this guy is very good at PP-ing too. Whatever it is, I am a big fan.


Bas
www.flickr.com

Bas Hamstra

Explore Bas Hamstra’s 1,469 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
Bas Hamstra said:
alh00020 said:
Bas Hamstra said:
Browsing this group in Flickr:

Voigtländer 40/1.2 Nokton | Flickr

...I saw so many fantastic images with this manual focus lens, from all camera brands or at least Sony and Canon that I need a reality check. Is the lens really that good? Everything is so filmic and looks more real!
  1. Yes, the lens is that magical, screw that lens on and become magical too!
  2. Only very talented photographers will buy an expensive manual focussing lens, what you are seeing is human photographing and post processing skill.
  3. The world is not black and white, it's both 1 and 2 blah blah blah
Click to expand...
The 40mm is a beautifully built lens, which provides an excellent manual focusing experience. Like a lot of the modern Voigtlander lenses, it isn't tack-sharp wide open, but gets very sharp with lots of micro-contrast stopped down.

You have to decide as a photographer whether a) you like the manual focus experience and does it work for what you are shooting? and b) are you okay with these characteristics of this lens?

Looking at the Flickr link you posted, most of the images on the first page are an example of editing not the lens. If you are looking for that style, you could create it with any number of lenses with vintage characteristics when wide open.
Click to expand...
The first page isn't the best, would the same statement hold if you focused om the images of Nick Baronzzi? They look stunning to me...he swears by that lens, and he also used the Sony 35 for a while (not sure it was the G) and tbh those images look good too. He just knows how to handle DOF.
Bas Hamstra said:
No lens is going to magically create the images you want on it's own. No digital lens/sensor combo actually looks like film.
Click to expand...
Still, to me these Nick images look very filmic, even the colors seems a bit different, in the sense that they have a nostalgic feel. But it's very possible that this guy is very good at PP-ing too. Whatever it is, I am a big fan.

Bas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bahazzie/
Click to expand...
Having just looked, you are completely right; this guy is a fantastic photographer. For example, this grasshopper image taken with the 40mm is beautiful:

https://flic.kr/p/2qSjT4K

However, again, I would argue what you are viewing there is a top level artist who is also clearly talented in the post-processing of an image. This doesn't mean that if you buy the Voigtlander 40mm, you too can't produce wonderful images. It just means, I bet you could give him the Sony 40mm 2.5 or the TTartisan 35mm 1.4 and he would still produce wonderful work.

Obviously, these things are personal and subjective, but as someone who both admires his photographs and works in a film lab, they don't look like film.
 
Of all the lenses I've actually shot with this is probably my favorite

Though I think the 35/2 APO would be my pick for a manual lens. Lots of character and pretty much technical perfection too.

CV E mount MF lenses are great because they have all the "automatic" MF aids like punch in zoom and focus peaking. Though Canon's manual focus assist is prob the best on the market by a very wide margin.
 
Geekapoo said:
For portraits and group shots, it's like birding..what is the %keepers? My 35mm and 50mm lenses always yield higher # keepers vs the Nokton 40mm BUT the Nokton will outperform quality-wise.
Click to expand...
don't be in a hurry when you shoot with MF lenses and you get nearly 100% keepers. When I delete shots it is because I preferred another composition. When I photographed the Original Ancaster Townhall I kept the one I posted and deleted 2 others because I did not like those compositions and angles. They were sharp though!
 
Joachim Wulfers said:
Geekapoo said:
For portraits and group shots, it's like birding..what is the %keepers? My 35mm and 50mm lenses always yield higher # keepers vs the Nokton 40mm BUT the Nokton will outperform quality-wise.
Click to expand...
don't be in a hurry when you shoot with MF lenses and you get nearly 100% keepers. When I delete shots it is because I preferred another composition. When I photographed the Original Ancaster Townhall I kept the one I posted and deleted 2 others because I did not like those compositions and angles. They were sharp though!
Click to expand...
And yes, you can get beautiful sun stars even at night :-P at f2

4f2837bee893464091d56c9ad52b59ae.jpg

And it can be very dreamy at f4

a5b557c74a964229a97d4ca347f9ca4d.jpg

--
JoWul
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jowul/
 
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