The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens is a high speed aspherical lens for VM lens mount rangefinder cameras. The lens is constructed with 7 elements in 6 groups, accepts 58mm filters and has as a minimum focusing distance of 3.28' (1m). This very fast and sharp lens weighs less than 16 oz., features an all-metal lens barrel construction, and a 10 bladed aperture diaphragm which creates pleasing out-of-focus highlights. Click stop aperture movements at half-stop intervals makes subtle adjustments in exposure or depth-of-field easy.
The Nokton lens is unusual in the rangefinder field because of the use of modern aspherical lens element fabrication technology on the rear element. The lens is constructed with two aspherical surfaces and one SD (super-low dispersion) glass element. This maintains the high level of image quality that rangefinder customers have become used to while keeping a highly competitive price point.
| Elements/Groups | 6 Groups/ 7 Elements |
| Mount Type | VM |
| Weight | 15.09 oz (428 g) |
| Dimensions | 2.74 x 2.25" (69.6 x 57.2mm) |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 3.28' (1m) |
| Number of Blades | 10 |
| Picture Angle | 45.9° |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 8 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-8
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
great on a NEX 7. razor sharp and the bokeh is very pleasing to the eyes, i would say value for money, i find the weight very acceptable as i came from a DSLR background
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
Besides looking really cool on a Leica body this lens is very sharp. Accurate focus is not easy to achieve with any f1.x lens, but when achieved this lens will render excellent sharpness throughout it's range. F1.4 is significantly sharper than f1.1 and the lens is optimum from f2.8 to f11. If it's not sharp then it's a bad sample. I use a 1.4x magnifier to achieve good focus. The isolation at f1.1 has to been seen to be believed, this lens is excellent for portraits where background needs to be non distracting, a very difficult achievement outside the studio. After sitting in my car for 20+ hours of travel the lens had some looseness. Careful examination showed 4 screws on the outside barrell had loosened and simply tightening them restored the lens to it's original tightness and perfect rendering. Voigtlander please take care of this issue, it should not happen with any lens and your good reputation is diminished when this occurs. Overall I am very pleased with this lens, it is a fun and very capable addition to the Leica M system.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
I used this lens for a few weeks on my Leica M9.
I wanted a fast aperture for low light photo and could not afford Leica Noctilux. I am fully satisfied with the Nokton.
4 stars instead of 5 mainly for two reasons: the vignetting at f 1.1 and it is heavy lens for rangefinder category. Otherwise, it is a very good lens for the price.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
This is a very good lens for the money. I have shot with this lens indoors as well as outdoors. I found this lens to have very good detail rendering and reasonably good contrast rendering. Indoors I'd rate this lens a 7 out of 10 and outdoors I'd rate this lens an 8 out of 10.
This lens is very easy to focus on my M9 in bright light as well as low light.
I rated this lens on the B&H star rating scale as a four and not a five only because when I compare this lens to my Noctilux .95, I can see the difference right away when I put a picture on my monitor. The Noct is just better in rendering detail contrast glow.
Finally, if I had not been able to afford to purchase the Noct, then I'd most certainly rate this lens five-star. If you don't own a Noct than buy this lens; you won't be disappointed!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
I find this lens has it's own kind of magic and is a great low light lens and also perfect for artistic shots.
I had read some reviewers had complained about it being soft wide open.
I have found it perfect for my kind of photography and plenty sharp when I need it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
I liked the 40mm f1.4 so much I decided to "upgrade" to the 50mm f1.1. I was astounded when it was twice the size and weight of my other M lenses. It's as big or bigger than my Nikon 50mm. However, the build quality is superb. The sharpness and low light capabilities are amazing. The focus is smoother and faster than the 40mm f1.4. It does block a portion of the viewfinder, but you're not going to get better results for this price.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
If you replace the name on the lens with Leica, you would be hard pressed to see the difference. This lens is everything I expected and more. Though I have only had the lens a month, it has lived up to all of the reviews I read. I look at it like I have saved $9,000. (not like I would spend ten thousand on a lens) I like to photograph at night on the streets, the Nokton 50mm 1.1 is now my primary lens for that.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Lens (Black):
Outstanding sharpness. Great optics. Heavy lens, built like a tank. Smooth focusing. I have not had the chance to use it in low light shooting, but daylight shots are showing the lens to be razor sharp. Looking forward to using it at a rock concert this weekend. Balances well with the Bessa R4.
Displaying reviews 1-8