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Characterized by its slightly longer-than-normal focal length, the silver Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II S Lens from Voigtlander is a versatile prime well-suited to portraiture and general shooting applications. The focal length pairs with the bright maximum aperture for extensive control over focus placement to suit working with shallow depth of field or selective focus techniques. The smooth manual focus operation also contributes to controlling focus position, and both depth of field and focus distance scales are featured on the metal lens barrel to aid in pre-focusing or setting hyperfocal distance. This lens' physical design also features a scalloped focus ring to recall classic lens designs of the 1960s as well as afford more secure handling during use. Mixing the classic-inspired design with contemporary usage, the lens also sports an Ai-S type CPU to permit in-camera adjustment of the aperture setting for faster, more intuitive exposure control.
- F-Mount Lens/FX Format
- Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
- Classic Double Gauss Optical Design
- Manual Focus Design
Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 Nokton SL II-S Overview
Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 Nokton SL II-S Specs
| Focal Length | 58mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Nikon F |
| Lens Format Coverage | Full-Frame |
| Angle of View | 40° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.48' / 45 cm |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.17x |
| Optical Design | 7 Elements in 6 Groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9 |
| Focus Type | Manual Focus |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Filter Size | 52 mm (Front) |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 2.66 x 1.79" / 67.6 x 45.5 mm |
| Weight | 11.29 oz / 320 g |
| Package Weight | 1 lb |
| Box Dimensions (LxWxH) | 5.3 x 4.5 x 4.4" |
Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 Nokton SL II-S Reviews
Better than expected
When I first tested this lens my reaction as that it wasn't quite as sharp wide open as I had hoped. Good but not exceptional. A few days later I was reviewing some photos I had taken in the same location with what I thought was a different lens that I know is quite sharp wide open. I thought to myself, yup, a sharp lens alright. Then I realized I was looking at images taken with this Voigtlander! So while it might not be as clinically sharp wide open as some other lenses I own, it requires some close examination to see the difference. These images were taken at close to the minimum focusing distance. When evaluated on its own it holds up very well in the real world. As everyone has mentioned before the bokeh is beautiful and the build is second to none. I also really appreciate that it provides EXIF data to the camera. Some complain about it being manual focus but that's like buying a two door car and complaining that it doesn't have four doors. Obviously it won't be the best lens for rapidly moving subjects.
A masterpiece!
Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II S Lens (Silver). I use on my Nikon Full Frame and Nikon film bodies! Might be the best lens I ever mounted to a Nikon body! Bill
Sharp!
What a wonderful lens. It's so sharp. The manual aspect of it becomes second nature so quickly. I love it.
Best bang for your buck
I needed a new lens for an album cover photoshoot... This lens is amazing!! Before this one, I was always using my 35mm zeiss milvus to shoot portraits... This lens made my milvus look like a dull-vus super sharp pictures and the bokeh... The bokeh... Trust me when I tell you this is a lens you're going to shoot with on the daily. Easily replaced some of my zeiss and nikon lenses...
A great Lens
Just received this lens, great build smooth focus works well with my d750. Color, sharpness and bokeh are great. I can use my front dial to change f stop with no issue.
My initial thoughts about
This is my initial thoughts regarding this lens, after briefly using it. It is definitely a specialty lens, in terms of its use. Its a solid lens made of metal and glass and I love how it feels. The focus ring is very smooth and long. The long throw allows you to dial in focus very well. I love the feeling of this lens. The aperture ring has a light throw and clicks into place at each f stop. The CPU allows you to control the f stop at the camera control wheel. I bought this to use on my Nikon Z6, otherwise, I'm not sure I'd have purchased this lens for a DSLR or film camera, simply because I'm not that great at manual focus. On a mirrorless body, focus peaking coupled with the ability to punch in to see critical focus makes easy. Couple that with built in VR in the Z bodies, and its more like cheating. I will be using this lens frequently from here on out, as long as the situation isn't a highly dynamic one. This lens will slow down your photography and that's one reason why I bought it. Regarding, image quality, I have no issue with the level of sharpness. Given that the depth of field at f 1.4 is pretty thin, I found this lens to produce excellent sharpness wide open. By f 2.8, it's plenty sharp. I'm very pleased with sharpness. There is vignetting wide open, which is to be expected. There is some fringing too wide open, in some situations. Nothing that photoshop can't handle. I like the colors and contrast that are produced. That said, I often shoot RAW, but this lens delivers. I like the bokeh. Bokeh is subjective however. There are probably lenses that are factionally sharper wide open, like Nikon's 50mm Z or Sigma's 50mm art lens. The Nikkor 58mm 1.4 probably has smoother bokeh, but costs alot more. To me, photography incorporates the experience of taking photos, into account when making that final edit. I was purposefully looking for a lens like this, to scratch an artistic itch, and I have a feeling I'm going to develop a love affair with this lens.
Follow up to my original review. Love this lens.
I feel I need to point out that this lens isn't for everyone. Judging by the two people that gave my initial review a thumbs down, I feel I needed to say that. In this day and age of really advanced cameras with, hyperactive eye auto focus and fast auto focusing lenses, this Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 is a slow pace art lens. That's the best way I can describe it. I initially gave it 4 stars because I did experience some fringing on occasion. In fairness, you can get get that with any lens in certain conditions. While I love how it feels, and I love using, I felt it was too slow for most of my needs and I was worried it might just sit in my bag. I wished it stopped down to f22. All that said, I'm absolutely thrilled with this lens and the images I create with it. I've shot product photography with it. I shot a sunrise landscape image in the Smoky's with it. While it's an image I love, I'd say landscapes aren't exactly this lenses fortes. What this lens excels at are portraits. All day long. I recently shot a boudoir session, in studio with this lens, and the results are tack sharp and fantastic. It definitely has it's own character by the way it renders. I used it in conjunction with a Nikkor 85mm 1.4 and a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8, just to see where it stood against definitive portrait lenses. The Voigtlander more than holds its own as a portrait lens. I'm running it on a Z body, taking advantage of peeking highlights and the ability to punch into critical focus easily to obtain tack sharp focus on the eye, wide open. Because, my eyes aren't what they used to be. I've had no issues focusing this lens on a Nikon DSLR either. Manual focus isn't easy, but with practice, it can be done. It comes down to technique. In summery, I find this lens to be a phenomenal, slow paced art lens, that excels at portraits. I'm glad I purchased it. It's staying in my bag.
Excellent lens if you like manual focus
This lens, like most manual focus lenses, isn't always easy to use. On a DSLR you'll have to be extremely picky about your focus, and personally, it's hit or miss. I mainly use mine on a Nikon z7II or even adapted to a Fujifilm XT-3. The key there is they have a 100% zoom in the viewfinder and focus is a cinch as long as you don't have a fast moving subject. I never miss focus on those cameras. Dead center it is really sharp. It's fairly sharp near the edges. But, it does have a small amount of chromatic aberration, but nothing I can't correct in Lightroom. I like it for the look I get out of it. It's subjective, I know, but it works in some situations. It's not as sharp as my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens, but that is not always what I want. This is a great lens for those days when I want to slow down and just take photos for fun. For me, it's a lens I will keep forever.
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