Speed is at the forefront with the Super Nokton 29mm f/0.8 Aspherical Lens, from Voigtlander, which sports an awesomely bright f/0.8 maximum aperture to suit ultra low-light shooting as well as impressive control over depth of field. This normal-length prime is designed for Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras, and offers a 58mm equivalent focal length, making it well-suited to a variety of shooting applications. The optical design includes a pair of ground aspherical elements that help to achieve a high degree of sharpness and accurate rendering. For fine-tuned control and classic appeal, the lens sports a refined manual focus design, which permits working with subjects as close as 1.2' away and the lens also features the Selective Aperture Control System that enables switching between a stepless, de-clicked aperture selection method and a traditional aperture control method with click stops.
Voigtlander Super Nokton 29mm f/0.8 Aspherical Lens for Micro Four Thirds
- Micro Four Thirds System
- 58mm (35mm Equivalent)
- Aperture Range: f/0.8 to f/16
- Two Aspherical Elements
Voigtlander 29mm f/0.8 Super Nokton ASPHERICA... Overview
Voigtlander 29mm f/0.8 Super Nokton ASPHERICA... Specs
| Focal Length | 29mm (35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 58mm) |
| Maximum Aperture | f/0.8 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Lens Format Coverage | Micro Four Thirds |
| Angle of View | 42.75° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.2' / 37 cm |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.1x |
| Optical Design | 11 Elements in 7 Groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 12 |
| Focus Type | Manual Focus |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Filter Size | 62 mm (Front) |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 2.8 x 3.5" / 72.3 x 88.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.5 lb / 703 g |
| Package Weight | 1.94 lb |
| Box Dimensions (LxWxH) | 7.8 x 4.5 x 4.5" |
Voigtlander 29mm f/0.8 Super Nokton ASPHERICA... Reviews
Very special
This is really a one of a kind lens. I have a lot of vintage manual focus lenses and some modern fast lenses like the Olympus Pro f1.2 lenses. Unlike a lot of the vintage lenses, this lens is really well optimized wide open. This is like the Olympus Pro f1.2 lenses that are made to be very sharp wide open. Many of my faster vintage lenses have a completely different character wide open. This lens keeps a consistent character and feel as you stop it down just like the Olympus Pro f1.2 lenses do. A lot of modern manual focus lenses don't have a hard focus stop at infinity and a lot of the cheaper ones don't have accurate distance scales on the lens barrel, but this lens does. It's just like my vintage lenses that you can focus with careful measurement and stop at infinity. While a lens like this is good for shallow depth of field, these are especially good for hand held nightscapes since they work so well wide open, and if you have them focused at infinity you can get all the stars. On my Olympus bodies, I set one of my function buttons to magnify. I also set the option LV close up mode 1. This way when you half press the shutter button, it closes the zoom view and brings you back into your regular view so you can check your composition before you release the shutter. With magnify, I feel like it's so much easier to get sharp focus even with lenses where it's hard to see what's in focus such as the f8 bodycap lenses. It's a really versatile lens, but if you want to try some handheld starscapes, I recommend trying it. For my regular photography I do tend to stop it down for more depth of field, but I do like how the character of the lens shines through even when stopped down. I also shoot large, medium, and full frame miniature format, but I love the way this lens looks and I think it's worth getting a micro 4/3 body just to be able to use this and try it out.
A lens for the talented
Magic things seem to happen in front of this lens, and if you are good enough, you can catch them. This lens is as good as you are, but you will have to work for it and pin that focus — which isn't always easy — but if you do, you'll like the results you can get. This lens has a high entry price, there's no question. But I've had it parked on my Oly E-M1 Mk III and have been shooting it exclusively for a few weeks. It's a great focal length to work with and this lens is top-notch. It is satisfyingly sharp wide open with high resolution. You get bragging rights: this is the fastest lens in current production, and guess what? It's very usable wide open. In fact, I've only had this lens at f/0.8 since I got it. I also stuck a 62mm Firecrest UV on it right out of the package to protect that front element. The build quality of this lens is flawless. It's just a great lens to wrap your hand around and work that focus. There's no rubber covering to erode away or get loose in time; it's a mechanical wonder and easy to grab the knurled focus ring and rock back and forth for perfect focus. There are two uniquely ground aspherical elements as well as floating elements to improve close focusing. I will note that there's some color fringing with this lens — nothing major, but do be aware of it. Wide open, there is turquoise fringing in out-of-focus, overexposed areas to the rear of focal plane and magenta fringing in out-of-focus areas to the foreground. But it's all much more controlled than another excellent lens of mine, the SLR Magic 25mm f/0.95 Type II, and the Voigtlander is also much better at a distance. This Voigtlander might be a lens to become your favorite, or even a lens to love. Out of the box, I'd tell you to put a UV filter on it and screw in the included lens hood. Voigtlander was negligent not to include a lens cap for the hood, but just get yourself a good 67mm pinch-type lens cap and it will fit perfectly. I happened to have an Olympus LC-67B handy, so I put that on the hood and just pop it off and get ready to shoot, shoot, shoot. As I say, this lens takes work on your part. Don't get it if you're not up to that. You've got to get that focus right. But if you can do that, you'll like the images this lens can produce. I highly recommend it for the talented.
IQ demonstrates the quality that makes the high cost
First day with the lens and I can see clearly why the price is so high. Chroma is well under control even wide open. On the OMD EM1X manually focusing without zooming in or peaking is very achievable even given it's lower res viewfinder. Bottom line is I'm keeping my copy.
Update after using for two months
Just wanted to return for a quick update on my last review. I'm going to try to include a photo this time of a Macaw in a shop that I took. I have probably done what few have at this point: I've had the Voigtlander 29mm F/0.8 Super Nokton exclusively on my camera shooting ONLY at F/0.8 now for two months straight. After all, if this thing's no good wide open, what's the point in paying such a premium and dealing with a bigger, heavier lens vs. the much cheaper, slightly slower, much more compact Voigtlander 25mm F/0.95 Nokton or other comparable (and competent) MFT lenses around this focal length? But indeed, you can get some great shots with the 29mm Super Nokton. It can be impressively sharp with lovely bokeh wide open, but you'll have to nail that focus, which can be very tricky since it's quite a thin focal plane at F/0.8. Shoot it and shoot it for a while and you may find yourself getting more and more adept with it. The information out there on this lens isn't consistent and often isn't fully accurate. It should be pointed out that the lens has two aspherical elements, one precision-ground from high-temp glass, and a floating lens element to improve sharpness when focusing close. You'll find it's sharp from closest focus out to infinity. Per Voigtlander's site, which calls the Super Nokton The Conqueror of the Night: Due to the uncompromising concentration on high-quality components and the highest processing quality, an extremely high image quality can be achieved even with an open aperture. They're not lying. Yes, it's a bit bulky and it's expensive, but this lens coupled with a powerful Micro Four-Thirds camera can be quite a precision photographic instrument in the right hands. It's a good, useful angle of view and perspective to work with. I'm not sure when I'll take it off my camera and swap through lenses as I'd normally do, but I've really been enjoying the results this lens is capable of and you can shoot a lot at this focal length. Try it and see for yourself!
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