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Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review

  
 
Parariss
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p.58 #1 · p.58 #1 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I need some advice, please. I ordered a copy of the 40mm, and in testing I found the vignetting to be extra dark in the upper left corner -- the other corners were not symmetrically dark. Things improve as I stop down, but the top left is still darker, even at f4. So, I ordered in a second copy. The corners on the second copy didn't get sharp, even by f5.6. So, I ordered a third, and it's not as sharp as the first copy, either. So, I'm wondering whether the asymmetrical vignetting I'm seeing is simply typical or whether I need to keep trying to get a good copy. Test images follow. The house is about 200m away, shown at 100%. Thanks for the help.












Jan 05, 2018 at 05:25 PM
PEKA62
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p.58 #2 · p.58 #2 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Did you do a Gletscherbruch Test?


Jan 05, 2018 at 06:11 PM
Parariss
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p.58 #3 · p.58 #3 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review




PEKA62 wrote:
Did you do a Gletscherbruch Test?


Yes, that's what the above grid of photos of that house is; cropped and organized for presentation.



Jan 05, 2018 at 06:47 PM
Makten
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p.58 #4 · p.58 #4 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I'd say that corner is very sharp for such a lens at f/5.6. What kind of expectations do people have?
Vignetting is kind of hard to measure. How did you ensure that your target was perfectly equally illuminated all over?



Jan 06, 2018 at 06:23 AM
rsrsrs
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p.58 #5 · p.58 #5 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Makten wrote:
How did you ensure that your target was perfectly equally illuminated all over?


... did you rotate the camera 180° ?



Jan 06, 2018 at 06:31 AM
sebbe
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p.58 #6 · p.58 #6 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Try it without the hood.


Jan 06, 2018 at 06:47 AM
sebbe
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p.58 #7 · p.58 #7 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Try it without the hood.


Jan 06, 2018 at 06:47 AM
Jonas B
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p.58 #8 · p.58 #8 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I see no real problem with the corner. Maybe my right upper corner is "sharper" at f/4 than yours - but how do we know that without making the same thing (target and distance). Maybe it is less sharp.

Vignetting.
It's easy to check if holding the camera vertical: first aim at something at shoot away. Then turn the camera180 degrees, aim at the same place and take another series. (Same as when checking for decentering, just a little easier to do than first holding the camera in normal position and then upside down).
Assuming your target is perfect my copy clearly has less difference between the four corners, pretty much equal actually. But - shooting at the sky will most often give you uneven light. Try it again as described and you'll perhaps feel better about the vignetting.

EDIT: Sorry for repeating rsrsrs advice, I was interrupted while typing.



Jan 06, 2018 at 07:10 AM
Parariss
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p.58 #9 · p.58 #9 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Thanks so much for the suggestions, all.

I did flip the camera 180 during the sky vignette test (and lined the shot up similarly using a roof line that I left just out of the top of the frame and a tree just outside the lower right corner), and the asymmetry did seem to follow the rotation of the camera. Specifically, compared to the center, at f1.2 I see corners of -0.8EV, -0.5EV, and two corners -1.7EV, so it's really not all just about the one corner, it's overall symmetry and whether -- on balance -- there's a significant shortcoming in my copy.

When I created the previous grid of houses above I didn't use the top left corner since it wasn't representative. But, I think you all are right in that the more useful question is perhaps comparing the 4 corners relative to each other, so I've recreated the grid below showing only the corners. Note that these are the extreme corners, and I really don't expect much from these areas at the widest apertures.

Thanks again for the help!







Jan 06, 2018 at 12:18 PM
Makten
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p.58 #10 · p.58 #10 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


All corners great at f/2.8!!! I think every single lens I own would fail that test.

What camera are you using?



Jan 06, 2018 at 01:09 PM
 


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Parariss
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p.58 #11 · p.58 #11 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review




Makten wrote:
All corners great at f/2.8!!! I think every single lens I own would fail that test.

What camera are you using?


a7riii



Jan 06, 2018 at 01:28 PM
PEKA62
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p.58 #12 · p.58 #12 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Your lens is fine, there's nothing to complain in my aged eyes...


Jan 06, 2018 at 03:13 PM
Taylor Sherman
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p.58 #13 · p.58 #13 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


It does look like some top/bottom asymmetry, but not enough to bother me.


Jan 06, 2018 at 03:21 PM
Jonas B
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p.58 #14 · p.58 #14 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


This is the problem with pixel peeping.

If you flipped the camera when checking for vignetting the result tells us your camera isn't perfectly symmetric.

Looking at the crops "reading" the pixels the curved focus plane makes for further problems.

However, to my eyes you have totally usable lens.



Jan 06, 2018 at 04:13 PM
offtraildog
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p.58 #15 · p.58 #15 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


Add me to the list of CV40 owners .. as well as the CV65. lenses should arrive early next week.

Saw a mention of cameraquest ... maybe on this thread .... and checked the company out. had a great buying experience with steven. prefer to support small businesses with a good reputation.



Jan 06, 2018 at 04:36 PM
jhinkey
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p.58 #16 · p.58 #16 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I am learning how to get what I want out of this lens - not to 100% pixel peep wide open (rather focusing on the final image at final size), getting the focus accurate, getting the framing better for candids, paying attention to the background/foreground, etc. Some people think this lens is over-priced, but I'm coming around to thinking the price is about right. If it was 100% pixel level sharp across the frame wide open, it would be 3x the price.

Not my best of efforts, but it's getting me images I like.

















Jan 06, 2018 at 05:55 PM
Membler
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p.58 #17 · p.58 #17 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I'm very happy with this lens. It's been glued to my A7r3 since I got it.












Jan 06, 2018 at 08:35 PM
Parariss
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p.58 #18 · p.58 #18 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review




Parariss wrote:
Thanks so much for the suggestions, all.

I did flip the camera 180 during the sky vignette test (and lined the shot up similarly using a roof line that I left just out of the top of the frame and a tree just outside the lower right corner), and the asymmetry did seem to follow the rotation of the camera. Specifically, compared to the center, at f1.2 I see corners of -0.8EV, -0.5EV, and two corners -1.7EV, so it's really not all just about the one corner, it's overall symmetry and whether -- on balance -- there's a significant shortcoming
...Show more


@Makten, @PEKA62, @Taylor Sherman, @Jonas B:
Thanks much for the feedback



Jan 07, 2018 at 07:10 PM
imagesfromobjects
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p.58 #19 · p.58 #19 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I'm having a slight case of the jitters here. I have the funds and am going to be purchasing this lens this week, but am a bit concerned that B and H is one of the only sellers, and a number of folks here seem to have returned lenses to them.

I'm in Philadelphia, and have purchased from B and H quite a few times over the years without ever having an issue, but this will be one of the pricier items I've bought from them.

Should I be concerned about being sent a "re-stocked" item? Are there other options out there for customers in the US?

Advice, please.



Jan 07, 2018 at 10:24 PM
davewolfs
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p.58 #20 · p.58 #20 · Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Review


I’d order from an Authorized distributor through amazon eg CameraQuest or Photo Village. The return thing you will just have to deal with. We all do.

imagesfromobjects wrote:
I'm having a slight case of the jitters here. I have the funds and am going to be purchasing this lens this week, but am a bit concerned that B and H is one of the only sellers, and a number of folks here seem to have returned lenses to them.

I'm in Philadelphia, and have purchased from B and H quite a few times over the years without ever having an issue, but this will be one of the pricier items I've bought from them.

Should I be concerned about being sent a "re-stocked" item? Are there other options out there
...Show more



Jan 07, 2018 at 11:08 PM
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