Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
p.52 #1Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
photonoclast wrote:
I wonder about copy variation in all these tests. I apparently lucked into a stellar copy of the color-skopar. I honestly can't see any evidence of the reported mid-zone dip in any real photos. It's super sharp across the frame at f5.6, and plenty good enough wide open. If I were you I'd make my decision based purely on your need for f1.4 vs your desire for ultrasmall - that's the tradeoff, and I doubt you'd see any important difference beyond f4 or at least f5.6.
Yeah, that's a legitimate question. At the very least, we know that when Fred says a lens is well-centered that it is, but there's certainly more to copy variation than centering.
virtualrain wrote
I searched through this thread but couldn’t find much on how this 21 Nokton compares with the 21 f/3.5 Color-Skopar… in image quality at f4-f11… has anyone owned both?Yeah, that's a legitimate question. At the very least, we know that when Fred says a lens is well-centered that it is, but there's certainly more to copy variation than centering.
Mar 16, 2024 at 07:06 PM
p.52 #2Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
photonoclast wrote:
I wonder about copy variation in all these tests. I apparently lucked into a stellar copy of the color-skopar. I honestly can't see any evidence of the reported mid-zone dip in any real photos. It's super sharp across the frame at f5.6, and plenty good enough wide open. If I were you I'd make my decision based purely on your need for f1.4 vs your desire for ultrasmall - that's the tradeoff, and I doubt you'd see any important difference beyond f4 or at least f5.6.
Yeah, I’m going to stick with my Color-Skopar. At that focal length I don’t need a large aperture and the small size is super nice.
virtualrain wrote
I searched through this thread but couldn’t find much on how this 21 Nokton compares with the 21 f/3.5 Color-Skopar… in image quality at f4-f11… has anyone owned both?Yeah, I’m going to stick with my Color-Skopar. At that focal length I don’t need a large aperture and the small size is super nice.
Mar 17, 2024 at 02:07 AM
p.52 #3Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
OdS
ILCE-7RM4A Voigtlander NOKTON 21mm F1.4 Aspherical lens 21mm f/11.0 1/60s 640 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-7RM4A Voigtlander NOKTON 21mm F1.4 Aspherical lens 21mm f/1.4 1/1000s 100 ISO 0.0 EV
May 03, 2024 at 02:23 AM
p.52 #4Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
So much fun to shoot with this lens! Noah's Ark...abandoned sail boat in the middle of nowhere.
Boat by Al Trujillo, on Flickr
Boat by Al Trujillo, on FlickrMay 04, 2024 at 09:49 AM
p.52 #5Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
A few from under the Golden Gate-
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May 24, 2024 at 08:12 AM
p.52 #6Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
RustyRus wrote:
A few from under the Golden Gate-
Great comps Rusty! The CV 21/1.4 never disappoints, but I wish Cosina would release a more compact 21/2 with similar image quality.
A few from under the Golden Gate-
Great comps Rusty! The CV 21/1.4 never disappoints, but I wish Cosina would release a more compact 21/2 with similar image quality.
May 30, 2024 at 08:44 PM
p.52 #7Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
p.52 #5 tremendous volume. I'd love a 21/2 as well, always enjoyed that focal length. Cosina talk up bokeh for the 21/1.4, but there is a slot there between f1.4 and f3.5, maybe at half the weight difference, around 400 grams like the Loxia 21mm.
May 31, 2024 at 01:11 AM
p.52 #10Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Travel lens
Heading to Angkor by Radek Kucharski, on Flickr
Heading to Angkor by Radek Kucharski, on FlickrJun 03, 2024 at 12:22 AM
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p.52 #11Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Tiki Bar-
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LEICA M11-P Elmarit-M 1:2.8/21 lens 21mm f/2.8 1/60s 1600 ISO 0.0 EV
Jun 07, 2024 at 09:36 AM
p.52 #12Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
If voigtlander made a smaller 21mm with similar optical quality i would probably get one.
Jul 13, 2024 at 01:14 PM
p.52 #13Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
sselhtrim wrote:
If voigtlander made a smaller 21mm with similar optical quality i would probably get one.
That is sadly not how lens design works.
If voigtlander made a smaller 21mm with similar optical quality i would probably get one.
That is sadly not how lens design works.
Jul 13, 2024 at 01:49 PM
p.52 #14Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Didn't mention anything about aperture.
Jul 13, 2024 at 01:54 PM
p.52 #15Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
BastianK wrote:
That is sadly not how lens design works.
I dunno, care to explain how it works?
Well i would be quite happy with the lox 21 if my copy was actually decent. That was appreciably smaller and i don't use f1.4 all that often. Prefer the colours and sunstars of that too but i don't fancy my odds in finding a decent copy plus the lens has been out for nearly 10 years.
sselhtrim wrote
If voigtlander made a smaller 21mm with similar optical quality i would probably get one.I dunno, care to explain how it works?
Well i would be quite happy with the lox 21 if my copy was actually decent. That was appreciably smaller and i don't use f1.4 all that often. Prefer the colours and sunstars of that too but i don't fancy my odds in finding a decent copy plus the lens has been out for nearly 10 years.
Jul 13, 2024 at 02:41 PM
p.52 #16Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
sselhtrim wrote:
That is sadly not how lens design works.I dunno, care to explain how it works?
Well i would be quite happy with the lox 21 if my copy was actually decent. That was appreciably smaller and i don't use f1.4 all that often. Prefer the colours and sunstars of that too but i don't fancy my odds in finding a decent copy plus the lens has been out for nearly 10 years.
It's hard to believe that the Loxia 21/2.8 has such a large variation, but it's true. I had a great copy, sold it, and could never find another one that performed similarly.
BastianK wrote
sselhtrim wrote
If voigtlander made a smaller 21mm with similar optical quality i would probably get one.Well i would be quite happy with the lox 21 if my copy was actually decent. That was appreciably smaller and i don't use f1.4 all that often. Prefer the colours and sunstars of that too but i don't fancy my odds in finding a decent copy plus the lens has been out for nearly 10 years.
It's hard to believe that the Loxia 21/2.8 has such a large variation, but it's true. I had a great copy, sold it, and could never find another one that performed similarly.
Jul 20, 2024 at 01:37 PM
p.52 #17Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
I had a heck of a time finding a great copy of the Loxia 25.
Jul 20, 2024 at 02:16 PM
p.52 #18Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
It's hard to believe Cosina made the Loxia lenses.
Jul 20, 2024 at 03:38 PM
p.52 #19Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Keep in mind it’s on film, but I did several comparison shots against the much more expensive Leica 21 Summilux. Here are a couple. After I developed these guess which one I kept. 😂. Leica M7 + Kodak 50D.
Jul 23, 2024 at 10:17 AM
p.52 #20Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
lifeandmylens wrote:
Keep in mind it’s on film, but I did several comparison shots against the much more expensive Leica 21 Summilux. Here are a couple. After I developed these guess which one I kept. 😂. Leica M7 + Kodak 50D.
As a 21 Lux owner (since 2011 when it was the only fast 21mm option), I could have saved you the cost of buying or renting one and told you that there is no technical advantage to the Lux over the VM.
Major technical points against the Lux: strong mid-zone dip, strong wide aperture purple fringing/LoCA, strong coma, weird filter size. I guess the strong LoCA is more noticeable on digital considering it's not in your film examples?
I do like its wide open 'look' especially at near MFD, but that's also rather limited at 70cm and not a compelling enough reason. As your comparison shows, the two look very similar at close distance.
Keep in mind it’s on film, but I did several comparison shots against the much more expensive Leica 21 Summilux. Here are a couple. After I developed these guess which one I kept. 😂. Leica M7 + Kodak 50D.
As a 21 Lux owner (since 2011 when it was the only fast 21mm option), I could have saved you the cost of buying or renting one and told you that there is no technical advantage to the Lux over the VM.
Major technical points against the Lux: strong mid-zone dip, strong wide aperture purple fringing/LoCA, strong coma, weird filter size. I guess the strong LoCA is more noticeable on digital considering it's not in your film examples?
I do like its wide open 'look' especially at near MFD, but that's also rather limited at 70cm and not a compelling enough reason. As your comparison shows, the two look very similar at close distance.
Jul 23, 2024 at 11:25 AM