Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
p.10 #1Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
scrappydog wrote:
Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
Cons
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!
)
Highly recommended!
As always, thanks for the informative, thorough and exhaustive review Fred. I’ll keep my GM 24 as its smaller, better corrected for astro and autofocus, but CV has put out a great lens. I like this coupled with the 21/3.4 as a light weight trade-off.
Hopefully they make a fast native 28You're welcome! The 24 GM is definitely stronger for astro with lower vignetting and more than a stop better coma correction but it's not as wide as the CV 21/1.4. You said the GM is smaller but it's actually bigger. (link)
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.Your 24GM is good for astro. Mine produces elongated stars in the periphery, has a lot of CA, and is not good for astro. I read a review where the reviewers copy was similar to mine.
---------------------------------------------
fplstudio wrote:
Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
Cons
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!)
Highly recommended!As always, thanks for the informative, thorough and exhaustive review Fred. I’ll keep my GM 24 as its smaller, better corrected for astro and autofocus, but CV has put out a great lens. I like this coupled with the 21/3.4 as a light weight trade-off.
Hopefully they make a fast native 28You're welcome! The 24 GM is definitely stronger for astro with lower vignetting and more than a stop better coma correction but it's not as wide as the CV 21/1.4. You said the GM is smaller but it's actually bigger. (link)
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.Your 24GM is good for astro. Mine produces elongated stars in the periphery, has a lot of CA, and is not good for astro. I read a review where the reviewers copy was similar to mine.I have a similar experience on the copy I rented. Lots of coma wide open, usable only from around f/2.2 and my term of reference is the 16-35 GM. Still a light sucker and brilliant for all the rest.
I will compare the CV 21/1.4 vs GM 24/1.4 side by side for coma just to make sure the results are consistent.
Fred Miranda wrote
nehemiahphoto wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
Final thoughts:Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
- Solid all-metal construction with tight manufacturing tolerance
- Superb resolution and contrast at all distances, including MFD, thanks to its floating element system
- Voigtlander signature color and contrast
- Very good flare performance
- Distance encoder provides 5-axis IBIS
- Very low field curvature
- Round bokeh balls with clean inner structure. (No onion ring pattern)
- Great coma performance starting at f/2.2
- Low distortion (Barrel, easy to correct)
- Precise manual focus and well damped focusing rotation
- 12-blade straight aperture allows 12-point well-defined sunstars starting at f/1.8
- Well controlled LoCA at f/2 (best at f/2.8) and above average lateral CA suppression
- Reasonably priced compared to the competition
Cons
- Pronounced vignetting wide open that never truly goes away (over 3 stops at f/1.4)
- Rendering can be a big harsh/structured at mid-distance, especially off-axis
- Noticeable coma (sagittal flare) at f/1.4
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!
) Highly recommended!
Hopefully they make a fast native 28
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.
---------------------------------------------
fplstudio wrote:
scrappydog wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
nehemiahphoto wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
Final thoughts:Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
- Solid all-metal construction with tight manufacturing tolerance
- Superb resolution and contrast at all distances, including MFD, thanks to its floating element system
- Voigtlander signature color and contrast
- Very good flare performance
- Distance encoder provides 5-axis IBIS
- Very low field curvature
- Round bokeh balls with clean inner structure. (No onion ring pattern)
- Great coma performance starting at f/2.2
- Low distortion (Barrel, easy to correct)
- Precise manual focus and well damped focusing rotation
- 12-blade straight aperture allows 12-point well-defined sunstars starting at f/1.8
- Well controlled LoCA at f/2 (best at f/2.8) and above average lateral CA suppression
- Reasonably priced compared to the competition
Cons
- Pronounced vignetting wide open that never truly goes away (over 3 stops at f/1.4)
- Rendering can be a big harsh/structured at mid-distance, especially off-axis
- Noticeable coma (sagittal flare) at f/1.4
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!
) Highly recommended!
Hopefully they make a fast native 28
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.
I will compare the CV 21/1.4 vs GM 24/1.4 side by side for coma just to make sure the results are consistent.
Jul 15, 2019 at 06:30 PM
p.10 #2Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
Cons
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!)
Highly recommended!As always, thanks for the informative, thorough and exhaustive review Fred. I’ll keep my GM 24 as its smaller, better corrected for astro and autofocus, but CV has put out a great lens. I like this coupled with the 21/3.4 as a light weight trade-off.
Hopefully they make a fast native 28You're welcome! The 24 GM is definitely stronger for astro with lower vignetting and more than a stop better coma correction but it's not as wide as the CV 21/1.4. You said the GM is smaller but it's actually bigger. (link)
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.Your 24GM is good for astro. Mine produces elongated stars in the periphery, has a lot of CA, and is not good for astro. I read a review where the reviewers copy was similar to mine.---------------------------------------------
Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
Cons
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!)
Highly recommended!As always, thanks for the informative, thorough and exhaustive review Fred. I’ll keep my GM 24 as its smaller, better corrected for astro and autofocus, but CV has put out a great lens. I like this coupled with the 21/3.4 as a light weight trade-off.
Hopefully they make a fast native 28You're welcome! The 24 GM is definitely stronger for astro with lower vignetting and more than a stop better coma correction but it's not as wide as the CV 21/1.4. You said the GM is smaller but it's actually bigger. (link)
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.Your 24GM is good for astro. Mine produces elongated stars in the periphery, has a lot of CA, and is not good for astro. I read a review where the reviewers copy was similar to mine.I have a similar experience on the copy I rented. Lots of coma wide open, usable only from around f/2.2 and my term of reference is the 16-35 GM. Still a light sucker and brilliant for all the rest.I will compare the CV 21/1.4 vs GM 24/1.4 side by side for coma just to make sure the results are consistent.
You may have gotten another golden copy of a lens. If the stars are clean, keep the lens! Otherwise, feel free to sell to me.
scrappydog wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
nehemiahphoto wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
Final thoughts:Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
- Solid all-metal construction with tight manufacturing tolerance
- Superb resolution and contrast at all distances, including MFD, thanks to its floating element system
- Voigtlander signature color and contrast
- Very good flare performance
- Distance encoder provides 5-axis IBIS
- Very low field curvature
- Round bokeh balls with clean inner structure. (No onion ring pattern)
- Great coma performance starting at f/2.2
- Low distortion (Barrel, easy to correct)
- Precise manual focus and well damped focusing rotation
- 12-blade straight aperture allows 12-point well-defined sunstars starting at f/1.8
- Well controlled LoCA at f/2 (best at f/2.8) and above average lateral CA suppression
- Reasonably priced compared to the competition
Cons
- Pronounced vignetting wide open that never truly goes away (over 3 stops at f/1.4)
- Rendering can be a big harsh/structured at mid-distance, especially off-axis
- Noticeable coma (sagittal flare) at f/1.4
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!
) Highly recommended!
Hopefully they make a fast native 28
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.
fplstudio wrote
scrappydog wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
nehemiahphoto wrote
Fred Miranda wrote
Final thoughts:Is the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton E-mount the new king of the hill at 21mm?
In terms of resolution and contrast, the Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton performs very similar if not better than the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 which is something no other E-mount lens was able to achieve until now. It's taller and 166g heavier than the Loxia but in exchange, it's capable of gathering 4 times more light and field curvature is super low.
Compared to the Sony FE 24/1.4 GM, the CV 21/1.4 is sharper at the center at wider apertures and is capable of higher contrast but can't compete with the FE 24/1.4 GM's smooth rendering, especially at mid-distance. Wide open, It's also not as sharp away from center compared to the GM.
Pros
- Solid all-metal construction with tight manufacturing tolerance
- Superb resolution and contrast at all distances, including MFD, thanks to its floating element system
- Voigtlander signature color and contrast
- Very good flare performance
- Distance encoder provides 5-axis IBIS
- Very low field curvature
- Round bokeh balls with clean inner structure. (No onion ring pattern)
- Great coma performance starting at f/2.2
- Low distortion (Barrel, easy to correct)
- Precise manual focus and well damped focusing rotation
- 12-blade straight aperture allows 12-point well-defined sunstars starting at f/1.8
- Well controlled LoCA at f/2 (best at f/2.8) and above average lateral CA suppression
- Reasonably priced compared to the competition
Cons
- Pronounced vignetting wide open that never truly goes away (over 3 stops at f/1.4)
- Rendering can be a big harsh/structured at mid-distance, especially off-axis
- Noticeable coma (sagittal flare) at f/1.4
In my opinion, Voigtlander offers the best native 21mm glass on the market today. With proven performance, you'd be hard-pressed to dethrone the Loxia 21/2.8 from the top slot, but the Voigtlander 21/1.4 slightly outperforms the Loxia 21/2.8 in many aspects.
The bottom line, Voigtlander is on a winning streak - offering high IQ lenses for the E-mount without breaking the bank. (or our backs!
) Highly recommended!
Hopefully they make a fast native 28
Still, I agree it's hard to justify owning both lenses since they share the same speed and are close in FL, but I also think they produce images with distinctive looks.
You may have gotten another golden copy of a lens. If the stars are clean, keep the lens! Otherwise, feel free to sell to me.
Jul 15, 2019 at 06:56 PM
p.10 #3Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Taking a walk to the beach. Various apertures
(Great flare resistance with no flare ghosting editing in post and a B+W UV filter was attached)
(Great flare resistance with no flare ghosting editing in post and a B+W UV filter was attached)
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Jul 15, 2019 at 11:38 PM
p.10 #5Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Great shots. Shows off the lens beautifully.
Jul 16, 2019 at 12:02 AM
p.10 #6Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Has anyone already compared the overall rendering (not just bokeh) / colors with the Loxia 21mm? I am very interested in the Voigtländer, but in the past I found, the rendering of the 60mm very flat compared to the 50mm Loxia, so I stayed with the Loxia.
Does anyone know if one of the two lenses (Voigtländer 21mm f1.4 / Loxia 21mm f2.8) is a Little bit wider than the other?
Does anyone know if one of the two lenses (Voigtländer 21mm f1.4 / Loxia 21mm f2.8) is a Little bit wider than the other?
Jul 16, 2019 at 01:16 AM
p.10 #7Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Well, it seems the old Zeiss "magic" was really Cosina magic. The colors and contrast of the Voigtlander Nokton series is phenomenal!
Jul 16, 2019 at 06:02 AM
p.10 #8Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
I will post the GM 24/1.4 and GM 16-35/2.8 @21mm infinity tests later today
Hate to keep you still working on this but are you still going to compare to 16-35GM at 21mm?
Thanks.
hiepphotog wrote
Way too impressive for a lens 2-stop faster! GM 24 comparison please! And if you can do a cat-eye bokeh study, that would be great.Hate to keep you still working on this but are you still going to compare to 16-35GM at 21mm?
Thanks.
Jul 16, 2019 at 06:12 AM
p.10 #9Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
sandycrane wrote:
Well, it seems the old Zeiss "magic" was really Cosina magic. The colors and contrast of the Voigtlander Nokton series is phenomenal!
I don't think so. There was no comparison of the overall rendering in this review. On page 5 you can see complete pictures taken with both lenses, albeit in smaller sizes, and for me the colors of the Loxia look a bit better.
Of course, the last samples of Fred look great but these are great pictures, not necessarily because of the used lens.
However, I see a continuous improvement of the Voigtländer lenses. For my taste, the rendering (for landscape shots) of the 60mm f2 was good, but much worse than that of the 50mm Loxia, the 40mm f1.2 was better, but still not as good as the Loxias. I have not yet tested the 50mm f1.2, but after all I've seen here, I like the Loxia a bit better. So the Loxia stays for the time being.
I think Voigtländer is coming - to my taste - now slowly where the Loxias were a few years ago, not in terms of sharpness, but color rendering. If I would like their rendering as much as the rendering of the Loxias/Batis, I would replace my Loxias immediately, because the haptics annoy me (mounting and unmounting, scratch sensitivity, sensitivity to mechanical impacts) and last but not least I like the sunstars of the last Voigtländer lenses even better.
Well, it seems the old Zeiss "magic" was really Cosina magic. The colors and contrast of the Voigtlander Nokton series is phenomenal!
I don't think so. There was no comparison of the overall rendering in this review. On page 5 you can see complete pictures taken with both lenses, albeit in smaller sizes, and for me the colors of the Loxia look a bit better.
Of course, the last samples of Fred look great but these are great pictures, not necessarily because of the used lens.
However, I see a continuous improvement of the Voigtländer lenses. For my taste, the rendering (for landscape shots) of the 60mm f2 was good, but much worse than that of the 50mm Loxia, the 40mm f1.2 was better, but still not as good as the Loxias. I have not yet tested the 50mm f1.2, but after all I've seen here, I like the Loxia a bit better. So the Loxia stays for the time being.
I think Voigtländer is coming - to my taste - now slowly where the Loxias were a few years ago, not in terms of sharpness, but color rendering. If I would like their rendering as much as the rendering of the Loxias/Batis, I would replace my Loxias immediately, because the haptics annoy me (mounting and unmounting, scratch sensitivity, sensitivity to mechanical impacts) and last but not least I like the sunstars of the last Voigtländer lenses even better.
Jul 16, 2019 at 07:00 AM
p.10 #10Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
DaveFP wrote:
I have just started thinking of picking up a Loxia 21.
Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?
Much as I love the Loxia 21, if buying today (new, retail), I'd be inclined toward the VC 21/1.4. Similar IQ, 2 extra stops, and a couple hundred cheaper. Fred's Balboa Ferris Wheel says it all for IQ wide open. I have not yet fallen under the spell of the VC lenses, but that seems only a matter of time if they have the same electronic functionality as Loxia on Sony bodies.
I have just started thinking of picking up a Loxia 21.
Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?
Much as I love the Loxia 21, if buying today (new, retail), I'd be inclined toward the VC 21/1.4. Similar IQ, 2 extra stops, and a couple hundred cheaper. Fred's Balboa Ferris Wheel says it all for IQ wide open. I have not yet fallen under the spell of the VC lenses, but that seems only a matter of time if they have the same electronic functionality as Loxia on Sony bodies.
Jul 16, 2019 at 08:06 AM
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p.10 #11Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Gunzorro wrote:
Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?Much as I love the Loxia 21, if buying today (new, retail), I'd be inclined toward the VC 21/1.4. Similar IQ, 2 extra stops, and a couple hundred cheaper. Fred's Balboa Ferris Wheel says it all for IQ wide open. I have not yet fallen under the spell of the VC lenses, but that seems only a matter of time if they have the same electronic functionality as Loxia on Sony bodies.
Hi Jim - inclined to agree with you. These new CVs look pretty compelling.
My problem is that I have an addictive personality when it comes to lenses.
If I buy the CV and I like it I am am going to want the 50 and if I buy the 50...... (rinse and repeat).
In any case yeah; at this point I'd would buy this over the Loxia.
DaveFP wrote
I have just started thinking of picking up a Loxia 21.Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?
Hi Jim - inclined to agree with you. These new CVs look pretty compelling.
My problem is that I have an addictive personality when it comes to lenses.
If I buy the CV and I like it I am am going to want the 50 and if I buy the 50...... (rinse and repeat).
In any case yeah; at this point I'd would buy this over the Loxia.
Jul 16, 2019 at 08:13 AM
p.10 #12Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
DaveFP wrote:
Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?Much as I love the Loxia 21, if buying today (new, retail), I'd be inclined toward the VC 21/1.4. Similar IQ, 2 extra stops, and a couple hundred cheaper. Fred's Balboa Ferris Wheel says it all for IQ wide open. I have not yet fallen under the spell of the VC lenses, but that seems only a matter of time if they have the same electronic functionality as Loxia on Sony bodies.Hi Jim - inclined to agree with you. These new CVs look pretty compelling.
My problem is that I have an addictive personality when it comes to lenses.
If I buy the CV and I like it I am am going to want the 50 and if I buy the 50...... (rinse and repeat).
In any case yeah; at this point I'd would buy this over the Loxia.
We sound very similar in that regard -- I love having lots of alternatives on hand!
Now that I've gone through all Fred's images and analysis, and read many of the remarks of others, I will affirm that I'm happy sticking with my Loxia 21, at least for the foreseeable future. I don't even have a problem mounting or unmounting Loxia lenses.
But if VC comes out with a rocking 28/1.4 for a great price, I might have to get one and try it (same for an 18mm). Then I'd be on that slippery slope toward the VC 40/1.2 and 21/1.4. That could spell the end of my love of the Zeiss ZE 28/2 which is a little hard to precisely focus due to wide open blurry SA (great lens stopped down though!).
Has anyone else noticed the VC 21/1.4 seems about 1mm or 1.5mm narrower FOV than the Loxia? Another point in Loxia's favor, IMO.
Too many great choices!
Gunzorro wrote
DaveFP wrote
I have just started thinking of picking up a Loxia 21.Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?
My problem is that I have an addictive personality when it comes to lenses.
If I buy the CV and I like it I am am going to want the 50 and if I buy the 50...... (rinse and repeat).
In any case yeah; at this point I'd would buy this over the Loxia.
We sound very similar in that regard -- I love having lots of alternatives on hand!
Now that I've gone through all Fred's images and analysis, and read many of the remarks of others, I will affirm that I'm happy sticking with my Loxia 21, at least for the foreseeable future. I don't even have a problem mounting or unmounting Loxia lenses.
But if VC comes out with a rocking 28/1.4 for a great price, I might have to get one and try it (same for an 18mm). Then I'd be on that slippery slope toward the VC 40/1.2 and 21/1.4.
That could spell the end of my love of the Zeiss ZE 28/2 which is a little hard to precisely focus due to wide open blurry SA (great lens stopped down though!). Has anyone else noticed the VC 21/1.4 seems about 1mm or 1.5mm narrower FOV than the Loxia? Another point in Loxia's favor, IMO.
Too many great choices!
Jul 16, 2019 at 09:04 AM
p.10 #13Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Gunzorro wrote:
Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?Much as I love the Loxia 21, if buying today (new, retail), I'd be inclined toward the VC 21/1.4. Similar IQ, 2 extra stops, and a couple hundred cheaper. Fred's Balboa Ferris Wheel says it all for IQ wide open. I have not yet fallen under the spell of the VC lenses, but that seems only a matter of time if they have the same electronic functionality as Loxia on Sony bodies.Hi Jim - inclined to agree with you. These new CVs look pretty compelling.
My problem is that I have an addictive personality when it comes to lenses.
If I buy the CV and I like it I am am going to want the 50 and if I buy the 50...... (rinse and repeat).
In any case yeah; at this point I'd would buy this over the Loxia.We sound very similar in that regard -- I love having lots of alternatives on hand!
Now that I've gone through all Fred's images and analysis, and read many of the remarks of others, I will affirm that I'm happy sticking with my Loxia 21, at least for the foreseeable future. I don't even have a problem mounting or unmounting Loxia lenses.
But if VC comes out with a rocking 28/1.4 for a great price, I might have to get one and try it (same for an 18mm). Then I'd be on that slippery slope toward the VC 40/1.2 and...Show more →
I never got the Loxia mount problem either.
I just grab the entire lens and then squeeze/twist.
Seems to work. Hope I am not damaging anything.
DaveFP wrote
Gunzorro wrote
DaveFP wrote
I have just started thinking of picking up a Loxia 21.Any good reason to continue in that direction vs going with this lens?
I like the idea of 1.4 at a similar size but I know more about Zeiss's build quality and service.
Thoughts?
My problem is that I have an addictive personality when it comes to lenses.
If I buy the CV and I like it I am am going to want the 50 and if I buy the 50...... (rinse and repeat).
In any case yeah; at this point I'd would buy this over the Loxia.
Now that I've gone through all Fred's images and analysis, and read many of the remarks of others, I will affirm that I'm happy sticking with my Loxia 21, at least for the foreseeable future. I don't even have a problem mounting or unmounting Loxia lenses.
But if VC comes out with a rocking 28/1.4 for a great price, I might have to get one and try it (same for an 18mm). Then I'd be on that slippery slope toward the VC 40/1.2 and...Show more →
I never got the Loxia mount problem either.
I just grab the entire lens and then squeeze/twist.
Seems to work. Hope I am not damaging anything.
Jul 16, 2019 at 09:07 AM
p.10 #14Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
A 28mm lens seems less relevant now, to me at least, given the outstanding 24mm f1.4 GM and the new Sony A7RIV. A fantastic 24mm cropped to 28mm FOV from a 61MP sensor seems more than enough for me (for now, at least).
Jul 16, 2019 at 09:26 AM
p.10 #15Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
httivals wrote:
A 28mm lens seems less relevant now, to me at least, given the outstanding 24mm f1.4 GM and the new Sony A7RIV. A fantastic 24mm cropped to 28mm FOV from a 61MP sensor seems more than enough for me (for now, at least).
With 61MP, a 24mm FL cropped to 28mm gives us 45MP. (26MP when cropped to ~35mm)
So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MP
A 28mm lens seems less relevant now, to me at least, given the outstanding 24mm f1.4 GM and the new Sony A7RIV. A fantastic 24mm cropped to 28mm FOV from a 61MP sensor seems more than enough for me (for now, at least).
With 61MP, a 24mm FL cropped to 28mm gives us 45MP. (26MP when cropped to ~35mm)
So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MP
Jul 16, 2019 at 10:02 AM
p.10 #16Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Since I have a gap between 21 and 50 having a 61mpx sensor could be useful in APSC mode when I have the need
Jul 16, 2019 at 10:11 AM
p.10 #17Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Disagree about ergonomics of Zeiss Milvus. Very seductive in operation. CV has no doubt transferred this mfg skill to Voigtlander.
Jul 16, 2019 at 10:47 AM
p.10 #18Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Fred Miranda wrote:
With 61MP, a 24mm FL cropped to 28mm gives us 45MP. (26MP when cropped to ~35mm)
So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MP
True, but there will still be about half a stop worse high ISO performance at a 28mm angle of view and a little more than a stop worse high ISO performance when cropping to 35mm, which might well be something one cares about when shooting an f/1.4 lens.
httivals wrote
A 28mm lens seems less relevant now, to me at least, given the outstanding 24mm f1.4 GM and the new Sony A7RIV. A fantastic 24mm cropped to 28mm FOV from a 61MP sensor seems more than enough for me (for now, at least).So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MP
True, but there will still be about half a stop worse high ISO performance at a 28mm angle of view and a little more than a stop worse high ISO performance when cropping to 35mm, which might well be something one cares about when shooting an f/1.4 lens.
Jul 16, 2019 at 10:55 AM
p.10 #19Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
Steve Spencer wrote:
With 61MP, a 24mm FL cropped to 28mm gives us 45MP. (26MP when cropped to ~35mm)
So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MPTrue, but there will still be about half a stop worse high ISO performance at a 28mm angle of view and a little more than a stop worse high ISO performance when cropping to 35mm, which might well be something one cares about when shooting an f/1.4 lens.
Unlikely but SNR/DR performance may be improved for the new 61MP sensor.
Fred Miranda wrote
httivals wrote
A 28mm lens seems less relevant now, to me at least, given the outstanding 24mm f1.4 GM and the new Sony A7RIV. A fantastic 24mm cropped to 28mm FOV from a 61MP sensor seems more than enough for me (for now, at least).So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MP
Unlikely but SNR/DR performance may be improved for the new 61MP sensor.
Jul 16, 2019 at 11:09 AM
p.10 #20Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review
So it will be roughly equivalent to an excellent 28mm f1.8 (only using the somewhat reduced center portion of the 24mm f1.4)? . . . Great, imho.
Steve Spencer wrote:
With 61MP, a 24mm FL cropped to 28mm gives us 45MP. (26MP when cropped to ~35mm)
So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MPTrue, but there will still be about half a stop worse high ISO performance at a 28mm angle of view and a little more than a stop worse high ISO performance when cropping to 35mm, which might well be something one cares about when shooting an f/1.4 lens.
Steve Spencer wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote
httivals wrote
A 28mm lens seems less relevant now, to me at least, given the outstanding 24mm f1.4 GM and the new Sony A7RIV. A fantastic 24mm cropped to 28mm FOV from a 61MP sensor seems more than enough for me (for now, at least).So, the FE 24/1.4 GM cropped to 28mm yields higher resolution than when using it on the A7R3!
28/24=1.166x
61/1.166/1.166=44.86MP
Jul 16, 2019 at 11:16 AM