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Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Order the Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton:

Amazon | B&H Photo | Adorama | CameraQuest

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Here is a summary with links to the tests and sample images:

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FM Rolling Review: Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton

The Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton is a modern optical design with 3 anomalous partial dispersion elements and two "double" sided aspherical elements, or in other words a lot of special glass.

Starting with the CV 50/1.2 Nokton E-mount, Voigtlander figure out a special moulding process for aspherical elements which practically eliminates onion ring bokeh. I'm happy to report the new 21/1.4 Nokton seems to use similar tech, so expect onion-pattern free specular highlights with this lens.

Check out the optical design diagram below:

Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton E-mount Main Features

Focal Length: 21mm
Aperture Ratio: 1:1.4
Minimum Aperture: F16
Lens Construction: 11 groups 13 elements
Angle of View: 90.8°
Aperture Blade: 12
Minimum Focus: 0.25m
Filter Size: Φ62mm
Diameter x Length: Φ70.5mm x 79.5mm
Weight: 560g (537g without caps)
Electric Contact: Available
Manual Focus Assist: Available
Exif Data: Available
Auto Lens Correction: Possible
5-Axis Image Stabilization: Possible (only on camera body with 5-Axis Image Stabilization)
Supplied Accessory: Front Cap, Rear Cap, Petal Hood (reversible)

Jul 07, 2019 at 11:27 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Let's see some comparisons at infinity distance with the Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon.

It's 166g heavier than the Loxia 21/2.8 and not much bigger. (only ~0.5" taller)
537g vs 371g (weighted with no caps)
52mm vs 62mm (filter thread)

Distance: Infinity
Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
WB: Daylight for both lenses
Both Lenses perfectly centered using my decentering test
Software: Lightroom with FM Default Landscape Sharpening. All other settings set to default

PS: Vignetting and distortion were NOT corrected

Center Infinity Resolution/contrast comparison between CV 21/1.4 Nokton vs Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon

PS: For these crops, I focused on the center area for both lenses

Optimum aperture:

CV 21/1.4: f/4
Loxia 21/2.8: f/4

Center at f/2.8: Very similar performance which is impressive for the Loxia since it's wide open

Center at f/4: Similar and both lenses improve slightly

Center at f/4: Minor improvement for both lenses.

Center at f/8: Diffraction starts to become more noticeable for both lenses. Still great performance

Center at f/11: Diffraction robs micro-contrast and resolution for both

Jul 07, 2019 at 11:38 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Mid-Field Infinity Resolution/contrast comparison between CV 21/1.4 Nokton vs Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon

PS: For these crops, I focused on the center area for both lenses

Optimum aperture for the Mid-Field:

CV 21/1.4: f/4
Loxia 21/2.8: f/4

Mid-field at f/2.8: Similar performance. Impressive for the Loxia since it's wide open

Mid-field at f/4: CV 21/1.4 pulls slightly ahead

Mid-field at f/5.6: Both lenses improve and CV 21/1.4 still slightly ahead.

Mid-field at f/8: Similar performance. First signs of diffraction for both lenses

11: Diffraction is very noticeable and lenses perform similarly. (Perhaps Loxia is very slightly ahead)

Jul 07, 2019 at 11:39 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Extreme corners Infinity Resolution/contrast comparison between CV 21/1.4 Nokton vs Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon

PS: For these crops, I focused on the center area for both lenses

Optimum aperture for the Extreme corners:

CV 21/1.4: f/4
Loxia 21/2.8: f/4

Extreme corners at f/2.8: Slight more resolution for the CV 21/1.4 but the Loxia shows a strong performance since it's wide open field curvature is visible now

Extreme corners at f/4: Both lenses improve but the Voigtlander is still slightly ahead in resolution and contrast

Extreme corners at f/5.6: Minor improvement for both lenses

Extreme corners at f/8: Very similar to f/5.6

Extreme corners at f/11: Diffraction takes hold. Very similar performance here.

Jul 07, 2019 at 11:39 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Extreme corners focused at the edge of the frame

For extreme crops above, both lenses were focused on the center area.

Here is how both lenses perform at the extreme corners when focused on that area instead. The Loxia performed better while the Voigtlander did not improve showing it has negligible field curvature at the corners. (Its curvature is wavy)

Extreme corners at f/2.8 (Focused on this area): Similar performance.

Extreme corners at f/4 (Focused on this area): Similar performance

Extreme corners at f/5.6 (Focused on this area): Similar performance

Extreme corners at f/8 (Focused on this area): Similar performance, Loxis slightly ahead

Extreme corners at f/11 (Focused on this area): Similar performance, Loxis slightly ahead

Jul 07, 2019 at 12:08 PM

hiepphotog
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

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.

Jul 07, 2019 at 12:11 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

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.

Yes, the Loxia impressed me as well competing neck and neck with a much faster lens.

I will post the GM 24/1.4 and GM 16-35/2.8 @21mm infinity tests later today

It will be interested comparing it to the GM 24/1.4 since we will see their performances at f/1.4 and both lenses are flat-field.

I can already advance that this lens's bokeh onion-ring pattern is negligible even though its optical design uses two double sided asphericals.

Jul 07, 2019 at 12:21 PM

hiepphotog
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
Yes, the Loxia impressed me as well competing neck and neck with a much faster lens.

I will post the GM 24/1.4 and GM 16-35/2.8 @21mm infinity tests and compare their rendering later today.

It will be interested comparing it to the GM 24/1.4 since we will see their performances at f/1.4 and both lenses are flat-field.

Ha, my conventional thinking is that the slower lenses always have the advantage, especially earlier on at wider apertures. The Loxia 21 to the Sony system is like the SEM 21 to the Leica; they were both untouchable in term of IQ by the faster lenses so far. And Voigtlander has never managed to outpace any Leica for that matter in IQ department. I say this lens is quite a cornerstone. Voigtlander must have found a new genius optical engineer.

Jul 07, 2019 at 12:31 PM

Jacknut16
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Do I have to go out and buy the Voigtlander now?

Jul 07, 2019 at 02:30 PM

ratherSoftEdge
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

As soon as the comparison with the 24 1.4 GM from Fred is out and the CV is better in the corners @ 1.4, I am buying it

Jul 07, 2019 at 02:38 PM

nazdravanul
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Looking forward to the 24 GM comparison. I would also like to see effective FOV differences, if possible.

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:13 PM

Jman13
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Argh....just when I was happy with my little CV 21/3.5. Ok, I'm still happy with my little 21/3.5, but this looks stunning.

Voigtlander has been absolutely killing it the last two to three years.

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:21 PM

fplstudio
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Jman13 wrote:
Argh....just when I was happy with my little CV 21/3.5. Ok, I'm still happy with my little 21/3.5, but this looks stunning.

Voigtlander has been absolutely killing it the last two to three years.

I started with the Cv65 less than few months ago and now have Cv12, Cv40 and Cv21/3.5!

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:25 PM

hiepphotog
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Jman13 wrote:
Argh....just when I was happy with my little CV 21/3.5. Ok, I'm still happy with my little 21/3.5, but this looks stunning.

Voigtlander has been absolutely killing it the last two to three years.

I didn't think they pushed themselves that hard until they were making lenses for the E-mount

. Their m43 lens development wasn't great so was the DSLR side (except the short lived APO Lanthar). Their M development always seemed to me as the budget option with IQ to match. Probably because of the great revenue they're getting from E-mount sale that they have more budget for R&D

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:31 PM

Chainring
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Good lord, Voigtlander is on a mission.

Like others, I have the 31/3.5 and it's an awesome little lens. This lens though. Wow.

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:33 PM

Douglas L
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Why am I here

? Fred, do you have a size comparison picture of the Loxia 21 and the CV with their hoods on? Thanks!

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:44 PM

philip_pj
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Loxia and V21/1.4 color - looks almost as if the same maker produced both lenses.

'the budget option with IQ to match.'

Though I believe they were simply ahead of the game with some lenses, many would like to hear the back story as a similar sentiment was voiced by users of the DSLR lenses they made, several of them legendary.

So now we have the L21 at $1500, this one 21/1.4 at $1200 and the GM 24/1.4 at $1400. Looks like they kept the low prices and took off the shackles.

The best part of CV is they cater to travellers and others needing multiple competencies in right-sized lenses. Same deal with 45-50/1.2, you get very sound stopped down work plus very functional extra stops, here two stops over the similar-sized Loxia. Why did it take a fringe maker to do this consistently? Rhetorical question of course.

Jul 07, 2019 at 04:39 PM

rvh23
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Impressive Fred. Looks like the first alternative 21 to truly match the sharpness of the Loxia, and with flatter FC. Looking forward to a flare resistance comparison, as that is another major strength of the Loxia.

Jul 07, 2019 at 05:18 PM

Jman13
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

Yeah, I also have the 40/1.2 and 12/5.6. No 65 yet, as that would be very tough to justify, though it is tempting.

fplstudio wrote:
I started with the Cv65 less than few months ago and now have Cv12, Cv40 and Cv21/3.5!

Jul 07, 2019 at 05:39 PM

Maximilian
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review

philip_pj wrote:
So now we have the L21 at $1500, this one 21/1.4 at $1200 and the GM 24/1.4 at $1400.

Prices in Germany/Europe are:
Loxia 21mm: 1300 Euro
Nokton 21mm: 1350 Euro
Sony 24mm GM: 1600 Euro

So the Loxia is the most expensive in USA and the cheapest in Europe.
Sony's price of the 24mm for Europe is especially gracious.

Jul 07, 2019 at 05:44 PM

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