Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell
1       2       3      
4
       5       …       24       25       end
   

Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review
  
 
rscheffler
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #1 · p.4 #1 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Fred Miranda wrote:
Update: I just received two extra copies today. (Another Type I and one Type II)

They seem to perform similarly to my first copy but I will update the resolution/contrast tests with better light once the weather cooperates. From the three copies I've tested, I'm impressed that they were all well centered and calibrated with the rangefinder. I have a feeling that tolerance is super tight with the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton.

Initially I really liked the matte black paint "Type I" style and most importantly its light weight. However, after testing the Type II brass version today, I changed my...Show more →
Desmolicious wrote:
Hmm, so the black paint matches my MP, and the matte black matches my 2022 M6.


Get both. Still cheaper than a 35 Lux ASPH. (though IIRC you have one of those already anyway?)

I'm not so much a fan of the regular black paint finish but like the feeling of greater mass with brass, so will probably go for the Type II if I ever get one. And since both are black paint finishes and will 'brass' I would prefer to see brass under the worn away paint.


Dec 02, 2022 at 08:59 PM
Desmolicious
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #2 · p.4 #2 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


rscheffler wrote:
Get both. Still cheaper than a 35 Lux ASPH. (though IIRC you have one of those already anyway?)

I'm not so much a fan of the regular black paint finish but like the feeling of greater mass with brass, so will probably go for the Type II if I ever get one. And since both are black paint finishes and will 'brass' I would prefer to see brass under the worn away paint.

I like this lens, but yes I'm good with 35mm lenses including the FLE and CV 35 1.4 v2. As well as the never used, but excellent Distagon 1.4.
Dec 02, 2022 at 09:06 PM
pmeheut
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #3 · p.4 #3 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Back to Quick Links

I checked using my usual target, the building window in front of my house and I can confirm that this lens is very good and better than my Summarit 2.4 which has a hard time at 100% with the Leica M11 60 Mpix sensor.

Here is the comparison: Voigt 35mm/1,5 top row, left wide open, right 5.6.
Summarit below, same.

So even wide open, 1.5 vs 2.4 the Voigt is a little bit sharper but with more aberrations.
And it is also sharper at 5.6
Dec 02, 2022 at 10:25 PM
pmeheut
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #4 · p.4 #4 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


The fact that the Voigt is "soft" wide-open as shown by Fred and others made me wonder how it would fare in real life.
So I did a few post-processing: Topaz Photo Sharpen AI, a tiny bit of levels in the shadows and vignetting correction in Capture One.

Here is the comparison at the center:
Top row: Voigt 35mm/1.5, right with the PP, left, the DNG with only the vignetting correction to ease the comparison.
Bottom row: same thing at f/4.

Not the best order to compare them, I know but I do not have the courage to fix it a 6 a.m. on a Saturday

Remember this is a 100% crop of a 60 Mpix image. It means that once the PP is done, you would hardly see a significant difference on a print.



Same thing but center edge of the image: the difference after PP is not really big here neither.


And corner: this is where one can expect miracle wide-open but this is still usable.
Dec 02, 2022 at 10:33 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #5 · p.4 #5 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review




Back to Quick Links

Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE


The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton performed well compared to the Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE. However the Leica is noticeably sharper at center and f/1.5 while the Voigtlander is sharper at the very corners at wide apertures.

Here is the full image thumbnail showing the area demonstrated at 1:1 magnification.

  1. Distance: Infinity
  2. Camera: Leica M10-R
  3. Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
  4. WB: Daylight
  5. Lens centered using my decentering test. The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton is perfectly centered.
  6. Software: Lightroom with my default landscape sharpening. All other settings set to default
PS: Distortion is not corrected. All in-camera corrections turned 'off'.

___________



CENTER: Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE





f/1.5: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/2: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/2.8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/4: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)
Dec 03, 2022 at 05:47 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #6 · p.4 #6 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


MID-FIELD: Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE





f/1.5: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/2: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/2.8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/4: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)
Dec 03, 2022 at 05:48 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #7 · p.4 #7 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


EXTREME CORNER: Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE





f/1.5: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/2: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/2.8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







f/4: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)
Dec 03, 2022 at 05:48 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #8 · p.4 #8 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review




Back to Quick Links

Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton


The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton outperforms the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton in terms of resolution and contrast. The f/1.4, being classic design, performs much better stopped down but the corners never quite match the new CV 35mm f/1.5 Nokton lens.

Here is the full image thumbnail showing the area demonstrated at 1:1 magnification.

  1. Distance: Infinity
  2. Camera: Leica M10-R
  3. Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
  4. WB: Daylight
  5. Lens centered using my decentering test. The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton is perfectly centered.
  6. Software: Lightroom with my default landscape sharpening. All other settings set to default
PS: Distortion is not corrected. All in-camera corrections turned 'off'.

___________



CENTER: Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton





f/1.5: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/2: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/2.8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/4: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)
Dec 03, 2022 at 06:07 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #9 · p.4 #9 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


MID-FIELD: Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton





f/1.5: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/2: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/2.8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/4: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/5.6: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)
Dec 03, 2022 at 06:07 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #10 · p.4 #10 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


EXTREME CORNER: Infinity performance on Leica M10-R compared to Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton





f/1.5: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/2: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/2.8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/4: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/5.6: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)







f/8: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton (LEFT) | Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 II Nokton (RIGHT)
Dec 03, 2022 at 06:07 PM
 


Search in Used Dept. 

rramesh
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #11 · p.4 #11 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Fred, which lens code would be best for this on a Leica M? Notice that you have used R-Adapter M which I guess is the same as uncoded. Would a Summicron 35 ASPH be the closest as it's recommended for the Ultron 35 f/1.7?
Dec 03, 2022 at 09:02 PM
thrice
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #12 · p.4 #12 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Thanks Fred, very useful comparisons. Be interesting to see the up-close comparison with the FLE.
Dec 03, 2022 at 09:35 PM
Desmolicious
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #13 · p.4 #13 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Excellent work Fred! I wonder if the 35 1.4v2 just works better on film, as I do not see such severe 'issues' at infinity.
The CV 1.5 really does seem good!
Dec 04, 2022 at 02:14 AM
fwdesign
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #14 · p.4 #14 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Thanks for the comparisons Fred! Looks like both FLE and the Voigtlander 35/1.5 are impressive in their own ways: the FLE is shockingly good for a >25yr old optical design, and the 35/1.5 is shockingly good for such a tiny lens (not that the FLE is that much larger).
Dec 04, 2022 at 03:03 AM
wolfloid
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #15 · p.4 #15 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Great testing so far! The lux definitely looks sharper and more contrasty wide open in the centre and the midfield. Who cares about the corners - just stop down. I wonder how the earlier non fle would do here in the mid field at infinity.

I hope the CV 1.4 does a little better close up (otherwise what’s the point of it?) which for me is the real test of these lenses - environmental portraiture, particularly off centre - the stress test. I’m interested how the new CV 1.5 does there when compared to a lens with a floating element.

For its size, the CV 1.5 seems great so far.
Dec 04, 2022 at 09:04 AM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #16 · p.4 #16 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


rramesh wrote:
Fred, which lens code would be best for this on a Leica M? Notice that you have used R-Adapter M which I guess is the same as uncoded. Would a Summicron 35 ASPH be the closest as it's recommended for the Ultron 35 f/1.7?

The exif shows "R-Adapter M" but of course I didn't use any adapter. I just left the in-camera lens detection to "auto".

For the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton I recommend the Leica 35mm f/1.4 lux ASPH's 6-bit code:
Dec 04, 2022 at 09:51 AM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #17 · p.4 #17 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


thrice wrote:
Thanks Fred, very useful comparisons. Be interesting to see the up-close comparison with the FLE.

We will see this in more detail when I post rendering tests with subjects focused at MFD, 1m, 2m, 3m, etc...
Generally the Leica is sharper and has higher micro-contrast wide open, especially at close and mid distances. However, the Voigtlander shows smoother transition zone and less bokeh outlining. I like the Leica's structural rendering by many will prefer the Voigtlander's here.

Here is one sample with the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton vs Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE at ~1.5m:




Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 (TOP) | Leica 35/1.4 FLE (BOTTOM)







100% crop: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 (LEFT) | Leica 35/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)







66% crop showing rendering: Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 (LEFT) | Leica 35/1.4 FLE (RIGHT)
Dec 04, 2022 at 10:01 AM
lensfan
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #18 · p.4 #18 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Not sure if it is the light but both bokehs look not good.
Dec 04, 2022 at 10:06 AM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.4 #19 · p.4 #19 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Desmolicious wrote:
Excellent work Fred! I wonder if the 35 1.4v2 just works better on film, as I do not see such severe 'issues' at infinity.
The CV 1.5 really does seem good!

The CV 35mm f/1.4 Nokton "version II" was designed for the Leica M digital sensor, so I think this is the typical performance for this lens. I have tested many copies and saw that the new 'reissued' Leica 35mm f/1.4 Lux Steel Rim shows better performance off-axis (away from center) at any aperture. One wouldn't notice the weaker corners in real world images because it's mostly due to field curvature, so If you focus at mid-field or corners, the subject will be sharper than shown here.
Dec 04, 2022 at 10:07 AM
lensfan
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.4 #20 · p.4 #20 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Review


Fred Miranda wrote:
Here is one sample with the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton vs Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE at ~1.5m:

Considering the high speed shutter, was silent shutter/e-front curtain involved here (or what do they have on Leica these days)? There seem to be half-circles in Leica images.

Edited on Dec 04, 2022 at 10:16 AM · View previous versions
Dec 04, 2022 at 10:15 AM
1       2       3      
4
       5       …       24       25       end
FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

1       2       3      
4
       5       …       24       25       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username      Reset password