There has been a lot of conversation about the newly introduced Voigtlander Nokton 50 1.0 ASPH, and rightly so, it's a fantastic fast 50 option However, unless you've been following VM lenses for some time, it may surprise you to learn that Voigtlander actually introduced a (now-discontinued) f/1.1 version of the lens in 2009 to create a cheaper yet optically competitive option to Leica's then fastest Noctilux, the f/1.0.
Due to some (IMO) unfortunate reviews that have been around for a decade or more, I had avoided this lens, and I'm sure many others had as well. However, after testing both the Nokton 1.0 ASPH and Nokton 1.1 out and having some discussions in the Nokton 50 1.0 thread ( https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1741370/30 ) I have been very pleasantly surprised. Much like the Noctilux 1.0, it's an older, non-asph design and isn't very clinical in its rendering when compared to it's modern counterparts. To my own surprise, I sent back the Nokton 50 1.0 ASPH in favor of the softer, less contrasty 50 1.1. While the price point was part of the decision (saving $1,000 never hurts..!), to me the deciding factor was not wanting a very clinical look from the lens.
Speaking of money, the lens can be had for $500 USD if you know where to look, and I think it represents a fantastic value. Outside of 10+ year old reviews, it can be hard to come by any recent information on this lens, so I wanted to have an image sharing thread so others could evaluate the lens for themselves..
If you have any additional images shot with the Nokton 50 1.1 (not 1.0 ASPH, not Nokton 1.2 ASPH), please share them below.
These were all shot wide-open at f/1.1 on the Leica M11
I am very pleased with mine also. If I recall correctly the bad reviews when the 50mm f1.1 Nokton was released were due to its focus shift. After I received mine, I tested for that using the LensAlign setup I use for calibrating autofocus lenses. My tests showed the plane of focus would shift to the rear as the lens was stopped down. This shift was enough that between about f2 and f5.6 the depth of focus was fully behind the focus point. At f5.6 the depth of focus was deep enough to again include the focus point. So, for rangefinder focusing I just avoided apertures between f2 and f5.6 and enjoyed the lens. It is sharp enough wide open (see images I posted above) and very sharp at f5.6 and smaller apertures.
If used with the EVF this issue is avoided and it performs beautifully at all apertures. It is my manual focus 50mm of choice on my SL bodies.
