p.1 #1 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
I am thinking about getting this lens and pairing it with an XT-5 as a small kit that will eventually become my travel kit. I would love to hear about people's experience with this lovely little lens before I take the plunge.
p.1 #2 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
I have the lens and enjoy using it on the X-T5 and now on my new X-E5. It is small, sharp and lightweight. EXIF info is transferred automatically into LR and profile corrections are applied. If you configure your camera to automatically zoom into the focus area when the focusing ring is moved, focusing is precise and relatively fast. However, for moving objects you might still need to pre-focus. The lens is very well built.
p.1 #3 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
23mm is my favorite focal length. The Fuji 23mm f/1.4 G was my main lens. Then I picked up the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 Nokton. After using it for a bit, I sold the Fuji.
Wide open the lens has a bit of a soft, low contrast look. Stopped down to 1.8 or more and it sharpens up nicely. I find the background blur to have a bit of character to it, which I rather like. Those super smooth "Sigma backgrounds" are just not my thing and not Voigtlander's thing either, apparently.
At f/5.6 is is sharp enough for landscapes but the Fuji glass is sharper corner to corner. There are some optical compromises to have such a fast small lens as the Voigt and corner sharpness is one of them. Not that the Voigt is bad, but you you are constantly zooming to 100% you may be less than thrilled with it.
Also, the aperture is fully manual. As soon as you stop it down, it closes. If you want to shoot at f/8, open the aperture to f/2.8 to focus, then stop down.
p.1 #4 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
I sold it, regretted it and bought it back. For some reason on the XT5 I had the most success using the small pop up zoom view for manual lenses. Center sharpness is pretty good for a small 1.2, definitely improves as you stop down. You will experience a decent amount of fringing with lights at night, but that's easily corrected. I've done a decent amount of outings with the Voigtlander 23 and 50. It's definitely a versatile lens and fits the XT5 really well.
p.1 #5 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
It's a part of my EDC kit with the X-T30 II. I love the lens for it's compactness, rendering and build quality.
(Kit usually CV Nokton 23 & 35 1.2 and either xf18/2, TTA 14/3.5 or TTA 50/2).
I've seen a rendering comparison in this forum that really made it shine, which I can't find now. I know Juha also have experience with it, and a Japan only(?) special edition which looks interesting.
p.1 #6 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
matoqui wrote:
I have the lens and enjoy using it on the X-T5 and now on my new X-E5. It is small, sharp and lightweight. EXIF info is transferred automatically into LR and profile corrections are applied. If you configure your camera to automatically zoom into the focus area when the focusing ring is moved, focusing is precise and relatively fast. However, for moving objects you might still need to pre-focus. The lens is very well built.
Thank you for commenting. It is nice to hear about your experience. I have used a bunch of Voigtlanders (15 f/4.5, 21 f/1.4, 28 f/1.5, 40 f/1.2, 50 f/1.2, and 50 2 APO) on Sony E mount, Leica M mount (15 f/4.5, 28 f/2 II, 35 f/1.7, 50 f/2 APO, 75 f/1.5, & 90 f/2.8 APO) and even the 75 f/1.5 on Fuji GF mount, so I am very used to manual focus.
p.1 #7 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
darwinphoto wrote:
23mm is my favorite focal length. The Fuji 23mm f/1.4 G was my main lens. Then I picked up the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 Nokton. After using it for a bit, I sold the Fuji.
Wide open the lens has a bit of a soft, low contrast look. Stopped down to 1.8 or more and it sharpens up nicely. I find the background blur to have a bit of character to it, which I rather like. Those super smooth "Sigma backgrounds" are just not my thing and not Voigtlander's thing either, apparently.
At f/5.6 is is sharp enough for landscapes but the Fuji glass is sharper corner to corner. There are some optical compromises to have such a fast small lens as the Voigt and corner sharpness is one of them. Not that the Voigt is bad, but you you are constantly zooming to 100% you may be less than thrilled with it.
Also, the aperture is fully manual. As soon as you stop it down, it closes. If you want to shoot at f/8, open the aperture to f/2.8 to focus, then stop down....Show more →
Thanks for commenting. I have seen your work in some of the threads and very much appreciate it. From samples online it looks to me like this lens may be most similar to the 35 f/1.7 and 40 f/1.2 on FF, and I think your comments about the lens are broadly consistent with that. I like what I call the dual character Voigtlanders (28 f/1.5, 35 f/1.7, 40 f/1.2, 50 f/1.2, 75 f/1.5) that wide open are less sharp but with an interesting character. They sharpen up nicely across most of the frame by frame f/2.8, but typically the last bit of the corners aren't perfectly sharp. Overall, you get really nice stopped down performance if you don't pixel peep, and an interesting look that works well for portraits wide open. That is the dual character.
p.1 #8 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
Nick Dakota wrote:
I sold it, regretted it and bought it back. For some reason on the XT5 I had the most success using the small pop up zoom view for manual lenses. Center sharpness is pretty good for a small 1.2, definitely improves as you stop down. You will experience a decent amount of fringing with lights at night, but that's easily corrected. I've done a decent amount of outings with the Voigtlander 23 and 50. It's definitely a versatile lens and fits the XT5 really well.
Thank you for your comments. That quite pretty good sharpness at f/1.2 is part of what I think reminds me of the 35 f/1.7 on FF. I do plan to get the 50 as well, which also seems to have a look I very much like.
p.1 #9 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
twelveish wrote:
It's a part of my EDC kit with the X-T30 II. I love the lens for it's compactness, rendering and build quality.
(Kit usually CV Nokton 23 & 35 1.2 and either xf18/2, TTA 14/3.5 or TTA 50/2).
I've seen a rendering comparison in this forum that really made it shine, which I can't find now. I know Juha also have experience with it, and a Japan only(?) special edition which looks interesting.
Thank you for your comments. I plan to make it my EDC with the XT-5, and I hope it will excel in that role, so your comments were very encouraging. I plan to add the new Sigma 12 f/1.4, if it pans out as good as it looks, the 35 f/2 APO macro, the 50 f/1.2, and an adapted 90 f/2 APO as possible travel options. I am on the fence about adding the 18 f/2.8 as well. That looks like a good lens and it is so wonderfully small, but I am not sure it will add much to the kit. I do hope Juha chimes in at some point as I have always very much appreciated his perspective on Voigtlander lenses and in fact it was his comments about Voigtlander X mount lenses that started me thinking about getting a Fuji X camera to shoot with them.
p.1 #10 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
Yes, I think Juha uses it with the X-S 10 or 20, and come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen feedback from anyone using it on the 40mp sensor (prior to this thread). It does have some FC which never really bothered me, but as always, YMMV.
p.1 #11 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
I used it on my XT4 but didn't like the manual focusing for my style of shooting, so I sold it. But it was very compact, far smaller than the 23 f1.4s from Fuji. If you are accustomed to MF then you will probably like it! On a 40 MP sensor it should resolve more than on a 26 MP sensor. I found no surprises with the image quality -- it is softer than a modern AF lens, but I knew that going in.
p.1 #13 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
I used it on the X-T5, was pretty happy with it overall. It was hard to nail focus at 1.2, even with peaking. I added a stick on focus tab and liked how it handled.
p.1 #16 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
Ah, I'm sorry I didn't see this thread before I sold you mine!
I really loved this lens, but once I got the Voigt 27/2 Ultron, the two felt a bit too close to carry both, and I rarely chose the 23/1.2: for f2+, I much preferred the smaller size, focus tab, and clarity of the Ultron. I'd use the 23/1.2 from ~f/1.7-2, but below f/1.7 between its softness and MF difficulties I got few keepers.
I think that if I did a lot of non-candid portrait work, I'd have preferred the 23/1.2's rendering, but my people shots are mostly candid, and I struggle with large-aperture MF-on-EVF for even gently moving subjects. Maybe just a skill issue!
p.1 #17 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
andymatuschak wrote:
Ah, I'm sorry I didn't see this thread before I sold you mine!
I really loved this lens, but once I got the Voigt 27/2 Ultron, the two felt a bit too close to carry both, and I rarely chose the 23/1.2: for f2+, I much preferred the smaller size, focus tab, and clarity of the Ultron. I'd use the 23/1.2 from ~f/1.7-2, but below f/1.7 between its softness and MF difficulties I got few keepers.
I think that if I did a lot of non-candid portrait work, I'd have preferred the 23/1.2's rendering, but my people shots are mostly candid, and I struggle with large-aperture MF-on-EVF for even gently moving subjects. Maybe just a skill issue!...Show more →
Well thanks for selling me your 23 Andy. I am looking forward to using it. I think the 27 looks like a lovely lens, but I know that there will be times I want the faster aperture, so I think it is good you kept the 27 and sold me your 23
p.1 #18 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
I have the 23 and the 27. Yes, they are too close in focal length. The 23 has a glow-style rendering wide open that cleans up from f/2 on. The 27 has more contrast wide open. I've been trying to decide which one to keep and just can't bring myself to sell either. In the end the 23 gets more use because I just prefer the focal length.
p.1 #20 · Experiences with the Voigtlander 23 f/1.2 for Fuji X mount
andymatuschak wrote:
I'm curious how you're finding the 23, Steve!
I am enjoying the lens quite a bit so far. I hope to get to use it for some street photography in Toronto this weekend. I expect that will tell me more about what I think about the lens.
