p.1 #4 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
I have both, difrent beasts but I like them. The APO 35mm excells in many areas, but I think the Nokton 28mm has it's own place. I prefer 28mm for street photos, friends indoor or in harsh ligthning looks more natural with the Nokton.
p.1 #6 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
Ripolini wrote:
I have both the 35/2 & 50/2 Apo-Lanthars. I bought the 28/1.5 Nokton and sent it back.
I wait for the Z-mount 28/2 Apo.
I have only the 35/2 Apo, but also sent back the 28/1.5 and await the 28/2 Apo.
p.1 #7 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
Keith B. wrote:
I have only the 35/2 Apo, but also sent back the 28/1.5 and await the 28/2 Apo.
I see that I'm not the only one
What I didn't like about the Nokton?
First, the image quality at the wider apertures away from the center at medium-short distances. The lack of floating elements is evident.
Then, LoCA is clearly present and rather annoying.
Finally, the out-of-focus rendition didn't impress me.
A thourough comparison with the 28/2 Apo is here: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1908649/0#infinity
The rendering of the 28/2 Apo is also very pleasing: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1908649/5#rend
I have zero experience with M lenses to confirm what Fred wrote ("The Voigtlander 28mm f/2 APO-Lanthar is the best 28mm lens ever produced for the M-mount"; here: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1908649/11#final); however, according to what I have seen in his tests, I think that a future Z-mount version will be the best 28 mm lens for Nikon MILCs.
The Thypoch Simera 28/1.4 (available with Z-mount) is an interesting alternative for portraits, people and street. It suffers much less from LoCA and its rendering is more pleasant than Nokton's. It doesn't seem as good for all other applications (landscapes, cityscapes, flare resistance, etc.). It lacks electrical contacts
p.1 #8 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
I think I havent took a single photo with my Nokton 28mm where I think its rendering, bokeh or transitions are unpleasing. According to my standars and taste, of course. I've posted 20+ unedited photos with the Nokton 28mm on my Zf in the Voigtkänder on Nikon thread
The APO 35mm is spectacular when it comes to landscape, architecture and detail, but I prefer the Nokton for people.
p.1 #9 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
Hi, all. Thank you for the imput and feedback. It all makes sense.
I've actually picked both up and will test next week. I have 30days to return and I'll see.
Originally I was also thinking of waiting for 28mm APO in Z-mount. But from info I got (someone on Reddit that looks well infomed) sonnest it could be announced is December with delivery sometime Feb/March. which in practice probably measn those will not be available before Q2 and possibly even later - everyone will go and tray to grab one 🤣
So my bet is - pick 28mm now > test > if it's ok use it until APO is available and then sell if APO si so much better for my style. This things seem to keep good market value if in excelent condition (so paying some EUR per month for usage dose not look too bad).
p.1 #12 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
When I post-process pictures of people taken with the 35/2 or 50/2, I often un-sharpen them by using negative numbers for sharpening, and add a vignette. Might as well just get some cheap, terrible lens and be happy with that!
If I had to choose between a very different 28 and 35, and I like both of them, I’d prefer to get both, or go with the wider lens if I had to pick just one.
p.1 #13 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
olegkin wrote:
If I had to choose between a very different 28 and 35, and I like both of them, I’d prefer to get both, or go with the wider lens if I had to pick just one.
Yeah, that was my logic too.
My background — I was pretty deep into photography about 30 years ago, but life took me in a different direction. I’ve only recently gotten back into it with my first digital FF camera, the Zf (before that I just had a really nice OM mostly for shooting off-piste skiing, sailing, and travel)
Back in the day, I was all about Velvia 50, the best lens I could afford (which was a lot less fancy than what I can manage now 😅 — maximum sharpness and detail. I was obsessed with getting the best possible image quality, tossing slides for even the smallest imperfections.
So yeah, I guess APO glass should be right up my alley… but we’ll see. I’ll report back in a week or so 🤣
p.1 #14 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
I have 7 28mm primes (Vivitar to Nikon to Zeiss in F mount, and the Z28) and 3 zooms that cover 28mm. Most them are what currently would be called "atmosphere" or "character" lenses, a quality I like...sometimes. What I want is a physically small 28mm that has high-level performance from center to edge, like my Z 24-70/2.8 does at 28mm. But small. Hence the wish for the Voigtlander 28/2 Apo to appear in Z mount.
p.1 #15 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
I've been shooting the 28z Nok for a while (also have the 50z APO & 50z Nok). I'm sure the 28z APO will be 'perfect' (and hopefully not heavier), if and when it arrives.
Aside from choosing between 28 vs 35 lengths, it's pretty optimal for your "travel, landscape and street" use.
Ripolini takes *indoor* architectural shots and I don't think it's optimal for that. I would prefer the Nok for boozy indoor stage scenes, though.
In daylight, stopped down, like every other lens made today, it's very sharp. The difference here for me is the color. The Noks render like modernized AI/AIS-era glass, a cooler more neutral look vs the super saturated APOs.
p.1 #18 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
It’s odd to me to see musing between two lenses as different as these. Noktons have a VERY distinct rendering that you either love or hate, and the flatness/“perfection” of the APO is well known and visible in nearly every posted example.
I would say you need more first hand experience with various CV lenses to determine which formulations you enjoy the most.
I’m still impatiently waiting for the chipped Thypoch 28 Simera. It has the best balance of APO-ness and character on the market to my eyes, but I assume it will release after even the 28 APO.
p.1 #19 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
taildraggin wrote:
I thought your complaints about Nok were largely with indoor architecture, wide open?
Yes, but not only.
A couple of examples of photos taken at f/1.5:
NIKON Z6 w/CV 28/1.5 @ f/1.5, 1/5000 s, 100 ISO
NIKON Z6 w/CV 28/1.5 @ f/1.5, 1/8000 s, 100 ISO
The 1st picture is OK; focus was at a rather long distance (few meters) and near the center of the frame; say in the DX area. In the 2nd picture I focused rather close, at 1m or probably less, and at the border of the DX circle. The attached crops below show that the sharpness wasn't that good, IMO; moreover, LoCA is visible too with green fringes behind the focus plane, unless you develop the NEF with NXStudio and apply the LoCA correction (85% here), which sometimes works:
with NXStudio:
RoamingScott wrote:
It’s odd to me to see musing between two lenses as different as these. Noktons have a VERY distinct rendering that you either love or hate, and the flatness/“perfection” of the APO is well known and visible in nearly every posted example.
I partially agree. Noktons are FAST and COMPACT at the same time (they are designed for Leica rangefinder cameras). This involves compromises in the design phase, and performance is obviously affected, especially if you want to keep the price relatively affordable. Apo-Lanthars aren't as fast (f/2, or slower), and this allows for superior performance at a price similar to Noktons' and higher than Nikkor f/1.8 S.
Therefore, I wouldn't speak about "character"; unless we accept that “character” means "residual aberrations that cannot be corrected at that price level".
The Simera 28/1.4 has less LoCA and more pleasant out-of-focus rendering (probably due to HRI elements), but it's not as sharp w/open as the Nokton in center of the frame. Both lenses are suitable for landscapes, like my 14-30/4 S and 24-70/4 S @ 28 mm and f/8
p.1 #20 · Voigtlander 28mm 1.5 Noct vs 35mm 2.0 APO Z-mount on Nikon ZF
Well, I know it’s a bit odd to compare 28mm and 35mm, but that’s exactly where I found myself…
Finally had some time to test and play around a bit. Both lenses are outstanding — the build quality and feel are excellent, honestly even better than Nikon’s new S-line lenses (I only have the 105 MC; the rest are AF-S and a few D lenses from 30+ years ago that I used with my F-801S back in the ’90s).
Looks like both are keepers 🤷♂️ I’ll probably add the APO 28 as well, when (and if) it becomes available 🤦♂️.
— maximum sharpness and detail. I was obsessed with getting the best possible image quality, tossing slides for even the smallest imperfections.
