p.1 #1 · Help me decide: Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f/1.2 **IV** vs Nokton f/1.5 type II
I'm a 28mm shooter most of the time but I'm looking to pick up a 35mm for environmental portraiture and lower light shooting. Will be used on both an MP and a Sony A7CR (adapted). I know the f/1.2 is a good bit bulkier but I haven't seen a lot of direct comparisons between these two lenses--especially any comparing the latest version (IV) of the f/1.2. Any insights are appreciated.
p.1 #2 · Help me decide: Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f/1.2 **IV** vs Nokton f/1.5 type II
I don’t shoot 28mm since I wear glasses and can’t see the frame lines, except with a 0.58 viewfinder. I have the new version IV and I would consider it to be small. It is not sharp at f/1.4 like the Zeiss Distagon ZM, but it is a great compromise with regards to size/performance. It sharpens by f/2.0. Don’t get me wrong, it is perfectly useable wide open, just not bitingly sharp. The best part is that B&H has it on sale for $150 off list price. For small, I would highly recommend the Voigtlander 35mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar…. This is a remarkable lens and very very small.
p.1 #3 · Help me decide: Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f/1.2 **IV** vs Nokton f/1.5 type II
There is not major optical difference between the version III and version IV f1.2. The new version is slightly smaller and lighter. If you are shooting portrait, f1.2 is a major consideration versus compact size of the f1.5. I would suggest f1.2 Nokton, over f1.5 for mainly portrait consideration. F1.2 has softer look wide open which is beneficial for portrait work.
p.1 #7 · Help me decide: Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f/1.2 **IV** vs Nokton f/1.5 type II
If it's important to OP that the lens will work reasonably well adapted on A7CR then CV 35 APO is not a great choice because it works quite poorly on Sony sensor stack (native E-mount version of the same lens will work much better).
Also for environmental portraiture and low light shooting the Nokton options would be better in my opinion. I've had 35/1.2 III in VM and also 35/1.5 Type I, which should be optically identical with 35/1.2 IV and 35/1.5 Type II before and I found them to work pretty decently on Sony sensor stack but I don't use the highest resolution models. They have less field curvature effects on Sony sensor than the slower CV 35mm VM lenses (all Ultron options and APO-Lanthar and Color-Skopars). Native E-Mount 35/1.2 SE (discontinued) is still definitely better on Sony though.
dumplinknet wrote:
In that case, your lens options opened up quite a lot. Have you seen what the CV 35APO can do? It put both of these lens to shame.
p.1 #9 · Help me decide: Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f/1.2 **IV** vs Nokton f/1.5 type II
I don't have experience with the CV 35/1.5 version, but I am using since 2014 the CV 35/1.2 Vers II M-lens. I never felt a reason to upgrade to any of its successor versions - optically not much changed just its lens body size got smaller. I bought this lens originally with the intent to have a well working M lens to adapt on my Sony A7R camera before I owned a digital M camera. And indeed this lens performs extremely well on the Sony, too. You can't beat the price/quality ratio of the f/1.2 Nokton lens and an older lens version.
