p.8 #1 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'm not sure which lens to test against the new 40/2 Septon. I thought about the 40/2.8 Heliar, TTA 40/2 AF and perhaps the 40/1.2 Nokton @f/2. They are the only 40mm lenses I currently own.
TTA 40/2 or Sony 40/2.5 would make for the most reasonable comparison. Thank you for your work on this lens. Really curious about the results!
p.8 #3 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Alan Parker wrote:
TTA 40/2 or Sony 40/2.5 would make for the most reasonable comparison. Thank you for your work on this lens. Really curious about the results!
The TTArtisan 40/2 is a useful reference since many people own it, and it's available for both Sony E and Nikon Z, just like the new Cosina Septon. The Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 Heliar for Sony E mount has been discontinued, but I still have a copy.
p.8 #5 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
RoamingScott wrote:
There are plenty of similarities about how bokeh is structured across the Nokton lineup. The Classic is by far the most egregious that I've ever seen, but the 1.2 shares plenty of DNA with it at wider apertures...you know, the ones you buy the lens to use, and the ones that supposedly make it special.
I've become convinced that most people simply lack the capacity to notice these things, and thusly, life is MUCH easier for them. How blessed they are!
That's like a fan of fine-grain films arrogantly declaring that Tri-X enthusiasts should consider themselves lucky because they're so blind they can't see the grain. Believe it or not, tastes differ, and yours is definitely not the universal standard. The world is diverse. There are even people who, at every opportunity, complain about the supposedly awful ergonomics of Sony camera bodies while simultaneously snapping photos with a ZF camera. 😄
p.8 #6 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Nifty Fifty wrote:
Believe it or not, tastes differ, and yours is definitely not the universal standard.
The Nokt Classic 35 is such a blessing for me. To get some of that vintage flair I love in a premium, modern build, native to a current mount, and with elecronic contacts to boot? Heavenly.
Anyone with a different preference is just wrong. Obviously.
p.8 #7 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Jepser wrote:
Strange to hate all Noktons....
I've four and would describe two of them as over all excellent...
Amen to that. I was waiting for MF classic 35/1.4 for Z mount, with electronic contacts and TOP build quality - Cosina covers all that, but there was no Z mount so far. We are finally getting one.
Scott doesn't like word "character". Scott likes his huge brick-size S-line lens on Zf
Scott is a pro, he likes pro equipment. Amen to that too
p.8 #9 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
RoamingScott wrote:
I’d respect y’all’s inanity if you’d ever post a pic instead of handwringing about gear you never use
Well, ok. I like the 40mm Nokton quite a bit. My main focus in photography is architecture and I'm pretty picky about everything in focus and parallel lines and so on...but I love using the 40mm as well. This is posted elsewhere in another forum, but in response to your post here you go. To my knowledge it's one of the few lenses able to catch Sasquatch. shot at f1.2.
p.8 #10 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'm not sure which lens to test against the new 40/2 Septon. I thought about the 40/2.8 Heliar, TTA 40/2 AF and perhaps the 40/1.2 Nokton @f/2. They are the only 40mm lenses I currently own.
Fred, could you compare it against the loxia 35 (it will be the old biogon 35 f2 vs ultron 40mm debate for leica again), then a comparison against the ultron 40 to see how much better performance is overall on this new model and lastly the nockt 40mm f1.2 for those who want a smaller alternative to that lens.
p.8 #11 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
twelveish wrote:
The Nokt Classic 35 is such a blessing for me. To get some of that vintage flair I love in a premium, modern build, native to a current mount, and with elecronic contacts to boot? Heavenly.
Anyone with a different preference is just wrong. Obviously.
Yes, the Nokton Classic 35/1.4 is clearly inspired by the beloved Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux, just with a few tweaks. It has less glow, meaning lower SA, and it focuses much closer (0.3m!), which makes it a lot more versatile for mirrorless bodies.
It's no surprise so many people love it. It keeps that classic character but corrects things a bit. The only folks who tend to dislike it are the ones who want ultra modern, hyper smooth rendering to the point where everything starts looking a bit sterile. If you appreciate a bit of personality in your images, it's a fantastic lens for sure.
p.8 #12 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
I dont get the appeal of the nokton 35/40 1.4s, they seem to render flatly, have low contrast and there is no presence to the images. I like the B&Ws coming out of it though, particularly from the SC versions.
The Nokton 1.2 seem better but come across lacking a bit of contrast globally, colors seem subdued and the images come off as being a bit too "gentle" and lacking "presence". Similarly to the above, the B&Ws stand out and the bokeh is phenomenal.
The Ultrons on the contrary, have more contrast, more saturation without seeming excessive, seem sharper and the images have presence/substance.
p.8 #13 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
I like the form of the 35/1.4, but based on what I've seen in Fred's M review from years ago, it will take a little convincing for the Z mount. The contrast in the samples seems too heavy. I like the Noks best when they're 'lux clones for Z. I am interested in seeing what they release though. They've earned that.
p.8 #14 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Jman13 wrote:
I shot with it for 3 years and it's among my favorite lenses of all time, so I don't need your samples to tell me what I already know. It is, of course not a perfect lens. Definitely softer at f/1.2 than stopped down, plenty of purple fringing wide open in certain scenarios, and yes, there are instances where LoCA can show up and even make the bokeh not look great. But those situations where it ruins things honestly don't show up in day to day shooting for the most part. In most situations it renders and absolutely beautiful scene...it's not that people can't see that flaws exist...it's that there are many people who can appreciate the way a lens draws when it's aesthetically pleasing, even if not clinically perfect. ...Show more →
p.8 #15 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
The Nokton 35/1.4 E‑mount is already super compact for a 35/1.4, but the new 40/2 Septon takes compactness to the next level, and I think that's its main feature. It is about 100g lighter and 10mm shorter than the Nokton, so if you own the Nokton and know how small it is, imagine how much smaller and lighter the Septon feels.
From my tests, the lens is doing well so far...a great balance of image quality and character in the rendering. For anyone who found the Nokton 35/1.4 a bit soft or low in contrast wide open, the Septon is likely the better choice.
p.8 #16 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Paul L. wrote:
Why did you get rid of it?
At the time, because I switched from Sony to Canon. Then I ended up leaving Canon for Nikon. I have thought about getting one again, but other priorities have pushed it to the back burner. I did adapt a 50/1.2 Nokton to Z mount, but I didn't like it as much as the 40, and eventually sold that.
p.8 #18 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Gerald Brooks wrote:
Seems to me that, as a practical matter, the lens to beat is the Sigma 45.
Depends on the mount
Either way, I don't see CVs competing with the small, light AF primes that are out there, it's apples and oranges in terms of shooting experience. What matters is how it performs against other small, light MF lenses.
p.8 #19 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
Couldn't agree more on CV vs small/light AF primes. They will be totally different user experience, and likely a totally different look.
Even in these situations, I *hate* having multiples of FLs in my kit. I'll make exceptions for zoom+prime, but I really don't like having multiple 35s, 50s, etc. I think it gives me decision paralysis.
p.8 #20 · Cosina Voigtländer Septon 40/2 for Sony E and Nikon Z announced for March 2026
If the pictures turn out to be the most beautiful, then it is a bit town and country as to which one AF or MF gets the call, and to me the 45mm focal length has a disadvantage of being typically too long.
