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 p.6 #16 · Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton Review | |
Fred Miranda wrote:
Final Thoughts
The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton Z-mount (tested here) occupies a unique place in Nikon's ecosystem because it prioritizes rendering, character, and shooting experience over absolute optical correction. Cosina could have designed a sharper, more clinically perfect 35mm, but that was never the goal. Instead, they chose to preserve much of what made the original Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux pre-ASPH so beloved, while refining the formula with modern glass, coatings, electronic integration, and improved sensor stack compatibility. The result is a lens that feels refreshingly different in a market increasingly dominated by technically perfect optics.
Optically, the lens performs very much as its heritage would suggest. Wide open at f/1.4, it delivers a softer, lower contrast rendering with residual spherical aberration, gentle glow, and field curvature that contribute significantly to its character. This is not a lens designed to maximize MTF charts at maximum aperture. Instead, it produces images with atmosphere, mood, and a rendering style that many photographers find emotionally engaging. Stop down to f/2 or f/2.8 and the lens quickly becomes cleaner and more contrasty. By f/4, it reaches an excellent balance of sharpness and contrast, with a noticeable increase in high frequency detail across the frame. By f/5.6 and f/8, the corners fully come together, field curvature becomes largely masked by depth of field, and the lens delivers strong, consistent performance across the image field for landscape and general photography.
One of the most impressive aspects of this lens is how successfully Cosina adapted the classic 8 element, 6 group double Gauss design for Nikon Z. The familiar Nokton rendering remains intact, yet corner performance appears slightly improved compared to the VM version while maintaining the same overall drawing style. The lens preserves much of the character of the original Summilux pre-ASPH while benefiting from reduced glow, improved contrast, excellent chromatic aberration correction, and full electronic communication with the camera body.
Rendering remains the true highlight. Wide open, images carry a subtle softness and organic quality that many modern lenses intentionally eliminate. Highlights show a bit of outlining, transitions remain smooth, and the overall look feels painterly rather than clinical. Residual spherical aberration is intentionally left in the design, helping create a subtle glow and softer transition zones that gradually disappear as the lens is stopped down, giving photographers a choice between a moodier rendering at wider apertures and a more neutral, lower aberration output at smaller ones. In many ways, it offers two personalities within a single lens.
Despite its classic rendering, chromatic aberration control is surprisingly strong. Axial CA is very well controlled for a fast character lens, with only minor traces of green and magenta fringing visible in demanding situations, while lateral CA is essentially invisible even at the pixel level. The 10 straight aperture blades also produce some of the better sunstars available in a compact 35mm, with clean, well defined 10 point stars appearing as early as f/2.8 and becoming particularly attractive from f/4 onward.
The shooting experience is equally compelling. The beautifully built all metal construction, smooth focusing helicoid, firm aperture clicks, compact dimensions, and surprisingly light 248g weight (measured) make it a pleasure to use. On the Nikon Zf, the addition of focus confirmation transforms manual focusing into an intuitive experience that feels surprisingly close to shooting a rangefinder while retaining all the advantages of a modern mirrorless system. Combined with full EXIF support and IBIS compatibility, it becomes one of the most enjoyable manual focus lenses currently available for Nikon Z users.
The biggest compromise remains wide open performance. Photographers seeking corner to corner sharpness at f/1.4 will find far better options elsewhere. Field curvature, residual spherical aberration, focus shift, coma, vignetting, and mild barrel distortion are all present to varying degrees. Distortion itself is fairly minor and easy to correct, but architectural photographers will still want to apply a small correction for critical work. Close focus performance at 0.27m is useful and slightly improved over the E-mount version, though the absence of a floating element means resolution and contrast only really come together once the lens is stopped down. Flare resistance is generally good, outperforming most vintage designs and showing less flare than the original Summilux pre-ASPH, though the characteristic rainbow ring flare and some veiling flare remain part of the lens's signature rendering when pointed directly into strong light.
That said, most of these compromises exist because Cosina intentionally chose character over correction. Remove them entirely and the lens would likely lose much of what makes it special. This is not a lens for photographers who want every image to look technically optimized. It is a lens for photographers who care about rendering, atmosphere, and the subtle qualities that give images personality.
In the end, I think Cosina accomplished exactly what they set out to do. The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton Z-mount is not trying to compete with Nikon's most highly corrected native lenses. Instead, it offers a beautifully balanced blend of classic optical character and modern functionality. It captures much of the spirit of the legendary Summilux pre-ASPH while adding the convenience of native Z-mount integration, electronic communication, and improved optical refinement. In a world increasingly obsessed with perfection, this lens succeeds precisely because it embraces a few imperfections. For photographers who appreciate character lenses, that may be its greatest strength.
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Pros
⦿ Beautiful classic rendering with strong Leica Summilux pre-ASPH DNA
⦿ Compact and lightweight at only 248 grams
⦿ Fast f/1.4 aperture in a very small package
⦿ Excellent build quality with all metal construction
⦿ Smooth, beautifully damped focusing helicoid
⦿ Firm and precise aperture click stops
⦿ Native Nikon Z-mount with full electronic contacts
⦿ Full EXIF support and IBIS compatibility
⦿ On the Zf, focus confirmation greatly enhances the manual focus experience
⦿ Excellent axial CA control for a fast character lens
⦿ Outstanding lateral CA correction
⦿ Improved contrast and reduced glow compared to the original Leica design
⦿ Strong performance by f/2.8 and excellent performance by f/4
⦿ Very good landscape performance at f/5.6 and f/8
⦿ Excellent sunstar rendering with well-defined 10-point stars
⦿ Good flare control while maintaining classic character
⦿ Slightly improved corner performance compared to the VM version
⦿ Closer 0.27m minimum focus distance than the E-mount version
⦿ Included hood and practical 58mm filter size
⦿ Perfectly centered review sample
Cons
⦿ Lower contrast and reduced corner sharpness at f/1.4
⦿ Residual spherical aberration and strong coma wide open
⦿ Noticeable field curvature, particularly at larger apertures
⦿ Minor focus shift requires attention when stopping down
⦿ Mild barrel distortion may require correction for architectural work
⦿ Strong vignetting at wider apertures
⦿ Flare resistance is good rather than class-leading
⦿ Characteristic ring flare can appear in backlit scenes, though this is part of the lens's signature look
⦿ No floating element design, so close focus resolution and contrast only fully come together once stopped down
⦿ Not ideal for photographers seeking maximum wide open sharpness
⦿ Rendering style may be too characterful for those preferring highly corrected modern optics
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Pre-order the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton lens (Z-mount and RF-mount):
Pre-order at Cameraquest: Z-mount | RF-mount
Pre-order at B&H Photo: Z-mount | RF-mount...Show more →
Great Review Fred-
I think you showed what this lens is really good and not so good at!!! Great work
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