Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton

Introduction

Cosina is at all times up for a shock and once they introduced this Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton for the Nikon F-mount in 2023 – 5 years after Nikon transitioned to the Z-mount – that certainly was an enormous shock. Lenses as quick as f/1.2 are uncommon birds within the F-mount world as a result of they’re actually working on the restrict of this bayonet. As I’ll present you on this evaluation, Cosina’s engineers managed to create one thing that Nikon’s engineers weren’t in a position to obtain in over 60 years.

Pattern Pictures

A lot of the pattern photos on this evaluation may be present in full decision right here.

Specs / Model Historical past

Nikon produced three totally different f/1.2 lenses for the F-mount:

• Nikon 55mm 1.2 
  pre-Ai/Ai, 7/5 design, 7 aperture blades, 410g, 1965-1978, ~176.000 made
• Nikon 50mm 1.2
  Ai/Ai-s, 7/6 design, 7 or 9 aperture blades, 354g, 1978-2020, ~240.000 made
• Nikon 58mm 1.2 Noct
  Ai/Ai-s, 7/6 design, aspherical factor, 7 or 9 aperture blades, 470g, 1978-1998, ~11.000 made

In 2007 Cosina launched their SLR 58mm 1.4 for the primary time. Within the meantime that lens had been launched with a number of totally different casing designs and it’s nonetheless in manufacturing. The most recent variations additionally characteristic digital contacts. In 2023 Cosina added this quicker 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton to the lineup, it has the next specs:

• Diameter: 69 mm
• Size: 48 mm
• Weight: 361g (measured)
• Discipline of view: 43° (diagonally)
• Filter Diameter: 52 mm
• Variety of Aperture Blades: 9 (rounded)
• Components/Teams: 7/6
  
• Shut Focusing Distance: 0.45 m
• Most Magnification: 1:6.5 (measured)
• Mount: Nikon F

Not like Cosina’s different present F-mount lenses that is solely accessible in black.

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Disclosure

The Voigtlander 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton was offered by Voigtländer GmbH, the German Voigtländer distributor, for reviewing goal for a length of 4 weeks.

Dealing with / Construct High quality

The design of the Voigtländer SL lenses has undergone a number of modifications through the years. In 2017 Cosina up to date the design of the entire line up and their design intently resembles that of previous Nikon lenses now. They’ve a sprocket on the aperture ring, colourful markings and all however this 55mm 1.2 additionally characteristic a silver ring with DoF markings.

The casing appears like it’s an all steel design, all of the writings are engraved and stuffed with paint.

The main target ring has a pleasant and even however barely gentle resistance. It has an extended focus throw because it takes 270° from the minimal focus distance of 0.45 m to infinity and it turns “the Nikon approach”.

The aperture ring is just about the identical as on Nikon’s lenses as nicely: equidistantly spaced full-stop click on stops and positioned near the digital camera physique. Right here the aperture ring cannot be moved previous the f/1.2 mark, one thing that bothered me concerning the Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai.

Wanting on the bayonet you’ll discover that in contrast to Nikon’s f/1.2 lenses this one contains a completely spherical rear factor. To accomodate the aperture lever the bayonet has a lower out right here and Cosina additionally miniaturized the half with the digital contacts. That is essentially the most spectacular mechanical design of all of the f/1.2 lenses for the F-mount. The digital contacts will switch exif knowledge to Nikon DSLRs and likewise to mirrorless cameras when utilizing an adapter that has digital contacts.

Cosina sells a screw-in hood for this lens which known as LH-55s. I didn’t obtain it with this evaluation pattern so there may be not quite a bit I can inform you about it.

The Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton may be very comparable in dimension to the Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai, however its focus ring is a bit slimmer. Like many of the previous Nikon handbook focus lenses all of the Voigtländer SL IIs lenses additionally characteristic the standard 52 mm filter thread dimension.

Vignetting

Gentle falloff

The vignetting figures are barely greater than these of the Nikon 55mm 1.2, however the distinction is rarely greater than 0.2 EV which is totally negligible.

Usually the vignetting quantity is typical for a lens with these parameters. They’re kind of the identical as these of the Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP and Meike 50mm 1.2 whereas the Canon EF 50mm 1.2L USM confirmed barely greater vignetting at f/1.2.

Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton

It’s endorsed to take a look at this text first to get an concept how this brightness graph works.

Optical vignetting

Quick lenses often present a noticeable quantity of optical vignetting, particularly so the compact ones. With out going an excessive amount of into technical particulars optical vignetting results in the truncation of sunshine circles in direction of the borders of the body.
Within the middle of the body nearly each lens will render an ideal circle, however solely lenses with very low optical vignetting will hold this form within the corners.
So within the following comparability we transfer from the middle (left) to the intense nook (proper) and see how the form of the sunshine circle modifications.

Sony A7rII | 1.0 m focus distance

I used to be very curious concerning the Voigtländer’s efficiency on this class. Designing an f/1.2 lens for the F-mount isn’t any joke. Nikon tried doing that thrice and each time the rear factor wasn’t completely spherical to create space for the aperture lever.

Cosina’s engineers managed to design an f/1.2 lens with out that flaw – one thing Nikon’s engineers didn’t handle to perform in over 60 years. And so they even managed to incorporate digital contacts. This sounded too good to be true, so I used to be questioning if the opening may be barely smaller than that of the Nikon 55mm 1.2, however as you’ll be able to see from the comparability above, that’s not the case. This Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs is the primary actual f/1.2 lens for the F-mount.

The optical vignetting remains to be very excessive and each lenses present a comparable quantity. This Voigtländer does create barely extra pure shapes although.

Nikon’s 50-58mm f/1.2 lenses both use 7 or 9 straight blades. I’m fairly completely happy Cosina determined to go along with 9 rounded blades, resulting in far more pleasing out of focus highlights when the lens is barely stopped down.

That includes an all-spherical design we don’t encounter any onion ring constructions right here.

Sharpness

Glow / Spherical Aberration

Many fashionable quick lenses supply astonishingly excessive picture high quality at their most aperture. For quick lenses from earlier occasions that is often not the case although. Particularly on the most aperture these lenses typically create a little bit of a “glow“. If we had been in search of a extra technical time period for “glow” it will be undercorrected spherical aberration.

Spherical aberration is the one traditional lens aberration that has an impact on the middle of the body. It should make your picture seem softer and add some extra “glow” to already shiny components of the picture. It’s also an impact just like what you get when utilizing a diffusion/mist filter. Some folks might like this softer rendering for portraiture, however then many others merely see this as dangerous picture high quality.

This Vogitländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton – regardless of having been launched in 2023 – contains a traditional double gauss design with none aspherical or APD components. Its design is definitely very near that of the Nikon 55mm 1.2 from 1965. In my assessments the Nikon 55mm 1.2 reveals robust glow at f/1.2 to f/1.4, so I used to be very curious how this “fashionable” Voigtländer performs.

You’ll find a couple of picture units shot at f/1.2 and f/2.0 (the place many of the glow/spherical aberration is gone) right here, so you’ll be able to higher decide this “impact” for your self.

Sony A7III | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs

This Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 can be a bit softer at f/1.2 and we positively see some glow right here as nicely – particularly at longer focus distances. The impact isn’t as pronounced as with the previous Nikon 55mm 1.2 although.

Focus shift

33% crops, Sony A7rII

As may be very typical for lenses like this there may be a number of undercorrected spherical aberration at nearer focus distances which makes discovering the aircraft of optimum focus a bit troublesome. There may be clearly some focus shift between f/2.0 and f/2.8 or f/4.0, so that is one thing I’d be careful for when utilizing this lens on a (D)SLR.

On a mirrorless digital camera with working aperture this won’t be an issue so long as you cease down first after which focus.

Efficiency right here is similar to the Nikon 55mm 1.2, however I do have the impression the Voigtländer nonetheless has slight points with it at longer focus distances, which wasn’t the case for the Nikon.

Infinity (42mp Sony A7rII)

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs

The Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs makes use of an all spherical design similar to the Nikon 55mm 1.2 from 1965. The Voigtländer 50mm 1.2 Nokton and 50mm 1.0 Nokton are very totally different, as they each make use of two aspherical components, vastly growing the efficiency at wider apertures in comparison with an all spherical design.

At f/1.2 to f/1.4 the lens is gentle in every single place, however surprisingly astigmatism appears to be decently corrected as we are able to make out small particulars over many of the body.

Stopping right down to f/2.0 will increase the distinction considerably however the midframe space already seems first rate. The corners are nonetheless nothing to write down residence about.

From f/2.8 the middle reveals actually good picture high quality and from f/4.0 the midframe as nicely. For the corners to look good nevertheless, stopping right down to f/11 isn’t a nasty concept.

The efficiency is similar to the Nikon 55mm 1.2. I do suppose the Voigtländer is a bit contrastier stopped down, however this may additionally be as a result of it’s a new lens from manufacturing facility, whereas my pattern of the Nikon lens was already 47 years previous.

Portrait 1.5 m (42mp Sony A7rII)

For portraiture it isn’t so necessary how flat the sector is, it’s extra fascinating to see what the sharpness is like when centered at totally different components of the body to take discipline curvature out of the equation.

We will likely be 100% crops from the 42mp Sony A7rII.

f/1.2 <—> f/2.0

Sony A7rII | Nikon 55mm 1.2 | 100% crops

That is roughly the main target distance I’d anticipate a really quick unit focus lens like this to be optimized for.

If we examine this Voigtländer lens to the Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai right here we see one thing very fascinating: their efficiency is definitely very comparable. At f/1.2 the Voigtländer does look a bit clearer (particularly within the outer midframe space), however I can not name it an enormous distinction. By f/2.0 I don’t suppose I’d have the ability to inform them aside.

Shut 0.45 m, 1:6.5 (42mp Sony A7rII)

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 Nokton | refocused for each shot

Additionally right here I can straight examine the Voigtländer and the older Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai and likewise right here they carry out comparable.

At f/1.2 and f/1.4 the previous Nikon lens really seems higher to me, by f/2.0 they carry out the identical. The Voigtländer does focus barely nearer although.

Flare resistance

Now this can be a class the place quick previous lenses often battle quite a bit. However that is additionally the class the place the quick fashionable Voigtländer lenses often carry out very nicely.

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 Nokton | f/1.2

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 Nokton | f/1.2

On the most aperture there are some positions with the solar (or one other robust mild supply) exterior the body that result in a bunch of giant artefacts. Shading the lens helps to do away with it, which suggests the lens hood might need additionally helped right here.

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 Nokton

Stopping right down to f/2.0 is one other approach to do away with these artefacts, as may be seen from the comparability above.

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 Nokton | f/11

Stopped right down to f/11 there are two artefacts I managed to create in these staged scenes and each solely seem with a powerful mild supply exterior the body. I by no means encountered these within the discipline.

I don’t suppose the efficiency is nearly as good as that of the Voigtländer 50mm 1.2 Nokton for mirrorless cameras, however nonetheless good below most circumstances, approach higher than that of the previous Nikon 55mm 1.2.

Coma

100% crops from excessive nook, centered on middle, Sony A7rII

Not like the Voigtländer 50mm 1.2 Nokton and 50mm 1.0 Nokton Cosina determined to make this 55mm 1.2 an all-spherical design. What does this imply for the Coma correction? Nothing good. If we examine the Nokton and the Nikon 55mm 1.2 the Coma patterns are literally eerily comparable. If it wasn’t for the totally different sunstar rendering I’d be tempted to name the efficiency an identical.

Lengthy story brief: additionally right here we see large coma artefacts at f/1.2 to f/1.4. For principally clear corners stopping right down to at the very least f/4.0 is a good suggestion.

Distortion

Sony A7III | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton | f/5.6

Distortion is low and uniform. There is no such thing as a profile in Lightroom accessible, however dialing in +4 in Lightroom/Photoshop is doing an excellent job at correcting it. One other class the place the brand new Voigtländer lens performs precisely just like the Nikon 55mm 1.2.

Bokeh

Lengthy story brief: similar to the Nikon 55mm 1.2, however higher. I’m certain this assertion isn’t adequate for you, in order ususal, let’s have a better look.

At shut distances with the lens set to f/1.2 there obivously is a excessive quantity of blur. With not so busy backgrounds it may be very nice and clean, however with extra complicated backgrounds issues simply get busy.

Sony A7III | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs

There’s a massive distinction when it comes to rendering between f/1.2 and f/2.0 right here. In some scenes I most well-liked the stronger blur and at occasions even the slight glow at f/1.2, in others I most well-liked the upper distinction and the calmer rendering at f/2.0.

At longer focus distances this Voigtländer can be a bit softer at f/1.2, however it’s not that apparent in comparison with the Nikon 55mm 1.2, the place the distinction between f/1.2 and f/2.0 was really larger.

This Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton sits inbetween true classic lenses just like the Nikon 55mm 1.2 and compact fashionable f/1.2 lenses just like the Voigtländer 50mm 1.2 Nokton. On the one hand it’s not as gentle at f/1.2 as the unique Nikon lens from 1965 whereas nonetheless inheriting a number of its character. Then again it’s not as contrasty as fashionable lenses that use a number of aspherical components.

On this approach it jogs my memory a little bit of the higher MS-Optics lenses, that additionally make use of some fashionable expertise (e.g. top quality coatings) however not of others (aspherical components, excessive factor counts). I believe for some folks this Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs might strike a really interesting steadiness right here.

Sunstars

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton | slight crops

For many of their lenses Cosina is utilizing both 10 or 12 straight aperture blades resulting in distinct sunstars – even when the lens is barely barely stopped down.
For all their present SL lenses for F-mount they determined to go for 9 rounded aperture blades although. As I’ve already proven you earlier than that is excellent news for the bokeh when the lens is barely stopped down, but it surely additionally results in much less distinct suntars. From f/8.0 to f/16 they nonetheless look fairly alright to me although because of a principally even size of the rays.

The purple halos at f/1.2 and f/1.4 additionally inform me there may be robust undercorrected spherical aberration right here.

If you wish to know extra concerning the sunstar rendering of various lenses take a look at this text.

Chromatic aberration

Lateral

100% crops from nook, Sony A7rII

Lateral CA are on a really low degree. I’d have by no means observed them had I not particularly appeared for them. Very simple to right in publish with only one click on, e.g. in Lightroom, should you really feel the necessity to do this.

Longitudinal

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton | 50% crops

Easy double gauss design, no particular components, f/1.2 most aperture. You already know the place that is going, proper? Longitudinal CA are at a excessive degree. At f/1.2 to f/1.4 this Voigtländer really seems worse than the Nikon 55mm 1.2 – I suppose it’s because the Nikon is softer at these apertures and this helps masking the loCA a bit.

Sony A7rII | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton | 100% crops

In the case of purple fringing the state of affairs is a bit higher. Right here stopping right down to f/2.0 is adequate to principally do away with it.

Conclusion

A model new F-mount lens being launched in mid 2023. Who would have considered that? Not me, that’s for certain.

This Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 Nokton SL IIs jogs my memory a number of the Zeiss ZM 50mm 1.5 C-Sonnar. Each these lenses characteristic an optical design based mostly on a really previous lens with distinct rendering and in each circumstances the producers determined to solely rigorously replace that design. This implies if you’re in search of a contemporary excessive efficiency lens that makes use of aspherical components and a posh floating components design (like e.g. the Voigtländer VM 50mm 1.0 Nokton or the Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM) you could be dissatisfied right here.

Don’t get me flawed although: in comparison with the Nikon 55mm 1.2 from 1965 – that this Voigtländer appears to be closely based mostly on – the sum of those updates remains to be very significant: a lot better flare resistance, shorter minimal focus distance, decrease weight, properly rounded aperture blades, completely spherical rear factor with out cut-out and barely greater distinction at f/1.2.

The worth additionally seems honest to me, as this lens is less expensive than e.g. the Voigtländer 50mm 1.2 with its aspherical components and never rather more costly than an authentic Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai in a comparable situation.

After having already used three of the 4 f/1.2 commonplace lenses for Nikon F-mount (and the fourth one being the collector’s $3000 58mm 1.2 Noct) this Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton is unquestionably the one I would like for really utilizing on my Nikon FM2n.

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Alternate options

I reviewed a number of quick 50mm lenses however most of them have been M-mount lenses. I additionally did a Comparability of Tremendous Quick 50mm M-mount Lenses that may be value a glance.
We even have a Information on 50mm Lenses that can be utilized on E-mount cameras (most of them additionally on different mirrorless cameras) that offers you a superb overview.

A couple of options may be value speaking about in additional element although:

Nikon 55mm 1.2:
I used to be actually stunned by how comparable the outcomes from these two lenses take a look at f/1.2. The Voigtländer actually appears like a contemporary interpretation of the unique Nikon 55mm 1.2 although and if cash was not object I’d gladly choose it for being a bit much less gentle at f/1.2, that includes 9 rounded aperture blades, extra properly formed out of focus highlights, decrease weight, completely spherical rear factor and higher flare resistance. Lately it additionally isn’t tremendous simple to seek out considered one of these Nikon lenses in actually good situation, particularly relating to the late Ai model. The Nikon remains to be cheaper and it’s the true classic lens with straight aperture blades, extra lens flares and much more glow at f/1.2.
purchase from ebay.com | ebay.de (affiliate hyperlinks) beginning at $300

Nikon 50mm 1.2 Ai(-s):
I solely used this lens shortly. From my recollections, in comparison with the aforementioned Nikon 55mm 1.2, it performs comparable at f/1.2 to f/1.4 however higher at infinity barely stopped down. The Ai-s model of this 50mm additionally options 9 aperture blades, however they aren’t actually rounded. Normally in superb situation this lens is dearer than the Nikon 55mm 1.2 and in some components of the world its used value is definitely near that of a brand new Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs, which I believe makes it not precisely nice worth.
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Nikon 58mm 1.2 Noct Ai(-s):
Because of its hand floor aspherical factor this 58mm corrects coma a lot better than the 2 aforementioned different Nikon f/1.2 lenses and likewise than this Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs. However that is all the place it shines. Collectors have pushed up the value of this one to fully absurd ranges. You don’t pay for its nice efficiency, just for its rarity. And it isn’t even that uncommon.
I nonetheless hope I get the prospect to in the future evaluation considered one of these to demystify it.
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Voigtländer 58mm 1.4 SL IIs Nokton:
Cosina has been making this lens for fairly a while with totally different casings designs. It does carry out a bit higher at its most aperture and is slighty smaller and extra reasonably priced. In case you are in search of a properly made lens at this focal size and also you don’t want the f/1.2 bragging rights this can be a very good choice.
purchase from Amazon.de | B&H | ebay.com | ebay.de (affiliate hyperlinks) for $549/579€ or discover your native Voigtländer distributor

Pattern Pictures

A lot of the pattern photos on this evaluation may be present in full decision right here.

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