I love it when gear reviewers actually make nice photos. So many of the reviewers don't make nice photos and it makes it hard to take their opinions seriously. Thank you for this breath of fresh air.
Thank you for the video. I like how you include (amazing) example photos and take a more holistic approach that doesn't ony focus on sharpness and pixel peeping. Also, I really appreciate your overall style, feels very calm and warm. Most of all, it's great that you picked the Voigtlander! After some more research I chose to buy the 40mm Nokton 1.2, which is my favorite all-round one-lens choice!
I adore my 50/1.2. I used to shoot with a Contax/Yashica 50/1.4 Planar so manual focus isn’t really as much of a bother to me. As far as the IQ, even with the spherical aberration wide open I find that it’s still very usable wide open when leveraging its quirks. I also believe this smearing effect that it shows is far more pronounced at closer focus. At mid distance, to my surprise, it can hold contrast pretty well wide open. All that aside, the way it renders colors is beautiful, absolutely.
Excellent review, you're quite sure-footed as you explore the more intangible qualities and since I agree with you that's fun too. I've got two Voigts for MFT and in my own humblest of opinions they get noticeably sharper with more contrast as soon as you start stopping down, like with the first half-click. So if you want dreaminess or skin-flattering portraits you've got that but if you want a more modern look but with a certain richness _and_ bokeh with separation from the background you have that too. I bought both of mine used and with the build quality they're like new. Even new they're not as pricey as some of the fancier new lenses. Since it feels like two lenses in one, I'm willing to pay what they cost.
This is a very well made review! Both from the photos you show, the different areas you talk of (build quality etc) and the fact that you don't just concentrate on pure sharpness that almost everybody else does today. There is so much more to a lens then absolute sharpness. Clinical lenses often get boring. Can't use this on my Lumix S1R but I can use the VM version but I enjoyed the review never the less!
Oh man I just randomly came across this video and immediately fell in love! Not just with the lens but with your editing on those photos, that's pure magic 😍
I own the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 E and it's just as stunning and unique as the 50mm. I use it a lot for street photography stopped down but at wider apertures you get superb vintage inspired quality, the sort you won't from modern corrected lenses.
@@TheOtherSamMallory I actually wanted the 35mm f1.4 but from a number of reviews, they were underwhelmed with the 35mm and the 40mm considered vastly superior in image quality. I now totally love the 40mm FOV.
I have the 60mm f/0.95 (in MFT) and it is my go-to lens for a unique photo. It is true this brand produces a vintage and unique look which is the appeal for these lenses.
The SE “Still Edition” is the best nifty fifty pound for pound you can get for the new full frame Sony a7C. Nothing beats it’s size/weight for that particular camera body IMO. My need for compactness and stealthiness is my highest priority and this gets me that in a 50mm focal length.
I have both the 21mm 1.4 Nokton and 50mm 1.2 Nokton on my Sony. I'm getting consistently sharp results throughout the aperture range. I trust my Voigtlanders enough that they're the only two lenses I'm taking with me to Tokyo next week. I have used manual lenses for longer than I've ever used digital cameras, so I'm used to it. I focus by eye mostly and use peaking less often. The depth of field scale is your friend. You should get your lens looked at by a professional if you dropped it though. Maybe that's why you can't get sharp images?
This is helpful to hear... and interesting! My images have always seemed to be sharp but with a sort of ghosting / halation to them wide open -- especially noticeable if the subject is close -- it's a similar to the effect of a sharp lens with a pro mist filter on it. Even before I dropped the lens 🙄 I am not sure I'm skilled enough for pure depth of field, focus by eye but maybe something I need to get better at! Thanks for the comment.
@@TheOtherSamMallory Hi! I wanted you to know I just took a photo wide open with my 50mm 1.2 GM that was very “dreamy” looking, and that lens is considered to be optically perfect. (I like Sony autofocus for animals and kids). I love that G Master but it’s big and heavy. Voigtlanders are a great size but there are optical compromises.
I think you're saying better than I could, the Voigtlanders are much more convenient - with some small compromises. I actually really love the look out of this 50mm though!
I love mine, sits on my camera allot . Have to say that my 55 1.8 is the more practical of the two because of the AF making it more useful during fast paced situations.
@@TheOtherSamMallory in every possible way. Way more clinical but lacks the soul of the voitglander, the bokeh is way more pronounced, the lense is very sharp bordering too sharp, you will also see some purple fringing. It has a magazine ready look if that makes any sense. I would suggest buying it used as I don't believe it justifies it's asking price. The voitglander is everything you'd aid, imperfect to the point of perfection, built like a retro lense and oh so unique.
Concur, Zeiss 55mm f1.8 is light, pretty sharp and auto, a great general purpose lens. However, Voigtlander offers a combination of unique image quality, 1:1.2 macro ratio and manual which is not for everybody. I have both and use them for different occasions.
I have both and use the 55 for fast tracking. But I love the look and colour rendering of this image. My 55 sits on my a9 and the Voigtlander just feels at home on my a7111
IMO: there are several manual focus legacy lenses which also provide very unique renditions for a used price of $20-$100 USD. Among these are the Meyer Gorlitz 50mm f/1.8 and the Sears Auto 55mm f/1.4...
Most of those manual focus legacy lenses have a really awful bokeh and have soft corners at all apertures. The Nokton has a very lovely bokeh and is very sharp also in the corners if you stop it down a bit. It also has electronic contacts and allows storing of EXIF metadata. Simply a lot better.
I bought and tested the following Voigtländer VM lenses on my Leica SL2 md CL cameras (with a Leica M Adapter L) about a year and a half ago and sold them due their “limited” optical performance. These lenses were Super Wide-Heliar 15 mm f/4.5 Color-Skopar 21 mm f/3.5 Nokton Classic-M 35 mm f/1.4 I now have use for lenses with optical designs that provide “vintage looks” due to glow (spherical aberration), swirly bokeh (field curvature), and onion ring bokeh (I don’t find that unpleasant, it’s just different). I’ve since purchased some vintage Leica M, Nikon LTM, and Voigtländer VM lenses: Voigtländer Nokton 35 mm f/1.2 VM I Nikon W-Nikkor.C 35 mm f/3.5 LTM + LTM to M adapter Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.0 ASPH Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.2 re-issue (on order) Leica Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 (non-apo) I can also see repurchasing some of the Voigtländer VM lenses I sold and others (e.g., 50 mm f/2 APO-Lanthar, 90 mm f/2.8 APO). BTW, Voigtländer is not pronounced as Voytlander.
Zero chance I’ll get all of the pronunciations right (not intentionally) 😂 I am also becoming a much bigger fan of the vintage looks many of these lenses have… particularly when it comes to in sort of filmmaking with them. I haven’t yet ventured into the Leica world but think it’s only a matter of time before I am chasing after similar lenses!
Thanks for the vid. Was very interested in the voigtlander, but the character surely isnt for me, the gmaster looks so much better. I can make a lens look dreamy with a filter, but i cant make busy backgrounds smooth...thanks so much!
I own the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm / 1.4 SL II for on a Nikon D750, and also own the Nikon 50mm/1.8G. When I compare the "same portraits" made with both lenses, the Voigtlander has much better micro contrast, and better skin tones. I own also the famous Micro Nikkor 55mm/2.8 AIS. In my experience this Nokton 58mm and the Nikkor 55mm are just rendering better then the 50mm is doing. So I can confirm on the "Angry Photographer" his statement that 55mm, 58mm are rendering better than 50mm.
I dont know why your subscriber isn’t that much, because your flow of video is amazing.. love the editing and reenactment is great.. keep it up 👍🏻 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I loved your review, it’s very polished for such a new channel. Subbed and looking forward to seeing you grow. Can you tell me if the 50mm 1.2 / 50mm 2.0 have any focus breathing as I want to get these with a Sony A7S III for video / broll / cinematography. What do you think of these lenses for video in general ?
Thanks, Aditya! There is definitely some focus breathing on both, so if you do lots of rack-focusing or video work where the frame needs to stay consistent, these are not perfect. In general, they are both great for video. The soft rendering the 1.2 offers at f/1.2 is really convenient to have for a unique look and the focus throw is handy for video. The only significant concern I would have is the chromatic aberration when shooting wide open.
wow, what a nice video! The shot as the lens fall out of your pocket was amazing. I am still unsure if I should buy a voigtländer lens. I mean, you´re right they are very nice built. But they are very expensive and don´t have autofocus, too. Additionally there are not many tests and blogs about these lenses. By the way, do you already know the new sigma lenses for sony with a f2.0 arperture? They released focal lenses with 24, 35, 45 and 65mm. They also have very very good build quality and and furthermore autofocus and a cheaper price. Maybe you can get one of these and make a review for the hole comunity? I am sure there is a big interest especially for streetphotographers.
The Sigma's are really interesting lenses! I love all of Sigma's Art series and assume these will be similarly great, especially considering the new size, body, purpose.
You got lucky with the drop. When you drop something onto concrete, it is going to bend and distort. Surviving the drop comes to 2 things: being able to bend and distort, and then return to the same shape, and not fracturing when it bends. Metal distorts very little before denting as compared to plastic. The lenses are also far heavier making matters worse. Plastic (like a high quality polycarbonate as used on nikon f mount prime lenses) will distort a lot, giving the lens as much time as possible to decelerate, and then will return to their original shape. Polycarbonate will Crack before it dents, and you have to push it a very long way before it does that. Metal sucks at this. I have the 50 mm f1.2 nikon. Feels like a solid ball of metal. Dropped it from maybe knee height and the focus ring is now jammed. You got super lucky you had the hood to act as a nice crumple zone to protect the lense. Like wise I dropped the f mount 85 f1.8 down some concrete steps once. It bounce 5 times before landing on more concrete, and works just fine apart from some minor scuffs. Metal is good for precise construction and repeatable motion. But no engineer uses aluminum for impact resistance. It's why these new e mount abs lenses with a thin layer of sheet metal onto bother me so much. They have the worst properties of metal combined with the worse properties of plastic.
I was indeed completely lucky with the crumple zone and that’s a really interesting point about the ABS + sheet metal combination of modern lenses… good reason for me to be a bit less clumsy!
I’ll have mine tomorrow . I have the sigma 50 Lol 2 of them .the A Mount 1.4 art ,1.4 DG A Mount For my A99II. And a adapter to A7R IV . to be honest I like the Boh-Kay ,better on the DG model over the art lens . However it is nowhere near as sharp
@@TheOtherSamMallory so I picked up135 1.8Gm love it .I got the voigtlander 50 1.2 and the 21 1.2 .Really nice construction on both of them .They have great low light capturing ,candle light especially looks nice .I very much enjoy shooting nighttime pictures .I have done some daytime picture ,in black-and-white .they do in the daytime produce some chromatic aberration ,Lightroom takes care of it. Put in comparison to the art 50 1.4 The Boca is not as smooth as the voigtlander even at 1.4 . With that being said the sigma DG 1.4 has better Boca them both of them , In my humble opinion. However the DG lands it’s nowhere near as sharp As the voigtlander .
I’m getting more interested in M mount lenses. I have a very large collection of vintage minoltas, taks and zuikos so this style is familiar and appealing. But it would be nice to have some fully manual lenses with modern mechanics. And the M Mount seems like a good investment as it’s been here since the 1950s and these companies are still making lenses for it. I’m a sucker for flare so I’m curious how these M mount Voigtlanders look when pointed at strong light sources.
I can’t speak much for the M mount Voigtlander’s (I assume there is nearly no difference) but there are definitely lens flares with this lens. Wide open it has a fair amount of “glow” but still some large round reflections of the lens elements.. you can get some fairly funky flares here too if you try. Stopping down it has sunstars quickly, and sharper lens flares. The M mount is definitely and investment 😀 But they have some really interesting lenses, and now the M11 with a sensor that’s hard to beat!
Hi VT, I was rocking the Sony A7RIII with the Sony 24mm f1.4 GM for this. I haven't tried the 40mm but it seems like it is similarly likeable -- I think it is more highly regarded than the 50mm.
Define best. I'm interested in this lens. I have the 50 APO and it's pretty amazing but 50 Summicron beats it for size and sharper pixel peeping. Summilux I liked better than Summicron and then there's the Leica 50 APO and Delicious Noctilux. I've owned them all so hard to say which is best. Currently using Sony so I'lll take a native mount lens these days.
Very nice review, I have the 40 mm 1.2, but I got a used copy of the 50 and I will be checking which one I’ll keep. The only difference is that MF is not for me so I went VM version with techart pro ii.
@@TheOtherSamMallory Tech-art 2 nd generation on my a7 iv is fantastic. Don’t spect to get focus on any corner of the frame but once you know how to properly use it is a beautiful tool. I got a few more vintages beside the voigt
@@TheOtherSamMalloryI need to updates this, I recently got an a6100 and techart on that camera does work on most of the sensor , impressive! Even on the far corner you get eye af
It’s mostly just the external hardware from what I understand. No “de-clicked” aperture ring but a smaller overall size. Should be the same optically (based on their marketing).
I think I would generally pick the 55/1.8 Sony Zeiss Sonnar (it’s an optically excellent, small, fast lens with AUTOFOCUS)... It’s simply more practical. That said, I really wanted the fully manual lens with a look like the Voigtlander so I love it for my daily, casual use. I could of course edit the Zeiss to look similar and turn off autofocus to do this but I can’t necessarily make the Voigtlander an autofocus lens or have the cleaner optics of the Zeiss.
I have a questions between this one and the SE, still edition version. Removal of aperture de-click function and visual design change only difference? Optically exact same result as this one? I am wondering if I should save extra $100 and get the SE version instead.
From everything they advertise, yes. Obviously the focus rings will feel different but practically speaking the aperture de-click seems to be the big thing.
With all the 'vintage' f1.2 options out there, what steered you towards the Voigtlander (I own the pentax smc 50mm f1.2 and the canon 55mm f1.2)? Great vid - thanks!
Frankly, ease... the Voigtlander was easily accessible (no searching in the used market for a good copy), already E-mount available, and seemed like a nice lens that gave me what I was after. I also like the de-clicked aperture and the electronic contacts with EXIF info but could live without it. I think some of the real vintage lenses are quite remarkable though; a rabbit hole I will probably jump into some day! What are your thoughts between the Pentax and the Canon? And buying vintage lenses in general?
@@TheOtherSamMallory I think it puts the acronym G.A.S. on a quantum/astronomical/cosmically/comically absurd level. Take your pick. If you already know what focal lengths you prefer and what you want to do with the lenses, stick to your guns and go for it. But I strongly suggest learning what you can before you buy instead of buying and finding out it doesn't work for you. I have done the latter and my wallet (and my ego) hate me for it. Yes, I have bragging rights with my filter ring dented Tomioka 55mm f1.2, but when I'm out shooting, I'm usually solo and just messing around. I don't think it will get any better than the Voigtlander series - diminishing returns and minute differences in bokeh between vintage lenses can be fun to compare, but you can only use so many lenses at once. I think you made the right choice. So unless you find miracle deals at the local garage sale, I'd avoid the vintage lens market like the plague. If I had it to do over, I'd buy a set of Voigtlanders myself. I still might - after I sell off some of this stuff. Interested in a Canon 55mm f1.2? I have 3 of them. Seriously.
Some quite helpful feedback... I’ll keep my eye out for miracle deals at garage sales but my head down otherwise! As I expected, it sounds like a deep, albeit quite interesting, rabbit hole. If I end up slipping and falling into it I’ll bug you about those Canon 55mm’s!
I’ve shot color and converted to black and white, which was great, but have never had this on a full monochrome sensor! For the same reason’s the aesthetic of the lens looks great with color (the softer contrast wide-open, slight halation, and vignetting) the lens also looks great in Black and White in my opinion.
When I saw your sub number I didn't have high expectations. This is a great real world review.... far better than most. I have a 24mm GM which I love and recently bought the Tamron 28-200. I am disappointed how far behind it is, in image quality. I can really only use it as a general purpose lens for spotting compositions. Do you think this has as much "character " as the 24mm GM?
Thanks, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I think the 24mm GM would definitely be considered a "better" lens: its colors will pop a bit more, there will be more contrast and detail throughout the aperture range, and there will be less vignetting and chromatic aberration... I absolutely love mine. I would say the Voigtlander isn't as good in terms of image quality but has more "character".... the earthy colors, vignetting, and contrast are quite appealing if you're a fan of the look it creates. Like @All Cars United said, it's got some soul.
@@SnapographyAP I used it for the shot of the milky way included in the video... it did okay but I had to stop down to f/2 to control the chromatic aberration and boost the contrast. A bit of astigmatism but I liked it otherwise. Definitely not the 24mm GM . The Zeiss 55mm is probably a better choice.
@@TheOtherSamMallory ok thanks Sam, stopping down wouldn't work for me. I saw a review of the 40mm by Dustin Abbott which suggested the same. Wide open it has poor contrast and ca. I am basically looking for a 50mm version of the 24mm. Will be watching out for new content. Cheers Rory
Bonjour Sam. je viens juste de l'acquérir, et je suis plutot déçu. Aux grandes ouvertures, il n'est pas bien corrigé. Mon Nokton 1.5/75mm est plus net au centre à f1.5-2.8.... De plus le 75mm est bien mieux corrigé au niveau de la distortion. Je vais ramener ce 50mm à mon revendeur.
Thanks for sharing! I’m sorry to hear it was a disappointment… it is a very different lens when wide open compared to stopped down. I know the 50mm f/2 is better corrected and a bit of a different style but haven’t played with many other Voigtlander lenses.
Interesting, I'll look into it a bit more. My experience was that they are both quite similar (once the 1.2 is stopped down to ~f2.0). What were the big differences you noticed?
@@TheOtherSamMallory Obviously you're not going to see much difference with 24mpx camera. Having said that, mid frame and corners, the f2 @ f2 is noticeablely better [a7r]. But with 42 and 61... there's a lot of difference in clarity. I don't have the 1.2 or the a7r2 anymore so cannot make direct comparisons. IQ aside there's difference in contrast, rendering and colour tonality. Btw, I've also got the 65mm f2 and both are really close match, with massive size/weight difference.
I love it when gear reviewers actually make nice photos. So many of the reviewers don't make nice photos and it makes it hard to take their opinions seriously. Thank you for this breath of fresh air.
Yep, the clowns at DPReview take the most uninspiring shots every.
Thank you for the video. I like how you include (amazing) example photos and take a more holistic approach that doesn't ony focus on sharpness and pixel peeping. Also, I really appreciate your overall style, feels very calm and warm. Most of all, it's great that you picked the Voigtlander! After some more research I chose to buy the 40mm Nokton 1.2, which is my favorite all-round one-lens choice!
I’m envious of the 40mm, almost went with it over the 50mm. I’m glad its a favorite and thank you for the feedback!
I adore my 50/1.2. I used to shoot with a Contax/Yashica 50/1.4 Planar so manual focus isn’t really as much of a bother to me. As far as the IQ, even with the spherical aberration wide open I find that it’s still very usable wide open when leveraging its quirks. I also believe this smearing effect that it shows is far more pronounced at closer focus. At mid distance, to my surprise, it can hold contrast pretty well wide open.
All that aside, the way it renders colors is beautiful, absolutely.
Glad you seem to agree! How does it compare to your Contax??
Excellent review, you're quite sure-footed as you explore the more intangible qualities and since I agree with you that's fun too. I've got two Voigts for MFT and in my own humblest of opinions they get noticeably sharper with more contrast as soon as you start stopping down, like with the first half-click. So if you want dreaminess or skin-flattering portraits you've got that but if you want a more modern look but with a certain richness _and_ bokeh with separation from the background you have that too. I bought both of mine used and with the build quality they're like new. Even new they're not as pricey as some of the fancier new lenses. Since it feels like two lenses in one, I'm willing to pay what they cost.
Thanks! I fully agree, a uniquely flexible lens.
This is a very well made review! Both from the photos you show, the different areas you talk of (build quality etc) and the fact that you don't just concentrate on pure sharpness that almost everybody else does today. There is so much more to a lens then absolute sharpness. Clinical lenses often get boring.
Can't use this on my Lumix S1R but I can use the VM version but I enjoyed the review never the less!
I think the VM version actually looks better! Thanks for the feedback!
Oh man I just randomly came across this video and immediately fell in love! Not just with the lens but with your editing on those photos, that's pure magic 😍
Same
I bought the 58mm f/1.4 Nokton and the 40mm f/2 Ultron this year and I am very happy with both of them.
Sell them both and buy the f/2 apo lanthar. It'll knock them sideways.
I own the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 E and it's just as stunning and unique as the 50mm. I use it a lot for street photography stopped down but at wider apertures you get superb vintage inspired quality, the sort you won't from modern corrected lenses.
I am envious of the 40mm (almost chose it instead of the 50mm)!
@@TheOtherSamMallory I actually wanted the 35mm f1.4 but from a number of reviews, they were underwhelmed with the 35mm and the 40mm considered vastly superior in image quality. I now totally love the 40mm FOV.
I have the 60mm f/0.95 (in MFT) and it is my go-to lens for a unique photo. It is true this brand produces a vintage and unique look which is the appeal for these lenses.
Thanks for a stills review of this lens. I'm sold for my 7RIII! getting this for portraits and the dreamy wide open look
The SE “Still Edition” is the best nifty fifty pound for pound you can get for the new full frame Sony a7C. Nothing beats it’s size/weight for that particular camera body IMO. My need for compactness and stealthiness is my highest priority and this gets me that in a 50mm focal length.
The extra "compactness" of the SE paired with the A7C does seem like an excellent combo!
I have both the 21mm 1.4 Nokton and 50mm 1.2 Nokton on my Sony. I'm getting consistently sharp results throughout the aperture range. I trust my Voigtlanders enough that they're the only two lenses I'm taking with me to Tokyo next week. I have used manual lenses for longer than I've ever used digital cameras, so I'm used to it. I focus by eye mostly and use peaking less often. The depth of field scale is your friend. You should get your lens looked at by a professional if you dropped it though. Maybe that's why you can't get sharp images?
This is helpful to hear... and interesting! My images have always seemed to be sharp but with a sort of ghosting / halation to them wide open -- especially noticeable if the subject is close -- it's a similar to the effect of a sharp lens with a pro mist filter on it. Even before I dropped the lens 🙄
I am not sure I'm skilled enough for pure depth of field, focus by eye but maybe something I need to get better at! Thanks for the comment.
@@TheOtherSamMallory Hi! I wanted you to know I just took a photo wide open with my 50mm 1.2 GM that was very “dreamy” looking, and that lens is considered to be optically perfect. (I like Sony autofocus for animals and kids). I love that G Master but it’s big and heavy. Voigtlanders are a great size but there are optical compromises.
I think you're saying better than I could, the Voigtlanders are much more convenient - with some small compromises. I actually really love the look out of this 50mm though!
Had a 40 f1.2 that I used on my GFX50R. It was great for portraits.
How does it cover the bigger sensor? Thanks
Excellent video 😊!
I enjoy the cinematic visuals and acting. Can’t imagine how long this took shoot.
It probably took too long haha, thanks!
Nice video and this lens is absolutely my obsession to buy next after getting the 35mm version for peanuts and falling in love instantly.
I like the softness rendering and the colors but it also makes for softer image, notably on the eyes of the portrait :)
I love mine, sits on my camera allot . Have to say that my 55 1.8 is the more practical of the two because of the AF making it more useful during fast paced situations.
That doesn’t surprise me a bit! I haven’t had the joy of using the 55 f/1.8, any notable image quality differences?
@@TheOtherSamMallory in every possible way. Way more clinical but lacks the soul of the voitglander, the bokeh is way more pronounced, the lense is very sharp bordering too sharp, you will also see some purple fringing. It has a magazine ready look if that makes any sense. I would suggest buying it used as I don't believe it justifies it's asking price. The voitglander is everything you'd aid, imperfect to the point of perfection, built like a retro lense and oh so unique.
Concur, Zeiss 55mm f1.8 is light, pretty sharp and auto, a great general purpose lens. However, Voigtlander offers a combination of unique image quality, 1:1.2 macro ratio and manual which is not for everybody. I have both and use them for different occasions.
@@ALWH1314 agreed. It's such a special beauty . They both are but theres something special about the manual focus and the unique image quality
I have both and use the 55 for fast tracking. But I love the look and colour rendering of this image. My 55 sits on my a9 and the Voigtlander just feels at home on my a7111
Thank you for such a great review from Japan.
I decided to get one because of your beautiful pictures.
I hope you love it!
I shoot black and white, makes it easyer to focus and leaves a nice supprise once you develop the images.
IMO: there are several manual focus legacy lenses which also provide very unique renditions for a used price of $20-$100 USD. Among these are the Meyer Gorlitz 50mm f/1.8 and the Sears Auto 55mm f/1.4...
$20-$100 definitely sounds like a better bargain!
Most of those manual focus legacy lenses have a really awful bokeh and have soft corners at all apertures. The Nokton has a very lovely bokeh and is very sharp also in the corners if you stop it down a bit. It also has electronic contacts and allows storing of EXIF metadata. Simply a lot better.
First time on channel and I love your video quality and style. Bravo!
Glad to hear it and appreciate the compliment!
I bought and tested the following Voigtländer VM lenses on my Leica SL2 md CL cameras (with a Leica M Adapter L) about a year and a half ago and sold them due their “limited” optical performance. These lenses were
Super Wide-Heliar 15 mm f/4.5
Color-Skopar 21 mm f/3.5
Nokton Classic-M 35 mm f/1.4
I now have use for lenses with optical designs that provide “vintage looks” due to glow (spherical aberration), swirly bokeh (field curvature), and onion ring bokeh (I don’t find that unpleasant, it’s just different). I’ve since purchased some vintage Leica M, Nikon LTM, and Voigtländer VM lenses:
Voigtländer Nokton 35 mm f/1.2 VM I
Nikon W-Nikkor.C 35 mm f/3.5 LTM + LTM to M adapter
Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.0 ASPH
Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.2 re-issue (on order)
Leica Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 (non-apo)
I can also see repurchasing some of the Voigtländer VM lenses I sold and others (e.g., 50 mm f/2 APO-Lanthar, 90 mm f/2.8 APO).
BTW, Voigtländer is not pronounced as Voytlander.
Zero chance I’ll get all of the pronunciations right (not intentionally) 😂 I am also becoming a much bigger fan of the vintage looks many of these lenses have… particularly when it comes to in sort of filmmaking with them. I haven’t yet ventured into the Leica world but think it’s only a matter of time before I am chasing after similar lenses!
Thanks for the vid. Was very interested in the voigtlander, but the character surely isnt for me, the gmaster looks so much better. I can make a lens look dreamy with a filter, but i cant make busy backgrounds smooth...thanks so much!
Great quality content, well done Sam!
I own the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm / 1.4 SL II for on a Nikon D750, and also own the Nikon 50mm/1.8G.
When I compare the "same portraits" made with both lenses, the Voigtlander has much better micro contrast, and better skin tones.
I own also the famous Micro Nikkor 55mm/2.8 AIS.
In my experience this Nokton 58mm and the Nikkor 55mm are just rendering better then the 50mm is doing.
So I can confirm on the "Angry Photographer" his statement that 55mm, 58mm are rendering better than 50mm.
I dont know why your subscriber isn’t that much, because your flow of video is amazing.. love the editing and reenactment is great.. keep it up 👍🏻 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much!!
Very nice review indeed, look forward to seeing upcoming features
I loved your review, it’s very polished for such a new channel. Subbed and looking forward to seeing you grow.
Can you tell me if the 50mm 1.2 / 50mm 2.0 have any focus breathing as I want to get these with a Sony A7S III for video / broll / cinematography.
What do you think of these lenses for video in general ?
Thanks, Aditya! There is definitely some focus breathing on both, so if you do lots of rack-focusing or video work where the frame needs to stay consistent, these are not perfect.
In general, they are both great for video. The soft rendering the 1.2 offers at f/1.2 is really convenient to have for a unique look and the focus throw is handy for video. The only significant concern I would have is the chromatic aberration when shooting wide open.
It's beautiful on the A7r
wow, what a nice video! The shot as the lens fall out of your pocket was amazing. I am still unsure if I should buy a voigtländer lens. I mean, you´re right they are very nice built. But they are very expensive and don´t have autofocus, too. Additionally there are not many tests and blogs about these lenses. By the way, do you already know the new sigma lenses for sony with a f2.0 arperture? They released focal lenses with 24, 35, 45 and 65mm. They also have very very good build quality and and furthermore autofocus and a cheaper price. Maybe you can get one of these and make a review for the hole comunity? I am sure there is a big interest especially for streetphotographers.
The Sigma's are really interesting lenses! I love all of Sigma's Art series and assume these will be similarly great, especially considering the new size, body, purpose.
That flashback at 2:40 made my heart jump
You got lucky with the drop.
When you drop something onto concrete, it is going to bend and distort. Surviving the drop comes to 2 things: being able to bend and distort, and then return to the same shape, and not fracturing when it bends.
Metal distorts very little before denting as compared to plastic. The lenses are also far heavier making matters worse. Plastic (like a high quality polycarbonate as used on nikon f mount prime lenses) will distort a lot, giving the lens as much time as possible to decelerate, and then will return to their original shape. Polycarbonate will Crack before it dents, and you have to push it a very long way before it does that.
Metal sucks at this. I have the 50 mm f1.2 nikon. Feels like a solid ball of metal. Dropped it from maybe knee height and the focus ring is now jammed. You got super lucky you had the hood to act as a nice crumple zone to protect the lense.
Like wise I dropped the f mount 85 f1.8 down some concrete steps once. It bounce 5 times before landing on more concrete, and works just fine apart from some minor scuffs.
Metal is good for precise construction and repeatable motion. But no engineer uses aluminum for impact resistance. It's why these new e mount abs lenses with a thin layer of sheet metal onto bother me so much. They have the worst properties of metal combined with the worse properties of plastic.
I was indeed completely lucky with the crumple zone and that’s a really interesting point about the ABS + sheet metal combination of modern lenses… good reason for me to be a bit less clumsy!
I’ll have mine tomorrow . I have the sigma 50 Lol 2 of them .the A Mount 1.4 art ,1.4 DG A Mount For my A99II. And a adapter to A7R IV . to be honest I like the Boh-Kay ,better on the DG model over the art lens . However it is nowhere near as sharp
Exciting, I hope you like it! You'll have to reply back how it compares/if there is anything I missed.
@@TheOtherSamMallory so I picked up135 1.8Gm love it .I got the voigtlander 50 1.2 and the 21 1.2 .Really nice construction on both of them .They have great low light capturing ,candle light especially looks nice .I very much enjoy shooting nighttime pictures .I have done some daytime picture ,in black-and-white .they do in the daytime produce some chromatic aberration ,Lightroom takes care of it. Put in comparison to the art 50 1.4 The Boca is not as smooth as the voigtlander even at 1.4 . With that being said the sigma DG 1.4 has better Boca them both of them , In my humble opinion. However the DG lands it’s nowhere near as sharp As the voigtlander .
I’m getting more interested in M mount lenses. I have a very large collection of vintage minoltas, taks and zuikos so this style is familiar and appealing. But it would be nice to have some fully manual lenses with modern mechanics. And the M Mount seems like a good investment as it’s been here since the 1950s and these companies are still making lenses for it. I’m a sucker for flare so I’m curious how these M mount Voigtlanders look when pointed at strong light sources.
I can’t speak much for the M mount Voigtlander’s (I assume there is nearly no difference) but there are definitely lens flares with this lens. Wide open it has a fair amount of “glow” but still some large round reflections of the lens elements.. you can get some fairly funky flares here too if you try. Stopping down it has sunstars quickly, and sharper lens flares.
The M mount is definitely and investment 😀 But they have some really interesting lenses, and now the M11 with a sensor that’s hard to beat!
Hi Sam, great video! I'm curious what kind of setup you used for filming this video, which camera and lens? Also have you tried the voigt 40 1.2?
Hi VT, I was rocking the Sony A7RIII with the Sony 24mm f1.4 GM for this. I haven't tried the 40mm but it seems like it is similarly likeable -- I think it is more highly regarded than the 50mm.
Thank you for your information
very helpful review, thank you!
great video hope you make more
Try the 58mm 1.4 Nokton. Less expensive, same magic.
I just bought the 58mm. I was so torn between the 50mm 1.2 and the 58mm, I'm glad I decided on the 58 though.
I like seeing some Houston pics! (19th avenue). Thank you for the review. I'll go for it!
That's right! Hitting up the Heights.
Has anyone shot with this lens on a Fuji XPro 3 and what adaper is needed?
If you are willing to shoot manually, it’s the best 50mm lens in the world right now, manual or autofocus.
Megadap and Techart make autofocus adapters for it (if you shoot Nikon Z, or Sony)
Define best. I'm interested in this lens. I have the 50 APO and it's pretty amazing but 50 Summicron beats it for size and sharper pixel peeping. Summilux I liked better than Summicron and then there's the Leica 50 APO and Delicious Noctilux. I've owned them all so hard to say which is best. Currently using Sony so I'lll take a native mount lens these days.
Beautiful video and intro. Deserves more subscribers
Thank you so much!
Could you do a full comparison with the apo f2?
I don’t actually own the APO Lanthar but I can look into it:)
@@TheOtherSamMallory Would love a comparison too!
Very nice review, I have the 40 mm 1.2, but I got a used copy of the 50 and I will be checking which one I’ll keep. The only difference is that MF is not for me so I went VM version with techart pro ii.
Does the autofocus work well via the tech art??
@@TheOtherSamMallory Tech-art 2 nd generation on my a7 iv is fantastic. Don’t spect to get focus on any corner of the frame but once you know how to properly use it is a beautiful tool. I got a few more vintages beside the voigt
@@TheOtherSamMalloryI need to updates this, I recently got an a6100 and techart on that camera does work on most of the sensor , impressive! Even on the far corner you get eye af
heyy cool vids! thankyou for the review! but can i ask whats the different between SE and without? thanks man! cheers
It’s mostly just the external hardware from what I understand. No “de-clicked” aperture ring but a smaller overall size. Should be the same optically (based on their marketing).
Which one you would choose: this or 55/1.8 sony zeiss sonnar?
I think I would generally pick the 55/1.8 Sony Zeiss Sonnar (it’s an optically excellent, small, fast lens with AUTOFOCUS)... It’s simply more practical. That said, I really wanted the fully manual lens with a look like the Voigtlander so I love it for my daily, casual use. I could of course edit the Zeiss to look similar and turn off autofocus to do this but I can’t necessarily make the Voigtlander an autofocus lens or have the cleaner optics of the Zeiss.
What program are you using to edit with?
This was all Lightroom CC!
I have a questions between this one and the SE, still edition version. Removal of aperture de-click function and visual design change only difference? Optically exact same result as this one?
I am wondering if I should save extra $100 and get the SE version instead.
From everything they advertise, yes. Obviously the focus rings will feel different but practically speaking the aperture de-click seems to be the big thing.
@@TheOtherSamMallory do you know if the 40mm 1.2 also have that same smeared butter look at 1.2?
With all the 'vintage' f1.2 options out there, what steered you towards the Voigtlander (I own the pentax smc 50mm f1.2 and the canon 55mm f1.2)? Great vid - thanks!
Frankly, ease... the Voigtlander was easily accessible (no searching in the used market for a good copy), already E-mount available, and seemed like a nice lens that gave me what I was after. I also like the de-clicked aperture and the electronic contacts with EXIF info but could live without it.
I think some of the real vintage lenses are quite remarkable though; a rabbit hole I will probably jump into some day!
What are your thoughts between the Pentax and the Canon? And buying vintage lenses in general?
@@TheOtherSamMallory I think it puts the acronym G.A.S. on a quantum/astronomical/cosmically/comically absurd level. Take your pick. If you already know what focal lengths you prefer and what you want to do with the lenses, stick to your guns and go for it. But I strongly suggest learning what you can before you buy instead of buying and finding out it doesn't work for you. I have done the latter and my wallet (and my ego) hate me for it. Yes, I have bragging rights with my filter ring dented Tomioka 55mm f1.2, but when I'm out shooting, I'm usually solo and just messing around. I don't think it will get any better than the Voigtlander series - diminishing returns and minute differences in bokeh between vintage lenses can be fun to compare, but you can only use so many lenses at once. I think you made the right choice. So unless you find miracle deals at the local garage sale, I'd avoid the vintage lens market like the plague. If I had it to do over, I'd buy a set of Voigtlanders myself. I still might - after I sell off some of this stuff. Interested in a Canon 55mm f1.2? I have 3 of them. Seriously.
Some quite helpful feedback... I’ll keep my eye out for miracle deals at garage sales but my head down otherwise! As I expected, it sounds like a deep, albeit quite interesting, rabbit hole. If I end up slipping and falling into it I’ll bug you about those Canon 55mm’s!
Many thanks for your review Sam! Did you try it in monochrom (BW)? 😎
I’ve shot color and converted to black and white, which was great, but have never had this on a full monochrome sensor! For the same reason’s the aesthetic of the lens looks great with color (the softer contrast wide-open, slight halation, and vignetting) the lens also looks great in Black and White in my opinion.
I'm eyeing this lens but I'm not a sony shooter. Do you know if the Leica M version is the same optically?
Hi Sam, does the 50mm F1.2 sharper than the older 50mm F1.1? thanks!
I haven't actually had a chance to try the 50mm f1.1 but this lens is quite sharp once stopped down to about f2.8.
When I saw your sub number I didn't have high expectations. This is a great real world review.... far better than most.
I have a 24mm GM which I love and recently bought the Tamron 28-200. I am disappointed how far behind it is, in image quality. I can really only use it as a general purpose lens for spotting compositions. Do you think this has as much "character " as the 24mm GM?
Thanks, I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
I think the 24mm GM would definitely be considered a "better" lens: its colors will pop a bit more, there will be more contrast and detail throughout the aperture range, and there will be less vignetting and chromatic aberration... I absolutely love mine.
I would say the Voigtlander isn't as good in terms of image quality but has more "character".... the earthy colors, vignetting, and contrast are quite appealing if you're a fan of the look it creates. Like @All Cars United said, it's got some soul.
@@TheOtherSamMallory would it be a bit too "flaky" for astro?
@@SnapographyAP I used it for the shot of the milky way included in the video... it did okay but I had to stop down to f/2 to control the chromatic aberration and boost the contrast. A bit of astigmatism but I liked it otherwise. Definitely not the 24mm GM . The Zeiss 55mm is probably a better choice.
@@TheOtherSamMallory ok thanks Sam, stopping down wouldn't work for me. I saw a review of the 40mm by Dustin Abbott which suggested the same. Wide open it has poor contrast and ca. I am basically looking for a 50mm version of the 24mm. Will be watching out for new content. Cheers Rory
@@TheOtherSamMallory great thanks. Maybe Zeiss. I might be wrong but I tend to feel Sigma lack character.
Bonjour Sam. je viens juste de l'acquérir, et je suis plutot déçu. Aux grandes ouvertures, il n'est pas bien corrigé. Mon Nokton 1.5/75mm est plus net au centre à f1.5-2.8.... De plus le 75mm est bien mieux corrigé au niveau de la distortion. Je vais ramener ce 50mm à mon revendeur.
Thanks for sharing! I’m sorry to hear it was a disappointment… it is a very different lens when wide open compared to stopped down. I know the 50mm f/2 is better corrected and a bit of a different style but haven’t played with many other Voigtlander lenses.
I have enough clinically perfect lenses. I want lenses with character.
Your edits are really... (sjfdeh)
Have to disagree, there’s a LOT of actual IQ difference between the f2 and f1.2.
Interesting, I'll look into it a bit more. My experience was that they are both quite similar (once the 1.2 is stopped down to ~f2.0). What were the big differences you noticed?
@@TheOtherSamMallory Obviously you're not going to see much difference with 24mpx camera. Having said that, mid frame and corners, the f2 @ f2 is noticeablely better [a7r]. But with 42 and 61... there's a lot of difference in clarity. I don't have the 1.2 or the a7r2 anymore so cannot make direct comparisons.
IQ aside there's difference in contrast, rendering and colour tonality. Btw, I've also got the 65mm f2 and both are really close match, with massive size/weight difference.