For a generation of photographers who appreciate the tactile experience of manual focus and the look of ultra fast glass, the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.0 Nokton has emerged as a truly exceptional standard prime.
Born from Voigtlander's tradition of combining classic design with modern optical engineering, this lens stands out not merely for its sharp, premium, all metal build, but for its headline grabbing maximum aperture of f/1.0. In a world increasingly saturated with clinically perfect autofocus lenses, the Nokton 50mm f/1.0 offers a true engaging experience.
The sheer speed of f/1.0 makes it an amazing lens in low light, but its primary appeal is the unparalleled control over depth of field. It promises to deliver a truly captivating and unique rendering.
This review is more of an observation of results from the lens rather than a technical review. It is intended to show various use scenarios for the lens from both M mount and Z mount versions. And, in some instances adapted M to Z.
This photograph of my son at the dinner tble immediately showcases the distinctive optical results of the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.0 Nokton.
The lens creates an extreme, razor thin plane of focus at f/1.0, which is evident in the focus on the face while the elements behind him melt into a blur.
The bokeh is exceptionally large, soft, and creamy. This separation between the sharp subject and the abstract background which is a juke box gives the image a noticeable pop, a look of depth that is the signature of ultra fast lenses like the Nokton and Noctiux.
Despite shooting wide open, the center of the image retains very good detail and sharpness, providing excellent resolution. All this at a fraction the price of a Leica Noctilux.
Click to view photo details and comments
This photograph of my son at the dinner tble immediately showcases the distinctive optical results of the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.0 Nokton.
The lens creates an extreme, razor thin plane of focus at f/1.0, which is evident in the focus on the face while the elements behind him melt into a blur.
The bokeh is exceptionally large, soft, and creamy. This separation between the sharp subject and the abstract background which is a juke box gives the image a noticeable pop, a look of depth that is the signature of ultra fast lenses like the Nokton and Noctiux.
Despite shooting wide open, the center of the image retains very good detail and sharpness, providing excellent resolution. All this at a fraction the price of a Leica Noctilux.
This portrait, captured wide open at f1.0, perfectly demonstrates the performance of the Nokton.
The background blur is rendered with an intensely smooth, artistic character. Again, like in the other samples, everything behind the subject melts into a soft wash of light and shadow. This is aided by the lens's 12 aperture blades, ensuring that any residual out of focus highlights (though subtle here) remain beautifully smooth.
Despite being shot wide open, the lens maintains impressive detail and sharpness on the subject's face, a testament to the lens's modern optical design, including the use of ground asperical elements. While a slight degree of classic character, like subtle vignetting or softness at the extremes, may be present at f/1 it adds to the mood rather than detracting from the central image quality.
I have included a B&W version of the image as well just for fun.
Click to view photo details and comments
This portrait, captured wide open at f1.0, perfectly demonstrates the performance of the Nokton.
The background blur is rendered with an intensely smooth, artistic character. Again, like in the other samples, everything behind the subject melts into a soft wash of light and shadow. This is aided by the lens's 12 aperture blades, ensuring that any residual out of focus highlights (though subtle here) remain beautifully smooth.
Despite being shot wide open, the lens maintains impressive detail and sharpness on the subject's face, a testament to the lens's modern optical design, including the use of ground asperical elements. While a slight degree of classic character, like subtle vignetting or softness at the extremes, may be present at f/1 it adds to the mood rather than detracting from the central image quality.
I have included a B&W version of the image as well just for fun.
This shot taken at f/1.4, demonstrates its prowess in subject isolation by creating an incredibly shallow field of focus. This depth isolates the items in the foreground, the bag and the cans with striking sharpness against the busy scene behind them.
Considering the price of this lens when compared to a Noctilux, it really delivers exceptional sharpnes and contrast.
Click to view photo details and comments
This shot taken at f/1.4, demonstrates its prowess in subject isolation by creating an incredibly shallow field of focus. This depth isolates the items in the foreground, the bag and the cans with striking sharpness against the busy scene behind them.
Considering the price of this lens when compared to a Noctilux, it really delivers exceptional sharpnes and contrast.
In this example shot with a Nikon ZF using the native Z mount we can see how it handles the extreme backlighting in this image with impressive control over flare and ghosting for such a fast, complex lens. Despite the bright sunlight flaring into the frame on the left, the lens largely maintains excellent global contrast and rich tones in the subject areas. Notice how the texture and detail of the dog's fur, the blanket, and the man's cap are preserved and sharp, preventing the image from becoming a washed out, low contrast mess often seen with high speed lenses in these conditions. The aspherical and floating elements in its optical design are engineered to suppress these issues, allowing the you to capture the strong visual character of the f/1.0 maximum aperture without severe optical penalty.
Click to view photo details and comments
In this example shot with a Nikon ZF using the native Z mount we can see how it handles the extreme backlighting in this image with impressive control over flare and ghosting for such a fast, complex lens. Despite the bright sunlight flaring into the frame on the left, the lens largely maintains excellent global contrast and rich tones in the subject areas. Notice how the texture and detail of the dog's fur, the blanket, and the man's cap are preserved and sharp, preventing the image from becoming a washed out, low contrast mess often seen with high speed lenses in these conditions. The aspherical and floating elements in its optical design are engineered to suppress these issues, allowing the you to capture the strong visual character of the f/1.0 maximum aperture without severe optical penalty.
This shot captured at f2 moves away from the extremes of its wider apertures to showcase its high optical quality when stopped down slightly.
By f2, the lens achieves a significant boost in sharpness and contrast across the frame compared to f1 or f1.4. Notice the clarity in the mans hair and jacket embroidery.
While the depth of field is naturally deeper at f2 the bokeh remains beautifully smooth. The background is sufficiently blurred to ensure strong subject separation, turning the logs and distant people into a soft, indistinct canvas.
Click to view photo details and comments
This shot captured at f2 moves away from the extremes of its wider apertures to showcase its high optical quality when stopped down slightly.
By f2, the lens achieves a significant boost in sharpness and contrast across the frame compared to f1 or f1.4. Notice the clarity in the mans hair and jacket embroidery.
While the depth of field is naturally deeper at f2 the bokeh remains beautifully smooth. The background is sufficiently blurred to ensure strong subject separation, turning the logs and distant people into a soft, indistinct canvas.
This photo featuring the subject in a contemplative pose, is a powerful demonstration of the 50 Nokton's ability to create an intimate and dramatic black and white narrative.
The photograph shot at f/1.2 to achieve extreme subject isolation, focusing sharply on the subjects profile and her hand while the immediate foreground and background dissolve. This shallow depth of field, combined with the conversion to monochrome, emphasizes the high micro contrast on her face, lending texture and weight to her expression and skin tones.
The low, ambient room light is nicely handled by the fast glass, which avoids harsh shadows but still maintains a strong tonal separation between the brightly lit shirt and the dark, shadowy corner of the room. The result is a classic portrait that uses the lens's ability to maximize light gathering and subject separation to set the mood.
You just gotta love this lens!
Click to view photo details and comments
This photo featuring the subject in a contemplative pose, is a powerful demonstration of the 50 Nokton's ability to create an intimate and dramatic black and white narrative.
The photograph shot at f/1.2 to achieve extreme subject isolation, focusing sharply on the subjects profile and her hand while the immediate foreground and background dissolve. This shallow depth of field, combined with the conversion to monochrome, emphasizes the high micro contrast on her face, lending texture and weight to her expression and skin tones.
The low, ambient room light is nicely handled by the fast glass, which avoids harsh shadows but still maintains a strong tonal separation between the brightly lit shirt and the dark, shadowy corner of the room. The result is a classic portrait that uses the lens's ability to maximize light gathering and subject separation to set the mood.
This image demonstrates the Voigtlander's remarkable value. Shot nearly wide open at f/1.2, the lens delivers outstanding color detail and resolving power visible even in the fine texture of the subject's eyelashes while simultaneously rendering a smooth out ot focus background. This level of optical quality and exquisite depth of field control is achieved at a mere fraction of the cost of its closest competitor, the Leica Noctilux.
Click to view photo details and comments
This image demonstrates the Voigtlander's remarkable value. Shot nearly wide open at f/1.2, the lens delivers outstanding color detail and resolving power visible even in the fine texture of the subject's eyelashes while simultaneously rendering a smooth out ot focus background. This level of optical quality and exquisite depth of field control is achieved at a mere fraction of the cost of its closest competitor, the Leica Noctilux.
This is a beautiful demonstration of the Leica M11's high resolution sensor paired with the demanding, yet rewarding, 50mm f/1.0 Nokton shot at f/1.2.
Despite stopping down only slightly from wide open, the lens, aided by the M11's 60-megapixel sensor, delivers outstanding central sharpness where focused.
The allows the camera to resolve incredibly fine elements, notably the subjects eyelashes. Achieving this level of detail at such a shallow depth of field with the manual focus of a rangefinder is a true testament to the lens's optical capabilities.
While the Nokton f/1.0 is known for its intense separation, at f/1.2 on a high resolution sensor, the background retains a pleasant creaminess that avoids appearing busy or distracting.
Click to view photo details and comments
This is a beautiful demonstration of the Leica M11's high resolution sensor paired with the demanding, yet rewarding, 50mm f/1.0 Nokton shot at f/1.2.
Despite stopping down only slightly from wide open, the lens, aided by the M11's 60-megapixel sensor, delivers outstanding central sharpness where focused.
The allows the camera to resolve incredibly fine elements, notably the subjects eyelashes. Achieving this level of detail at such a shallow depth of field with the manual focus of a rangefinder is a true testament to the lens's optical capabilities.
While the Nokton f/1.0 is known for its intense separation, at f/1.2 on a high resolution sensor, the background retains a pleasant creaminess that avoids appearing busy or distracting.
This low particular light photograph, captured in black and white, perfectly illustrates the power of using the Nokton lens shot open to capture a fleeting moment in challenging ambient conditions.
The enormous maximum aperture gathers enough light to keep the ISO manageable and, critically, allows for a relatively fast enough shutter speed to freeze the motion of the subject while retaining clarity on the figure despite the deep darkness.
Click to view photo details and comments
This low particular light photograph, captured in black and white, perfectly illustrates the power of using the Nokton lens shot open to capture a fleeting moment in challenging ambient conditions.
The enormous maximum aperture gathers enough light to keep the ISO manageable and, critically, allows for a relatively fast enough shutter speed to freeze the motion of the subject while retaining clarity on the figure despite the deep darkness.
Lastly, this shot, featuring a cluster of lamps and lights, captured with the M11 at f/2, demonstrates a shift towards maximal technical clarity and performance.
Stopping down to f/2 takes the lens into its optical sweet spot, delivering sharp detail where focused. The overall image exhibits robust contrast ensuring the warm yellows and cool tones of the scene are rendered with purity and minimal chromatic aberration.
Crucially, the background's subtle highlights, particularly the out of focus lamps are rendered with a smooth, refined bokeh creating perfectly rounded shapes. The result is a clean, modern look that balances high resolution with refined aesthetic quality.
Click to view photo details and comments
Lastly, this shot, featuring a cluster of lamps and lights, captured with the M11 at f/2, demonstrates a shift towards maximal technical clarity and performance.
Stopping down to f/2 takes the lens into its optical sweet spot, delivering sharp detail where focused. The overall image exhibits robust contrast ensuring the warm yellows and cool tones of the scene are rendered with purity and minimal chromatic aberration.
Crucially, the background's subtle highlights, particularly the out of focus lamps are rendered with a smooth, refined bokeh creating perfectly rounded shapes. The result is a clean, modern look that balances high resolution with refined aesthetic quality.
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For a generation of photographers who appreciate the tactile experience of manual focus and the look of ultra fast glass, the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.0 Nokton has emerged as a truly exceptional standard prime.
Born from Voigtlander's tradition of combining classic design with modern optical engineering, this lens stands out not merely for its sharp, premium, all metal build, but for its headline grabbing maximum aperture of f/1.0. In a world increasingly saturated with clinically perfect autofocus lenses, the Nokton 50mm f/1.0 offers a true engaging experience.
The sheer speed of f/1.0 makes it an amazing lens in low light, but its primary appeal is the unparalleled control over depth of field. It promises to deliver a truly captivating and unique rendering.
This review is more of an observation of results from the lens rather than a technical review. It is intended to show various use scenarios for the lens from both M mount and Z mount versions. And, in some instances adapted M to Z.
This photograph of my son at the dinner tble immediately showcases the distinctive optical results of the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.0 Nokton.
The lens creates an extreme, razor thin plane of focus at f/1.0, which is evident in the focus on the face while the elements behind him melt into a blur.
The bokeh is exceptionally large, soft, and creamy. This separation between the sharp subject and the abstract background which is a juke box gives the image a noticeable pop, a look of depth that is the signature of ultra fast lenses like the Nokton and Noctiux.
Despite shooting wide open, the center of the image retains very good detail and sharpness, providing excellent resolution. All this at a fraction the price of a Leica Noctilux.
A black and white for comparison.
This portrait, captured wide open at f1.0, perfectly demonstrates the performance of the Nokton.
The background blur is rendered with an intensely smooth, artistic character. Again, like in the other samples, everything behind the subject melts into a soft wash of light and shadow. This is aided by the lens's 12 aperture blades, ensuring that any residual out of focus highlights (though subtle here) remain beautifully smooth.
Despite being shot wide open, the lens maintains impressive detail and sharpness on the subject's face, a testament to the lens's modern optical design, including the use of ground asperical elements. While a slight degree of classic character, like subtle vignetting or softness at the extremes, may be present at f/1 it adds to the mood rather than detracting from the central image quality.
I have included a B&W version of the image as well just for fun.
This shot taken at f/1.4, demonstrates its prowess in subject isolation by creating an incredibly shallow field of focus. This depth isolates the items in the foreground, the bag and the cans with striking sharpness against the busy scene behind them.
Considering the price of this lens when compared to a Noctilux, it really delivers exceptional sharpnes and contrast.
In this example shot with a Nikon ZF using the native Z mount we can see how it handles the extreme backlighting in this image with impressive control over flare and ghosting for such a fast, complex lens. Despite the bright sunlight flaring into the frame on the left, the lens largely maintains excellent global contrast and rich tones in the subject areas. Notice how the texture and detail of the dog's fur, the blanket, and the man's cap are preserved and sharp, preventing the image from becoming a washed out, low contrast mess often seen with high speed lenses in these conditions. The aspherical and floating elements in its optical design are engineered to suppress these issues, allowing the you to capture the strong visual character of the f/1.0 maximum aperture without severe optical penalty.
This shot captured at f2 moves away from the extremes of its wider apertures to showcase its high optical quality when stopped down slightly.
By f2, the lens achieves a significant boost in sharpness and contrast across the frame compared to f1 or f1.4. Notice the clarity in the mans hair and jacket embroidery.
While the depth of field is naturally deeper at f2 the bokeh remains beautifully smooth. The background is sufficiently blurred to ensure strong subject separation, turning the logs and distant people into a soft, indistinct canvas.
This photo featuring the subject in a contemplative pose, is a powerful demonstration of the 50 Nokton's ability to create an intimate and dramatic black and white narrative.
The photograph shot at f/1.2 to achieve extreme subject isolation, focusing sharply on the subjects profile and her hand while the immediate foreground and background dissolve. This shallow depth of field, combined with the conversion to monochrome, emphasizes the high micro contrast on her face, lending texture and weight to her expression and skin tones.
The low, ambient room light is nicely handled by the fast glass, which avoids harsh shadows but still maintains a strong tonal separation between the brightly lit shirt and the dark, shadowy corner of the room. The result is a classic portrait that uses the lens's ability to maximize light gathering and subject separation to set the mood.
You just gotta love this lens!
This image demonstrates the Voigtlander's remarkable value. Shot nearly wide open at f/1.2, the lens delivers outstanding color detail and resolving power visible even in the fine texture of the subject's eyelashes while simultaneously rendering a smooth out ot focus background. This level of optical quality and exquisite depth of field control is achieved at a mere fraction of the cost of its closest competitor, the Leica Noctilux.
This is a beautiful demonstration of the Leica M11's high resolution sensor paired with the demanding, yet rewarding, 50mm f/1.0 Nokton shot at f/1.2.
Despite stopping down only slightly from wide open, the lens, aided by the M11's 60-megapixel sensor, delivers outstanding central sharpness where focused.
The allows the camera to resolve incredibly fine elements, notably the subjects eyelashes. Achieving this level of detail at such a shallow depth of field with the manual focus of a rangefinder is a true testament to the lens's optical capabilities.
While the Nokton f/1.0 is known for its intense separation, at f/1.2 on a high resolution sensor, the background retains a pleasant creaminess that avoids appearing busy or distracting.
This low particular light photograph, captured in black and white, perfectly illustrates the power of using the Nokton lens shot open to capture a fleeting moment in challenging ambient conditions.
The enormous maximum aperture gathers enough light to keep the ISO manageable and, critically, allows for a relatively fast enough shutter speed to freeze the motion of the subject while retaining clarity on the figure despite the deep darkness.
Lastly, this shot, featuring a cluster of lamps and lights, captured with the M11 at f/2, demonstrates a shift towards maximal technical clarity and performance.
Stopping down to f/2 takes the lens into its optical sweet spot, delivering sharp detail where focused. The overall image exhibits robust contrast ensuring the warm yellows and cool tones of the scene are rendered with purity and minimal chromatic aberration.
Crucially, the background's subtle highlights, particularly the out of focus lamps are rendered with a smooth, refined bokeh creating perfectly rounded shapes. The result is a clean, modern look that balances high resolution with refined aesthetic quality.