 Zeiss User Forums |
|
|
|
|
Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 Nokton (M mount)
|
|
|
|
Reviews
|
Views
|
Date of last review
|
|
3
|
9864
|
Wed December 24, 2008
|
|
 |
|
Recommended By
|
Average Price
|
Average Rating
|
|
100% of reviewers
|
$350.00
|
9.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Administrator
|
|
Posts: 257
Registered: November 2008
Location: Ellicott City, MD (US)
|
|
|
|
|
Author
|
|
volkerhopf
Member
Registered: December 2008
Posts: 3
|
|
Review Date: Wed December 10, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
f1.4, 40mm focal length
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
I have the multicoated version on the M8 as a walk around lens. The 40mm focal length is what I use alot on the M8. Many reviewers complain about the bokeh of this lens but I don't think it is not bad at all. the f1.4 is perfectly usable.
|
|
|
|
gnarayan
just some bloke
Registered: December 2008
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 6
|
|
Review Date: Wed December 10, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $350.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
size, speed, value for money
|
|
Cons:
|
slightly stiff focus, occasionally harsh bokeh
|
|
The first M mount lens I got along with the Bessa R3a (paid $700 for both so I am guessing at price separately above). I have the SC version of the lens FWIW. Don't really know if it makes a difference and I can't really tell the difference from the MC version based on what I've seen.
It is considerably cheaper than the 35/1.4 Nokton and that makes it an exceptionally good value, something I like to remind myself when the Summilux lust hits.
By default it pulls up the 50mm framelines on an M body but you can file it a bit to bring up the 35mm frame line. If you do this and then mount it on a CL(E) it will not bring up the 40 framelines though. I haven't bothered. This is a useful post from Ondrej at RFF if you need to do that modification.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...t.php?p=912946
I just the frame selection lever on the M6 to bring up 35mm if I need to estimate. Haven't chopped out any elements I did not intend to yet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/3057145239/
A little bit of the finder is blocked by the lens hood on both the R3a and the M6 .72 but it doesn't really bother me.
Focus tab was very stiff right after I got it particularly around the 2m mark but it has loosened up considerably with use though it still isn't smooth. This is a nice post on how to relube it should you be so inclined from Huw Finney on photo.net
http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00Ai8p
I don't have any other 40mm lenses to directly compare against but Anupam Basu has a nice comparison with the 40 Summicron.
http://decisivemomentum.blogspot.com...s-cv-40mm.html
I have used several OM 50s and compared to the OM 50/1.4 the Nokton is smaller, sharper and has more pleasant bokeh wide open, though considerably more expensive. I do tend to prefer the OM 35/2.8 which is about the same size but I think has nicer bokeh at most of its apertures however it is a full two stops slower than the 40 Nokton so I do overall use the Nokton more. Quite a useful focal length because its feels easy to make it feel wide or normal.
It is quite sharp, particularly stopped down.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/2563137354/
The 40/1.4 does vignette quite noticeably wide open. More a feature than a problem IMO.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/3014015841/
I haven't noticed any distortion or focus shift with it though it supposedly exhibits both. I don't do careful lens tests. A lot of people seem to complain about the bokeh of the lens. Certainly it can be rough with hard circles around highlights.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/2897018509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/2897860594/
It seems considerably better behaved in B&W in this department -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/2611945093/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/3059830757/
but since it depends on focal distance and relative separation between subject and background its all messy and I'm not terribly obsessive about bokeh.
I do like the images from the VC 35/1.2 better in this respect but I have tried that lens and don't like it because it feels much too large.
The SC version is supposed to be suited for B&W but I quite like it in colour as well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/2968010339/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/2577981918/
Overall I think it is a very usable lens, and is excellent value for money. It lives on my M6 now and goes pretty much everywhere. It is the first lens that I can say that about, and that to me makes it better than many other more interesting lenses that stay on the shelf for one reason or the other. Even if it isn't technically perfect, it makes a good set of compromises and I think it makes a very good single normal lens solution.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/3020200602/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/3014848230/
Cheers,
-Gautham
A few more useful links if you are interested in this lens - Sean Reid's "Fast lenses for the Epson RD-1"
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re...nsreview.shtml
A DC watch review in Japanese (google translate will give you a vague inkling of the meaning)
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/re...12/03/466.html
Mike Johnston's "Why 40mm"
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.../why-40mm.html
RFF has plenty of threads with samples and MC vs SC vs VC 35/1.4 comparisons.
|
|
|
|
|
monopix
aka Peter R
Registered: December 2008
Posts: 10
|
|
Review Date: Wed December 24, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
I have no complaints to make about this lens but I don't think it's quite up to the 35mm so have to give it a 9 only.
I use mine on a Minolta CLE and together they make a compact and versatile package.
If you want a lens hood that doesn't block the viewfinder, get the round one (VLH35P) which was originally made for the 35mm f/2.5 pancake lens and get a push on cap that fits over the hood instead of the horrible plastic clip-in one supplied with the lens.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Powered by: ReviewPost PHP vB3 Enhanced
Copyright 2006 All Enthusiast, Inc.
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:57 AM.
;)
