Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 (Z-Mount) and Nikon Zf
The Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 (Z-Mount), and the included metal lens hood, mounted on a Nikon Zf
Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 for Nikon Z-Mount Review
I already have two 40mm lenses for my newly acquired Nikon Zf. So what in the world was I thinking getting yet another one?
The 40mm focal length has become one of my favorites when I want to head out with just one or two lenses. It’s a wonderful focal length for storytelling. It is moderately wide but not too wide. Take a step closer and shoot it wide open, and it can still be used as a portrait lens without significant wide-angle distortion.
With the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2, I was looking for several features/attributes that neither my Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE nor Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIs have. Let’s see if it delivers.
Three Main Reasons for the Nokton 40mm f/1.2
There are three main reasons that I went for the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2
Manual focusing is more and more becoming the norm for all my endeavors for personal projects and to this point this meant using an adapter. Since the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 is available in a native Nikon Z-Mount there is no need for an adapter. It is also available in Leica M-Mount, Sony E-Mount, and Canon RF-Mount.
Electronic contact going to the camera ensures EXIF information and focus information (more about this below)
The overall great build quality with a wonderful smooth focusing ring and aptly sized aperture ring which is a joy to use.
Throughout this review, I will point out how the Nokton 40mm differs from my other 40mm lenses and let you know if I have a new favorite 40mm lens.
Specs, Handling, and Build Quality
At 11.1 oz, 315 g the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 has heft to it but it does not feel too heavy on the Nikon Zf. Nor do the dimensions of 2.7 x 2.1", 67.6 x 53.9 mm create an imbalance with the camera.
The fonts and overall design of the lens are very pleasing to my eye and nicely rounded off with the perfectly sized metal lens hood that is included. I know many Voigtländer M-Mount lenses do not include a lens hood and the original options are rarely inexpensive.
Other Specs:
10-blade diaphragm
8 elements in 6 groups, two double-sided aspherical lenses
Manual focus
58mm filter
Minimum focusing distance: 11.8", 30 cm
Aperture range: f/1.2 - f/22
Price: $899.00 (at the time this review last updated it was on sale for $799.00)
The distance scale is easy to read and marking on the lens barrel for zone-focusing is very handy.
The focus throw is 180 degrees and as I have come to expect from other Voigtländer lenses the smoothness of the focus ring is superb.
The aperture ring is another strong point. On many lenses, it will be too small, or fiddly, or it is easy to move from the intended position inadvertently. The aperture ring on the Nokton 40mm, clickable in thirds of a stop, is one of the best I have tried.
On the Nokton 40mm f/1.2, the aperture ring is placed at the front of the lens barrel which I prefer, and on the Ultron 40mm, it is in the middle (counting in the adapter). Unfortunately, the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE does not have an aperture ring and you would need to change the aperture via a command dial on the camera.
In Action
The most enlightening experience with the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 when paired with the Nikon Zf is a feature where the focusing point will light up, green, when you obtain accurate focus. It almost feels like a revelation after having used manual focusing lenses for a long time now without this technology.
It does not stop here. In the “Photo Shooting Menu” on your Nikon Zf, go to “MF subject detection area”, then pick one of the three area options. Via the iMenu, in the AF-Mode/subj. detection, pick one of the AF/MF subject detection options, ie. “face”, and magic will unfold.
The camera will find the eyes of your subject and place two boxes. Via the multi-selector, you can switch eyes, and best of all, the box will light, green, when you obtain focus. This happens regardless of your composition which is fantastic.
It works well and I find it accurate. I handed the camera to my daughter and husband and told them about this feature and without ever having tried it they nailed the focus. Wonderful.
Your truly, Stanley Park, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
Photo by: Emma Byskov Svane
Image Quality
After the first few test shots, it was hard to see any meaningful difference between my Ultron 40mm f/2 and the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 but the more I used the Nokton the more I spotted that it has better micro contrast at comparable f-stops. It is a tad sharper, and of course, it can shoot at f/1.2, f/1.6, and f/1.8 also.
It is important to note the significant price difference between the two Voigtländer lenses with the Ultron coming in at $489.00 and the Nokton at $899.00.
In comparison, at just over $300.00, it is hard to fault the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE. It renders a slightly more coarse image but this can be tweaked in post to a degree.
As for overall the image quality between the three I would rank the Nokton first, Ultron second, and Nikkor third but they are quite close. Perhaps it is no coincidence as this is also how they rank according to price.
The Nokton is not perfect at f/1.2 and will leave you with a dreamy-looking image and corners will not be super sharp. There is also noticeable vignetting at the lower f-stops. Stop it down to f/2.8 and things clear up very well and you can still get butter-smooth bokeh at closer ranges.
In Lightroom you have the correct profile for the Nokton 40mm Z, meaning you can add lens corrections. For some images, I like the added corrections and for others, I do not mind the vignetting and it is nice to have the option.
Stopped down to around f/5.6 or f/8 it is clinically sharp. In my book, it delivers the best of two worlds. At lower f-stops, it has a vintage-style character, and if you stop it down, it delivers crisp and clean images.
The sample images in this review can be viewed up to 2500 pixels wide, depending on your monitor size. Please click to view larger images or pinch-zoom if on your mobile phone.
Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Z vs. Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIs vs. Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE
As you will see below the image quality produced by all three lenses is very good and in a blind test, it may be hard to pick one over the other. Under further scrutiny, however, the Nokton pulls ahead slightly rendering more detail. But it is perhaps more so in the feature set and how they play with the Nikon Zf, that sets them apart.
The two Voigtländer lenses are manual focus only whereas the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE is an autofocus lens. As much as I like manual focus lenses autofocus is wonderful also and crucial to have in countless scenarios.
A few weeks ago I shot a protest march in the pouring rain, holding an umbrella in one hand and the camera in the other. At times I operated the camera with one hand only and the autofocus capabilities of the Nikkor lens saved the day.
The Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIs is a Nikon F-Mount lens and I have used it with my old Nikon SLR film cameras, with an adapter on my Fujifilm X-Series and GFX cameras, and finally on the Nikon Zf. This makes it a very versatile option.
When used with the Nikon FTZ II adapter it will also show a green confirmation when using a single focus point. It will also detect eyes but cannot give the green confirmation light in this mode. It is worth mentioning also that you have to stop the lens down to f/16 and use a command dial to adjust the aperture for this to work.
Please see the four images below from the three lenses. Click to view larger images or pinch zoom if on a mobile.
Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/2
Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II s @ f/2
Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE @ f/2
The Ultron and Nikkor lenses have a maximum aperture of f/2 whereas the Nokton 40mm goes to f/1.2. This gives you the ability to further separate your image from the background for a shallow depth of field with gorgeous bokeh.
It also gives you one and a third stop of extra light for low-light situations giving you the option to keep your ISO lower in comparable situations.
Conclusion
You can probably tell that I am excited about the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 paired with the Nikon Zf and it is indeed my new favorite 40mm lens.
It delivers on so many fronts. It feels solid in the hand and the overall sensation with the Zf is rugged and probably the next best thing to using a high-end Leica SL camera with an adapted Leica lens. It may even be better as it adds advantages such as focus confirmation, eye/subject tracking, and the option to avoid having to use an adapter altogether.
When I bought the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Z, I also tried the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.0 Z but found the balance and weight on the Zf cumbersome, and the overall ergonomics suffered.
The Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Z fits the camera in a way that reminds me of how I started my photography journey many years ago with a Canon AV-1 and FD 50mm f/1.8 lens. The Zf and Nokton 40mm is slightly larger and heavier but not to the point where it feels like a burden.
Everything about the Nokton 40mm lens from how it handles to the chipped implementation and how it works with the camera is well thought out.
I have tried many lenses over the last few years and when it comes to the enjoyment factor and overall performance and value proposition the Nokton 40mm f/1/2 Z is near the very top and I warmly recommend it.
Pros
Solid build quality
Retro-style looks and ergonomics
Chipped for EXIF info and focus confirmation
Smooth focus ring
Cons
Lack of weather-sealing
Please see more sample images below.
Price / Availability
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Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Z - B&H Photo
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Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 (Z-Mount) - Sample Images on a Nikon Zf
Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Lightroom.
Please click to view larger images.
Commercial Drive, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/8
Fisherman’s Wharf, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
Commercial Drive, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
East 6th Ave., Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/2
Fisherman’s Wharf, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
False Creek, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.6
Fisherman’s Wharf, Vancouver, Nikon Zf, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
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