Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs Review

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs for Nikon F-mount seen on a Nikon F3 HP — Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs shown on a Nikon F3 HP

A Review of the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs for Nikon F-Mount, Full-Frame Mirrorless, Fujifilm GFX, and APS-C

From the moment the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs was announced earlier this year I was keen to get my hands on it and there were two main reasons.

First of all my experience with the Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIs and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC has been excellent.

Secondly, I was interested in reviewing the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs not only in its native Nikon F-Mount but also adapted on a full frame mirrorless camera, a Fujifilm GFX camera, and Fujifilm X Series Camera.

There were other reasons which I will list for you in the review.

The Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs shown on a Nikon F3 HP — Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs shown on a Nikon F3 HP

Introduction

The Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs was announced in the spring of 2023 and released later in the summer. I narrowly missed the release before a six-week trip to Denmark but picked up my own copy in late July after returning to Vancouver.

Manufactured in Japan by lens maker Cosina the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm is now one of five Nikon F-Mount lenses in the series listed below.

Voigtländer Color Skopar 28mm f/2.8 SL IIs
Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIs
Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs
Voigtländer Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL IIs
Voigtländer APO-Skopar 90mm f/2.8 SL IIs

At the time this review was posted the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs was priced at $799.00.

A Mercedes SUV is parked beneath the Granville Bridge. Sample image from a Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs and Nikon F3 HP on Kodak Tri-X 400. — Granville Bridge, Vancouver, Nikon F3 HP, Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs, Kodax Tri-X 400

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs - Specs, Handling, and Build Quality

Lens construction: 7 elements in 6 groups, all of which are classic spherical lenses
9 aperture blades
Minimum focus distance: 17.7", 45 cm
Nikon AI-S Mount (CPU integrated)
Weight: 12.9 oz, 365 g
Dimensions: 2.7 x 1.9", 69 x 48.1 mm
Filter size: 52 mm
Optional screw-in lens hood, LH-55s

Voigtlãnder calls the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs “A tribute to the early days of 35mm cameras”, and rightfully so.

Everything from the design aesthetics to the feel of this lens is reminiscent of lenses from the last century, from early Nikon 35mm film cameras in the fifties and sixties.

The all-metal helicoid unit is processed with modern high-quality lubricants and is probably one of the top arguments for getting into a lens such as the Nokton 55mm. The focus feels absolutely wonderful and has a long throw from 17.7", 45 cm to infinity.

The aperture ring is clickable in full stops but can be adjusted in third stops from a modern Nikon F film camera or digital camera.

While the focus ring is wonderful to handle on the Nokton 55mm I wish the groves on the aperture ring were more like Nikon AI-S lenses with a steady groove pattern.

The smooth and then raised grooves on the aperture ring make it easy for your fingers to slip. This certainly is not a deal breaker but worth mentioning.

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs on a Nikon F3 HP

The Nokton 55mm is well-balanced on the Nikon F3 HP, is not too big and the combination looks rather striking. It is a native F-Mount lens and hence, an adapter is not needed in order to fit the lens on any F-Mount film camera or newer digital SLR camera.

For the latest Nikon Z mirrorless cameras, I suggest the Nikon FTZ II adapter.

After a couple of Kodak Tri-X 400 rolls of black and white negative film I am happy with the results but the photos do not appear drastically different from photos captured with my Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AI-S. Wide open, at f/1.2 there is vignetting but not to a degree where it becomes distracting.

Sharpness and contrast are lacking at f/1.2 but this was not unexpected. The Nokton 55 f/1.2 lens is made to render with a classic vintage style when shot wide open. Images gain more sharpness and contrast already by f/2.

One of the most enjoyable elements of using the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 is the fact that the viewfinder on my Nikon F3 HP is very bright and it makes focusing easier.

Please see more Nikon F3 HP sample images below.

A volleyball game at Sunset Beach on a warm July evening in Vancouver. Sample image from a Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs and Nikon F3 HP on Kodak Tri-X 400. — Sunset Beach, Vancouver, Nikon F3 HP, Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs, Kodax Tri-X 400

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs on a Panasonic S5 II

Natively built as a full-frame lens the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs can be adapted to any full-frame digital camera, ie. your Nikon, Canon, Sony, Leica, Panasonic, Pentax, or Sigma camera.

All you need is the proper adapter. I borrowed a K&F Concept Nikon F to Leica M adapter from my friend Julian when I tested the Panasonic Lumix S5 II a couple of weeks ago as I wanted to see how it would pair with the Nokton 55mm.

The Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs adapted to a Panasonic S5 II using a K&F Concept Adapter. — Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs adapted to a Panasonic S5 II

When used on the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, the Nokton 55mm shows similar traits as on the Nikon F3 HP where sharpness and contrast are lacking at f/1.2 but I was positively surprised by the color rendering and how well the lens held up to a modern mirrorless full-frame when stopped down just a tad.

A man is ordering from a food truck at English Bay in Vancouver. Sample image from a Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs and Panasonic Lumix S5 II. — English Bay Beach, Vancouver, Panasonic S5 II, Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs on a Fujifilm GFX 50R

I was excited to see how well the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 would cover the 44 x 33mm larger-than-full-frame sensor. Vignetting was expected and it is indeed there but you can get away with cropping full-size images by about 10-15% and after this, you would still have approximately a 40-megapixel file depending on the exact crop.

In some cases when working at closer ranges you can get away without having to crop images.

The Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs adapted to a Fujifilm GFX 50S using a Novoflex adapter. — The Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs adapted to a Fujifilm GFX 50S using a Novoflex adapter
Photo by Kyle @secondteamkyle. This is Kyle’s GFX 50S. The GFX photos in this article are made with my GFX 50R.

Depending on your stomach for imperfections, GFX files will show these when shot wide open or near wide open.

In many cases, I have resorted to using the Nokton 55mm in 35mm mode. This way, I still have a 34-megapixel file and do not have to spend an excess amount of time cleaning up images in post.

Of all the combinations listed in this review, the 35 mm mode on GFX is where I have had the most keepers and the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 seems to shine combined with the GFX sensor.

A 93 year old woman on a hiking trail near Vernon, BC. Sample image from a Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs and Fujifilm GFX 50R. — Vernon, BC, Fujifilm GFX 50R, Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs, 35mm mode

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs on a Fujifilm APS-C Camera

Last but not least the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 is an excellent fit for any APS-C camera and will yield a full-frame equivalent field of view of approximately 85mm.

If you are okay with manual focus and a lack of EXIF info going to the camera, I found the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 a joy to use with my Fujifilm X-Pro2. I plan to test it also in the coming weeks with a Fujifilm X-T5 that Fujifilm Canada kindly sent me for my review.

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs adapted to a Fujifilm X-Pro2 with a K&F Concept adapter

On an APS-C sensor camera, you effectively crop your image by approximately 1.5x and will not be using the outer, and often weakest part of the lens.

I was very happy with the colors from the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 and saw similarities to my photos made with the Panasonic Lumix S5 II. Images also appear sharper even when shot wide open. I look forward to putting it under further scrutiny with the X-T5.

A lone lifeguard in a row boat at English Bay in Vancouver during the Festival of Light. Sample image from a Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs and Fujifilm X-Pro2. — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-Pro2, Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs @ f/1.2

Conclusion

Your mileage will vary with the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs depending on which camera you plan to use it with.

My goal was to demonstrate (with more sample images below) that it is a versatile option with excellent build quality. If you favor manual focusing it does not get much better than this.

Optically the Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs is not perfect but strangely enough, it is not supposed to be. As mentioned above, it is made as a tribute to the early days of 35mm cameras and appears to be exactly this.

Many new lenses released today will render images so perfectly that it becomes almost too real and sometimes boring.

Having a lens that creates a vintage-like quality when shot wide open and then clinically more correct images when stopped down offers you a refreshing alternative.

The one feature I have not tested in this review is the fact that the Nokton 55mm f/1.2 has electronic contacts and CPU integration with modern Nikon film cameras and newer digital cameras.

This gives you EXIF information along with the ability to view f/stop and confirmation of focus. This would be pretty cool with the rumored retro-style Nikon Zf and I would love to test this at some point.

Pros

Exquisite manual focusing
Excellent build quality
CPU integration with modern F-Mount cameras

Cons

Optical performance questionable at f/1.2

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

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Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs - Sample Images

Please see the sample images below. The negatives in this review were copied using a Fujifilm X-Pro2, an AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D lens, and Skier Sunray Copybox 3. RAW files were imported to Lightroom and I used the Negative Lab Pro plugin to convert the files.

The Panasonic Lumix S5 II files were edited in Lightroom and the GFX 50R and X-Pro2 files were edited in Capture One Express.

Please click to view larger images.