Voigtlander Nokton Manual Focus Micro
I rented this lens for my Pany Af100 video camera. I was hired to do a series of interviews in Florence and wanted a nice bokeh and DOF control as well as something that I can squeeze into tight shooting situations. Brought a light kit with me, but used it only once because it was night time and even then probably could have used the table lights present. The Af100 has built in ND filters so it was pretty easy dialing it in when I had a lot of light, but was able to pull off shots in tight darker places fairly easily. Had to use the focus assist on the AF100 to pull focus and even then, if it was wide open, I had some issues if the subject moved an inch or two...I would have their ears in focus, but the facial feature would start going soft. That DOF is incredible. I have a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 and while it can shoot pretty nice DOF, the field of view is cut considerably because of the multiplier factor on the micro 4/3 chip. The 25mm helps considerably, and makes tight shooting situations easy to handle. On the other hand, you have to get somewhat closer than usual to a subject sometimes for framing.
I rarely took this solid lens off when I had it for the 10 days and I'm planning to purchase one. And as one other reviewer said...the lens cap is a bit suspect. Other than that
This lens is a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system seller (at least, it did it for me).
BalasHapusFirst, if you really like autofocus and find manual focus intimidating or in general, a drawback, then the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 Leica DG Summilux Aspherical Lens for Micro 4/3 System is probably a better choice.
From photozone reviews, the Leica seems to be sharp wide open, but doesn't get much sharper when stopped down. Vignetting is more pronounced than on the Nokton. The Nokton gets to be sharper than the Leica when stopped down and is a bit more than a stop faster (lets twice as much light through at f/0.95 than the Leica at f/1.4, which means that shutter speeds can be twice as fast - an important advantage in low light).
Voigtlander lenses are produced by Cosina, who also produces the modern Zeiss lenses for DSLRs. Their manufacturing is impeccable - these are some of the best built lenses you can find these days. This Nokton is no exception. It comes well packaged in moulded foam. The lens comes with nice front and rear caps and also with a hood that has its own cap. It is entirely built from metal - there is no plastic, not even rubber on the focusing ring. The focusing ring has a nice ribbed design reminiscent of the Takumars. The aperture ring clicks very smoothly in half stop increments, but can also be set between clicks if you desire so. The Nokton was built to the highest standards and it is a pleasure to handle.
Optically, it works amazingly well. It sharpens very fast when stopped down, but what I really like is how usable it is at f/0.95. Yes, there is a bit of glow wide open and some may take that for softness, but watch closely and you'll see that fine detail is still well captured. It works extremely well for available light portraiture - in fact, it might become my favorite portrait lens. And, of course, stopped down it gets really sharp - especially in the center. You should be aware that f/0.95 is so fast that you will not be able to use it in strong light because you'll hit the camera's shutter speed limit - that is the only "drawback" I found about its use.
Small sensor systems are usually criticized for the lack of fast lenses. Well, Cosina has fixed that for the MFT system.
Another great feature is the close focusing capability of the Nokton - it can focus down to 17cm, where it offers a magnification a bit better than 1:4 - while a macro lens will get you further than that, this is already good enough for most applications. It makes the Nokton a versatile lens that can stay on your camera all the time.
In terms of manual focusing, I find the LCD to work great on my E-PL2. Note that because the lens has no contacts, the focal length must be manually input for image stabilization and the manual focus assist mode will not work, because the body cannot detect the movement of the focusing ring. But switching between the large frame and the zoomed in view actually works very well after a bit of practice - better than I expected.
The Nokton is as good as it sounds on paper, in fact it is even better than that. It may seem expensive, but it is built to last and it may become the only lens you'll want to use on your MFT camera - with that in mind, it is really a bargain. If you were hesitating because you weren't sure that it can be as good as it sounds, don't anymore.
Thank you, Cosina!
BalasHapusThis lens is a 180-degree switch from the gear I usually shoot with. Instead of crazy-fast Nikon AF lenses and bodies, I've been walking around with the Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 mounted to an OM-D, grabbing out-of-focus but somehow oh-so-compelling shots of family, friends, and neighborhood features.
BalasHapusIt's big and heavy for a �4/3 lens, and expensive compared to many other excellent AF-capable alternatives. Regardless, the paper-thin focus zone that an f/0.95 max aperture allows deserves a well-damped, precise MF interface, and this lens delivers. This and its 17.5mm cousin are both a wonderful throwback to old-school glass that combine well with the portability and high-ISO performance of modern mirrorless camera bodies.
This is a great lens. For the price it obviously should be. I am not going to rehash the optical and build characteristics as the top reviewer did an outstanding job of that. The only thing I didn't see mentioned was the purple fringing a bright light sources at wide open apertures. This is common for fast lenses and can be fixed in post. With all of that said, this is a speciality lens. Since it is manual focus, a great application is for shooting video in very low light situations. This would be a difficult low light street shooting lens because of the manual focus and heavy weight. A better option is the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4. That lens is a little over 1 stop slower than this one but the autofocus makes it better in that application. Other reviewers have mentioned the soft corners. All fast lenses are soft in the corners (even the $12K Leica 50 f/.95) and that is part of their charm. Most of the time I am trying to blur or vignette the corners anyway so this aids in that process. Also, this lens has a very smooth and pleasing bokeh which make it nice for shooting group portraits. This is especially nice in your average poorly lit home. The other thing that is nice with this lens is it very close focusing distance 17cm. With this you can get some exceedingly shallow depth of field.
BalasHapusFor most people the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5, Panasonic 25mm f/1.4(or 20mm f/1.7) and Olympus 45mm f/1.8 offer more versatility for the same price as this lens alone. However, if you are looking for the look of a f/.95 then this lens is a must have.
I got this lens with Panasonic GH2 and had a chance to compare it with panasonic lenses including 17mm 1.7.
BalasHapusNow, this lens is in its own category well above all others for micro 4/3 as far as video work goes.
The video that comes out from this lens wide open is cinematic quality.
To summarize, if you need cinema - quality video on micro 4/3 , this is a must lens to have, even if used with an adapter.
I rented this lens for my Pany Af100 video camera. I was hired to do a series of interviews in Florence and wanted a nice bokeh and DOF control as well as something that I can squeeze into tight shooting situations. Brought a light kit with me, but used it only once because it was night time and even then probably could have used the table lights present. The Af100 has built in ND filters so it was pretty easy dialing it in when I had a lot of light, but was able to pull off shots in tight darker places fairly easily. Had to use the focus assist on the AF100 to pull focus and even then, if it was wide open, I had some issues if the subject moved an inch or two...I would have their ears in focus, but the facial feature would start going soft. That DOF is incredible. I have a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 and while it can shoot pretty nice DOF, the field of view is cut considerably because of the multiplier factor on the micro 4/3 chip. The 25mm helps considerably, and makes tight shooting situations easy to handle. On the other hand, you have to get somewhat closer than usual to a subject sometimes for framing.
BalasHapusI rarely took this solid lens off when I had it for the 10 days and I'm planning to purchase one. And as one other reviewer said...the lens cap is a bit suspect. Other than that
Wow, this is an amazing and super fast lens. I'm not a photographer so I really can't comment on this particular aspect, but as far as video goes, this is one amazing lens. Sure you can get awesome prime lens for less than half the price, but they just don't compare! I'm also a big fan of the Panasonic Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4. That comes in at less than half the price of this bad boy and is one heck of a lens too. I use each lens for different reasons. The Nokton produces a much softer image with a beautiful shallow depth of field, while the Leica is much more sharp. The Nokton is my everyday lens for shooting video of my family and everyday life. It's perfect anybody shooting weddings, quinceanera's and other family related type videos. On the other hand, I use the Leica to produce commercial videos. If you're on the fence about purchasing this lens, then hop right off because you won't be disappointed!
BalasHapus