I love it when gear reviewers actually make nice photos. So many of the reviewers don't make nice photos and it makes it hard to take their opinions seriously. Thank you for this breath of fresh air.

Very nice review indeed, look forward to seeing upcoming features

Oh man I just randomly came across this video and immediately fell in love! Not just with the lens but with your editing on those photos, that's pure magic 😍

Thanks for a stills review of this lens. I'm sold for my 7RIII! getting this for portraits and the dreamy wide open look

Thank you for the video. I like how you include (amazing) example photos and take a more holistic approach that doesn't ony focus on sharpness and pixel peeping. Also, I really appreciate your overall style, feels very calm and warm. Most of all, it's great that you picked the Voigtlander! After some more research I chose to buy the 40mm Nokton 1.2, which is my favorite all-round one-lens choice!

This is a very well made review! Both from the photos you show, the different areas you talk of (build quality etc) and the fact that you don't just concentrate on pure sharpness that almost everybody else does today. There is so much more to a lens then absolute sharpness. Clinical lenses often get boring. Can't use this on my Lumix S1R but I can use the VM version but I enjoyed the review never the less!

Great quality content, well done Sam!

Excellent review, you're quite sure-footed as you explore the more intangible qualities and since I agree with you that's fun too. I've got two Voigts for MFT and in my own humblest of opinions they get noticeably sharper with more contrast as soon as you start stopping down, like with the first half-click. So if you want dreaminess or skin-flattering portraits you've got that but if you want a more modern look but with a certain richness _and_ bokeh with separation from the background you have that too. I bought both of mine used and with the build quality they're like new. Even new they're not as pricey as some of the fancier new lenses. Since it feels like two lenses in one, I'm willing to pay what they cost.

I have the 60mm f/0.95 (in MFT) and it is my go-to lens for a unique photo. It is true this brand produces a vintage and unique look which is the appeal for these lenses.

very helpful review, thank you!

Thank you for such a great review from Japan. I decided to get one because of your beautiful pictures.

Nice video and this lens is absolutely my obsession to buy next after getting the 35mm version for peanuts and falling in love instantly.

First time on channel and I love your video quality and style. Bravo!

I adore my 50/1.2. I used to shoot with a Contax/Yashica 50/1.4 Planar so manual focus isn’t really as much of a bother to me. As far as the IQ, even with the spherical aberration wide open I find that it’s still very usable wide open when leveraging its quirks. I also believe this smearing effect that it shows is far more pronounced at closer focus. At mid distance, to my surprise, it can hold contrast pretty well wide open. All that aside, the way it renders colors is beautiful, absolutely.

I dont know why your subscriber isn’t that much, because your flow of video is amazing.. love the editing and reenactment is great.. keep it up 👍🏻 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I bought the 58mm f/1.4 Nokton and the 40mm f/2 Ultron this year and I am very happy with both of them.

great video hope you make more

Had a 40 f1.2 that I used on my GFX50R. It was great for portraits.

Thank you for your information

I like the softness rendering and the colors but it also makes for softer image, notably on the eyes of the portrait :)

Excellent video 😊!

I loved your review, it’s very polished for such a new channel. Subbed and looking forward to seeing you grow. Can you tell me if the 50mm 1.2 / 50mm 2.0 have any focus breathing as I want to get these with a Sony A7S III for video / broll / cinematography. What do you think of these lenses for video in general ?

I shoot black and white, makes it easyer to focus and leaves a nice supprise once you develop the images.

I own the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 E and it's just as stunning and unique as the 50mm. I use it a lot for street photography stopped down but at wider apertures you get superb vintage inspired quality, the sort you won't from modern corrected lenses.

Beautiful video and intro. Deserves more subscribers

Thanks for the vid. Was very interested in the voigtlander, but the character surely isnt for me, the gmaster looks so much better. I can make a lens look dreamy with a filter, but i cant make busy backgrounds smooth...thanks so much!

I like seeing some Houston pics! (19th avenue). Thank you for the review. I'll go for it!

I enjoy the cinematic visuals and acting. Can’t imagine how long this took shoot.

wow, what a nice video! The shot as the lens fall out of your pocket was amazing. I am still unsure if I should buy a voigtländer lens. I mean, you´re right they are very nice built. But they are very expensive and don´t have autofocus, too. Additionally there are not many tests and blogs about these lenses. By the way, do you already know the new sigma lenses for sony with a f2.0 arperture? They released focal lenses with 24, 35, 45 and 65mm. They also have very very good build quality and and furthermore autofocus and a cheaper price. Maybe you can get one of these and make a review for the hole comunity? I am sure there is a big interest especially for streetphotographers.

Hi Sam, great video! I'm curious what kind of setup you used for filming this video, which camera and lens? Also have you tried the voigt 40 1.2?

I have both the 21mm 1.4 Nokton and 50mm 1.2 Nokton on my Sony. I'm getting consistently sharp results throughout the aperture range. I trust my Voigtlanders enough that they're the only two lenses I'm taking with me to Tokyo next week. I have used manual lenses for longer than I've ever used digital cameras, so I'm used to it. I focus by eye mostly and use peaking less often. The depth of field scale is your friend. You should get your lens looked at by a professional if you dropped it though. Maybe that's why you can't get sharp images?

It's beautiful on the A7r

The SE “Still Edition” is the best nifty fifty pound for pound you can get for the new full frame Sony a7C. Nothing beats it’s size/weight for that particular camera body IMO. My need for compactness and stealthiness is my highest priority and this gets me that in a 50mm focal length.

I'm eyeing this lens but I'm not a sony shooter. Do you know if the Leica M version is the same optically?

IMO: there are several manual focus legacy lenses which also provide very unique renditions for a used price of $20-$100 USD. Among these are the Meyer Gorlitz 50mm f/1.8 and the Sears Auto 55mm f/1.4...

heyy cool vids! thankyou for the review! but can i ask whats the different between SE and without? thanks man! cheers

I’m getting more interested in M mount lenses. I have a very large collection of vintage minoltas, taks and zuikos so this style is familiar and appealing. But it would be nice to have some fully manual lenses with modern mechanics. And the M Mount seems like a good investment as it’s been here since the 1950s and these companies are still making lenses for it. I’m a sucker for flare so I’m curious how these M mount Voigtlanders look when pointed at strong light sources.

I love mine, sits on my camera allot . Have to say that my 55 1.8 is the more practical of the two because of the AF making it more useful during fast paced situations.

Very nice review, I have the 40 mm 1.2, but I got a used copy of the 50 and I will be checking which one I’ll keep. The only difference is that MF is not for me so I went VM version with techart pro ii.

Many thanks for your review Sam! Did you try it in monochrom (BW)? 😎

Has anyone shot with this lens on a Fuji XPro 3 and what adaper is needed?

With all the 'vintage' f1.2 options out there, what steered you towards the Voigtlander (I own the pentax smc 50mm f1.2 and the canon 55mm f1.2)? Great vid - thanks!

I bought and tested the following Voigtländer VM lenses on my Leica SL2 md CL cameras (with a Leica M Adapter L) about a year and a half ago and sold them due their “limited” optical performance. These lenses were Super Wide-Heliar 15 mm f/4.5 Color-Skopar 21 mm f/3.5 Nokton Classic-M 35 mm f/1.4 I now have use for lenses with optical designs that provide “vintage looks” due to glow (spherical aberration), swirly bokeh (field curvature), and onion ring bokeh (I don’t find that unpleasant, it’s just different). I’ve since purchased some vintage Leica M, Nikon LTM, and Voigtländer VM lenses: Voigtländer Nokton 35 mm f/1.2 VM I Nikon W-Nikkor.C 35 mm f/3.5 LTM + LTM to M adapter Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.0 ASPH Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.2 re-issue (on order) Leica Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 (non-apo) I can also see repurchasing some of the Voigtländer VM lenses I sold and others (e.g., 50 mm f/2 APO-Lanthar, 90 mm f/2.8 APO). BTW, Voigtländer is not pronounced as Voytlander.

That flashback at 2:40 made my heart jump

I own the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm / 1.4 SL II for on a Nikon D750, and also own the Nikon 50mm/1.8G. When I compare the "same portraits" made with both lenses, the Voigtlander has much better micro contrast, and better skin tones. I own also the famous Micro Nikkor 55mm/2.8 AIS. In my experience this Nokton 58mm and the Nikkor 55mm are just rendering better then the 50mm is doing. So I can confirm on the "Angry Photographer" his statement that 55mm, 58mm are rendering better than 50mm.

Hi Sam, does the 50mm F1.2 sharper than the older 50mm F1.1? thanks!

I have a questions between this one and the SE, still edition version. Removal of aperture de-click function and visual design change only difference? Optically exact same result as this one? I am wondering if I should save extra $100 and get the SE version instead.

What program are you using to edit with?

Could you do a full comparison with the apo f2?

Which one you would choose: this or 55/1.8 sony zeiss sonnar?

You got lucky with the drop. When you drop something onto concrete, it is going to bend and distort. Surviving the drop comes to 2 things: being able to bend and distort, and then return to the same shape, and not fracturing when it bends. Metal distorts very little before denting as compared to plastic. The lenses are also far heavier making matters worse. Plastic (like a high quality polycarbonate as used on nikon f mount prime lenses) will distort a lot, giving the lens as much time as possible to decelerate, and then will return to their original shape. Polycarbonate will Crack before it dents, and you have to push it a very long way before it does that. Metal sucks at this. I have the 50 mm f1.2 nikon. Feels like a solid ball of metal. Dropped it from maybe knee height and the focus ring is now jammed. You got super lucky you had the hood to act as a nice crumple zone to protect the lense. Like wise I dropped the f mount 85 f1.8 down some concrete steps once. It bounce 5 times before landing on more concrete, and works just fine apart from some minor scuffs. Metal is good for precise construction and repeatable motion. But no engineer uses aluminum for impact resistance. It's why these new e mount abs lenses with a thin layer of sheet metal onto bother me so much. They have the worst properties of metal combined with the worse properties of plastic.

I’ll have mine tomorrow . I have the sigma 50 Lol 2 of them .the A Mount 1.4 art ,1.4 DG A Mount For my A99II. And a adapter to A7R IV . to be honest I like the Boh-Kay ,better on the DG model over the art lens . However it is nowhere near as sharp

When I saw your sub number I didn't have high expectations. This is a great real world review.... far better than most. I have a 24mm GM which I love and recently bought the Tamron 28-200. I am disappointed how far behind it is, in image quality. I can really only use it as a general purpose lens for spotting compositions. Do you think this has as much "character " as the 24mm GM?

Try the 58mm 1.4 Nokton. Less expensive, same magic.

If you are willing to shoot manually, it’s the best 50mm lens in the world right now, manual or autofocus.

Bonjour Sam. je viens juste de l'acquérir, et je suis plutot déçu. Aux grandes ouvertures, il n'est pas bien corrigé. Mon Nokton 1.5/75mm est plus net au centre à f1.5-2.8.... De plus le 75mm est bien mieux corrigé au niveau de la distortion. Je vais ramener ce 50mm à mon revendeur.

I have enough clinically perfect lenses. I want lenses with character.

Your edits are really... (sjfdeh)

Have to disagree, there’s a LOT of actual IQ difference between the f2 and f1.2.