35/1.4 Nokton II Preview

[predicolous]

can't wait for example images - who'll be the first to post? Most interesting lens in my opinion of the last VM releases.

I like this "classic Voigtländer" look of the lens more than the retro look of the new 35mm Ultron f/2.
And f/1.4 is more to my taste as well,... pretty sure I'll get myself a copy one day !

 

[steveyork]

FYI -- The lens has been reviewed over the Leica Forum, by someone who had both old and new versions. In summary, per them, focus shift has been reduced, but still noticeable at f/4 (i.e., point of focus not covered by DOF). I'm not sure of the test parameters, and I assume the test camera was a digital M. Hop over there and read the guy's review for more.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

FYI -- The lens has been reviewed over the Leica Forum, by someone who had both old and new versions. In summary, per them, focus shift has been reduced, but still noticeable at f/4 (i.e., point of focus not covered by DOF). I'm not sure of the test parameters, and I assume the test camera was a digital M. Hop over there and read the guy's review for more.

Steve, would you post a link please? I went over to the LF and couldn't find the review using their search engine. Thanks

 

[steveyork]

Steve, would you post a link please? I went over to the LF and couldn't find the review using their search engine. Thanks

From TomB_X --

Well, the lens arrived, and mechanical design and construction are basically the same as ver1 - which is very much like a Leica lens and is a joy to use.

 All I've done so far is shoot a quick focus-shift test from a tripod to a focus scale chart, using both ver1 and ver2 lenses. As I suspected (because all fast lenses I've checked carefully show some shift when stopping down), the focus shift has NOT been completely "eliminated" as they stated, but has been reduced. As I've gotten some very good results with ver1, ver2 should be more useful.

 Both lenses show perfect focus at f1.4, and while ver1 shows slight shift at f2.0 (with the focus point still within DOF), the new lens shift isn't really visible yet. By 2.8 on the new lens shift is obvious (looking at the scale), but the focus point is still within the DOF - while ver1 the focus point is clearly blurred. On the new lens the focus point is worst at f4.0, while by 5.6 the DOF begins to cover it again, and it's quite good at f8.0 and by f11 the whole chart looks good. (On v1, even at f11 the near side of the chart was quite out of focus.)

 I found with v1 the sharpness was about the same as my 1971 Summicron 35 (v2), and the ver2 may be a bit better - but a Zeiss f2 or Summarit is obviously sharper.

 So I'm not sending it back - it will be a good lens for my M9, where only f4 may take a bit of compensation. I'll stick with the Summarit 35 on my M10.

 

[Gregm61]

As was also noted by another poster, only Steve from Steve's Digicams stated incorrectly on his site that focus shift had been eliminated. Cosina's own web site says the focus shift in the updated model has been "almost entirely eliminated", which should not be interpreted by anyone as meaning "eliminated"...

From Cosina's own site...

https://www.voigtlaender.de/lenses/vm/35-mm-11-4-nokton-classic/?lang=en

 

[steveyork]

Just now getting back into Leica rangefinders after a 10+ year absence. Took a stroll with the dog with this new lens, so I'll post a few samples here. Don't know anything about version I, but in my very limited experience I find CV lenses across the board a bit flat, even more so when Vuescan is the scanning software, so I ended up boosting contrast in PS (albeit the day was overcast). No focus shift as far as I can see but it was film.

CV 35mm f/1.4 Nokton MC II (yellow filter) + Fomapan 100 in HC-110 (1:31 for 6 min)

Sunday Morning by Steve, on Flickr

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Thank you for the example provided. Feels like Friday.
I'm not sure if it is the lens contrast or Foma emulsion ugliness (worse film I ever tried).

As for flatness, then I asked someone who purchased Summarit 35 2.5 after using first version of this Nokton lens, same answer was given.

I would not brash CV lens across all board with same conclusion. I did not find Ultron 35 1.7 to be flat at all, nor Nokton 50 1.5. Ugly Bettie bodies with nice optics. And Color Skopar 25 f4 was nice, not flat on prints and just lovely made lens.

 

[steveyork]

Thank you for the example provided. Feels like Friday.
I'm not sure if it is the lens contrast or Foma emulsion ugliness (worse film I ever tried).

As for flatness, then I asked someone who purchased Summarit 35 2.5 after using first version of this Nokton lens, same answer was given.

I would not brash CV lens across all board with same conclusion. I did not find Ultron 35 1.7 to be flat at all, nor Nokton 50 1.5. Ugly Bettie bodies with nice optics. And Color Skopar 25 f4 was nice, not flat on prints and just lovely made lens.

Good to know about their other M mount lenses. They're great values. I've only used a few of their F and S mount lenses, and those not extensively.

 

[steveyork]

CV 35mm f/1.4 Nokton MC II (yellow filter) + Fomapan 100 in HC-110 (1:31 for 6 min)

Sunday Morning Puddles by Steve, on Flickr

 

[steveyork]

Shot wide open at about MFD, focused on the sign.

CV 35mm f/1.4 Nokton MC II (yellow filter) + Fomapan 100 in HC-110 (1:31 fr 6 min)

Crumpled Sign -- Wide Open by Steve, on Flickr

 

[steveyork]

CV 35mm f/1.4 Nokton II MC (yellow filter) + Fomapan 100 in Rodinal (1:50)

Day After Night by Steve, on Flickr

 

[luuca]

I've broken my lux 35 v2 and I'm looking for this lens as a substitute: assuming that I will use it only for film (both bw and color), do you think focus shift will be an issue? or the problem is noticeable only with digital cameras?

 

[steveyork]

I've broken my lux 35 v2 and I'm looking for this lens as a substitute: assuming that I will use it only for film (both bw and color), do you think focus shift will be an issue? or the problem is noticeable only with digital cameras?

With film, and only two test rolls, I haven't noticed any focus shift on this lens either wide open at minimum focusing distance or the "dreaded f/4" that a quoted reviewer alluded to above. But I haven't done any formal testing. I'm rather pleasantly surprised with this lens.

The shot above on the Corona bottle was f/4 at 1/1000.

 

[steveyork]

MC version, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal (1:50 for 9 min)

Protected by the Cross by Steve, on Flickr

 

[luuca]

With film, and only two test rolls, I haven't noticed any focus shift on this lens either wide open at minimum focusing distance or the "dreaded f/4" that a quoted reviewer alluded to above. But I haven't done any formal testing. I'm rather pleasantly surprised with this lens.

The shot above on the Corona bottle was f/4 at 1/1000.

thank you, as I thought on film shift-focus is a no-problem.
I've just bought a SC copy, I will carry it on travel in Croatia, with tri-x and cinestill 800, let's see what happen!

 

[luuca]

35/1.4 Nokton II Preview

my first roll with the nokton 35 II sc

I like it!
I must admit I didn't miss my old summilux
I just hate the lens cap, it fell off a hundred times while I had the camera fixed on my hip

 

[jbielikowski]

my first roll with the nokton 35 II sc

I like it!
I must admit I didn't miss my old summilux
I just hate the lens cap, it fell off a hundred times while I had the camera fixed on my hip

never seen such straight lines from Nokton 35/1.4!

 

[maggieo]

never seen such straight lines from Nokton 35/1.4!

Nor I!


That's gorgeous.

 

[luuca]

you mean barrel distortion? that one was @f8

 

[Gregm61]

I’d “fix” the cap by getting the vented hood and just never using the front cap.