The Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f1.1 Revisited

[P. Lynn Miller]

The announcement of the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f1.1 was one the most exciting moments in my photographic memory. I had been actively pursuing a Noctilux for almost 2 years, and while I had finally saved up the funds for a Noctilux, I was more than happy to put the extra few thousand dollars toward film and my retirement when the Nokton was announced at a price of 1/4 of a used Noctilux.

I pre-ordered my Nokton 50/1.1 the same day from Mainline Photographics and was one of the first to receive the Nokton in Australia. And I was sure the Nokton 50/1.1 was going to be a lens that I would never put down, a body cap for the M5.

Well... I have never been so disappointed in a lens... ever. The Nokton 50/1.1 simply left me cold and emotionless. I felt like I had a big lump of coal attached to the front of the M5, it was the biggest let-down in my photographic career. It came as such a shock since I connected instantly with the Nokton 35/1.2 and the Nokton 50/1.5 is a gem of a lens. The Nokton 50/1.1 lens was sharp, very flare resistant with plenty of contrast... so it was a technical marvel... but seemingly without a soul. Maybe I had over-hyped the Nokton 50/1.1, maybe I was expecting miracles, maybe the lens was just a dud, maybe all the rumours and gossip about the Noctilux was true... there really is no inspiration beyond f1.2. I put the Nokton 50/1.1 on the shelf.

And it sat on the shelf unused for almost 12 months. I even gave my M5 to a friend on long-term loan for nearly 6 months. I returned to using my trusty Nikon F's and Nikkors. I had given up on Noktons and M5.

I decided about a month ago that I was selling all my M-mount gear including the Nokton 50/1.1. I collected all my M-mount gear from friends and boxes to sell.

But something kept bugging me... the Nokton 50/1.1. I had to give it another chance. So I decided that I would treat the Nokton as I would any other 50mm lens. Forget about the magical f1.1, and simply shoot it... at any f-stop that I wanted, f1.4, f2.0, maybe even f8.0, just like I would use any of my fast Nikkor's. Just use it... and let the lens speak for itself.

So I shot in the dark...

I poured the scorching Australia sun down its throat...

Soft high key portraits...

For candids...

In the shadows...

For still-lifes...

Girls tired of being photographed...

Some action shots...

And then there is always that question from the model... 'That's a RF lens?'

Yep... it is a rangefinder lens... a very capable, predictable lens. The Nokton 50/1.1 has delivered sparkling negatives no matter what I have thrown at it. Flare is very well controlled, resolution is high across the field at all apertures. Contrast is maybe a touch higher than I normally prefer, but not overwhelming. Shadow detail is exceptional with this lens even when pushing the contrast up deliberately with film and developer choice.

The Nokton 50/1.1 is a quiet performer. It does not impose itself on every photo, like the Noctilux or 35/1.2. Thus it is not a 'magical' lens, but this dull and sterile attribute, allows for far more creativity than I first imagined since the lens does not limit the 'look'. By not trying to force the lens into some preconceived look, rendition or signature, just concentrating on the images, not the lens or f1.1, I was able to actually learn how to use the lens as another fine tool in my photographic toolbox.

So in the end, the Nokton 50mm f1.1 is exactly what I needed(wanted), an all-purpose, dependable 50mm lens with extra speed. Sort of a like a family station wagon with a big V8, not flash or trendy, but reliable and dependable for daily use.

And my Nokton 50mm f1.1 is not for sale!

 

[Keith]

I don't know what the hell's going on but my server refuses to recognise www.plynnmiller.com at all. And no amount of fiddling with browser settings etc seems to change the situation.

Once again I can't see these photos and even typing the web address (www.plynnmiller.com) directly into the browser gives me the same result ... zilch!

I give up ... I don't care and I don't want to see the photos! 😛

 

[Krosya]

I dont follow you - on one hand you say that you liked Noktons 35/1.2 and 50/1.5 but than you wanted to sell entire M-system.
And another thought - I'd say try similar shots with Nokton 50/1.5 and see which you like better.

 

[P. Lynn Miller]

Keith,

Sorry about that. I am not sure what the problem is. Unless your server has black-listed my site for some reason. I did have someone hack into my site about 3 months ago and install some malware. But I had the server wiped and rebuilt my web-site from scratch.

If anyone else is having this problem, please PM. Especially if you have a possible solution.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I've seen great shots, yours included, from that lens... And its out of focus zones can be very, very sweet most of the times. And 1.1 is real fast... I've never owned any lens faster than 1.4... Add no flare and great sharpness, and you have a true marvel in your hands... I think all Noktons are amazing lenses in different ways... Great shots!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[P. Lynn Miller]

I dont follow you - on one hand you say that you liked Noktons 35/1.2 and 50/1.5 but than you wanted to sell entire M-system.
And another thought - I'd say try similar shots with Nokton 50/1.5 and see which you like better.

I am hard to follow sometimes. :angel:

While I use a 35mm lens for a lot of my photography, I prefer a 50mm since I shoot a lot of portrait style candids. The Nokton 50/1.5 is a great little lens, but I prefer to have abit more speed than f1.5 for a general purpose 50mm lens. I like the size of the Noctilux or Nokton 35/1.2 or 50/1.1 since I am ham-handed and find many small RF lenses difficult to use, so I had decided that a Noctilux was going to be my general purpose 50mm until the Nokton 50/1.1 arrived. Being able to buy a fast 50mm for a 1/4 the price of a used Noctilux was great news and so I was very keen to get this lens.

As for selling all M-mount gear, I actually prefer using my Nikon F's to using the Leica M, except in certain situations where a rangefinder is a better tool for the job. So unless I could make the Nokton 50/1.1 work for me, there was nothing that M-mount had to offer me as my Nikkor's perform as well or better than the 50/1.5. And the capital tied up in my M-mount gear is too substantial for only the use of the 35/1.2 which my Nikkor 35/1.4 will replicate for all practical purposes.

The Nokton 35/1.2 is the one unique Voigtländer lens that no other lens can quite replace. It was the lens that brought me to M-mount and the only real reason I have not sold out sooner. That is a good thing since it kept the M-mount lenses on the shelf long enough to rediscover the Nokton 50/1.1.

 

[myM8yogi]

Really nice shots. They do speak for themselves.
But if you can't get over the buk of the 1.1, the 1.5 looks great too. I have a love-hate relationship with the CV 35/1.2 nokton. I hate carrying the thing on the camera, but I love the results. My solution is to carry the 35/1.2 in small belt pouch and have a J3 50/1.5 sonnar on the camera. I switch to the 35 when I want that particular look you mentioned with the "nokton imposing itself on every photo". If you get tired of the 50/1.1 again at some point in the future, you could try the same system.

 

[Krosya]

Another thought - if you had funds for a Noctilux, I'd try a M-Hexanon 50/1.2 - not that much more $$ than CV 50/1.1, yet IMO a far better lens. Thats what I did and never looked back.

 

[leicashot]

While most people require a lens with 'character or signature' that defines the image, I see your point and view the 1.1 as a lens that makes the 'photographer' define the image, without relying on special effects from the lens.

The 1.1 is a neutral lens that lets the image work for itself, based on the input from the photographer. It's a fast lens that requires the photographer to work on the composition and content to make the image sing. That to me is what defines a great lens, and thus a great image.

 

[bennyng]

I bought this lens without any expectation as I do with most of my gear. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, I move on.

On that premise, I really like the images straight out of the camera, film or digital.

On Zeiss Ikon with Kodak Ektar 100 film.

On Epson R-D1.

For what it cost me, I think it delivered more. Despite the form factor, the quality of the image delivered is sharp, contrasty, with enough shadow details as many have experienced. As such, I would describe this lens as great value for money. This lens goes into the bag whenever, I see the need for speed.

Cheers,

 

[leicashot]

I bought this lens without any expectation as I do with most of my gear. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, I move on.

On that premise, I really like the images straight out of the camera, film or digital.

On Zeiss Ikon with Kodak Ektar 100 film.

On Epson R-D1.

For what it cost me, I think it delivered more. Despite the form factor, the quality of the image delivered is sharp, contrasty, with enough shadow details as many have experienced. As such, I would describe this lens as great value for money. This lens goes into the bag whenever, I see the need for speed.

Cheers,

What I like is the forgiving DOF wide open. I rarely see OOF images shot from this lens at 1.1 being posted like I do most other fast lenses. For me, speed is about shutter speed in low light, not bokeh, so having that amount of DOF at 1.1 is a real bonus.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I think the same: enough DOF wide open even when close focus is required, and enough and nice bokeh too.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[gavinlg]

I don't know why everyone seems to have something against this lens - for an f1.1 speed lens of extremely reasonable cost, it seems to be quite exceptional. I know it's a very neutral look that it gives, but honestly - it's sharp, honest and super super fast. What more could you want.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The pictures speak for themselves- sometimes we get a mental image of what we want formed by a lens. The lens has it's own view on the subject. Our taste can change, the lens cannot. I suspect your mental image of what the lens will produce has lined up with the lens, and you have converged on a shooting style that brings out the best in it.

 

[ChrisN]

Some nice images amongst your set there Lynn (esp. the tired girls), but the bokeh in the upper section of your last sample (in the first post) makes me ill.

 

[P. Lynn Miller]

While most people require a lens with 'character or signature' that defines the image, I see your point and view the 1.1 as a lens that makes the 'photographer' define the image, without relying on special effects from the lens.

The 1.1 is a neutral lens that lets the image work for itself, based on the input from the photographer. It's a fast lens that requires the photographer to work on the composition and content to make the image sing. That to me is what defines a great lens, and thus a great image.

Could have not said it better myself...

Another thought - if you had funds for a Noctilux, I'd try a M-Hexanon 50/1.2 - not that much more $$ than CV 50/1.1, yet IMO a far better lens. Thats what I did and never looked back.

I did look at the Hexanon 50/1.2, but I wanted more speed. I already own/owned several 50/1.2 lens. In practice the 50/1.1 is a full stop faster than the 50/1.5. That is not the case with any 50/1.2 lenses I have owned or used.

The pictures speak for themselves- sometimes we get a mental image of what we want formed by a lens. The lens has it's own view on the subject. Our taste can change, the lens cannot. I suspect your mental image of what the lens will produce has lined up with the lens, and you have converged on a shooting style that brings out the best in it.

You hit the nail on the head... I had a mental image of what I wanted to see the lens produce. Instead the Nokton more or less provided a blank canvas to work with, which I was not expecting. But I now realise this is the strength of this lens.

Some nice images amongst your set there Lynn (esp. the tired girls), but the bokeh in the upper section of your last sample (in the first post) makes me ill.

Uh Oh... the Nokton has bad bokeh... just goes to prove that any lens can misbehave once in a while!

I had nothing against the Nokton 50/1.1. It is the most value for money that can be found if you are looking for a fast 50mm.

 

[back alley]

...sometimes we get a mental image of what we want formed by a lens...

i think this may have happened to me with regards to the cv 35/1.2...i find myself having to work through this now.

as for the 50/1.1, it was love at first site...i need more time with it and hopefully will be able to create some wonderful images as well.

 

[craygc]

An absolutely superb selection of images. I also have this lens but haven't used it a lot yet. Honestly, I'm usually bored by most 50mm shots, but I find there are some exciting images here

 

[robklurfield]

lynn, glad you kept the 1.1. you've done some great work with it.

 

[leicashot]

Some nice images amongst your set there Lynn (esp. the tired girls), but the bokeh in the upper section of your last sample (in the first post) makes me ill.

Makes you ill? 😕

I never understand when 'some' people talk like this. Sorry, but sincerely I think it's a ridiculous thing to say. Most lenses have this effect on grass and similar objects in OOF, except the 50/1.4 ASPH. Do you want a prescription for medication when you buy such lenses?