Voigtlander 50mm 1.1 on M9

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defconracing

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Jan 31, 2011
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Just bought the Voigt 50 1.1. I had a sample from lens rentals that was so perfect that I purchased a new lens and sent that into them to not risk any of the supposed quality control issues that can sometimes be had with this glass before the vacation I'm on now.

It's a stunning lens!

20110805-L1003129 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110805-L1003067 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110805-L1003116 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110804-L1002910 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110806-L1003185 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110804-L1002905-Edit by mpotiker, on Flickr



20110728-L1002782 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110804-L1002909 by mpotiker, on Flickr
 
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Yeah, Rockwell slams this lens with such vitriol and loathing, I was quite shocked to read his review.

These photos seem to say otherwise! I like how this lens renders ... especially on the dusk / overcast shots. Beautiful!

I have a copy of this lens but I got frustrated with it and put it away in my cabinet ... I couldn't seem to get a 'feel' for it, plus there seemed to be a touch of focus shift.

defconracing's shots make me want to give this lens another chance! :)

BTW here's one for me to throw into the mix ...

Photo of my beautiful daughter, taken with my M6, using Kentmere 400 ... EI 400, Ilfotec DD-X.

4703886961_848dcdd962.jpg
 
This lens is not sharp wide open and has pretty poor bokeh compared to most lenses. I have recently tested it and unless you need the speed the 1.5 Nokton is 3 times sharper at 1.5 than the Nokton at 1.1. But if you need the speed then this lens represents good value for money. Of course in small sizes, any picture looks sharp on a computer screen.
 
Its a damned good lens, really good, and not just 'bang for buck' good. I think it holds its head up in Noctilux company and its a lens that I don't think you can just cut and paste in the usual CV proviso's when reviewing it. Its solidly built, smooth focusing, and sharp, except wide open, a characteristic it shares with the Noctilux.

Steve
 
leicashot said:
This lens is not sharp wide open and has pretty poor bokeh compared to most lenses. I have recently tested it and unless you need the speed the 1.5 Nokton is 3 times sharper at 1.5 than the Nokton at 1.1. But if you need the speed then this lens represents good value for money. Of course in small sizes, any picture looks sharp on a computer screen.
Click to expand...

How would you compare the sharpness to the Canon 50mm f/1.2 or the Sigma(lux) 50mm f/1.4? I'm not looking for a lens with summicron IQ.
 
I never tested it at any f-stop other than at f/1. Here is an example at f/1

L1000574.jpg


The circles you see above the counter are from the film on the wall that are out fo focus, literally jumping off the wall. This is why people don't generally rate this lens well. Not to take away from the OP's enjoyment of this lens, I'm only pointing out why this lens receives poor reviews occasionally.

I think for the money its great but it doesn't compare well to other highly rated lenses like the Summilux and Noctilux. The sharpness of the Canon EF 50/1.2L and Sigma 50 which I've both used is much greater wide open. Both of these lenses I rate very highly, especially the Sigma, which is the only lens that nearly matches the 50 Lux ASPH bokeh smoothness.

The pictures from the OP clearly show that with good 'pictures' one can overcome the negatives of a lens. I honestly find that the more that people worry about the bokeh of a lens, the worse pictures they take. Hope this helps
 
Here are a couple of examples of how you can isolate a subject with the lens when shot at or near wide open. The first one shows it really well. Shot while rummaging around in an antique / brik a brak store.

L1042011.jpg


L1042013.jpg


There is a bit of focus shift as you stop down. A bit of trial and error helps in that respect - by focussing then leaning back a ffew inches. Hit and miss but iften it works. Wide open though its pretty well spot on so far as I can tell. Its not pin sharp wide open but not bad for the type of photography for which it will be used and renders very nice colour. It is sharper than the Canon f1.2 based on my sample anyway.
 
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I like this one quite a lot but it looks like that you will get many good photos with this lens. Using a fast lens, f < 1.4, is not an easy task and most critique (lens not sharp, vignetting, slow focus etc.) comes from people who failed to do so and blame the lens for it so I really enjoy looking at photos from people who master fast glass. Thanks for sharing !:)

defconracing said:
Just bought the Voigt 50 1.1. I had a sample from lens rentals that was so perfect that I purchased a new lens and sent that into them to not risk any of the supposed quality control issues that can sometimes be had with this glass before the vacation I'm on now.

It's a stunning lens!

20110805-L1003067 by mpotiker, on Flickr
Click to expand...
 
I am always amused by the comparison of highly specialized lenses like the 50 1.1 or Leica's Noctilux. Purchase of these lenses is driven by a need for a very specific optical quality. And honestly, a nice solid tripod can be had for a 1/10 of the price of the cheapest of them. No, these lenses are really for those who need to work hand-held in very low light conditions and will accept no substitutes for that style of image making. If you don't have $US 6,000 just lying around, then your options are quite limited and the C/V lens is an excellent choice. Bokeh makes you physically ill? Fine, buy the tripod and use a creamy f:2 lens -- there are plenty of excellent images out there in the world made with shutter speeds longer than 1/4 of a second. But handheld, the choice is really between that bokeh (which can be managed by careful shot selection if it doesn't appeal) and no image at all. Here is an image taken a moment ago with a Nokton.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14501597@N06/6017887570/in/photostream

Here is the same scene taken with a Noctilux.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14501597@N06/6017336475/in/photostream

As you can see the bokeh on both lenses is distinctive; valuing one over the other? Even worse, pricing one over the other at the $5,000 difference in value? Hard for me to do.


Ben Marks

Edit: Let's try this. Nokton:

6017887570_268e175916_b.jpg



Noctilux:

6017336475_34a2b96670_b.jpg
 

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First off, I'd like to thank everybody who commented on my photos themselves, I love getting feedback.

Second: Benjamin, I agree 100% with you and think that your exactly on the mark. I have an old 50 cron' and purchased this lens so that I could shoot in low light (I find the depth of field so workable on it I end up using it with a ND filter instead oftenly though). The first photo I posted was made in darkness with just the deck lights from a restaurant 10-12ft away. Frankly, I don't care if something is tack sharp at a 100% crop if it does something as wonderful as opening up a time of the day I'm able to hand hold my camera that I haven't been shoot in without an obtrusive flash or a tripod (not an option for the candids I like to shoot).

As per the bokeh:

20110805-L1002987 by mpotiker, on Flickr

Imo this isn't bad at all and is in full sunlight. However the photo below has terrible bokeh... If I wanted to fix the issue, I'd pull a 50 F2 out of my shoulder bag and use that, I don't really see why people get so emotional about something as subjective as bokeh.


20110805-L1002990 by mpotiker, on Flickr
 
A truly great lens, highly under-rated.

On the M9, wide-open at F1.1 and ISO 1250.



F1.1 and ISO 2500.

 
Brian Sweeney said:
A truly great lens, highly under-rated.

On the M9, wide-open at F1.1 and ISO 1250.




Awesome.

Brian, I have one of your old lenses... a kind of semi-screwed (supposedly) up 50mm F2 rigid summicron that was up for sale on classifieds for like $350 (had sharpie on the front element)... I was meaning to tell you how great it's been working out on the M9.

I haven't seen any issues with it:


20110713-L1000073 by mpotiker, on Flickr
Click to expand...
 
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Double Negative said:
Welcome to RFF, and nice shots!

I really like mine as well. It gets a bit of a beating in some circles (and I admit, was guilty of it myself until I got one). Give it a chance, you might just be surprised!

Here's my review of the 1,1/50 Nokton.
Click to expand...


I am happy with mine. I can certainly say that I would not be in a position to pay for the Leica equivalent - if I can call it that. So it gives me an option that I would not otherwise have.


It spends a fair bit of time on my camera as its standard lens. When I am really chasing sharpness and or soft bokeh I tend to substitute the Summicron 50 f2 (ver4) but otherwise I like the results of the Nokton. I certainly would not knock it (no pun intended.) I often think that wanna-be lens critics like to make distinctions that do not matter in real life so I always make my own decisions on whether a lens works for me. There is so much uninformed or semi informed tosh on the i'net. In short I agree with you.
 
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I shot almost all of these all at 1.1

Sharpness is not too bad imo. The 100% crop is poor quality due to it just being a screenshot... I can go through on a full one if anyone wants.

this was definitely 1.1

20110808-L1003479 by mpotiker, on Flickr


Screen shot 2011-08-08 at 7.42.49 PM by mpotiker, on Flickr


I'll throw a few more in from today for the hell of it:



20110808-L1003425-Edit by mpotiker, on Flickr
20110808-L1003420 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110808-L1003412 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110808-L1003372 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110808-L1003446 by mpotiker, on Flickr


20110808-L1003456 by mpotiker, on Flickr
 
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