It never dawned on me just how much it looks like a Fuji.
The similar controls to what I've been using most the last 5 years is one of the reasons I'm trying this.
It never dawned on me just how much it looks like a Fuji.
Nice comparison! I too love the 50 APO (I had one for my Sony but ended up selling it) I don't use 50mm a whole lot so the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 II works perfectly for me as a fast lens. It is small, fast with very good image quality. I also have the Leica Summarit 50/2.5 to fill my Leica branded lens desire.View attachment 352388
Three siblings:
- By now, the Nokton 50mm f/1.2 feels like the granddad of the current series; it's also the bulkiest of the three (not the tallest, though) and makes the M10 decidedly nose-heavy - it'll invariably dip forward and hit the surface the camera sits on when left to its own devices. More importantly, it's a nice enough performer wide open, but it's not free of aberrations; stopped down a bit, it becomes very good - it can hold its own against the Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (V) at equal apertures while adding one and a half stops at the fast end ...
- The APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 is a fantastic performer and, even though it's longer than the 50mm f/1.2, balances quite a bit better than its faster relative; performance-wise, this is my best 50mm lens for the M system (and only really beaten by the huge and high-tech Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S; the Z 50mm f/1.8 S is almost as good, though). I really like how it feels and handles on the M10 - but small it is not (a third bigger than the aforementioned Summicron-M 50mm f/2).
- Finally, the new kid on the block: The Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II is *small*, and while it's not quite as sharp as the Summicron-M, it's not far behind; if you stop down a bit, it becomes very crisp, and the bokeh is very interesting: swirly, but really quite pleasing, with only slight outlining. Rendering is modern, but it has some pop and very smooth transitions - in that respect, it beats its big brother, the 50mm f/1.2; of course, that one can have the background melt away much better, but that's not news.
- Interestingly, compared to its predecessor, it's smaller, but handling is better - though that's more down to design than mechanics, I think (even though my own old Nokton is in need of a CLA - or at least the "L" part). That said, I still like the images coming from the first version - the optics have their own signature, and the new lens is a completely different animal. But objectively, the 50mm f/1.5 II not only is smaller and slicker to handle, it's also optically superior. Here's a side-by-side:
View attachment 352389
I've seen the size difference described as "huge"; that's inaccurate: The old lens is only slightly bigger and heavier than the Summicron-M which is virtually the same weight as the new Nokton. Nevertheless, the differences in weight and girth are noticeable - indeed, the new lens *is* smaller than any of the other lenses mentioned.
All in all, this is one heck of an achievement by Voigtländer; while I still see a use case for the (slightly superior overall) Nokton 50mm f/1.2, the Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II is certainly good enough to stand in for both the faster lens *and* the (much better, but also bigger) APO-Lanthar in many cases. More to the point, it's defintely the better EDC lens than any of its siblings: quite sharp, quite fast, pleasing rendering, tiny, slick. That said, I think for me, the APO-Lanthar is worth its (slightly) bigger bulk in most cases - because that lens isn't only good, it's stunning. But I also have to say that I definitely prefer the new Nokton for doing what I like best: Walking around with the camera in my hand.
M.
I had one of these, late 1950s! I loved it for a time, then p/exed it for an SLR, so that I could take close-ups, and alternative lenses that didn't cost a fortune. My choice was an Olympus OM1, which was small, light, and a lot of fun. Those were the days, as they say!
I inherited it from my mom who had inherited it from her mom. It traveled the world with Grandma and spent a good deal of time in Pakistan/India in the early to mid-60's as my step-grandfather was working for US AID at the time. I don't shoot film, but when I tried it out with the M3 I found the camera really caused my hand to cramp without a grip added to it. I had the camera CLA'd a few years back when I got it going from storage. It works very well now and should for a good long time to come as I'm not wearing it out at all.I had one of these, late 1950s! I loved it for a time, then p/exed it for an SLR, so that I could take close-ups, and alternative lenses that didn't cost a fortune. My choice was an Olympus OM1, which was small, light, and a lot of fun. Those were the days, as they say!