50mm is my favourite focal length as it best represents human eye perspective for street photography. The Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux ASPH Lens is my favourite out of them all and I have tried similar fast 50mm lenses offered in Leica M mount, which includes the Zeiss 50mm F1.5 Sonnar ZM and Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.5 Aspherical VM Lens.

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.5 Aspherical has a classic barrel design with all metal construction finished in either black aluminium or chrome brass. The lens is inspired by the original LTM version made in the 1950s and specifically manufactured the modern version with classic looks. It uses the same basic lens design as the classic version with modern performance by incorporating an aspherical element into the optical design to reduce aberration and distortion with improved sharpness. When shooting the lens wide open at its maximum aperture allows it to generate shallow depth of field with pleasant smooth bokeh. It is the best combination of modern and classic world.

Specifications

Lens Mount: VM | Leica M Mount

Construction: 6 Elements / 5 Groups

Diaphragm: 10 Blades

Maximum / Minimum Aperture: F1.5 - F16

Closet Focusing Distance: 0.7m

Filter Size: 49mm

Weight: 220g / 293g (Black | Silver)

Gallery

Comparison with Leica 50mm F1 Noctilux

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.1 is always compared to the Leica 50mm F1 Noctilux Lens. This was the first ever ultra-fast lens that I have owned. It is a bargain compared to similar Leica offerings and often referred to as “Poorman’s Noctilux.”

Image Quality

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.1 produces sharper images in comparison to the Leica 50mm F1 Noctilux with similar heavy vignetting when shot wide open. However, it is not as clinical sharp as the latest Leica 50mm F0.95 Noctilux ASPH lens. The Sharpness improves dramatically when stepping down to f2.8 or greater and it sharpens up across the range until diffraction sets in.

The Lens optical design employs high refractive index glass to help control spherical aberrations and various distortions for a high degree of sharpness and clarity. Additionally, the 10-blade diaphragm helps to produce a smooth bokeh quality when shot wide open.

Build Quality

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.1 is a well constructed lens and solidly built. It is a heavy lens for rangefinder cameras but it’s relatively compact dimensions for an ultra-fast prime lens. It does have certain viewfinder blockage due to its dimensions.

Specifications

Lens Mount: Leica M

Production Year: 2010 - Present

Construction: 7 Elements / 6 Groups

Diaphragm: 10 Blades

Design Features: High Refractive Index Glass

Maximum / Minimum Aperture: F1.1 - F16

Closet Focusing Distance: 1m

Filter Size: 58mm

Weight: 428g

Practical Use

Users often consider this lens due to its low-light capabilities and its bokeh renderings. Wide open at the maximum aperture of F1.1 is suited to working in difficult lighting conditions and also affords extensive control over depth of field with selective focus techniques.

Functionally, the aperture ring is not as smooth as similar Leica lenses as it has distinctively clicks when turning the aperture. However, the focus ring feels almost as smooth as Leica lenses during practical use.

Conclusion

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.1 is exceptionally fast at its maximum aperture, which helps control shallow depth of field during practical shooting and also benefits working in difficult lighting conditions. It is a bargain when compared to similar Leica alternatives and performs about 80% as well in most situations.