My relationship with manual glass is a tug of war between nostalgia and performance. While I appreciate "vintage character," I generally demand clinical, razor sharp rendering. I have little patience for "glow" when it’s just an excuse for poor wide open performance.
When I picked up the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.2 Nokton II from
Cameraquest, I was skeptical. Generally speaking, fast primes including Leica often implies "soft until f/2.8." However, Voigtlander has a pretty solid record of delivering. So, after testing it on my Nikon Zf via the Techart TZM-02 autofocus adapter using my 13 year old German Shepherd, Freya, as a model I was genuinely impressed. The Voigtlander surpassed my expectations.
Performance & Sharpness
I am a stickler for contrast and resolution. Usually, f/1.2 glass carries a dreamy haze, but this Version II is a different animal:
Even at f/1.2, the sharpness is remarkable. It lacks the distracting spherical aberration of its predecessors.
Unlike many "character" lenses that wash out wide open, this lens maintains rich blacks and deep tones even in challenging light.
The thin plane of focus combined with clean rendering creates a pronounced subject separation that feels organic rather than artificial.
The AF Experience (Techart TZM-02)
Adapting M mount glass to mirrorless often feels like a compromise, but the Techart TZM-02 changes the math. On the Nikon Zf, the experience is seamless. The adapter’s motor is snappy enough to make this f/1.2 beast feel like a native autofocus prime, even when utilizing eye tracking.
The Aperture Flavor & Bokeh
Comparing this to my benchmark the 50mm f/2 APO Lanthar, the Nokton II holds its own surprisingly well. The 12 blade diaphragm offers three distinct "flavors" of rendering ...
f/1.2 Incredibly smooth bokeh circles with no trace of aperture blades. It offers a creamy, melting background.
f/1.4 A slight turn brings a subtle "sawtooth" texture to the highlights. It’s not distracting, but it adds a unique character.
f/2 The rendering becomes more consistent and stable, moving closer to the clinical look I prefer while retaining the Nokton’s signature color.
Voigtlander has managed a rare feat, creating a lens that feels corrected without feeling sterile. It satisfies my craving for clinical resolution at the focal point while retaining a smooth, organic fall off. On the Zf’s sensor, these files possess a depth that my native S line primes sometimes struggle to replicate.
View the entire story with sample images on: 50mil.com
