Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 Aspherical
Announced June 15, 2013
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 Aspherical is a compact, well-built lens that offers impressive sharpness and a distinct rendering for Leica M users. Though it exhibits some softness and vignetting when used wide open, it remains a high-value, versatile choice for those seeking a fast standard optic.
Weighted from 8 reviewer scores
Pros
- Attractive bokeh and sunstar rendering
- Exceptional build quality and mechanical feel
- Strong center sharpness and performance
- Compact and lightweight design
- High value relative to price
Cons
- Soft corner performance and vignetting at wide apertures
- Handling quirks including stiff focus and lack of a focus tab
- Chromatic aberration and purple fringing
- Potential for flare and focus shift issues
- Physical bulk and viewfinder blockage from the lens hood
- Launch price $1,099 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 50mm f/1.5
- Mount & coverage Sony E, Leica M, Leica LTM Full-Frame
- Close focus 70 cm
- Filter thread 49mm
- Weight & size 220g (7.8 oz) · 53.8 x 45.7 mm (2.12 x 1.80 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 8 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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Anyone, who looks for a really small and fast allround standard lens, enjoys a beautifully crafted mechanical instrument and doesn’t mind paying a little more for less bulk.
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It competes with the Leica 35 Lux but is even faster with a 1.2 vs 1.4 aperture though it is huge for a 35mm lens and does not have the micro contrast of the Leica lens, which is a true masterpiece but damn expensive at $4500.
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Absolutely, unless you shoot the lens at 0.7 meters. [...] The size is amazing, it looks amazing, it balances really well on Leica M cameras, build quality is fantastic, and I think it just offers everything you need in kind of a great all-round 50mm lens for a Leica M mount.
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I really like this lens for the size, the weight, the performance, and the price point. It's really hard to say no to this because I did mention this previously a long time ago that when I got this lens, I sold my Leica Summilux for this.
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Not all Voigtlander lenses are great, this is well known, but this one I do really consider a good one and worth taking a look or even buying it.
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If you can't tell already, I absolutely love this thing. For the price, it's incredible, and to be honest, just saying for the price, I think that kind of undersells it. Regardless of the price, this is a really, really good lens.
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The Nokton 50mm 1.5 Aspherical VM handles flare with some difficulty in certain cases but its performance is quite good in my opinion.
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That's pretty much it really on the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 paired with the Sony A7 series, one of the best lenses for street photography.
