A sample from the Voightlander 58mm f1.4.
It was earlier this year that my friend, Paul, brought this particular line of Voigtlander lenses to my attention. While most photographers think of Voigtlander lenses being produced mostly for M mount camera I was surprised to see that the company had engineered four different lenses that come in a Nikon F mount. After borrowing a 58mm f1.4 from Paul I got really interested and started reading more and more.
Voigtlander lenses are produced by the same manufacturer in Japan which makes most of the current Zeiss branded lenses; and they have since the days of the Contax SLR cameras. I already own a Zeiss 50mm f1.4 lens which I like very much (lots of "character" wide open) so I was very open to seeing what the company was doing in that strange Nikon space.
Quick note: A photographer friend named David, who is actually more of a feature film director/producer, probably changes cameras even more often than I do. A month ago I ran into him at a party and he was carrying around one of the "Ghost" finished Leica Q2s. A while back he was the first photographer I knew who splashed out for the Leica S medium format camera and a handful of Leica medium format lenses. His camera turnover is prodigious. Don't worry! He can afford it.
Anyway, I was walking around taking photos in our downtown area on Friday and I saw him through a window, sitting in a café. I walked in to say, "hello." Next to him on the table was a nice and minty copy of a vintage, Nikon F4 film camera. I asked. He just came back from Tokyo where he picked up the pristinely preserved copy for about $120. Knowing he wouldn't keep it for long I made him promise, upon pain of social censure, not to sell it to anyone but me. It would be the perfect film vehicle for these Voigtlander lenses. And so it goes....
Back to the main topic: Voigtlander currently offers four different lenses in Nikon dress. These are a 90mm f2.8, the 58mm f1.4, the (delicious) 40mm f2.0 and a 28mm f2.8. I've learned that several of these lenses have existed as Nikon mount lenses for years but all have been recently updated to look very much like the pre-AI Nikkor lenses from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Big, husky, deeply scalloped focusing rings, very Nikon-ish aperture rings complete with the little "ears" to engage pre-AI camera meters and the usual Nikon lens mount, complete with electrical contacts with which to enable communication with more modern camera bodies. They are delightful to look at if you worked with Nikon's older cameras for any length of time. They are more stout than the M series lenses but if you are going to mount them to rugged Leica SL bodies or big Panasonic S1 bodies that doesn't rise to the level of off putting.
The beauty of buying lenses in this mount is that because of the long distance required from the lens to the sensor they can be mounted on just about any mirrorless camera on the market for which an adapter ring is available. They can be used on Nikon's newest Z cameras and when using a Nikon Z adapter they retain the ability to transfer data about aperture settings, max. aperture, etc. and to also enable a guided manual focusing. You can put them on Sony cameras. You can buy old Nikon film or DSLR cameras and use them with a certain nostalgic glee. I'm actually considering tracking down a Nikon Df just to use with these lenses, and a few other Nikon F mount lenses I've held on to. So, very, very much a chameleon family of lenses.
As I mentioned, I have the 58mm f1.4 and the 40mm f2.0. I can't justify buying the 90mm as I have and enjoy the 90mm Sigma lens but I am trying to consider whether or not to buy the 28mm. The lens designs are modern, dating back to around 2006-2007 for most. They are all very good and use modern optical components such as high refractive elements and some aspheric elements as well. They are not as clinically perfect as some even more modern lenses but I think that's fine for the kind of "found art" shooting I mostly do with them. They are certainly more than adequate and, being completely manual, they are more fun to shoot with. At least for me.
I would be most interested to hear from anyone who has and is shooting with the 28mm. And, if you'd like to share experiences about the other three lenses I am certain there are a number of readers here who would like to hear about them. Fire away in the comments.
Right now I'm going to put the 40mm on the front of an SL2 and spend some more time getting to know that lens. That's all for now.
Sorry it's taken me so long to get the comments moderated... Such a Herculean task!
9 comments:
I own each of the lenses you mention. All are smooth as silk to focus and are lovely when stopped down 1-3 stops. Wide open performance is a little more "dreamy" than some of the more modern alternatives although they don't exhibit the chromatic aberrations that plague some lenses from the film era used on digital sensors.
The Nikon DF has the same fantastic sensor as the Nikon D4S and is a joy to use, in my opinion. No video whatsoever and a healthy dose of dials ...perfect! Made in Japan, not Thailand. Does this matter? Probably not, but the quality of construction is quite nice. Truly the best manual focussing DSLR I've ever used. I feel that the leather half cases do improve the grip with this body and add a bit of nostalgic fun, as well.
Now that most digital cameras take high quality photos ...very nice to enjoy the actual process of using a DF body and Voigtlander lens. 16 megapixels is more than adequate in most situations. When you need more, roll out the Leica!
Thanks. Right in line with what I was finding. Can't wait to try a Df.
I would like to try the Voigtlander 28 for F mount. I've been hoping they come out with a Z mount version so I don't have to bother with the adapter. I ended up buying a Nikon 28 2.8 AIS, which is quite nice, and can be found for not so much used.
The bane of all DSLRs so far as I am concerned is back or front focus errors when using manual focus lenses. Not into shimming this or that. Micro-adjustments for specific lenses are fine for auto focus, but is there a simple way to adjust focus for MF lenses? The beauty of mirrorless is the full time “live view”. Having to resort to live view in a DSLR isn’t so seamless. Maybe others have different experiences.
I had a Df and the Voigtlander 40mm f2 (plus other lenses). But the 40mm was the one I enjoyed using the most on the Df. Unfortunatlely, sold both a while back. But I have some nice photos taken with that combo.
I have the Voigtlander Nokton 23mm f/1.2 in Fuji X mount. I find it to be a delightful lens that's surprisingly sharp wide open and very sharp a couple of stops down. The fact that it is chipped, allowing full metering and automatic aperture control, allows me to get the manual focusing right on those occasions when I can use the help.
Meanwhile, I made a completely unnecessary purchase recently. I've been interested in Nikon's Z system for a while but didn't want to spend big money to try it. I tripped over a refurbished Z5 on Nikon's own site recently at a very friendly price. So I pulled the trigger on that and a refurbed 24-70mm f/4 zoom. I added a sub-$300 Z 40mm f/2 prime, which itself is an interesting little lens. Not perfect but reliably sharp and a lot of fun at a focal length that I really like.
But. even before you wrote this piece, I've been looking at the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2 for Nikon Z. It, too, is chipped for modern cameras. Another area of exploration beckons.
Over the past few months I've been buying a trainload of old Nikkors in the "antiquated" Nikon F mount. They are such great lenses and so cheap these days. Not cheap-cheap, like some of the excellent Chinese-made lenses, but inexpensive. I like the look of lenses with a "character"--you know, aberrations that spice up the image not corrections that burn the eyes. To that end I've also stumbled into using film again. This came about by the discovery (are you ready for it?) of a near-perfect Nikon F4 found for $125 from a NOT ebay source. The camera is pretty much showroom fresh and works like a charm. I dragged out my old stainless tanks and reels and ordered some fresh film (the stuff in my freezer had expiration dates in the last century) and, of course, chemicals. I'm not going full retro but it's kinda exciting to relive the 1970s.
As for Voigtlander, I've never used their Nikon mount lenses but I've used several in Leica M-mount with adapters for Fuji. The lenses were all outstanding but I dislike EVFs so much I learned to hate using them and the stupid focus peaking method. So the Voigtlanders had to go. I would definitely consider a Voigtlander in Nikon F-mount if I were in the market. But I already have a full range of the Carl Zeiss ZF.2 lenses and that's really as much as I will ever use outside the Nikkors.
The Df has a number of lovers and detractors. I don't own one but I've read from users how much they love the camera and how great the 16mp files look. I'm more in tune with the ergonomics of the long-established DSLR Nikons. I would probably go with the D4, given the choice as weight is not much of an issue when you have limited mobility and can't walk very far anyway.
Once again, superb B&W….oops, monochrome.
These Voigtlander MF lenses are great, especially if you are looking for small lenses for travel/hiking. When I first bought my Z6, all of the nikon Z lenses, although being optically excellent, were kind of large. I read a few reviews of the Voigtlander Color Scopar 21mm F3.5 in Sony E mount. It was easily adapted to the Z with a tiny (2mm) E to Z adapter. The lens has been a joy to use - only weighs 230 gm, and is very good optically - the only downside is that at F3.5 does not isolate the background like a faster lens. Regardless, for travel and landscapes it is rugged, compact and enjoyable to use. I think Nikon got the message because they now have several "semi-pancake" lenses for the Z but none are as solid and pleasant to use as the Voigtlander.
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