Voigtländer 40mm Nokton on M8?!

[m.galimathias]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi,

I am looking for a fast, cheap 35mm or 40mm prime for my new M8. Due the fact that the 35mm Voigtländer 1.4 has focus shift, I am looking at the Voigtländer 40mm 1.4 Nokton. Does the lens have enough optical quality for the M8 and no focus shift? How performs the lens compared to the 35mm Summicron Asph and the Voigtländer 35mm 2.5?

[jlindstrom]

I found the lens to work quite nicely on the M8. In fact it is probably my favorite lens on the M8. Though my experience with Leica lenses is somewhat limited. I found nothing to complain about in it's real life performance and didn't notice any focus shift either.

 

I modified the 40mm to bring up the 35mm frames in the M8, which I found to be quite accurate. Filing off the appropriate piece of the mount wasn't too hard..

 

That being said, I just sold the lens. Why? Well, I got a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal for a used 50mm pre-asph summilux. I just couldn't pass that deal.. I'll be getting the lux in about 2 weeks time.

 

Still, I have a feeling I might miss that little 40. It was a solid performer, small and light weight. And didn't have to be worried about breaking it, because it was so cheap. With Leica lenses that's going to be a whole other story..

 

//Juha

[uptong]

Like jlindstrom I have found that the 40 SC performs quite well on the M8.

Of course such observations can only be subjective, what one person likes others may well dislike.

It is really down to whether you are happy or not with what it produces. If your going for something on the basis of it being cheap then you have to accept some form of subjectivity or compromise.

You say you want cheap fast, the 40 fits that bill, only by trying one can you get the answer to the question of if you like it or not and if it will suit what your intended uses are.

[RobertW]

Dead easy to focus bang on all the time.

No focus shift.

Bokeh can be quite jarring when the lens is wide open at times. Its something you might not like at all when it does appear.

 

Other than the sometimes strange bokeh, its a great little lens that feels well balanced on the M8.

 

File down the flange to bring up the 35mm framelines and code it.

[roguewave]

Even better is the 40 Summicron. At f2 it is super sharp. with wonderful bokeh & it very compact. Very easy to compose & a much better value for the money.

[stonearabiapix]

Agreed, the 40 summicron is a charm.

T.

[CharlesL]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

It's informative if you search flickr.com for: Voigtlander 40 M8.

Study the best examples, not the large percentage of mediocre photos, to get an idea of what the lens can do.

[momo77]

It's, for now, my only lens on my M8.

My copy focuses PERFECTLY; the lens is sharp, even wide open. The bokeh is pleasant to my eyes but, for sure, it's not creamy, in some situations, as other lenses. The overall contrast is good, not too high.

My lens brings up 50 mm frame in viewfinder, but after some shots you get used of this situation and become able to compose without any problems; I have the MC version, I use a 43 to 46 adapter and use always a 46 Leica UV/IR cut filter.

If you are interested, check some shots at

 

Leica M8 - a set on Flickr

 

I'm fully satisfied of this gem!

[epand56]

One more for the Summicron 40. I had both, Cron and Nokton. No story, I've sold the Nokton and kept the Cron. As Ben states, it is a compact and super sharp lens. Plenty of examples on this forum.

[mike_j]

I have the Nokton 35mm f1.4 on my M8, it's better to have the right framelines. Very compact and sharp. It does suffer from barrel distortion which can be annoying but is easily cured in Lightroom. It also suffers from circular flare in extreme cases and at wide aperture. It is worth buying the separate lens hood. I don't find the reported focus shift a problem.