Leica 75mm Summilux 1.4 VS Voigtlander 75mm Nokton 1.5 Comparison

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I decided to make a quick comparison between the Leica 75mm Summilux 1.4 (version 1) VS the Voigtlander 75mm Nokton 1.5 for those who are interested.

 

This evening, I received my 75mm Nokton and took some quick test shots that I also took with my Lux when it was in my possession. I no longer have the Lux, so I cannot do a "controlled" test between the two, therefore the framing and lighting (time of day & weather) are slightly different. I hope this will gives those who are interested a rough idea of sharpness, bokeh and rendering between the two lenses. All these test shots are shot on a Leica M9 at wide open (f/1.4 for lux and f/1.5 for nokton) and SOOC with no editing.

 

 

 

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75mm Lux 

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75mm Nokton

 

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75mm Lux 

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75mm Nokton

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75mm Lux 

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75mm Nokton

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75mm Lux 

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75mm Lux

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75mm Nokton

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[Pintpot]

Thanks.

I must say I've always rated VM lenses as a good 'bang for buck' alternative to Leica glass. So much so that over the years I've bought 4 VM lenses for my Leica camera collection.

[Jan1985]

I guess you see the quality of the VM Nokton. I recently bought one also and will test this against the 75mm Noctilux. I think they are nearly on the same level.

[Ray Vonn]

This Voigt 75mm F1.5 really does seems to cover most if not all bases in comparison to its Leica counterparts when you factor in what can be adjusted in PP and we seem to be at the point where one may prefer say a Noctilux/ Summilux/ Summicron but only based on a personal minor preferences based on one's subjective eye as opposed to the Leica lenses being better.  Almost as if having 'the badge' seems to be the main reason for owning the Leica lenses (which is fine btw, not an insult).  You could say the same thing about the Voigt APO lenses, but those are considerably bigger than their Leica counterparts - that's certainly not he case with the 75mm. So what's the point of this post?  Well, to say well done Voigtlander, if one's i the market fora 75mm, any 75mm, this F1.5 would be the one to get above all others.  Just my 2c, YMMZ, etc etc. 

[Jan1985]

That‘s exactly what I start to enjoy. It‘s lightweight compared to the Noctilux and so much more usable.

[OR120]

As many have said - we are so fortunate to live in times with many great lenses. I like just about all 75mm (and 80mm) lenses I've used. I have an old Nikon 80 that has a wonderful look. But given a choice between the two mentioned here - I'll always go with the 75mm Summilux. Here's a shot taken yesterday:

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9 hours ago, OR120 said:

As many have said - we are so fortunate to live in times with many great lenses. I like just about all 75mm (and 80mm) lenses I've used. I have an old Nikon 80 that has a wonderful look. But given a choice between the two mentioned here - I'll always go with the 75mm Summilux. Here's a shot taken yesterday:

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The 75mm lux produces something special, but not special enough for the premium cost (mainly due to name brand and rarity) and the issues it comes with (mainly focus problems on digital sensors). With that being said, if all copies of the 75mm lux were perfect and didn’t require a gamble, then perhaps I would pick another one up for the extra cost.
 

A brand new voigtlander 75mm nokton 1.5 is only 1/4 of the price of a used 75mm lux (assuming good copy), lighter in weight, smaller, sharper in the centre and comes with warranty. The focus throw of the 75mm Nokton is also very narrow, but that depends on personal preferences. Let’s not forget the possible haze, fungus or other issues from a used 1980-2007 lens.

For those who are on a budget and want a fast 75mm, the voigtlander nokton is the way to go, unless you have the money and patience of picking up a used 75mm lux. Don’t get me wrong, the 75mm lux is a great lens, but I lost my patience’s with it due to constant issues and having to send back a few times for calibration, that I just decided to sell it instead. Lastly, both glow very minimally (75mm lux glows a bit more than the 75mm nokton) when trying to pair it with the 35mm pre-asph lux v2. The 75mm lux also has more magenta chromatic abbreviation when shooting high contrast scenes compared to the 75mm nokton and less sharp when wide open at infinity distances (depends on calibration request), but when the lux is stopped down to f4 or higher, it’s just as sharp as the new 75mm APO summicron (at least for my copy).

[OR120]

1 hour ago, 69xchange said:

The 75mm lux produces something special, but not special enough for the premium cost (mainly due to name brand and rarity) and the issues it comes with (mainly focus problems on digital sensors). With that being said, if all copies of the 75mm lux were perfect and didn’t require a gamble, then perhaps I would pick another one up for the extra cost.
 

A brand new voigtlander 75mm nokton 1.5 is only 1/4 of the price of a used 75mm lux (assuming good copy), lighter in weight, smaller, sharper in the centre and comes with warranty. The focus throw of the 75mm Nokton is also very narrow, but that depends on personal preferences. Let’s not forget the possible haze, fungus or other issues from a used 1980-2007 lens.

For those who are on a budget and want a fast 75mm, the voigtlander nokton is the way to go, unless you have the money and patience of picking up a used 75mm lux. Don’t get me wrong, the 75mm lux is a great lens, but I lost my patience’s with it due to constant issues and having to send back a few times for calibration, that I just decided to sell it instead. Lastly, both glow very minimally (75mm lux glows a bit more than the 75mm nokton) when trying to pair it with the 35mm pre-asph lux v2. The 75mm lux also has more magenta chromatic abbreviation when shooting high contrast scenes compared to the 75mm nokton and less sharp when wide open at infinity distances (depends on calibration request), but when the lux is stopped down to f4 or higher, it’s just as sharp as the new 75mm APO summicron (at least for my copy).

All very good points! I got into Leica's in the late 60's when my Dad gave me his IIIF w/50 Summitar. Had all the M's, stopped with the M5's (3-lug). Then moved on to Leicaflex's and R's. After years with Canon and Nikon (for work) came back to M's with the 240. But my eyes just couldn't nail focus with my favorite M lenses, 35, 50 and 75 Summilux's. So got a Visoflex to help. At that point the M's were over for me. I loved the M's for their small bodies but when you put on that big chunk of metal - the Visoflex - it is no longer that wonderful M body. AND it was very slow (for me) to focus - so my local Leica dealer said - "Put your 75 Summilux on this Leica SL body". And my life changed. All my fast lenses were so bright and easy to focus! I'm shooting all my lenses - Leica, Zeiss, Nikon, Lumix and an old, fast Sigma. I am now shooting with an SL-2s - I could not be happier. All lenses are good to go, no calibration. But back to your topic - yes, the 75mm Voigtlander is a great lens and for some - just the right way to go!

Edited April 15, 2024 by OR120

[Peter Huang]

Personally I think Nokton 75mm f1.5 is an excellent lens.

For me it's sharp enough even wide open (2~3 meters), and it deals the background blur nicely.

If stopped down to f2.8 it would be pin sharp.

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[thelivingyears]

I‘m also trying to find out if I should go with the voigtländer 75 1.5 or the Summilux 75 1.4 for my new Leica SL2-S. Are there any more experiences with either or both lenses?

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[lct]

I own both but use the Summilux less and less TBH. I prefer its dreamy results at f/1.4 and its built-in hood is more handy than the separate one of the Nokton but otherwise, the Nokton is significantly lighter and shorter and is hardly inferior optically. The Nokton is also easy to pen code while the Summilux needs to change its flange for 6-bit coding unless you're prepared to butcher this superb lens that has a screw head in the way of the 6-bit sensor.