Japanese lens manufacturer Cosina launched a new lens under the company’s Voigtlander brand: the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm aspherical prime lens. From the looks of it, the lens has a high-speed f/1.0 maximum aperture. As a result, the lens will appeal to filmmakers looking for great low light performance or a super shallow depth of field.
Full-frame
The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm lens consists of nine elements in seven groups. This includes a ground aspherical surface lens, which Cosina produced in-house. In addition, the lens has a 47.8-degree field of view and will cover a full-frame 35mm sensor.
Circular bokeh
Internally, Voigtlander Nokton 50mm lens has a 12-blade diaphragm, which means its iris is very close to circular. As a result, the lens delivers an attractive circular bokeh. The lens’ maximum aperture is f/1.0 and its minimum aperture is f/16.
Manual lens
The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm is an entirely manual lens. The aperture ring is at the front of the lens and the focusing ring at the rear. The lens has a close focus distance of 0.9 meters (35.4 inches). Cosina says the all-metal helicoid focusing mechanism allows for smooth, high-precision focus adjustments.
Compact size
Despite the lens’ wide maximum aperture of f1.0, the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm lens is only 2.2 inches long and 2.9 inches in diameter. It weighs a little over 17 ounces. The lens also comes with a metal lens hood with a bayonet-type fitting, which you can mount in reverse. This is useful because it reduces the size of the lens for storage. The lens has a filter size of 62 mm.
VM mount
The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm lens has a bayonet VM mount, which is compatible with the Leica M mount. You can also purchase adapters to use the lens on mirrorless digital camera systems.
Pricing and availability
The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm lens is scheduled for release in January 2022. Cosina has stated the suggested retail price excluding tax as 225,000 Yen, which equates to around $1980.
