I found my love, guys. I want to talk about what I think is the perfect, the most amazing, the best 40mm lens in the world: the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton Aspherical in Leica M mount.
It is an expensive lens. It has been on the market for some time, and it was hard for me to decide whether I would buy it or not and break the bank again. Luckily I have many lenses and many cameras, so my wife does not notice when a new one arrives.
Jokes aside, the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is an amazing lens and I am totally in love with it. It has some optical problems, of course, and I will address all of them. Many pixel peepers will hate a few of them. But for what it can do, this is an outstanding lens, and by the end of this article we will decide together whether the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is really expensive. The more I think about what I can do with it, the more I feel it is not expensive at all.
So what is there to love and what is there to hate about the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2? Because yes, there is one thing I really do not like about this lens, and I will get to it a little later.
Why I Bought the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 in Leica M Mount
The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 also exists in a native Nikon Z version, so the first question is why I chose the Leica M mount. The answer is simple: freedom.
First, I already have the Techart autofocus adapter for Nikon Z. Second, the Leica M mount lets me put this lens on practically any mirrorless camera, including my Fujifilm cameras. A native Z mount Voigtlander stays on Nikon forever. An M mount lens goes on the rangefinder, on the Nikon through the Techart adapter, and on Fujifilm as a short telephoto. One lens, three systems.
I had real problems deciding to get this lens. The copy I own is the first version, the one that comes with the nice metal lens hood. I actually wanted the newer version, the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical II VM, but it was not in stock. When it finally appeared, I had another worry: I was afraid the lens would arrive and feel too big and too chunky, and that I would not like it on a Leica M.
So let’s address that worry first.
Build Quality and Handling of the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2
Is the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 too big and too chunky? From my point of view, no. It is not too big and it is not too chunky. On my Leica M-P Typ 240 it is pure perfection. It fits like a glove.
I do not know how it will feel on a Leica M11, which has a slightly thinner body, but on the M240 it is a match made in heaven. It is unbelievably comfortable and convenient for a Leica M camera, and it balances beautifully in the hand. For a serious Leica M shooter it is a real everyday carry package, and I honestly feel that this lens will turn me into a more serious Leica M shooter. I will explain why in a moment, together with why I bought it in the first place.
The Focusing Ring Without a Tab
I was afraid of the focusing ring. The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 does not have a focusing tab, unlike my Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5 Nokton, and I thought I only liked lenses with a focusing tab.
It seems I was wrong. I am totally in love with the way this Voigtlander focuses with its ring. It is another story, and I now feel it as an advantage compared to the tab. I adapted the way I shoot to this lens, and that adaptation is, again, a match made in heaven. This focusing ring and this build really help me nail focus very easily at f/1.2.
I made an in-depth video for my YouTube members on how to nail focus at f/1.2 with this lens and with other manual lenses. If that is something you struggle with, it is available in my TM Photography Academy membership.
Aperture Ring and Metal Lens Hood
Next comes the aperture ring, and this is another amazing piece of build quality. I did not expect it to be so nice. The damping of the aperture clicks, the resistance, the feedback: everything is really amazing.
Then you have the beautiful metal lens hood. You put it on, turn it, and it locks in place. To take it off, you push it a little and then remove it. It is a small detail, but it feels solid and precise, exactly what you want on a lens you carry every day.
I love everything about this lens: the lens hood, the feeling in the hand, the size and the weight. The combination offers a perfect balance in hand, and with this combo I am able to shoot at 1/8 of a second without any problems. So the build quality of the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 gets 10 out of 10 from me, without any complaints.
Why a 40mm f/1.2 and Not a 35mm or a 50mm?
Now let’s talk about image quality and why I am so in love with this lens. But first, the obvious question: why this lens? Why not a 35mm f/1.2, a 50mm f/1.2, or a Leica 35mm f/1.4?
First, I love the 40mm field of view a lot. If you are curious why this focal length works so well for me on the street, I explained it in detail in 40mm for street photography.
Second, this is a 40mm lens with an f/1.2 aperture. That combination is killer when it comes to depth of field and to the blur behind and in front of the subject. From my point of view, it beats any f/1.4 Summilux lens out there in that respect.
And it is not a 50, it is a 40. A 40mm lens is generally easier to focus than a 50mm, and as I will explain in the manual focus section, the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is as easy to focus as a 35mm lens while giving you the 40mm field of view. So: 40mm focal length plus f/1.2 aperture. Boom. Total destruction of any 35mm f/1.4 or f/1.5 lens. Yes, it is a slightly different field of view, but I really, really love the 40mm field of view, and f/1.2 at 40mm is again a match made in heaven.
40mm plus f/1.2: as easy to focus as a 35mm, with more separation than any 35mm f/1.4 I have used.
Image Quality of the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2
To have great image quality at a fast aperture, a lens needs a great bite at f/1.2. And this lens has the greatest bite at f/1.2 that I have seen.
The Bite at f/1.2
The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is not soft at all wide open. Depending on the subject, close up or at all kinds of distances, everything you shoot at f/1.2 has the bite: the sharpness, the 3D pop and the micro contrast are all there at f/1.2. Crazy, crazy bite.
The bokeh is crazy smooth too. Depending on the background, it can completely melt it. I really have no words to describe what this lens can do at f/1.2, and I really do not need another lens like this. It is sufficient in every way: size, weight, and how easy it is to focus.
Vignetting, Purple Fringing and Chromatic Aberration
The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 shines at f/1.2, but it is not perfect. It has vignetting, purple fringing and chromatic aberration. Yes, it has all of that, and you can check it online for yourself. If this matters for you, okay. For me, it does not matter. I love the bite a lot, and everything else is almost perfect.
For the kind of photography this lens is made for, which I would call humanistic, everyday and documentary photography, these small problems are a zero problem. You will get the pictures.
The Cat Eye Bokeh Balls
What I do not like at all, and what is really annoying, is the shape of the bokeh balls. In some situations the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 produces very strong cat eye shaped bokeh balls. In those situations they simply do not work for me, and they can ruin your photos.
Is this a deal breaker in the long term? I feel that it is not, because I will adapt and because I rarely need bokeh balls in my photography. But if they were perfectly round, I honestly think I would never need to shoot another lens.
And even so, I already feel that I do not need another lens. A 40mm f/1.2 on a full frame camera, with this bite, this magic look, this micro contrast, this 3D pop, and high contrast, high sharpness and high resolution at all kinds of apertures. With this build quality and these optics, what can I say? I am totally in love with what I can do with this lens, especially at f/1.2.
If Voigtlander ever wants to improve it, the only thing I would ask for is a third version with nice round bokeh balls, like the ones from the Nikon Plena, but perfectly round.
Black and White and Color
Let me also address black and white. In black and white, the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is outstanding. In color, it is outstanding too. The contrast and the micro contrast give the black and white files real depth, while the color files keep their richness and their pop.
Manual Focus with the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2
What I also love a lot is that I can shoot this lens with zone focusing, almost like a 35mm lens. So how is manual focus with the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2?
It is very, very easy if you know what you are doing. I see lots of people complaining that they cannot get focus at f/1.2, f/1.4 or f/2 with different lenses. If you know what you are doing, it is almost impossible not to get focus.
The lens is very easy to focus because of its great manual focus ring. It feels very nice in the hand, and you always know where you are. The damping of this ring is pure perfection. On my Leica, the rangefinder patch is very bright and nice, and the lens hood does not block too much of the view. You can also take the lens hood off.
I can easily compose and adapt to the frame lines of my Leica rangefinder, because I know the 40mm field of view. Even if my composition is not exactly right, I will not miss it, and I can crop a little later in post. With a 40mm lens it is easy to focus and easy to compose, as long as you know how to focus your lens.
The in-depth tutorial on how to focus this lens and any manual focus lens is available for my TM Photography Academy level on YouTube. If you want to learn more about photography, with tips, tricks and presets, join the TM Photography Academy and get access to lots of goodies.
Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 on Nikon Z with the Techart Adapter
Now let me talk a little about this lens on Nikon Z. On the Nikon Z5IIc it is another match made in heaven. Why the Nikon Z5IIc? Because it is a light body, and that matters here. The Techart adapter adds some weight too, but because the Z5II is not as heavy as the Nikon Zf and has great ergonomics, the result is a great everyday package that you can take everywhere.
And the best part: you get autofocus with a manual focus lens at f/1.2. This is the problem with the Voigtlander lenses made for the Z mount: you do not get AF. But if you buy the Leica M mount version and put it on the Techart adapter, boom, you have AF.
The second generation Techart adapter, the TZM-02, is the one to get. It is lighter and the focusing is blazing fast. Techart also released a new firmware, version 4 or so, which works like a charm and is so fast that it turns these M mount lenses into sports lenses. The problem is that it has a bug, and on the ZR it can freeze. So I had to downgrade to the older firmware. I hope Techart fixes the bug and makes the new firmware available for the Nikon Z5IIc too, because then the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 becomes a sports lens on your Nikon Z camera. That is mind-blowing.
Even with the older firmware, autofocus works very well. On the Nikon Z5IIc it focuses very fast and accurately, even in low light.
Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 on Fujifilm: A 60mm f/1.2
The next point is the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 on Fujifilm cameras, and why you may want this lens for your Fujifilm. I made some test shots with my Fujifilm X-E5. The lens looks great on it and everything works great.
On an APS-C Fujifilm body, this lens gives you the 60mm field of view. I love the 60mm field of view a lot for portraits, for street photography and for everyday photography. I discovered it with a lens I constantly used on my Olympus camera, the 30mm f/3.5 macro, and I fell totally in love with that 60mm view. We do not have many 60mm lenses on Fujifilm, or on other systems for that matter.
On an APS-C body, the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 becomes a 60mm f/1.2 lens: a nice short telephoto, extraordinary for portraiture. And the best thing is that it keeps the micro contrast, the 3D pop, the colors and all the goodies on your Fujifilm camera.
I have never seen lenses that keep their character on an APS-C camera the way Voigtlander lenses do on Fujifilm cameras. Any Voigtlander M mount lens I have used keeps its character and its good qualities. This happened to me with lots of Voigtlander lenses, including the 35mm f/1.5. You keep the character and you do not lose that bite.
So if you want a multipurpose lens, getting the M mount version and adapting it to your Fujifilm camera may be a better deal. If you are building a small Fujifilm kit, I also collected my favorite options in best lenses for small Fujifilm cameras.
Is the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Big and Chunky?
Overall, I really love the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2. Acquiring focus with my Leica M was very easy, and with the Nikon Z there is no discussion at all because I have autofocus. My only complaint remains the cat eye bokeh balls in some situations.
On my Leica M-P 240 it is not big and it is not chunky. I know that in a video it looks big and chunky, and if some viewers tell you it is, you may believe them. Let me address this. It may look big and chunky, and it may even feel big and chunky at first, but in practice it is not. Why? Because everything is very well balanced. The camera is not front heavy. When I put the camera on the table, it stays perfectly level and does not tip forward. The balance is perfect on the M240P, and I expect it to be the same on a Leica M10 or M11. It also sits great on the Nikon Z5IIc.
Weight Distribution Matters More Than Size
I compared it with a smaller brass lens of roughly similar weight – the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.5. I do not like the small brass lens combo on my Lieca, compared to the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2, because it makes my Leica M240P feel a little front heavy.
Big is not always bad. When a lens or a camera is bigger and carries some weight, that weight is better distributed and better balanced. Balance and weight distribution are more important than having a small lens with the same weight.
So design is crucial, and in this case the Voigtlander design, with its weight spread over a slightly larger barrel, is a better choice than a smaller design of similar weight. Keep that in mind.
This is why I say the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is not big and not chunky. For comparison, from what I remember it is as small as, or even a little shorter than, the OM 20mm f/1.4 for Micro Four Thirds. It is a very small lens. And the version II is even smaller and lighter.
One Camera, One Lens
For me, this is perfection, and this is why I love it so much. The package also gives me trust: a tough, metal build. No worries if I bump the camera a little. No worries when I put the camera on the table: it stays straight and safe.
It sits very well on my body and very well in the camera bag. One camera, one lens, two batteries, and I have a very portable bag with a package that can do all the photography in the world that I may want to do: outstanding portraiture, outstanding everyday street photography, and manual focus street photography, because, as I said, this lens supports zone focusing.
It is really amazing: a lens wide enough for everyday shooting that gives me the compression and the separation I would normally expect from a 50mm, at f/1.2. What are we even talking about here?
Who Is the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 For?
The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is for photographers who want one fast, small, beautifully built normal lens for humanistic, everyday and documentary photography. It is for Leica M shooters first. It is also for Nikon Z shooters who want autofocus from a manual lens through the Techart adapter, and for Fujifilm shooters who want a 60mm f/1.2 short telephoto with real character.
It is not for pixel peepers who will be bothered by vignetting, purple fringing, chromatic aberration or cat eye bokeh balls. If those things matter more to you than bite, 3D pop and rendering, look elsewhere.
Conclusion: Is the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Expensive?
I do not see how Voigtlander can improve this lens much, except, as I said, with a third version that has perfectly round bokeh balls. That is what I feel this lens is missing. The chromatic aberration and the other small problems are a zero problem for a lens dedicated to humanistic, everyday and documentary photography.
So is the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 expensive? When I think about what it does, and that I can use the same lens on a Leica M, a Nikon Z with autofocus and a Fujifilm X camera, I no longer think so.
It is an amazing lens that I truly, truly recommend. Have the courage to get it. You will not regret it. If you have a Leica M body, you really must get this lens. Do not wait. It is an outstanding, beautifully built lens and I am totally in love with it.
Where to Buy the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
| Product | Why I would get it | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical II VM | The lighter, smaller current version of the lens in Leica M mount | AMAZON · B&H PHOTO |
| Techart TZM-02 Leica M to Nikon Z adapter | Autofocus for the M mount Voigtlander on Nikon Z | AMAZON · B&H PHOTO |
| Nikon Z5IIc | The light Nikon Z body I pair with the Voigtlander and Techart | B&H PHOTO |
| Nikon Zf | A heavier, retro Nikon Z option for the same combo | AMAZON |
| Fujifilm X-E5 | Turns the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 into a 60mm f/1.2 | B&H PHOTO |
If you want to try the 40mm field of view for less money first, these are the alternatives I would look at:
| Alternative | Why | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 7Artisans AF 40mm F2.5 (E / Z / L) | The cheapest way to find out if you like 40mm | CHECK PRICE |
| TTArtisan AF 40mm F2 | Small autofocus 40mm | CHECK PRICE |
| TTArtisan M 50mm F0.95 | Very fast M mount glass, harder to focus than a 40 | CHECK PRICE |
| Viltrox AF 56mm F1.2 Pro (Fujifilm) | The 60mm f/1.2 look on Fujifilm with autofocus | CHECK PRICE |
Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Sample Photos
These are more photographs I made with the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 on my Leica M240, in color and in black and white, on the street, by day and by night.
