Voigtlander Nokton 58mm F/1.4 Review!

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 05:53 AM

I have been doing a lot of food tasting these days. There are plenty of Voigtlander 58mm shots around.

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 05:54 AM

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 05:56 AM

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 05:58 AM

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 05:59 AM

k100d · 07-09-2008, 06:33 AM

nice food photos there james! i really like the soft look that you use in all your food photos (not just the nokton ones) but it seems like the nokton would be well suited to getting that smooth effect that you're getting.

have you cropped these photos significantly? how far away from the food are you in these photos? i really enjoy taking food photos and i think i've made a lot of progress in two months. i think i'd take better photos if i stood up but then i'd look even more ridiculous.

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 06:44 AM

I do not crop my food photos

Every pixel counts since you paid the lens for its special "view".

Nokton can sometimes provide a crisp look with very soft bokeh that is really elegant for posh dishes. I like its smooth and solid manual focus with its humble lens construction. Really nice. Not so intrusive in classic restaurants.

The distance is always about half a meter from the subject and I preferred the lighting from 45 degrees diagonally.

Nokton really rocks!

Parallax · 07-09-2008, 02:58 PM

Originally posted by robsphoto

thanks for your images from you heart.
currently I'am trying to get to the sharpes point, but as you said, sharpness is'nt everything. so maybe I could do both , with this lens, learning,... need to go out and just shoot,...

note: the apereture thing, they way you use it in closer range, works for you,
once focus is in more distance, it realy does need to be stopped down to f2 to gain the contrast, the bokeh does not change much, since the sensor is smaller than the aperture.
maybe I'am just wet, behind my lens,... hope I don't get moldy,....

This lens has had the side effect of teaching me that sharpness isn't everything, its just one thing. Sometimes you just don't need or want it.

[My experience with mine is identical to yours. Stopping down to 2.8 results in crystal sharp images. f1.4 may not be all that usable, but because 2.8 is sopped down, I am probably getting better contrast and sharpness that with an f2.8 lens at f2.8. My frustration is that I find it a very difficult lens to focus. It takes a fair amount of concentration.

thePiRaTE!! · 07-09-2008, 05:37 PM

@ Roentarre - You guys always hit me at work with these food photos where there is nothing I can immediately do about it, darn you// ;.te3 f/f/3q/ .!

They look very appetizing - I think that means they worked.

Originally posted by Parallax

[My experience with mine is identical to yours. Stopping down to 2.8 results in crystal sharp images. f1.4 may not be all that usable, but because 2.8 is sopped down, I am probably getting better contrast and sharpness that with an f2.8 lens at f2.8. My frustration is that I find it a very difficult lens to focus. It takes a fair amount of concentration.

I was commenting in the Voigtlander thread that there is a very narrow margin of critical sharpness at 1.4 for the Nokton... but its there. I will definately side with the difficulty of hitting it exactly wide open. I've learned to love it if I hit it or miss it slightly (get the gentle glow to things). Here's two pics at 1.4 where I found the razors edge (one is a repost from the Voightlander LBA thread)

This one has a layer mixed in, just messng around - Nokton f1.4

And the repost where I found the critical edge exists at 1.4, its just very elusive...

The hard part now is not obsessing over hitting focus exactly just because its possible... the sure way to do it is as you say - stop to 2.8. Backing away more toward the infinity side of things opens up more field too.

k100d · 07-09-2008, 07:56 PM

one thing i didn't like about the nokton is the presence of the hard ringed bokeh in certain circumstances wide open. however, i'm not sure if other lenses can do a lot better. klaus actually commented on this in his test Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II - Test Report / Review

it really stood out for me in these photos i found on flickr
Voigtlander NOKTON 58mm F1.4 SLII on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
jun-011 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

wide open it can be very sharp as you can see the detail in her hair here
Akiba Maid on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

roentarre · 07-09-2008, 08:33 PM

Originally posted by k100d

one thing i didn't like about the nokton is the presence of the hard ringed bokeh in certain circumstances wide open. however, i'm not sure if other lenses can do a lot better.

When I first got Nokton 58mm f1.4, testing the bokeh against highlight was the first thing I tested out. The result was dissapointing. However, nearly all 50mm lenses produced harsh bokeh against highlights. I personally think Nokton takes highlight in a more gentle manner.

Pentax A 50mm f1.2 does not do the highlight bokeh well as well as 50mm f1.4 or f1.7

Nokton really gives that beautiful soft bokeh (better than most of the 50mm)

Nokton can be very very sharp, definitely not inferior to Pentax A 50mm f1.2 or some so-called legendary lenses. The word "sharpness" is really over rated. There are just more than sharpness in photography. Unfortunately, only sharpness can be measured by a so-called scientific method called MTF or what ever. When an image is in your liking, every thing within that frame including the unsharp corners would be crucial in the overall picture.

Nokton is all about bokeh quality.

thePiRaTE!! · 07-09-2008, 10:00 PM

Here's some of the ringed bokeh, there was a fresh rain through the pines, after it stopped I shot up into the light and got lots of circles. Needed f2 to save the exposure.

I've effected this one to emphasis the light, but again, the bokeh is all lens.

knyghtfall · 07-09-2008, 11:01 PM

This picture, plain though it is, illustrates all that I like abt the Nokton 58 - sharpness at the point of focus, great bokeh and contrast. Wide open at f 1.4.

roentarre · 07-10-2008, 03:41 AM

This shot is totally out of focus. But the soft creamy bokeh is something to like.

roentarre · 07-10-2008, 03:42 AM

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07-09-2008, 05:53 AM	#76
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	I have been doing a lot of food tasting these days. There are plenty of Voigtlander 58mm shots around.

07-09-2008, 05:54 AM	#77
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783

07-09-2008, 05:56 AM	#78
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783

07-09-2008, 05:58 AM	#79
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783

07-09-2008, 05:59 AM	#80
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783

07-09-2008, 06:33 AM	#81
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	nice food photos there james! i really like the soft look that you use in all your food photos (not just the nokton ones) but it seems like the nokton would be well suited to getting that smooth effect that you're getting. have you cropped these photos significantly? how far away from the food are you in these photos? i really enjoy taking food photos and i think i've made a lot of progress in two months. i think i'd take better photos if i stood up but then i'd look even more ridiculous.

07-09-2008, 06:44 AM	#82
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	I do not crop my food photos Every pixel counts since you paid the lens for its special "view". Nokton can sometimes provide a crisp look with very soft bokeh that is really elegant for posh dishes. I like its smooth and solid manual focus with its humble lens construction. Really nice. Not so intrusive in classic restaurants. The distance is always about half a meter from the subject and I preferred the lighting from 45 degrees diagonally. Nokton really rocks!

07-09-2008, 02:58 PM	#83
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	Originally posted by robsphoto thanks for your images from you heart. currently I'am trying to get to the sharpes point, but as you said, sharpness is'nt everything. so maybe I could do both , with this lens, learning,... need to go out and just shoot,... note: the apereture thing, they way you use it in closer range, works for you, once focus is in more distance, it realy does need to be stopped down to f2 to gain the contrast, the bokeh does not change much, since the sensor is smaller than the aperture. maybe I'am just wet, behind my lens,... hope I don't get moldy,.... This lens has had the side effect of teaching me that sharpness isn't everything, its just one thing. Sometimes you just don't need or want it. [My experience with mine is identical to yours. Stopping down to 2.8 results in crystal sharp images. f1.4 may not be all that usable, but because 2.8 is sopped down, I am probably getting better contrast and sharpness that with an f2.8 lens at f2.8. My frustration is that I find it a very difficult lens to focus. It takes a fair amount of concentration.

07-09-2008, 05:37 PM	#84
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942	@ Roentarre - You guys always hit me at work with these food photos where there is nothing I can immediately do about it, darn you// ;.te3 f/f/3q/ .! They look very appetizing - I think that means they worked. Originally posted by Parallax [My experience with mine is identical to yours. Stopping down to 2.8 results in crystal sharp images. f1.4 may not be all that usable, but because 2.8 is sopped down, I am probably getting better contrast and sharpness that with an f2.8 lens at f2.8. My frustration is that I find it a very difficult lens to focus. It takes a fair amount of concentration. I was commenting in the Voigtlander thread that there is a very narrow margin of critical sharpness at 1.4 for the Nokton... but its there. I will definately side with the difficulty of hitting it exactly wide open. I've learned to love it if I hit it or miss it slightly (get the gentle glow to things). Here's two pics at 1.4 where I found the razors edge (one is a repost from the Voightlander LBA thread) This one has a layer mixed in, just messng around - Nokton f1.4 And the repost where I found the critical edge exists at 1.4, its just very elusive... The hard part now is not obsessing over hitting focus exactly just because its possible... the sure way to do it is as you say - stop to 2.8. Backing away more toward the infinity side of things opens up more field too.

07-09-2008, 07:56 PM	#85
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	one thing i didn't like about the nokton is the presence of the hard ringed bokeh in certain circumstances wide open. however, i'm not sure if other lenses can do a lot better. klaus actually commented on this in his test Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II - Test Report / Review it really stood out for me in these photos i found on flickr Voigtlander NOKTON 58mm F1.4 SLII on Flickr - Photo Sharing! jun-011 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! wide open it can be very sharp as you can see the detail in her hair here Akiba Maid on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

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07-09-2008, 08:33 PM	#86
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Originally posted by k100d one thing i didn't like about the nokton is the presence of the hard ringed bokeh in certain circumstances wide open. however, i'm not sure if other lenses can do a lot better. When I first got Nokton 58mm f1.4, testing the bokeh against highlight was the first thing I tested out. The result was dissapointing. However, nearly all 50mm lenses produced harsh bokeh against highlights. I personally think Nokton takes highlight in a more gentle manner. Pentax A 50mm f1.2 does not do the highlight bokeh well as well as 50mm f1.4 or f1.7 Nokton really gives that beautiful soft bokeh (better than most of the 50mm) Nokton can be very very sharp, definitely not inferior to Pentax A 50mm f1.2 or some so-called legendary lenses. The word "sharpness" is really over rated. There are just more than sharpness in photography. Unfortunately, only sharpness can be measured by a so-called scientific method called MTF or what ever. When an image is in your liking, every thing within that frame including the unsharp corners would be crucial in the overall picture. Nokton is all about bokeh quality.

07-09-2008, 10:00 PM	#87
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942	Here's some of the ringed bokeh, there was a fresh rain through the pines, after it stopped I shot up into the light and got lots of circles. Needed f2 to save the exposure. I've effected this one to emphasis the light, but again, the bokeh is all lens.

07-09-2008, 11:01 PM	#88
knyghtfall Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 348	This picture, plain though it is, illustrates all that I like abt the Nokton 58 - sharpness at the point of focus, great bokeh and contrast. Wide open at f 1.4.

07-10-2008, 03:41 AM	#89
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	This shot is totally out of focus. But the soft creamy bokeh is something to like.

07-10-2008, 03:42 AM	#90
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783