Large Aperture and Wide angle NOKTON VM 21mm F1.4
A review and photo examples of the NOKTON 21mm f/1.4
Table of contents
Gallery
- The example photos were taken using a HASSELBLAD X2D-100C and a LEICA CL.
Review
1．Overview
The Voigtlander NOKTON 21mm F1.4 Aspherical is a large-aperture, wide-angle lens released in 2020.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Aperture F value 1.4
- Lens construction 13 elements in 11 groups
- 2 aspherical lenses with 4 surfaces
- 3 anomalous dispersion glass elements
- Aperture blades 12
- Minimum focusing distance 0.5m
- Leica M rangefinder camera rangefinder linkage 0.7m
- Hood Dedicated horizontal screw-on hood
2．Usability
I used the Voigtlander brand lens for the first time in a while.
It seems that I have become quite accustomed to using aspherical lenses, and there is no hard bokeh like before, so I can use it with confidence even at wide open aperture. The thick lens barrel with a filter diameter of 62mm is heavy, and it feels like I am using a single-lens reflex lens.
This time, I attached it to the HASSELBLAD X2D-100C and LEICA CL and took pictures. Even with a thin focus at wide open aperture, I was able to easily capture the focal plane with the EVF of the latest mirrorless camera.
There were no problems with the depiction with either camera, and the example images are almost wide open, but they are neatly depicted without any breakdowns even in the corners.
Perhaps because it is a lens for the Leica M that does not have high-performance electronic contacts, the negative aspects that tend to be corrected with software, such as distortion correction and color bleeding, are not noticeable, and it is a lens with high optical performance not only as a large-diameter lens but also among various lenses.
The M mount, large aperture, and 21mm focal length are specs that make you want to try this lens as a fan of this focal length.
And compared to the Leica Summilux-M 21mm with the same specs, it is more affordable for the average person.
The crop function added in X2D firmware 2.0.0 allows you to create an image with no problems even at the edges in 35mm 3:2, but when the 44*33 sensor is fully used, there is light reduction in the edges and the resolution drops. If you want to float the center, you can enjoy a wide image equivalent to 17mm. X2D does not have a mechanical shutter, so it uses a sensor shutter. When I had this lens, I did not have a Leica M camera on hand, so I was not able to check the focus accuracy caused by the double image. It is a lens that I would like to try with Leica M digital someday.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the Voigtlander NOKTON 21mm F1.4 Aspherical is large and heavy for a rangefinder camera lens, but the image quality is commensurate with that. It has the advantage of being stable even at full aperture, and the focal plane is very thin at full aperture F1.4, so the focus position problem can be eliminated when shooting with the EVF of a mirrorless camera.
Specification and Competitor
The Nokton 21mm F1.4 has a Sony E-mount version with the same name, and although the lens structure is the same as the VM version, the product specifications such as functions are different. The biggest difference is the minimum shooting distance, which is 0.25m for the Sony E-mount version, which is shorter than the VM version’s 0.5m. The product weight of the Sony E-mount version is about 100g heavier and the lens barrel is slightly larger, and the price is 10% higher at 165,000 yen (excluding tax). It is probably a sign of the times that the lens mount is not simply changed like old Cosina products, but the functions are optimized.
Cosina has released 21mm focal length lenses in four apertures under the Voigtlander brand, F1.4, F1.8, F3.5, and F4. I have personally used many 21mm focal length lenses, and in the past I used the Voigtlander brand Color Skopar 21mm F4 with the R-D1 and M8.
I have used other companies’ 21mm lenses, such as MS-Optics’ PERAR 21mm, CONTAX G 21mm, LEICA’s SUPER ANGLON, and ELMARIT M, but I only have a few of them left.
| Items | NOKTON | ULTRON |
| Focal length(mm) | 21 | 21 |
| Max aperture | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 12 | 10 |
| Lens Construction | 13 elements in 11 groups | 13 elements in 11 groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.5 | ← |
| Lens length(mm) | 69.7 | 78.4 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 69.5 | 69.0 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 62 | 58 |
| Weight(g) | 480 | 412 |
| Lens mount | VM | VM |
| Release date | 2020.2.27 | 2012.12.19 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | 150,000- | 118,000 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2025.6.10
- 2024.03.02
- 2023.10.02
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