Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1

Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1

When Cosina announced this lens for the Voigtländer VM mount in late 2021, it became the fastest full-frame lens the company had ever produced, an f/1 standard prime built to compete directly with Leica's f/0.95 Noctilux at a far lower price [1][2]. The optical design uses nine elements in seven groups and is centered on a hand-ground aspherical (GA) surface on the front element, which Cosina produced in-house using high-refraction, high-melting-point glass. The company has said this element was harder to manufacture than a molded asphere but allowed the configuration to be simplified while keeping the lens relatively compact for its speed. Floating elements help maintain performance at closer focusing distances, and the diaphragm uses twelve blades for rounded out-of-focus highlights[3].

The lens is built almost entirely of metal, with engraved, paint-filled markings, and follows the styling of Cosina's higher-end M lenses such as the VM 21mm f/1.4 Nokton rather than the look of the VM 50mm f/1.2. It uses a 62mm filter thread and is supplied with a felt-lined metal hood that can be reversed for storage, which is notable because Voigtländer M hoods are often sold separately. The focus ring is rangefinder coupled and turns with even resistance over a long throw, helping with precise focus despite the very shallow depth of field at f/1, while the aperture ring clicks in half stops from f/1 to f/16. The lens is not factory six-bit coded for Leica bodies. It is sold in black.

The M-mount VM version is the original of the design; Cosina later released native Nikon Z and Sony E versions of the Nokton 50mm f/1 Aspherical, so buyers should confirm they are looking at the rangefinder-coupled VM lens rather than a mirrorless variant.

Optical qualities

Rendering

Reviewers describe the lens as unusually sharp for its speed, with high contrast and resolution wide open at portrait and close distances, a result attributed in part to the floating element group[4]. One detailed test found it sharper at portrait distances than the older Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M, with better correction of coma and chromatic aberration and a generally pleasing bokeh. The trade-off typical of a fast lens on the narrow M mount is heavy vignetting, which is pronounced wide open, along with residual coma in the corners at the widest apertures.

Distortion

Testing showed only slight, not perfectly uniform pincushion distortion, easily corrected in software.

Flare resistance

Flare control is generally good, though rainbow artefacts can appear without the hood; the supplied hood largely suppresses them.

History

Development and Launch

Cosina introduced the Nokton 50mm f/1 Aspherical for the Voigtländer VM mount in December 2021, presenting it as the fastest full-frame Voigtländer lens to date and the brand's most ambitious fast fifty. The stated design goal was a large-aperture standard lens that delivered large, smooth bokeh while remaining sharp, using the in-house ground aspherical front element to keep the design compact.

Production Evolution

The f/1 sits at the top of a line of fast Voigtländer 50mm lenses that previously ran through the all-spherical 50mm f/1.1 Nokton and the aspherical VM 50mm f/1.2 Nokton; compared with those, the f/1 is larger and heavier and adds floating elements. After the M-mount release, Cosina brought out the same optical design in native Nikon Z mount in early 2023 and in Sony E mount in 2024.

Collector Notes

This is a current-production lens rather than a vintage one, so originality and conversion concerns are minimal. The main point to verify is the mount, because the identically named Nokton 50mm f/1 Aspherical also exists in Nikon Z and Sony E versions that are not rangefinder coupled. Buyers should confirm the lens is the VM (M-mount) edition and that the dedicated hood is included. One published review lists a minimum focus distance of 0.9 m for this lens, which differs from the 0.7 m value recorded here; prospective buyers may wish to confirm the figure against the current manufacturer specification.