Voigtlander UK announced that it will accept preorders by end of this month and the lens will cost £999. There is yet no final pricing info in Euro/Dollars. It’s also not clear when the lens will actually ship.
One more UK news: 5 year warranty and big cashback is offered on Panasonic products at Amazon UK.
via DPreview.
73 Responses
Nearly a thysand pynds
The .95 Voigtlander’s are very nice but I think for most people it’d be much smarter to just move up to full frame. You can get some really nice full frame 1.8 glass for a fraction of the price of these lenses. To get a set of these 4 lenses you’re looking at approximately $4,000- and they’re paired with sensors that aren’t good at low light or dof.
In video it is not necessary to have a very shallow depth of field because it becomes very hard to focus properly on moving subjects for instance. These f0.95 lenses are good options for video makers because their aperture allows a lot of light to hit the sensor while offering the same depth of field as a f1.8 on a full frame sensor.
but you lose light gathering. Two system, two different approach.
If we wanted full frame cameras or lenses (I have a whole 10-lens L-Glass Kit BTW)…we would not be here. We would be on another site. Perhaps GH you need to choose another website?
So why are your HERE giving this advice?
Oh..yeah, this lens looks like an incredible addition to the MFT quiver.
You sound like a ridiculous fanboy Bob B. “Someone doesn’t agree with me about a lens, GO AWAY!” Grow up. It’s not your place to tell others where they need to be, which is good because you come across as someone with the maturity of a petulant 4 year old. I’m here giving this advice because I wanted to share my opinion. You don’t like it? Tough. From my perspective it’s foolish to spend over 4 grand on these 4 lenses. If you’re looking at all 4 just move up to full frame and get some decent 1.8 lenses for a fraction of the price. You can look forward to more posts from me in the future Bob. 🙂
your telling us what system we should be using A-hole!
It is the users here speaking up telling you to go piss off. None of us what your kind here. SO GO AWAY. Jacka$$.
It’s interesting. I’ve been an m43 fan since the GH1 and haven’t delved into any other system. Now I’m very much thinking the Sony a7S is the next body I’ll get. Reading gh’s initial comments, I didn’t think he was trolling at all. You guys really do need to chill. He really was just stating his opinion about the gear, and not the users. You guys are taking it too personal.
If you are into very low light shooting it seems to be a sensible move. After all these are all tools for a job. I used a d800e and gh4 for landscaping. I did not find the difference big. It was there but after a couple of days I only took the gh4 with the fast zooms with me. So much easier to do, much more fun. Unexpected. A7s may surprrise you in other positive but also negative ways…
Be nice to Bob.
This forum has been inundated with FF trolls spouting inane put-downs of the M4/3 system. Many M4/3 users have used, or do use, a variety of formats and systems and CHOSE M4/3 knowing full well the pros and cons.
So, telling people to “just buy FF” isn’t appreciated. If you arrive here spouting that sort of attitude, expect negative feedback.
I’m a lapsed Nikon shooter and chose M4/3 for the compact bodies. I own the three current f0.95 Voigtländers (and have adapted 35mm f1.4 and 75mm 2.5 Voigts) and will probably get the 10.5mm. Maybe I’m an idiot for spending so much money on a few exotic lenses, but why not?
If you haven’t used these lenses, you really owe it to yourself to try them. They’re all-around excellent… they’re about SO much more than just the specs!
That said, when Sony releases an A7s with a higher pixel count, I can see myself getting one and adapting my manual FF lenses from 20mm f2.8 to 300mm f4.5. It’ll be nice to use BOTH systems.
Do you use your L glass?
yeah…I use it all the time (and some Sigma Arts) ….but sometimes like just now…moments ago…I just went out in front of my apt. with the M1, Oly 40-150mm plus 1.4x. I sat in the rocks on a jetty and enjoyed a beautiful morning.
Its running on a local blog already.. I can just swing a small camera over my shoulder..hang out and REALLY enjoy my day….sometimes MFT is all that I need!!!! The new Voigt looks fantastic.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9XGfjD8zWeI/VSADUWVu-AI/AAAAAAAAA60/bB1b63-VBWs/w1200-h721-no/Spring%2BSurfing.jpg
Hehe nice, soon ill travel to sunny sea city Varna in Bulgaria, will take with me my new 40-150 2.8 + TC and 12-40 2.8 for sure, what a beautyful combo that is 🙂
I also wonder shoud i take my FD 300 2.8 L with me to shoot sea birds, and maybe some wildlife stuff, if i am lucky to find any, Bulgaria have some big mountains and forests like Shipka and Rodopi. Surprisingly it is compatible with the new Oly 1.4 TC 🙂
Take it!…..you would be surprised what you will find if you are looking in 840mm head!!!! Lol! .I can’t wait for the Oly 300 mm…should be sweet….
Thist Voigty looks very very tempting though.
Cool. Are you from Bulgaria?
I traveled there 7 times in the 2000s and traveled all around. It’s a really varied and incredibly interesting country!
I love the Rodopi! Spent lots of time there.
I lived in Bulgaria when i was a child. My mother still lives here, so i came every summer for vacation 🙂
Yes indeed very interesting country! Amazing contrast of seas, mountains, caves, forests.
Gabrovo, Kotel and Dobrich are cities that preserved Bulgarian national architecture, which is very beautyfull too!
Food is very good also! 🙂
I for one am not interested in other Noktons, I would only like to get my hands on the 10.5mm. So my choices are:
– adding this Nokton to my set of lenses for ~$1200
– D610 for ~$1500 and Nikkor 20/1.8 for ~$800
– Canon 6D for ~$1400 and grumpy old Sigma 20/1.8 for ~$600
So I can either spend $1200 or over $2000 for more or less equivalent in FF DSLR world. Pretty simple calculation for me.
I would agree, if you’re not planning on buying all 4 m43 might make more sense for most people.
You don’t exactly buy a 10,5mm (or 21mm for 36x24mm sensor) in order to get a shallow depth of field. Nor are the modern m43 sensors bad in low light, specially not with a 0,95 aperture. Mute points that are totally unnecessary to even mention, so why mention them? Bigger sensors have the pros and cons, as do smaller ones. Those of us who have chosen to go m43 have done so for reasons we have decided for our selves and many of us have gone from 36x24mm sensors down to m43, we know why our selves.
I said the sensors aren’t good at low light or dof (when compared to full frame) and was speaking about the 4 .95 lenses.Yes, for this particular lens dof might not come into play but for the others it does. You can buy a set of full frame 1.8 lenses for a fraction of the cost of these 4 .95 lenses. That’s just a fact. For most people I think it makes more sense to just get a full frame camera instead of these lenses.
If you own a nice m43 camera and only the 0.95 noktons and don’t care about any other native lens, then, well, you’d still have a very nice set, actually. I was going to say a ff camera might make sense, but to be honest, ff or m43 are both just fine. Anyone is free to have their own preference.
You can buy a d5500 with a significantly better sensor than the best m43s. For a lot less.with better focustracking. That has always been the case. But somehow, a part of us photogs didn’t….and there is no sense in going back of course.
The ‘somehow’ isn’t much of a mystery, at least not for me.
As a D5100 owner I moved to M43 for portability and a true ‘live view’ which was awkward at best on the Nikon.
With lenses like the 25mm/1.4 low light isn’t an issue, and I always had my 5100 and a couple good primes for those (very) rare cases I wanted a larger sensor.
in every case you want a larger sensor! say good bye to your m43 and get a proper APSC/FF mirrlorless
Why the heck would I buy a 1.8 lens if I want the speed of a 0.95 lens? Makes no sense.
Please tell me you aren’t talking about “bokeh equivalence” or such nonsense…
LOL except that the best full frame sensors have 3 stops better ISO performance than the best m43 sensors!
Sure each system has its strong points, but don’t come with this “speed of a 0.95” light gathering nonsense. You don’t know the light transmission of this lens, and you have to see transmission in combination with the ISO performance of the sensor you are using. Everything else is internet nonsense.
Blah, blah, blah, FF light gathering, equivalence, DOF, sensor, blah, blah.
Do you take pictures or are you the Internet Sensor Explainer?
Sony a7s is nice but a specialist sensor: compare it with sony a7 or sony a7R ;
It is a system, we tend to buy more lenses. There is no 12 35 mm f2.8 jor 35 100 f2.8 anywhere close to that size and weight on ff. There is no 12 32 or 35 100 f4 t f5.6 either. There is no in cam 4k for ff atm. There is no 5 axis 5 stop ibis. As most ff cams are also 1.5 stop behind a7s all of those users should drop there cams and get that one, wouldn’t they. And far too many lenses for the fe and e mount are either not there or just mediocre.
If you are in it for size, excelent iq and quality in general m43 is your best option. The nokton lenses also provide excellent low light shooting….
Yes, but the best FF cameras are giant and weigh 2 or more pounds.
NEIN, danke!
I’ll stick with my 10oz. GX7, thanks
Go elsewhere troll. Do you think amateur photographers comment here? We ALL know and are sick of reading your “arguments” in favor of a larger sensor. Take your BS elsewhere, its inappropriate, unsolicited and inflammatory.
If that is your reasoning buy it! It is not mine nor that of most m43 users as you probably know.
I bet I can buy it for 900 usd in Japan.
I would do it if I were in Japan.
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/lumixview/1bc2c1de-847d-4a43-97a8-2ee294ab24a4
hey,lumix app for Lumia 😉
Nice! going to have to try this out on my 1020
Jeff what r u buying: Kowa or this Nokton? I need 2 know 🙂
I don’t know either!
Let’s go Voigty! 😉
I’d like to see some photos taken with it first though.
No .
Wait for Oly 12mm F1.0 , probably 12 months from now on .
Have you idea of how many photos I take in 12 months? 🙂
You are right at your point .
But for me , I’m not rushing for an ultra fast wide angle lens ,
is the ultra fast tele prime ( 50mm F1.0 ) is what I need the most .
There’s the Voigtländer 50mm f1.1 (M mount) available NOW.
Oh, right, it’s a manual lens and requires a minimal amount of basic photographic skill to use. Scratch that idea.
It’ll hold its resale value – get it now, and then sell it and get the Oly in 12-∞ months if needed
Yes if you need an ultra fast wide angle lens at this moment .
This is illogical. If you do not need it at this moment it seems very unlikely you somehow envision the need 18 months down the road…I can only think of one thing why people would wait for the oly: they are convinced it will be significantly better wide open. I am not convinced it will be here in12,18 or even 24 months. And I am also not convinced it will be better wide open either.
In your dreams.
When was the 300mm announced? Two years ago?
Do you have yours yet?
Oh, wait…
The most is 18 months from now on .
That is already late !
18 months from an actual announcement.
The Oly f1.0/Whatever lenses only exist as leaked patent drawings and vague statements from Oly execs. With that wealth of info, let’s go for 2 1/2 – 3 years before you can actually get your grubby little paws on one.
Yun..12mm does NOT equal 10.5mm. Totally different perspective…
Disagree. If uou have the money and have a need for such a lens buy this asap if it is good.
Oly? What price? No 10,5 mm. Is there a firm releasedate? Will it be better? Etc.
Yeah, I’m definitely leaning toward the Voigty at this point.
The Kowa 8.5mm f2.8 is only a stop + faster than the Panny 7-14mm. I always liked the 20mm field of view, so having a MUCH faster 21mm seems to make more sense.
It would be great to have a full set of Noktons. They have unique capabilities and a unique look. Very cinematic for either stills or video.
Wondering if this lens is comparable with what Oly is working on now , the 12mm F1.0 .
Of course this lens is wider but I still prefer lens with AF .
F0.95 doesn’t make different with F1.0 so I won’t care much about it .
These lenses are perfect for night photography (stars), and AF is not necessary.
On the other hand, if you plan to use it on daily shootings and need AF at the wider aperture, the Oly could be the best option.
You can buy this now and use it, or wait for the Olympus sibling without taking photos in the meanwhile.
Agreed. You can sell it off later. And this lens to mymind is not expensive at all. The oly, ifmit materialises, will undoubtedly cost more. Then it depends howmwell it performs wide open etc. Same for this one btw, how good is it wide open? Great lens possibly for stars, aurorae and nlcs.
Mmmmm….pricey.
But … mmmmmmmmmmm …
TASTY!!!!!
It’ll be interesting to see reviews for this lens. I was thinking about their 25mm version once but after reading various reviews it seemed as though the lens was soft up until f1.8 or so and at that point it made more sense to just get the Oly 25MM instead.
I don’t think there is as much competition for fast glass at this 10.5MM focal length so it might make more sense for people even if it needs to be stopped down to f1.8.
At f/2.8 the Nokton 25mm reaches a maximum sharpness that’s sharper than the maximum sharpness of the Nocticron 42.5mm or the Olympus 75mm. So it’s great to have the option of that level of sharpness at that focal range.
The issues with it being soft are at f/.95 are overstated. It’s still sharp in the center and most shots at f/.95 are going for subject isolation. It’s not like people are trying to get corner to corner sharp landscape shots at f/.95. The Nokton at f/.95 still produces a subjectively beautiful image with nice bokeh.
And f/.95 provides the option of lower ISO settings and faster shutter speeds which can often be very helpful.
I agree. Yea I was really interested in it for the extra light at lower ISO. I’ve been making due with the Oly 25 f1.8 but it would be nice to have the extra stop (or more) of the 0.95 but the price difference wasn’t worth it to me.
In the lens’ favor, from the little I’ve seen about fast glass (0.95 fast) even the leicas are difficult to get “super” sharp shots with wide open and it seems to nearly always be the case that the lenses are softer wide open at those speeds. Some users do like that for the “dreamy” look of it as well.
I’d still like to have the 25MM f0.95 one day but the Oly provided a nice gap stop for me so I can wait for the price to (maybe) drop one day in the distant future.
your better option in term of price/performance ratio is probably just import a pana leica 25mm from japan. it cost as little as 330ish dollar now due to weak yan. If you or know anyone travelling there, you can probably get it around 300 with all the tax free and visa promotion. you get an extra stop with little money there.
Look for a used 25mm.
I’ve seen them around for around $799.
I think some people, like video shooters, may be upgrading to the new stepless Nokton 25mm.
This seems to be a great lens for low light landscape photography like aurora borealis and noctilucent clouds if it is decent wide open. And from the top of my hat the 17,5 is that, the other noktons are close to that level.
I do wonder how well they handle a 40 mpixel pixelcount. I guess they would do fine. Again. For nlc and aurora 8 exposures of 2 seconds or so would probably not cause any artifacts to appear and this would be great.
I’d like to add that sharpness @0.95 depends on distance to the subject. There are samples at Luminous Landscape with distant shots @0.95 that are very impressive.
That’s right.
For instance, the Voigtländer 42.5mm has a minimum focus distance of around 9″, but at that distance wide open, there’s an extreme glow around everything. Step back a few feet, more things are in focus and the glow turns into a sort of a dreamy hazy effect. It can be very pleasant indeed.
With the wider Voigt’s, that close-up glow is MUCH less pronounced when shooting wide open.
I signed on for the Voigtlander 10mm when it was announced and reviewed last September, now every 2 weeks I get an email saying “we haven’t forgotten about you but the lens is still not available”. This has to be the same lens,….and still not really available.
Cha-ching! It’ll be worth the money if you have a need for it 🙂
the dof of this lens on a small M43 sensor is like a 21mm F3.5 on FF.
You weren’t the brightest kid at school, were you?
I really like my m43 camera, it take better pictures than my smartphone.
moderator is surely a bright school kid, well done.