Nokton 50mm F1.5 II Review

The Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 50mm F1.5 Aspherical II is a modern reimagining of a classic lens, blending a vintage feel with contemporary optical performance. It’s an incredibly versatile standard lens, balancing sharpness, character, and a fast f/1.5 aperture in a compact and beautifully crafted package.

First impressions land heavily on the lens’s build quality. Like other Voigtländer lenses, it’s all-metal, solid, and compact, with a focus ring that’s smooth and well-damped for precise manual operation. It feels right at home on rangefinder cameras like a Leica M, where its balance and handling are simply superb. Available in two styles—a vintage-inspired “Classic” version with scalloped focus rings and a modern “Standard” design—it caters to both nostalgic and contemporary tastes.

Optically, the Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II delivers a refined yet characterful performance. Wide open, the centre sharpness is impressive, making it an excellent choice for portraits or low-light photography. It has a lovely, subtle fall-off to the edges, giving images a natural, three-dimensional quality. The bokeh is smooth and creamy without harsh edges, lending a dreamy aesthetic to out-of-focus areas. For those who enjoy subject isolation, this lens delivers beautifully.

The lens isn’t without quirks, but they’re part of its charm. At f/1.5, there’s a touch of vignetting and some softness toward the corners, which adds to its classic rendering rather than feeling like a flaw. Chromatic aberration can appear in high-contrast scenarios but isn’t distracting or difficult to manage. Stopped down, it sharpens considerably across the frame, making it an excellent all-rounder for street, portrait, and even landscape photography.

One of the best things about this lens is its size. At only about 200g, it’s compact and portable, perfect for photographers who value discretion or prefer a lighter setup. Despite its small size, the aperture and focus rings are well-spaced and intuitive to use, making it a joy to shoot with. It also pairs wonderfully with film cameras, where its vintage-inspired rendering shines.

Compared to alternatives like the Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4, the Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II offers similar character and quality at a fraction of the price. It’s not trying to compete with the Summilux’s technical perfection; instead, it focuses on giving images a soulful, cinematic quality. For those who appreciate lenses with personality and enjoy the process of manual focusing, this one is a gem.

Overall, the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm F1.5 II is an excellent choice for photographers who want a fast, compact, and character-rich 50mm lens. It’s versatile, beautifully crafted, and a lens that makes photography feel like an art form again. If you’re into vintage aesthetics with a modern twist, this lens is hard to beat.

Examples

Here are some recent photos I captured using the Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 50mm F1.5 Aspherical II lens. These shots highlight the lens’s performance across different conditions, settings, and subjects. To view the complete collection of photos taken with this lens, the link.