Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM Review
I Love This Ultra-Wide-Angle Lens
How is that for giving away the conclusion right off the bat?
My widest lens is currently 28mm, and I have been toying with adding an ultra-wide prime instead of a typical zoom lens in this focal length range. A few weeks ago I tried a Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 ZM and while it was okay, I was also not blown away by its performance.
The Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM is a different beast with a maximum aperture of f/1.4. It is a manual focus lens for Leica M-Mount and in this review, I will use it adapted to a Leica SL2-S.
Introduction
I met Julian Fok for a photo walk in Steveston, BC, Canada, where we did a lens exchange day. Julian tried three of my lenses and I tried three of his.
It was an excellent way to catch up but also a great way for both of us to try out gear before potential purchase decisions. I highly recommend doing this if you have a photo buddy or can find like-minded souls in your area of the world.
The Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM was released in 2020 and at the time this review was posted the retail price was $899.00 and on sale, $150.00 off.
Let’s move on and see how I got along with it.
Handling
After trying, testing, reviewing, and owning a long line of Voigtländer lenses I have come to expect a certain level regarding the build quality and the Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 did not disappoint.
Mind you I only had limited time with the lens but there is a design language and style that you instantly recognize. The focus ring is super smooth and the aperture ring feels great.
The design of the hood may throw you off but I did not mind it.
With a weight of 1.06 lb, 480 g, and dimensions of 2.74 x 2.74", 69.5 x 69.7 mm, this may be considered a big lens when used on Leica M cameras but on a Leica SL camera it is very manageable and indeed very well balanced.
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, Steveston, Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM
Specs
21mm focal length
Metal construction
Aperture range: f/1.4 - f/16
13 elements in 11 groups
Two aspherical elements and three partial dispersion elements
Floating element, internal focusing
12-blade diaphragm
Filter size: 62mm
Minimum focusing distance: 1.64' / 50 cm
Dimensions: 2.74 x 2.74" / 69.5 x 69.7 mm
Weight: 1.06 lb / 480 g
In Action
This is a no-fuss lens kind of lens. You can even use it as point-and-shoot, especially if you zone-focus and end up with great results that look and feel like you are immersed in your scene.
The real trick, however, is the f/1.4 max. f-stop which opens up possibilities of blurring back or foregrounds for a shallow depth of field look which is unusual for an ultra-wide-angle lens. This is the main feature that will set this lens apart from the crowd.
I had fun framing my shots at 21mm. For our travel project, you will see many photos captured with a Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R which has a 21mm full-frame equivalent field of view.
I have grown very fond of this focal length as I find it creates larger-than-life photos showing the entire scene in front of you without dramatic wide-angle distortion as you often see if you go much wider.
Image Quality
Images are sharp, even at f/1.4, albeit with some vignetting when shot wide open. I don’t find this vignetting too distracting and it often adds emphasis to your focal point.
The Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 performs better than the Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 ZM that I tested recently and is noticeably sharper.
Please make sure to click on the sample images to view sizes up to 2500 pixels depending on your monitor size or pinch zoom if on your mobile phone.
Conclusion
My opening paragraph spoiled the conclusion of this review and the Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 has hereby landed a spot on a short list of lenses that I wouldn’t mind having in my kit. Time will tell if I put my money where my mouth is.
The combination of excellent build quality, and strong optical performance at one of my favorite focal lengths combined with the fast aperture allowing for wide-angle photos captured with a shallow depth of field is very attractive to me.
Your mileage may vary and if you mainly stop your wide-angle lenses down for increased depth of field for landscapes you may be better off with a 14-24mm zoom or one of many other zoom options covering the 21mm focal length.
I certainly think the Voigtländer 21mm f/1.4 is worth your consideration if you find some of the traits I mentioned above appealing and it represents good value for the money spent.
Due to the nature of our photo walk, I did not get as many photos of the lens as I usually would. For more info, check Voigtländer's official site for the Nokton 21mm f/1.4.
Please see more sample images below.
Pros
Max f-stop of f/1.4 (fast for a wide-angle-lens)
Great build quality
Smooth manual focus
Perfect balance (on a Leica SL camera)
Cons
No EXIF info going to the camera
Price / Availability
Thank you for reading my review. If you are planning a purchase and would like to support us, you can do so, at no additional cost, by using the affiliate link below. A small commission goes to us and helps us keep the wheels turning at 5050 Travelog.
Check the current price at B&H Photo
Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM - B&H Photo
Thank you for being supportive.
Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM - Sample Images
Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Lightroom. Some photos are slightly cropped.
Please click to view larger images.
Thanks again to Julian for making the Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical VM available for this review
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