Fancy an f/0.9 maximum aperture in a lens that'll fit in your jacket pocket?
(Image credit: Voigtlander)
Voigtlander has launched a new, super-fast lens exclusively for Fujifilm X-mount cameras. The Voigtlander NOKTON 35mm f/0.9 is a manual focus lens, but is equipped with electronic contacts for camera-lens communication that enables IBIS (in compatible cameras), parallax correction, and the recording of lens EXIF data.
The aperture diaphragm is comprised of a whopping 12 blades, which when combined with the huge f/0.9 diaphragm diameter should mean bokeh is about as soft as it gets.
Despite the huge aperture, Voigtlander has managed to keep the lens very compact at 64.9mm long, with a 72.7mm diameter, and an overall weight of 492g. Contrast this to a lens like the Nikon Z 58mm 0.95 Noct (admittedly a full-frame lens, but one with a similar effective focal length, maximum aperture, and manual-only focussing) which is more than four times heavier than the NOKTON 35mm f/0.9, and 153mm long.
(Image credit: Voigtlander)
To maintain the best possible optical performance, the lens incorporates a ground aspherical front element, and a double-sided aspherical element further back. According to Voigtlander, the use of ground aspherical - rather than the more common molded aspherical - elements means the glass has a higher melting point during manufacture, and therefore can be shaped to a higher refractive index, thereby improving image sharpness. The overall optical stack consists of 10 elements in 8 groups, mounted within an all-metal lens barrel.
Voigtlander claims the focus ring has an "accurate feel", which is more necessity than nicety with a lens this fast. Set the aperture wide open at f/0.9 and depth of field will be extremely shallow, even though the lens's focal length isn't particularly long. For accurate manual focussing, a long-travel focus ring is a must, otherwise you risk sailing right through the focal plane with just a few millimetres of focus ring rotation. Minimum focus distance is 0.35m, and filter size is 62mm.
(Image credit: Voigtlander)
Where most third-party lenses like this are built with a selection of different mount options, Voigtlander states that the NOKTON 35mm F0.9 has been designed exclusively for X mount.
The Voigtlander 35mm f0.9 NOKTON is available to pre-order now, with an RRP of £1,199, and availability slated for August. US pricing has yet to be revealed.
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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.
