Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

NormalMount: Leica M50mmf/1.5 – f/16
Introduced: 2008
Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5
Image: Dllu — CC BY-SA 4.0

Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 ASPH is the third-party Leica M fast normal — Cosina's modern aspherical-formula 50mm at a fraction of the Leica Summilux-M 50/1.4 price. Faster than the Summicron 50/2 and modern in optical design, the Nokton 50/1.5 has become a popular alternative for Leica M shooters who want fast aperture without the Summilux price.

Key features

  • Leica M bayonet mount — bright-line 50mm framelines on all M bodies
  • 8-element/5-group ASPH formula with one aspheric surface
  • 49mm filter thread
  • Manual aperture + manual focus
  • Multi-coated (current MC version); older SC vintage variant also exists
  • Built-in retractable lens hood
  • 10-blade aperture for circular bokeh

Use case + rendering

The Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH is the affordable available-light Leica M normal. Sharp wide-open at f/1.5 — meaningfully sharper at edges than vintage Summicron 50s wide-open — with modern high-contrast rendering. Less "vintage character" than the SC Nokton 35 and Nokton 40; this is by design (the ASPH is positioned as a modern lens).

For shooters considering a Summilux-M 50/1.4 ASPH at $4-5k, the Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH at ~$700 covers most practical needs at a fraction of the cost. The Summilux still has small advantages (Leica build quality, slightly faster aperture, slightly better corners) but the resolution and rendering gap is small.

Compatible bodies

Related lenses