Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical Lens for Sony E

Only had it for a few hours, but already it ticks all the boxes for the reasons I got this lens (field of view, close focusing, bokeh, speed). I can't go to much into the image quality as I haven't had a chance to truly evaluate yet.Focus DistanceFirst off, the minimum focus distance is perfect for my needs, you should beable to shoot things at less than arms length away. The bokeh is really nice too, even at the f2.8 mark, although I suspect I'll be shooting this at f1.4 most of the time.Size / WeightSize wise its somewhere between the 35mm f2.8 and the 35mm f1.4 from Sony (I own both). It feels really well put together and has some weight to it, but thankfully its not front heavy and seems nicely balanced on the A7R body.FocusingIts worth noting that the closer you focus the longer the lens extends (the front does not rotate though). It extends about a centimeter when focus a close as possible. There is about 180degrees of turn in the focus ring, it feels like a lot to me, but its actually perfect for controlling the DOF on this lens especially when wide open.HoodThe hood is threaded on and unscrews from the front of the lens. It uses the 58mm filter thread to attach which is odd. It appears to expose its own thread allowing a filter to be attached to the hood (I think). Unfortunately 58mm seems to be the only filter size I don't have to hand so I can't confirm how things attach but it looks like you could stack the Filter first then Hood or Hood then Filter. You cannot reverse the Hood.CommunciationSeems to send aperture and distance info to the camera just as expected. Manual Focus zoom and peaking kicks in automatically if you have that turned on, on your camera. I gather it should also make use of in camera stabilization, but I can't test that yet.First ImpressionsSo far, I'm really happy with the lens. I desperately wanted a portable fast 35mm and have been frustrated with the other offerings I've owned. The Sony 35mm F2.8 just doesn't get me the bokeh or close focusing I wanted, the 35mm f1.4 is just too big for street photography. I absolutely loved the size of the Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 Classic (M-Mount with Close Focus Adapter) but the fact it couldn't focus up close and the rings were just awkward to use meant a rarely used it. I hoped that Sigma or someone would release a 35mm f1.8 in a compact size, but so far no joy.I figured I'd give 40mm a shot (although I know there is a new E-mount voigtlander 35mm round the corner too), and so far its everything I hoped it would be. My A7RII is out on loan so I can only test on the A7R right now, but it looks far sharper than the 35mm M-Mount voigtlander is wide open, and the bokeh alot less nervous.Things are a a little soft wide open at F1.2 even in the center, but I kind of expected that. At F1.4 its sharp in the center and this is probably where I will be using it the most. I did a quick brick wall shot at F8 and its sharp edge to edge, which means I'd be happy using this for landscapes too if it came to it.

Wow, what a mind-blowing lens. The glass itself is wonderful, producing beautiful pictures that have the feeling of film but the sharpness and quality of digital, while being blisteringly fast and compact. But the direct integration with the Sony E-Mount cameras is where the amazingness comes in. The manual focus works so well with the focus peaking, and it is so sensitive that with the intensity of the peaking lines you can tell where things start to become out of focus based on the thickness of the peaking lines. It's immensely satisfying to see the peaking lines shift around your viewfinder with zero lag when turning the focus ring, and you can literally see the depth of field changing when you turn the aperture ring, which, by the way, is silky smooth and a joy to turn. Having the aperture and distance show up in the viewfinder though the data contacts means no need to look at the lens to set what you want and then looking through the finder - you can compose and adjust simultaneously.This lens is truly the future of digital-assisted photography. Highly recommend.

I'm coming from a Sigma 50mm ART which was perfectly calibrated for my Nikon as a reference point for this lens. So far, I love it. Handling is great and overall feels like a very high quality product. It's not as sharp wide open as the Sigma but it also isn't nearly as huge and is 1.2 vs. 1.4. The bokeh is more interesting than the Sigma's in my opinion (but maybe a little less "pretty?") and the colors pop very well. I love 40mm because I'm always torn between going with a 35mm and 50mm so this helps take away some of the decision as well as the temptation to buy anymore lenses in this range.It really comes down to whether you value a technically perfect image and bokeh like one created with the Sigma ART or that newer ginormous 35mm by Sony versus something with a little more character/personality and less ridiculous looking on the A7 series. Manual focus just isn't a big deal on the a7 series so don't let that stop you.Not mentioned in the manual is how to declick the aperture ring. You must slide the whole thing toward the camera and rotate it 180 degrees. I probably will never set it back to click mode as I can see the number value thru the Sony viewfinder.

This is the lens that I have on my camera most of the time. It's just one of those trusty, versatile lenses that will perform well under a variety of situations. It's quite sharp––at least to me, but I'm not a fan of the clinically sharp fanclub––and captures beautiful photos. Wide aperture range also makes this a real joy to use. As some people may point out, it has a way of capturing an almost film-like quality, something that very much works in its favor.

This lens is pretty much perfect. Don’t bother with a cheap alternative like the “7artisans 35 f/1.4”, unless you specifically want a low quality (but artsy) look. You might think that that or the mitikon(Zhongyi) 45mm f/0.95 will be a good low light lens. They are not!This lens is sharp (in the middle, almost to the edges) wide open at f/1.2. The bokeh is nonexistent, unless you are close to the subject(as is to be expected from a wide angle lens).The CA & purple & green fringing are consistent with what you get in a Sony GM lense(basically zero) so you are basically getting a GM lens without AF.