Voigtlander NOKTON 58mm f/1.4 SL IIs

This Voigtlander is a 58mm prime for Nikon F mount, and it covers full frame. It suits portraits, street work and everyday photographs, the kinds of subject that reward a natural perspective and careful framing. Voigtlander introduced the design in 2016.

The main trade-off is focusing. This NOKTON focuses manually only, so you turn the ring yourself for every shot. That rewards a slow, deliberate approach, and it suits photographers who enjoy the process. Fast action is the weak spot.

The f/1.4 maximum aperture is the other draw, for low light and a shallow plane of focus at close portrait range.

At 11.3 oz (320 g) this is a light full-frame f/1.4 prime, and the 1.79 in (45.5 mm) body keeps the camera compact. It earns a physical score of 93.

The 58mm focal length sits just longer than a standard lens. That small difference flatters head-and-shoulders portraits while keeping features natural. It also works for full-length portraits and small groups when you can step back. For wider views you move your feet, as with any prime.

The f/1.4 aperture is the main strength. It passes a great deal of light, so you can keep working handheld indoors, at dusk or under street lamps. It also produces shallow depth of field, which separates a portrait subject from a busy background. This lens scores 77 for optics.

Shallow depth of field asks for careful focusing. The sharp zone at f/1.4 is thin, so check focus carefully before you release the shutter. On an SLR the wide aperture also brightens the viewfinder, which helps manual focusing. Moving subjects are the hard case, because focus must be followed by hand throughout.

Nine aperture blades help keep the opening round when you stop down. That helps out-of-focus areas render smoothly. The lens focuses as close as 1.5 ft (45 cm), close enough to fill the frame with a face or a small still-life subject.

This lens has no image stabilization. The wide aperture carries much of the load in dim light, but when shutter speeds drop a steady hold is the only support. There is no weather sealing either, so keep the lens dry in rain or damp conditions.

Stopping down for more depth of field costs shutter speed, and nothing in the lens offsets that. The front glass also carries no fluorine coating, so there is no water-repellent finish; wipe dust and marks off with care.

The 52mm front thread takes screw-in filters, so a polariser or ND filter attached directly must match that size. A clear protective filter of the same thread also shields the front glass in damp conditions.

The optical formula is a simple one, with seven elements in six groups. No aspherical or special low-dispersion glass appears in the design, so all the elements are conventional in shape and glass type. That simplicity is part of the appeal for photographers who value a traditional prime.