Voigtländer NOKTON 40mm F1.2 Aspherical (Nikon Z)

Reviewers of the f/1.2 Nokton find a soft, glowing image at f/1.2 with a usable centre, a clear jump in contrast by f/2, and corners that need f/5.6 to f/8. Longitudinal colour fringing and vignetting are noticeable at the widest apertures, and some focus shift appears when stopping down.

The bokeh is smooth and the transition from sharp to blurred is gradual, which suits portraits and environmental work. Build and focus feel are rated highly, and the compromises are judged acceptable for a lens this fast and this small.

Owners use it as a one-lens kit on Zf and Z6-series bodies: wide enough for everyday scenes, fast enough for low light, and gentle wide open but crisp stopped down. The dense metal build and smooth helicoid suit the retro Z bodies well.

Complaints include purple fringing on backlit edges at f/1.2, the clicked aperture for video, and focus accuracy at f/1.2 without autofocus. Some find 40mm awkward if they are used to 35mm or 50mm.