Voigtländer NOKTON classic 35mm F1.4 (Nikon Z)

Early testing finds it a character lens first. Wide open the image is soft and low in contrast, with residual spherical aberration, field curvature, coma and heavy vignetting; contrast rises quickly by f/2 to f/2.8, f/4 is a clear step up, and the corners come together around f/5.6 to f/8. Some focus shift appears when stopping down.

Colour fringing is well controlled for a fast classic design, lateral colour is nearly absent and the 10 straight blades make clean sunstars from f/2.8. Flare resistance is good rather than class-leading, with ring flare and some veiling in strong backlight. Testers see slightly better corners than the rangefinder version and note that close-up shots need stopping down because there is no floating group.

Early owners, many shooting the Zf, like how small and dense it feels and how well focus-point colour change and peaking work with the smooth helicoid. It is bought mainly for street, travel and black-and-white work where the glow at f/1.4 is welcome.

The complaints are the expected ones: soft, low-contrast files wide open, strong corner shading and an aperture ring that cannot be de-clicked for video. Because the lens only shipped in July 2026, long-term feedback is still limited.