Used Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.0 VM for Sale — From £1049

£1049.00 Low price

£3297.99 High price

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Great for: portrait street low light

Voigtlander's extraordinary f/1.0 Nokton for Leica M — the fastest production 50mm for rangefinders.

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.0 Aspherical VM is one of the most remarkable lenses available for the Leica M mount. With a maximum aperture of f/1.0, it is the fastest 50mm production lens for rangefinder cameras, offering an extraordinarily shallow depth of field capability that exceeds even the Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 in terms of pure value proposition.

Optical performance wide open at f/1.0 shows the expected characteristics of ultra-fast lenses — centre sharpness is good with some glow, improving rapidly by f/1.4 where it becomes very sharp. The aspherical element controls aberrations well for the specification. Bokeh is exceptionally smooth. Stopping down to f/2 produces images that rival far more expensive lenses.

Leica M mount with rangefinder coupling. Filter thread is 52mm. Weight is approximately 480 grams — substantial for an M-mount lens but reasonable given the f/1.0 speed. Build quality is outstanding with precision brass and aluminium construction by Cosina in Japan. The aperture ring has half-stop clicks. Focus throw is generous for precise manual focusing.

Available on the used market at prices well below the Leica Noctilux. Check rangefinder coupling accuracy carefully — at f/1.0, even tiny misalignment causes focus errors. Smooth focus action is essential. A remarkable achievement in lens design — delivering f/1.0 speed in a rangefinder-compatible package at a fraction of the Noctilux price.