I bought Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 last week for my A7sii. I shot with many manual glasses on Nikon in the past and I was shocked with it’s performance (I have used Nikkor Noct 58mm f1/2 in the past and currently have Nikkor 50mm 1.2). The sharpness at f/1.2 in unbelievably good and the lens gets lot of light (in a low lit room, 3ft distance, open aperture can get you handheld shot at 1/20s using ISO 100). The look on the lens is very beautiful and I kind of like the aperture ring towards the front of the glass. When it comes to optical performance, this lens has no contenders.

However, I had few disappointments which I might get used to very soon. The lens is built like a tank, with all metal construction makes it a heavy package. I am used to very smooth (but steady) manual focus ring which I can turn with a finger, which I often do while adjusting the fine focus. The focus ring on this lens in no means stiff, but not meant for single handed use (you can’t turn the ring with one finger). Also, I see that the rotation the ring needs to move from close to infinity is too long and thus it will slow you down (although it’s very good for precision focusing). Although I liked the placement of aperture ring in the front, it is a big inconvenience if you are using the lens for videography and often you change the aperture. Despite the above points this lens is a keeper for me.

I will start off with this, I am partial to manual lenses. Something about a manual lens takes me back to the first camera I used, my grandpas old Nikon 35mm SLR. I used it for all my film classes in college and still have it to this day!

This lens is great there is something about a manual lens that let's you feel so much more in control than an auto focus lens. This lens is great and is always on my camera! I have others that I use for specific reasons, BUT, as an everyday walk around lens THIS IS IT. It's always the lens that I have to take off my camera body to use another and once I'm done it goes right back on.

I use it on my Sony a7ii and it's a perfect match. It sharp, colors are amazing, not very big, and adds a nice classic look to a modern camera. If I had to for whatever reason could only keep one of my lenses this would be the one that I keep. PLUS f1.2 makes it a great low light lens for those late night outings. I believe this lens is worth every penny, and it basically got all of my pennies haha.

Focusing is made very easy on the Sony cameras and it's built like a tank. I'm pretty sure this lens will out last all other camera bodies to follow. If you are looking for a great manual lens that takes sharp pictures, has great color rendition, and great contrast, combined with a classic look that's not to big or heavy on the Sony mirrorless system, then look no further!

I 'upgraded' last Christmas from m4/3 to an A7iii. My favorite go everywhere lens on my GM5 was a 20mm 1.7 (40mm) equivalent, and I've gotten to love this focal length. Wide-open it is easy to miss the shot with this lens, but when you nail it the picture has so much character, and a unique 3D 'pop' that's reminiscent of film. It's also a nice size when you want to make your set up a little more compact.

Wonderfully built, great images straight out of camera with tons of feeling. This is a lens that just gives your photos something different, a little modern vintage.

The ability to de-clickable aperture ring is great for video work.

Well-made, manual focus lens. Bright. Has character. Makes nice images. Good in low light.

Chromatic aberration is the main downside.

When I pulled this beauty out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the weight. It's no light lens. The focus ring is smooth like butter. The aperture ring declicks, which will be great for video. (Love that there IS an aperture ring. Maybe I'm old school?) Haven't done much yet from f/8-22, but I'm loving the f/1.2-5.6. Looking forward to seeing the full potential of this lens.

It works great with the focus peaking of this camera - very quick and easy to ensure sharp focus wherever you want it.


The aperture 'de-clicking' ring is a little odd and takes time getting used to, but is a nice bonus

I got the older style non-SE lens with the larger focus ring and declicker - it handles very nicely on my Sony a7s and a7R II - beautiful bokeh and I do use the f/1.2 aperture setting - met my expectations.

Love this lens, and easily my favorite of my Sony-native mounts. Solid construction, balances well on Sony A7rIII, and image quality is phenomenal. Super sharp even wide open, but images have character and warmth. Rich, creamy bokeh. Stopped down a little and it’s great for street photography, though my personal favorite use is close in shots of people. Highly recommended.

It's not perfect (focus shift, some CA, etc.) but the way this lens renders is like a dream. It's modern but so far from clinical. At 1.2, contrast and sharpness take a huge dive but at 1.4 things clean up and from 1.8 on you'll be good to go. 40mm has also become my favorite focal length (I think this lens is closer to 43mm?). I tried the CV 40mm 1.4 and it was just too messy but this lens is a dream come true.