After recently picking up a Leica M6, I needed a lens to go with it. I wanted a small, compact combo that I can toss in my bag and explore the city with. I knew I wanted a 35mm lens and after reading positive reviews for the original Nokton Classic, I decided to grab the newly released Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 II SC from B&H for $650. This lens comes with two variants: the SC and MC version. The SC stands for single coating and is supposed to give your pictures less contrast and a softer look. The MC version, or multi-coating, which gives you a more modern, saturated look. It took me a long time to decide on the SC version. Since I was shooting on film, I wanted that softer classic look and character in my photos so I opted for the SC version. This is not a review of the lens; it’s just my initial thoughts and some sample photos I took.
First off, this lens feels very well built. I almost mistook it for Leica glass because of its all metal construction. The aperture ring clicks satisfyingly into place and focusing is buttery smooth. The lens itself is very compact and is very enjoyable to use. I love how portable it is; I was able to slip it into my coat pocket pretty comfortably.
One thing I wish Voigtländer included is a lens hood. I read that the previous Nokton was very prone to flares, so I bought the Voigtländer lens hood for an additional $70. It does add a little length to the front of the lens but it’s still very portable.
I took this camera on a week long trip to San Francisco and was very pleased with how the photos came out. These images were scanned by my local lab with no additional editing. Overall, this little lens is amazing for the price and I’ll definitely be using this for a while.
