If you watched my YouTube channel, you probably noticed my love for manual lenses, especially the Voigtlanders.
After years in photography, I have reached a point where I am certain that I prefer shooting manual lenses over AF. For me it's the best bridge between digital and film. It slows me down, yet raises the meaning.
In the era of digital imagery and AI content, taking pictures is still the best way to stay "real".
Today we have this awesome priviledge to shoot digital with manual gear, and still benefit with all those technology upgrades. What draws me to manual lenses is not just the image they provide, but also how compact they are, thus allowing us to create compact everyday setups.
Voigtlander has just released something unique.
*
If you ever wondered what would happen if Fuji went full frame - this might be sort of an answer.
The Septon 40mm f2 is a brand new pancake style lens from Cosina’s stable. The lens is made in Japan and it's something I've been waiting for my A7C. The compact manual storyteller with universal focal lenght and a proper minimum focusing distance. I don't like adapters, even though I tend to shoot with classic Voigtlanders.
A native lens gets it done. You get the smaller size and the EXIF data, that really helps when editing and analyzing your pictures within your editing software.
The Septon 40 f2 is a lens that seems to be designed specifically for Sony a7c and Nikon Zf as there is also the Z version out there.
The image it renders is sweet. It’s razor sharp and full of contrast, even wide open, yet the bokeh is still voigtlanderish. It’s not quite the Nokton type, nor the Ultron. Something between I guess. A modern retro. And the colors. The colors you get on the A7C mark I straight out of camera are incredible. They are a little warm and remind me of Fuji’s classic chrome. It’s a great base for editing if you like working with jpegs.
JPEG samples with Kodak Gold preset | Shot on Sony A7C
The lens fits the A7C like a glove. The buttery smooth focus ring works with extreme precision, and the clickable aperture ring is there to save the day. It’s very light and makes the A7C a well balanced camera.
Now I don’t want to pour too much honey, so let’s point some cons, too.
Compared to the Nokton 40 1.4, the focus ring on the Septon is a little less enjoyable. it doesn’t have a focus tab and it takes some time to travel from 0,3 to infinity, so focusing on F2 can be quite a challenge sometimes. I have added the nice focus tab from 7artisans, that fits perfectly and IMHO - it's a real game changer for this lens and let's you focus much much quicker.
7Artisans silicone tab | works like a charm
Speaking of focusing, this lens does not have the infinity lock. It's a shame because you need to stop just right before the end and in some quick draws, when you need to focus instantly, you may be unpleasantly surprised.
Also this lens is not weather sealed. No surprise here though. It’s expensive and doesn’t like rain or dust. The regular Voigtlander package.
If you intend to use this lens for video - you need to be aware that this lens suffers from really terrible focus breathing. Really, one of the biggest I saw in past years(head over to my YT channel for the video reviews, so you can see the sample videos)
I have also noticed the issue that was also present in Nokton Classic 35 1.4 for Sony E, which is aperture ring related. The aperture ring's contacts seem to be very sensitive and the little loose behaviour of the ring can trigger the signal to the camera that you are trying to change the aperture. It will not change physically, but the camera might read the attempt and display it on the evf/lcd when you put a small pressure on the ring(like when you put a finger on it). When you are in zoom focus assist the camera will kick you out of the zoom mode. It's not a big deal, but you need to be aware when using this lens on a Sony body.
This seems to be an issue of the construction itself, rather than QC, as some people seem to report this issue. I have tested 2 units as well as previous Nokton 35 1.4, so this is definitely not an issue with a single faulty unit.
*
Still if you don’t mind being a little slow, this lens is a perfect companion for compact Sony/Nikon setups that deliver exquisite imagery.
Manual focusing is really not a big deal these days. The peaking and magnification lets you learn the lens to the point where you can feel it and pinpoint that focus without too much thinking. It's even easier if you own the Nikon Zf, as it features the genius focus assist mode (how I wish Sony had this!)
It’s great that we can see more and more Voigtlanders with native mounts, for modern mirrorless cameras. At this point if I had to choose just one lens for my A7C - the Septon 40 f2 would probably be it.
*
My final notes about the lens:
Pros:
- Small, fast and light
- Fits A7C/A7 great
- Very sharp(as a con too)
- Modern but with a character
- 0,29m MFD
- EXIF data through electronic contacts
- Small, fast and light
- Fits A7C/A7 great
- Very sharp(as a con too)
- Modern but with a character
- 0,29m MFD
- EXIF data through electronic contacts
Cons:
- No weather sealing or mount gasket
- The aperture contacts are very sensitive
- Heavy focus breathing
- (to some)Very sharp / less "character" than Noktons & Ultrons
- No infinity lock
- Quite expensive
- No weather sealing or mount gasket
- The aperture contacts are very sensitive
- Heavy focus breathing
- (to some)Very sharp / less "character" than Noktons & Ultrons
- No infinity lock
- Quite expensive
Summary:
- Great lens for edc/slow photography/street
- Quality "modern retro" lens
- Perfect for people who need quality but want to play with manual.
- Great lens for edc/slow photography/street
- Quality "modern retro" lens
- Perfect for people who need quality but want to play with manual.
Image gallery (shot on A7C + Septon 40mm f/2)
