Last Updated on 08/18/2017 by Chris Gampat
Photographers who like the look of Voigtlander as well as the functionality of their lenses will be pleased to know that a new Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL II S was recently announced. The predecessor to this lens was a very small pancake optic that could easily fit onto most DSLRs and even was offered with adapters for Sony cameras. But the new one takes a different classical design. You can liken its exterior appearance to old school Nikkor primes that one would get bundled with a camera. In fact, Cosina states that this was their intent: a nostalgic look.
As it was with the previous version, the Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL II S is a lens with manual focusing capabilities. If you've ever used their more modern optics vs some of the stuff for the Bessas, you'll know just how incredibly smooth they are. For example, their lenses for Micro Four Thirds are absolutely fantastic and in my opinion still the best for the system. Of course, that means they're not for everyone. But the photographers who really will like these images are more about precision work and a specific look vs the fastest autofocus on the planet. In fact, these photographers may argue that their zone focusing abilities beat autofocus–and I'd agree with them.
The Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL II S has six elements in five groups and nine aperture blades. There is no weather sealing and it will be compatible with both Nikon film cameras and newer ones–which means it's unlike the newer Nikon E lenses on the market. Of course, you should also know that the Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL II S is made by Cosina. This lens also seems to be just for Nikon F Mount; and that means it will easily adapt to most other cameras.
Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL II S Tech Specs
Focal length |
40 mm |
Aperture ratio |
1: 2 |
Minimum aperture |
F 22 |
Lens configuration |
5 groups 6 sheets |
Angle of view |
57 ° |
Number of diaphragm blades |
9 sheets |
Shortest shooting distance |
0.25 m |
Maximum shooting magnification |
1: 4 |
Maximum diameter × total length |
Φ 66.3 × 37.5 mm |
Filter size |
Φ 52 mm |
weight |
260 g |
mount |
Ai-S (CPU built-in) |
Others: |
Round screw type hood LH – 40 IIS (sold separately) |
Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL II S Sample Images
Check out more over at Nikon Rumors or head straight to the source for more. Their pricing doesn't seem to make sense when converting the units to dollars, but if that's the case then the lens will be almost 9,000 of them. Of course, I don't think that's the case.