Cosina has announced (translated) the release of its new Voigtlander Nokton Vintage Line 50mm F1.5 Aspherical II VM lens, an updated version of its predecessor, which was released back in June 2013.
The second-generation lens features an entirely redesigned optics system and a more compact body to match. It’s constructed of eight elements in seven groups, has an aperture range of F1.5-F16, uses a 12-blade aperture diaphragm and has a minimum focusing distance of 70cm (27.5”). The lens measures in at just 55mm (2.17”) diameter and 37mm (1.5”) in length.
The lens is constructed almost entirely of metal, with knurled rings for manually adjusting both the aperture and focus. Interestingly, Cosina is offering the lens in two different versions: a multi-coating version (MC) and a single-coating version (SC). In its own words, Cosina says the MC version ‘aims to reproduce colors as neutral as possible’ while the single coating ‘reproduces classical colors.’
Cosina is offering the lens in black and silver versions constructed of aluminum, while a more premium model constructed of nickel-plated and black-painted brass is also available.
All versions of the Voigtlander Nokton Vintage Line 50mm F1.5 Aspherical II VM lens use a bayonet VM mount that can be used with Vessa and M-mount cameras (not including the Bessa L and R). The Japan launch date is October 22 for all models and pricing is listed at ¥100,000 (~$950) for the aluminum models and ¥115,000 (~$1,100) for the brass model. Currently, no information on availability outside of Japan is mentioned.
Source: dpreview.com