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The Voigtländer 35mm f/1.2 ASPH II: The F/1.2 Sweet Spot & Other Heresies

1. Introduction: When “Too Sharp” Is a Real Problem

Let’s get real: most lenses are like overachieving students—they try too hard to be perfect. The Voigtländer 35mm f/1.2 ASPH II? It’s the cool art teacher of the lens world. It doesn’t care about your pixel-peeping obsessions. It just wants to make beautiful images and maybe smoke a cigarette behind the gym.

I bought this lens for pocket change (well, $350-ish) after it plummeted from its $1099 throne. Why? Because I’m a bargain hunter with a taste for forbidden optical fruit.

sony a7s + *Voigtländer* vm 35mm 1.2 asph ii

2. The F/1.2 Revelation: “Sharpness Is a Social Construct”

Here’s the scandal: This lens is too sharp at f/2. I mean, Nikon-level sharp. The kind of sharp that makes your pores look like craters on the moon. So what did I do? I opened it up to f/1.2 like a rebel without a cause.

The magic happens at f/1.2:

Sharpness: Not “cutting”—more like “gentle caress.”
Bokeh: Creamier than a latte in a Parisian café.
Vibes: Chef’s kiss.

Fun Fact: The designer probably high-fived a ghost when I wrote this.

3. Why F/1.2 on 35mm Is Bonkers (In a Good Way)

35mm lenses aren’t supposed to be this fast. It’s like putting a jet engine on a bicycle—thrilling, slightly unnecessary, but oh-so-fun.

Historical Context: Leica took decades to get to f/1.4. Voigtländer said, “Hold my beer” and dropped the world’s first 35mm f/1.2 in 2003.
Practicality: At f/1.2, you can shoot in a cave with a flickering candle and still get usable shots.

4. The “ASPHerical” Truth

Leica’s ASPH lenses are like Swiss watches—precise, consistent, boring. Voigtländer’s ASPH? It’s a punk rock Swiss watch.

Consistency: Same character at every aperture. No surprise personality disorders.
Modernity: Sharp where it counts, smooth where it matters.

5. The Price Plunge: A Tragedy in Three Acts

Thank you, impatient photographers. Your loss is my gain.

Information	1st Generation	2nd Generation	3rd Generation
Release Year	2003	2011	2020
Initial Release Price	Approximately $899 – $999	Approximately $999 – $1,099	Approximately $1,250
Current Price (2025)	Used: $400 – $600	Used: $400 – $600	Used: $600 – $800

6. Leica Comparison: The Elephant in the Room

Strengths:
- 90% of the Leica Summilux vibe for 20% of the price.
- Focus throw smoother than a jazz solo.
Weaknesses:
- Low-light shadow details? Leica still wins.
- Bragging rights? Sorry, it’s not red-dot certified.

Verdict: If Leica is a tailored suit, Voigtländer is a perfectly broken-in leather jacket.

7. The “Sony A7s” Love Affair

This lens was made for Sony mirrorless. It’s chunky on a Leica but feels right at home on an A7s.

No vignetting: Unlike some drama queen lenses.
Colors: Cold, clinical, and utterly gorgeous.
1200MP Resolution: More than enough for anyone not printing billboards.

8. Voigtländer’s Identity Crisis (It’s a Good Thing)

Voigtländer isn’t trying to be Leica. It’s trying to be Voigtländer—the brand that gave us:

The first roll-film camera (1840).
The first f/3.6 lens (1866).
The first 35mm f/1.2 (2003).

Lesson: Innovation > imitation.

9. Final Verdict: The People’s Champion

The Voigtländer 35mm f/1.2 ASPH II is for:

Street photographers who value character over clinical perfection.
Bargain hunters who love underdogs.
Artists who think f/1.2 is a mood, not just an aperture.

Rating: 5/5 stars (minus 0 for anything, because it’s perfect).

Now go shoot wide open. Your pixels will thank you. 📸✨

The Voigtländer VM 35mm f/1.2 ASPH II Has Arrived

Back in 2011, a used Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 Rigid in decent condition went for around $770, while the newly released Voigtländer VM 35mm f/1.4 II was priced over $1,300.

I’ve been keeping a sneaky eye on its price over the years—watched it dip to the $900 range, then $600, and now it’s finally down to about $350. The time had come. Big thanks to the friend who held onto it for me all these years… 😁

The Voigtländer has arrived.

When it comes to adapting manual lenses, the Sony A7S is noticeably more friendly than the original A7. Vignetting is hardly noticeable, the color rendering feels more “serious” compared to the classic VM lenses, and sharpness is absolutely perfect wide open on a 12MP sensor—in fact, this lens was practically designed for Sony cameras back in the day. Its size isn’t exactly compact on a Leica M body, but it balances beautifully on a Sony A7.

This isn’t just a lens for fondling—it’s a lens for making images.

The Nikon D200’s CCD Has a Unique Feel After the Rain

Sure, most full-frame cameras boast 14-bit RAW CMOS sensors these days, while the Nikon D200 is “only” a 12-bit CCD. But there’s something special about its out-of-camera JPEGs—especially in the complex, ever-changing light after a rain. Paired with the consistent rendering of a Leica R lens, the look it produces is genuinely distinct.

Nikon D200’s Noise Has a Film-like Charm

Back in the day, limited access to information meant many excellent cameras flew under the radar. Nowadays, information is everywhere—yet it’s easier than ever to be swayed by trends. A Ricoh APS-C gets hyped to the skies; a plasticky Fujifilm rangefinder-style camera is talked about as if it outperforms full-frame models (｡ì _ í｡).

That’s why I remind myself never to chase what’s popular.

Take Nikon’s old CCD DSLRs, for example—they have a certain texture that feels strikingly film-like. Even when you push the shadows and noise emerges, there’s a graininess to it that, combined with the subtle rendering of a Leica lens in low light, closely mimics the look of film.

Playing the Part of a Veteran Shooter

The most delightful moment for a photographer is when you put on a serious face, pretending to be a veteran shooter, and the other person knows you’re just playing the part of a master but doesn’t call you out. But it’s not just photography—how many serious things in life start with stumbling steps and a bit of posturing? That’s what makes street photography so captivating. It’s got a touch of missed focus, a dash of haste, and a sprinkle of solemnity, all coming together to make everything suddenly, beautifully alive.

Photography: Gear Play, Childlike Joy

In a childhood classroom, the teacher asked us, “What’s your favorite color?” It was the first time I’d heard such a question, and I was puzzled. Why would grown-ups care to differentiate colors? In a daze, I picked yellow, but later, as I mulled it over, I realized I didn’t dislike any color. Perhaps that’s how the habit of comparison begins—unintentionally sparked in moments like these.

Now, driven by material desires, I find myself comparing this lens to that camera, testing and reviewing endlessly. It’s overwhelming, cluttered, and exhausting. But I’ve come to believe every piece of gear has its own value. When we let go of comparisons and return to a childlike curiosity, photography becomes pure joy—like being a kid again.

Every Lens Has Its Ideal Shooting Distance

The quest for the perfect lens—and the peace of mind that comes with using it—seems to be the ultimate goal for many gear enthusiasts. Yet, before that goal is even reached, the habit of acquiring new equipment often takes hold. There’s always a lingering feeling that the lens you don’t yet own might just be the flawless one you’ve been dreaming of.

Each brand’s lenses tend to share a consistent character, shaped by its design philosophy and principles. Buying multiple lenses from the same brand often means reinforcing a specific strength or compromising on a particular weakness. One lens might lean slightly more toward one advantage, another slightly less, but the core differences are usually minimal.

However, one key distinction stands out: lenses within the same brand often have different optimal shooting distances and ideal apertures. Instead of chasing the next purchase, consider mastering the lenses you already own. Discover their strengths and find their sweet spot—the distance where they truly shine. Let them serve your photography. That’s where the real joy of gear comes in, not in comparing which lens is sharper or which one handles bokeh better.

What Slips Away, What Stays

What heaven doesn’t grant me, no matter how tightly I clasp with all ten fingers, will still slip away; what it gives me, I need only press a button with one finger to possess. This is photography.

Light Is Colorless, Black and White Is True Photography

They say light is colorless. I set my camera’s JPEG to black and white, initially as a playful experiment, but I’ve kept it that way ever since. Not out of laziness, but because money’s tight. I heard they’re releasing another black-and-white camera, and the price is steep—Leica’s black-and-white models are still far from cheap. But honestly, I think the black-and-white JPEGs from a color camera are pretty good too. To put it dramatically, light is colorless—black and white is what photography is all about.