The 40mm focal length seems to gather more interest, otherwise brands wouldn’t release new lenses. After TTArtisan announced their version back in August, now it’s Voigtlander’s turn.
Of course Voigtlander is no stranger to the 40mm focal length. My NOKTON 40mm f/1.4 SC is virtually glued to my Minolta CLE and the results I’m getting are extremely satisfactory.
The specs
This time though, Voigtlander chose to make a lens for Sony’s E Mount and Nikon’s Z Mount. The SEPTON 40mm f/2 is a compact manual lens that has electric contacts. This enables EXIF data transfers between the lens and the camera. If it’s one thing I miss when shooting film, it’s not having the camera settings baked into my photos. The electric contacts also enable focus magnification upon moving the focus ring.
Other specs include a lens construction made out of 7 elements (hence the “SEPTON” name) in 6 groups, a 10-blade aperture, a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters, all in a light body that’s no taller than 30mm and weighs just 165g (Sony).
The last thing worth point out is that the E Mount version looks different than the one made for Nikon. Voigtlander say they did that so the lens matches the design of the body, and it makes sense. Nikon is pushing the retro look with the Zf and they already have a 40mm f/2. For those who want an even more film-like experience, the manual SEPTON could be very appealing.
The Samples
The photos provided by Voigtlander aren’t anything special, but they manage to give me an idea about performance. In short: don’t expect clinical image quality. Based on the two photos below, if you buy the SEPTON 40mm f/2, expect plenty of character in the form of vignetting and chromatic aberration.
Do these shortcomings mean the new SEPTON is a bad lens? It’s too early to tell. You can check out more samples on the PetaPixel website.
The Price
According to PetaPixel, the Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f/2 will be available in Japan for roughly $550, starting March. Voigtlander hasn’t released information about prices in other markets.
This will make it more expensive than Nikon’s own 40mm f/2 ($196* for the normal one, $326* for the Special Edition), but cheaper than Sony’s 40mm f/2.5 ($748*). If you’re looking for even cheaper lenses, Viltrox and TTArtisan sell theirs for just $168*.
Closing thoughts
Who is this lens for? Clearly not for the pixel peeper. And not for the bargain hunter. I believe this lens was made for the photographer that values a small lens above everything, including chromatic aberrations and vignetting.
*prices from the B&H website
Robert
March 3, 2026 at 10:50 am
Why do you comment on something you clearly have not tested (not for pixel peepers). According o Fred Miranda tests, it is very strong centrally and peripherally at f2. The edges are weaker.
Dan Pandrea
March 3, 2026 at 11:06 am
Never said I tested the lens. I’m commenting based on Voigtlander’s photos.
David
March 4, 2026 at 11:32 am
Not the best sample photos from Cosina for sure. It does vignette but I haven’t seen colored such yet in FM’s ongoing test. I haven’t seen a boatload of CA in those shots either, though the lens undoubtedly has funky bokeh. Not as funky as the CV 35/1,4 Classic I think. Very attractive size and sunstars.