Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 50mm f/2 Aspherical Version II 50mm
Its apochromatic design pairs five ED and two aspherical elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations, delivering sharp, contrast-rich images at a bright f/2 aperture. The compact all-metal lens weighs just 370g and employs a 12-blade diaphragm for smooth bokeh, with electronic contacts transferring EXIF data to Nikon Z bodies. Best for stills photographers who value optical precision and a tactile manual focus experience for portraiture, landscape, and architectural work.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong optical (75th percentile) 75th
- Strong build (69th percentile) 69th
Cons
- Below average af (13th percentile)
- Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 9 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Prime |
| Focal Length Min | 50 |
| Focal Length Max | 50 |
| Elements | 10 |
| Groups | 8 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2 |
| ED Elements | 5 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/16 |
| Min Aperture | f/2 |
| Constant | No |
| Diaphragm Blades | 12 |
Build
| Mount | Nikon Z |
| Format | full-frame |
| Weight | 0.4 kg / 0.8 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 58 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | manual focus only |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 450 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 50mm f/2 Aspherical Version II 50mm | Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 | Sigma Contemporary 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 | Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 50mm | 17-70mm | 17-28mm | 16-28mm | 12-60mm | 28-70mm |
| Max Aperture | f/16 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/22 |
| Mount | Nikon Z | Fujifilm X | Nikon Z | Sony E | Micro Four Thirds | Canon RF |
| Stabilization | false | true | false | false | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weight (g) | 370 | 544 | 450 | 450 | 320 | 495 |
| AF Type | manual focus only | RXD | Stepping Motor | Stepping AF Motor | linear motor | STM |
| Lens Type | prime | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | User Sentiment | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 50mm f/2 Aspherical Version II 50mm | 12.8 | 47.5 | 68.8 | 60.1 | 75 | 42 | 63.7 | 33.3 | 49.5 | 37.8 |
| Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Compare | 53.8 | 87.2 | 69.8 | 85.9 | 91 | 84.4 | 63.7 | 89.3 | 85.2 | 83.4 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Compare | 87.4 | 87.2 | 76.1 | 85.9 | 88 | 84.4 | 90.7 | 67.3 | 69.2 | 37.8 |
| Sigma Contemporary 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Compare | 87.4 | 87.2 | 76.1 | 77.8 | 97.2 | 84.4 | 75.9 | 67.9 | 63.2 | 37.8 |
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 Compare | 98.1 | 87.2 | 84.6 | 51.7 | 91 | 84.4 | 44.6 | 93.1 | 68.2 | 83.4 |
| Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM Compare | 87.4 | 24 | 72.9 | 80 | 86.2 | 21 | 98 | 76.8 | 89.3 | 98.6 |
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
