Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE vs Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE | Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 364 g | 414 g |
| Min focal | 50 mm | 40 mm |
| Max focal | 50 mm | 40 mm |
Between the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE and Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE, the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE comes out ahead in weight / min focal, while the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE wins on several specs. Overall, the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE scores 70.9 and the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE scores 68.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (70.9 vs 68.5). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, min focal, max focal. The single most decisive one: Weight — 50.00 g less. 364 vs 414.
The Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE similarly does not carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.
Both ship with comparable weather sealed, optical stabilization, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE or Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE?
Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE leads the current Mars Score by 2.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare min focal, max focal, weight against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE if…
Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE has the measurable edge on weight g, focal min mm, focal max mm.
Choose Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE if…
Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE wins
- ▲Weight — 50.00 g less. 364 vs 414.
- ▲Min focal: 50 (vs 40).
- ▲Max focal: 50 (vs 40).
Why Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE wins
- No decisive advantages.
Spec comparison
Optics
| Spec | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE | Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Min focal | 50 mmlead | 40 mm |
| Max focal | 50 mmlead | 40 mm |
| Max aperture | f/2 | f/1.2 |
| Min aperture | f/22 | f/16 |
Build
| Spec | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE | Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 364 glead | 414 g |
| Weather sealedⓘ | false | false |
| Optical stabilizationⓘ | false | false |
Mount
| Spec | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE | Voigtländer - Nokton 40mm f/1.2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Lens mount | Sony E | Sony E |