Leica Nokton 50mm f1.5. Leica screw mount. Manufactured by Voigtländer. This is a mid-to-late version with the serial number 327xxxx, produced in 1951. Designed by Dr. A.W. Tronnier, who also designed the Xenon 50mm f1.5.
The lens has a 5-group, 7-element construction. The helicoid distance scale is in feet. The weight is approximately 326g.
While the Nokton 50mm f1.5 is well-known for its use on the Prominent cameras from the early 1950s, it was also produced in small quantities for the Leica L-mount. It is quite a rare item, though Contax-mount versions and slightly different versions for the Rectaflex are also known to exist.
As an aside, just like the standard lens for the Prominent, in addition to the Nokton 50mm f1.5, there are original L-mount versions of the Color-Skopar 50mm f3.5 and Ultron 50mm f2.
Both in terms of style and image quality, the Leica Nokton 50mm f1.5 ranks among the top of non-Leica lenses, and despite its relatively short production period, there are actually quite a few variations. At our store, we have identified at least eight different variations. Interestingly, these do not always follow a strict serial number progression. It’s not always straightforward.
This particular version has two black bands, a light blue/purple/yellow coating, and a chrome nameplate. The chrome nameplate version is also known in recent years as the White Face, similar to Rolleiflex.
The image quality is beautiful, and the lens itself is a rare gem with a stunning design.
The lens is in excellent condition with minimal signs of use. It comes with its original plastic case and front cap, suggesting it has been well cared for.
A full overhaul was completed in January 2025. The aperture and helicoid operate with exceptional smoothness. During real-world testing with our Leica M10-P for shooting and inspection, we noticed a slight backfocus tendency at distances of approximately 5m to 10m when shooting wide open.
Additionally, there is a very slight barrel distortion around the edges of the front element, a known issue with the Nokton lens. It's so minor that it's nearly impossible to notice unless you're highly familiar with the lens. There are also a few very shallow, linear cleaning marks on the middle element. None of these issues should affect the image quality. The coatings on all surfaces are intact, and the lens is clear, with no haze, resulting in sharp, crisp images.
The results of the real-world test were positive. Example images from the test are available in our sample gallery. We hope you find them helpful!
