The renowned Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f1.5, a fine German-made lens originally designed as the standard lens for the postwar Prominent camera. This example is an early version manufactured in 1955. It comes with the sought-after Amedeo rangefinder-coupled adapter, allowing you to enjoy shooting with Leica M cameras. Compatible filters are 45mm screw-in (cannot be screwed in all the way) or 49mm using the inner threads.
The Nokton was designed by Dr. Tronnier, who also designed the Xenon 50mm f1.5. It features a 7-element, 5-group optical construction. At or near maximum aperture, it produces beautiful images with a well-resolved center surrounded by softly rendered peripheral areas. Its relatively compact size for a fast, large-aperture lens is another advantage when enjoying photography.
A Prominent I camera body is included, but it has not been serviced and should be considered a complimentary extra. The camera body is not covered by our operational warranty.
The original Leica screw-mount version of the Nokton is an extremely expensive lens due to its rarity, but this example allows you to enjoy comparable optical performance at a much more reasonable price. Another significant advantage is that, thanks to careful modification, it can focus as close as 0.7m!
This lens was previously sold by our shop and has now returned to us after being carefully used by its owner. Welcome back!
There are some minor scuff marks on the lens barrel, but the lens remains in the same overall beautiful condition as when we last sold it.
The lens underwent a full overhaul in 2025, during which the rangefinder coupling of the Amedeo adapter was also adjusted. Rangefinder coupling is accurate from the minimum focusing distance of 0.7m to 5m. Beyond 5m and toward infinity, there is a very slight tendency toward back focus, but stopping down by one or two stops generally brings the focus within an acceptable range.
The front element has some very minor cleaning marks, but the glass is clear and free from haze. There is also no balsam separation, a common issue with the Nokton. Actual shooting tests produced very good results.
Included are the Amedeo Prominent-to-Leica M adapter, a Prominent I camera body (unserviced and without warranty), and a leather case.
With this properly adjusted adapter, you can enjoy not only the Nokton but also the Color-Skopar and Ultron on Leica rangefinder cameras, with full rangefinder coupling.
