What's the difference between the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X and the Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4?

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X leads on a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture, a lighter 196g body, a more compact 39.8 mm barrel. The Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 leads on autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only.

Which is smaller, the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or the Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4?

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the smaller, lighter lens at 196g and 39.8 mm long, versus 270g for the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4.

Which is faster, the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or the Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4?

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the faster lens at f/1.2, against f/1.4 for the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 — brighter in low light and able to throw the background further out of focus.

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X vs Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4: full comparison

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X leads on more of the measurable specs, but the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 counters on autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only.

Read the full Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review →Read the full Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 review →

The short version

The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X and Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 are two X-mount primes at different focal lengths — the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X (52.5mm equivalent) and the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 (50mm equivalent). The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the newer design, from 2021.

On the spec sheet the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X pulls ahead with a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture, a lighter 196g body, and a more compact 39.8 mm barrel, plus a couple of smaller edges.

The Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 answers with autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only.

So which one? Start with the focal length you actually want to shoot: the 52.5mm-equivalent Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or the 50mm-equivalent Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4. Once that's settled, Nokton 35mm F1.2 X has the edge on the specs above.

Where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X wins

+a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture
+a lighter 196g body
+a more compact 39.8 mm barrel
+closer 0.30 m focusing
+a 12-blade diaphragm

Where the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 wins

+autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only

Who should buy the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4?

Buy the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X if…

Pick the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X if a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture and a lighter 196g body matter to you. Photographers who already enjoy manual focus and want the fastest, most tactile normal prime in the mount, particularly on an X-Pro body. Read the full Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review for the details.

Buy the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 if…

Pick the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 if autofocus at all, where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is manual focus only matters to you. Anyone who wants a fast autofocusing normal prime without paying Fujifilm prices, and who shoots single-shot rather than tracking. Read the full Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 review for the details.

Nokton 35mm F1.2 X vs Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4: pros and cons

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X	Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4
f/1.2 at a 52.5 mm-equivalent view — no native X-mount prime is this fast here. Twelve rounded blades keep specular highlights circular through the middle apertures. Machined metal, third-stop aperture clicks, mechanically coupled focus with a hard infinity stop. Electronic contacts: real EXIF, focus peaking, IBIS, X-Pro3 parallax correction. 196g and 39.8 mm long, so the speed does not cost you a large barrel.	f/1.4 autofocus normal prime at roughly a third of the native price. Strong centre sharpness from f/1.4, even across the frame by f/2.8. Fast, effectively silent stepping-motor autofocus — quiet enough for video. User-updatable firmware over a USB port in the mount. HD Nano coating handles backlight without the milky wash cheap glass shows.
Manual focus only, at f/1.2 and 0.30 m, where depth of field is millimetres. Low contrast and spherical-aberration glow wide open; sharp from about f/2. Voigtländer's body compatibility list stops around the X-E4 and X-T30 II generation. No weather sealing, and around 649 EUR — more than a used XF 35mm F1.4 R.	Clickless, unmarked aperture ring — smooth for video, imprecise for stills. No weather sealing and no stabilization. 270g and 72 mm long, noticeably bigger than the XF 35mm F1.4 R. Compatibility depends on firmware; the original needed a hardware revision for the X-Pro3. Viltrox's own store no longer lists the X-mount version, so future support is uncertain.

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X

Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4

f/1.2 at a 52.5 mm-equivalent view — no native X-mount prime is this fast here.
Twelve rounded blades keep specular highlights circular through the middle apertures.
Machined metal, third-stop aperture clicks, mechanically coupled focus with a hard infinity stop.
Electronic contacts: real EXIF, focus peaking, IBIS, X-Pro3 parallax correction.
196g and 39.8 mm long, so the speed does not cost you a large barrel.

f/1.4 autofocus normal prime at roughly a third of the native price.
Strong centre sharpness from f/1.4, even across the frame by f/2.8.
Fast, effectively silent stepping-motor autofocus — quiet enough for video.
User-updatable firmware over a USB port in the mount.
HD Nano coating handles backlight without the milky wash cheap glass shows.

Manual focus only, at f/1.2 and 0.30 m, where depth of field is millimetres.
Low contrast and spherical-aberration glow wide open; sharp from about f/2.
Voigtländer's body compatibility list stops around the X-E4 and X-T30 II generation.
No weather sealing, and around 649 EUR — more than a used XF 35mm F1.4 R.

Clickless, unmarked aperture ring — smooth for video, imprecise for stills.
No weather sealing and no stabilization.
270g and 72 mm long, noticeably bigger than the XF 35mm F1.4 R.
Compatibility depends on firmware; the original needed a hardware revision for the X-Pro3.
Viltrox's own store no longer lists the X-mount version, so future support is uncertain.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review and Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 review.

Nokton 35mm F1.2 X vs Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4: full specs

Spec	Nokton 35mm F1.2 X 35 mm · f/1.2 · 196g	Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 33 mm · f/1.4 · 270g
Optical
Focal length	35 mm	33 mm
35mm equivalent	52.5 mm	50 mm
Maximum aperture	f/1.2	f/1.4
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/16
Optical construction	8 elements in 6 groups	10 elements in 9 groups
Special elements	1 abnormal partial dispersion element	1 ED element, 1 high-refractive-index element, HD Nano coating
Aperture blades	12	9
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.30 m	0.40 m
Max. magnification	—	0.1×
Autofocus motor	Manual focus only	Stepping motor
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	46 mm	52 mm
Diameter × length	59.6 × 39.8 mm	65 × 72 mm
Weight	196g	270g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2021-07-15	2020-04-21

Highlighted cells are best in class between these two. Specs sourced from the manufacturers' public product pages.

In-depth reviews

For the full long-form review of each lens, see the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review and the Viltrox Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.