The NOKTON 40mm f1.2, which arrived yesterday, is a manual focus lens. Back in the days of film cameras, I used almost nothing but manual focus. Using one again after all this time, I notice a distinct shift in my physical movements. It sounds obvious, but the motion of my hands turning the focus ring and the very way I grip the camera are different. Unlike with an autofocus lens, there is one additional step—turning the ring—which fundamentally alters the rhythm of my photography.
In an era where technological progress has made autofocus the standard, I felt a desire to learn more about Cosina, the manufacturer behind these manual focus lenses. Based in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Cosina is a Japanese optical company world-renowned for producing interchangeable lenses under the Voigtländer and Carl Zeiss brands. Amidst the heyday of autofocus, they have dared to focus intensely on manual focus primes, excelling in niche areas such as large-aperture f/1.2 glass, ultra-wide angles, and classic focal lengths.
Furthermore, while the world turns toward plastic, Cosina remains committed to the weight of "all-metal construction" and smooth focusing torque. The sensation of turning that helicoid makes the lens feel truly like an "extension of the body." In this sense, I believe the NOKTON 40mm f1.2 is a lens that, in its own way, chooses its photographer.
Acquiring a skill can take a long time. That long duration—just as it was when I photographed my grandmother—encompasses struggle, thought, action, and spirit; it is deeply intertwined with the formation of one’s character. Perhaps it is precisely because we live in an age that demands instant answers that we need "time."
Ultimately, the NOKTON 40mm f1.2 poses a question to me: How do I feel about photos with missed focus, unintended compositions, or what are deemed "failures"? To me, this lens offers a way to contemplate how I truly confront my tools.
On this day, after our meal, we enjoyed coffee brewed by my son along with my wife’s homemade cookies, and for a snack, we had mitarashi dango (sweet soy-glazed dumplings) arranged by her.
