What's the difference between the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X and the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X leads on a lighter 196g body, a 12-blade diaphragm. The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II leads on closer 0.28 m focusing.

Which is smaller, the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the smaller, lighter lens at 196g and 39.8 mm long, versus 218g for the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II.

Which is faster, the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

Both open to f/1.2, so they gather the same light and give the same depth-of-field control.

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X vs 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II: full comparison

The Nokton 35mm F1.2 X leads on more of the measurable specs, but the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II counters on closer 0.28 m focusing.

Read the full Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review →Read the full 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review →

The short version

The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X and 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II are both 35mm X-mount primes covering the same 52.5mm-equivalent field of view.

On the spec sheet the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X pulls ahead with a lighter 196g body and a 12-blade diaphragm.

The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II answers with closer 0.28 m focusing.

So which one? If a lighter 196g body matters most, the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X is the pick. If closer 0.28 m focusing is closer to what you need, the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is the smarter buy. Same view either way — this comes down to the trade-offs above.

Where the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X wins

+a lighter 196g body
+a 12-blade diaphragm

Where the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II wins

+closer 0.28 m focusing

Who should buy the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X or 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

Buy the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X if…

Pick the Nokton 35mm F1.2 X if a lighter 196g body and a 12-blade diaphragm 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 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II if…

Pick the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II if closer 0.28 m focusing matters to you. Photographers who want a fast lens with a distinctive look for very little money, and who already shoot manual focus by choice. Read the full 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review for the details.

Nokton 35mm F1.2 X vs 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II: pros and cons

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X	7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II
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/1.2 for around the price of a filter, in an all-metal barrel. Strong wide-open character: halation around highlights, swirling corners. 0.28 m minimum focus, closer than the original version managed. Ten rounded blades keep the stopped-down rendering tidier than the price suggests.
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.	No electronic contacts: no EXIF, no aperture recorded, no IBIS, no auto magnification. f/1.2 and f/1.4 are effects, not working apertures — sharp from about f/4. Heavy longitudinal colour fringing on high-contrast edges wide open. Sample variation is the standing complaint about the category; no sealing, no real warranty support. 7Artisans publishes neither a launch date nor barrel dimensions, and retail listings disagree on both.

Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 X

7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II

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/1.2 for around the price of a filter, in an all-metal barrel.
Strong wide-open character: halation around highlights, swirling corners.
0.28 m minimum focus, closer than the original version managed.
Ten rounded blades keep the stopped-down rendering tidier than the price suggests.

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.

No electronic contacts: no EXIF, no aperture recorded, no IBIS, no auto magnification.
f/1.2 and f/1.4 are effects, not working apertures — sharp from about f/4.
Heavy longitudinal colour fringing on high-contrast edges wide open.
Sample variation is the standing complaint about the category; no sealing, no real warranty support.
7Artisans publishes neither a launch date nor barrel dimensions, and retail listings disagree on both.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house Nokton 35mm F1.2 X review and 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review.

Nokton 35mm F1.2 X vs 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II: full specs

Spec	Nokton 35mm F1.2 X 35 mm · f/1.2 · 196g	7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II 35 mm · f/1.2 · 218g
Optical
Focal length	35 mm	35 mm
35mm equivalent	52.5 mm	52.5 mm
Maximum aperture	f/1.2	f/1.2
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/22
Optical construction	8 elements in 6 groups	6 elements in 5 groups
Special elements	1 abnormal partial dispersion element	—
Aperture blades	12	10
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.30 m	0.28 m
Max. magnification	—	—
Autofocus motor	Manual focus only	Manual focus only
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	46 mm	46 mm
Diameter × length	59.6 × 39.8 mm	—
Weight	196g	218g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2021-07-15	Not published

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 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.