Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH review

[indergaard]

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Hey guys.

 

Just wrote a review of this lens after owning it for 10 months, with some pictures. Check it out if you'd like

 

Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH review | Observations

[the warrior]

Thanks for your input. For two years I have had the f1 and now I have the F0.95 three months for a long time.

 

In some things I share with you their thoughts, the F0.95 is similar to f1, the improvement in all features, is very personal, with character, magical, very difficult for inexperienced people, heavy (I love that), large, I never saw the F0.95 purple halos in color, now always mounted only in Monochrom.

 

If the ability to see well is not good this goal never liked people.

It's hard to focus, I do very well, I have a lot of shooting prática F0.95 when the "victim" walks by me, I took a long time and I practice and skill.

 

It is my everyday lens, f1 and ants was before the 75 summilux my M8.2

 

I like working at F0.95, but not always there, I do not ever close over f5.6.

 

I have had the 50mm asph summilux, I do not like is very hard, the light is cut too harshly. For the Noctilux I use a soft filter glass, the tyffen brand.

 

The Noctilux F0.95 is hated and loved to beyond death, that happens to all outstanding lenses, its price makes hated, and its characteristics are loved.

 

It happens that in the story of the fox and the grapes:

 

The slut walk very hungry, she sees the grapes on top, tries to jump many times but does not reach them, then leaves and says that ultimately were green grapes, often happens that there are many hungry sluts.

 

:rolleyes:

 

In my flickr there are many pictures with the F0.95 ......... about two months ago.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/108295717@N08/

 

This is one of the last street photographs, the model was posing for another photographer, I stole the picture:

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Edited September 20, 2014 by the warrior

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[CheshireCat]

Børge, thanks for the review. Nice shots on your site !

I think you will own the APO Noctilux f/1 in the future... as soon as Karbe decides to design it

[MarkP]

 

The slut walk very hungry, she sees the grapes on top, tries to jump many times but does not reach them, then leaves and says that ultimately were green grapes, often happens that there are many hungry sluts.

 

 

 

[CheshireCat]

 

I am afraid Jhon picked a far-from-ideal english translation for the spanish word "zorra" (fox).

Edited September 20, 2014 by CheshireCat

[MarkP]

Indergard, thanks for posting the review.

 

I have a 1.4/50 Summilux ASPH and a 1.0/50 Noctilux v3 E60.

 

I have no interest whatsoever in buying a 0.95 Noctilux. I shoot at maximum aperture only when I need to but personally I like just a little bit more DOFfor that style of photography than the razor-thin. I find it is often quite disconcerting, if not contrived, especially for portraits where the cornea is in focus but by the time one get back to the ears, if not the cheek, focus has already been lost.

 

The Summilux is my standard 50 and the 1.0 Noctilux my 'art' lens - it is exactly the intentional optical design and the unintentional aberrations that make it so appealing for certain work. And it's still very nice at f2.0 down!

 

Have you tried the 1.0 Noctilux? A very different lens to the 0.95.

Edited September 20, 2014 by MarkP

[indergaard]

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Børge, thanks for the review. Nice shots on your site !

I think you will own the APO Noctilux f/1 in the future... as soon as Karbe decides to design it

 

Well, if the markup for the APO-Noctilux is going to be the same, percentage-wise, as the markup from the regular v5 Summicron to the APO-Summicron, then I have to say that, no, I probably won't!

 

But otherwise, yes, I definitely might. I love the idea of the Noct 0.95. I love it for what it is. But it's a lens full of compromises - and for regular use (my use), I find the 50/1.4 to be better in every way, except that extra f-stop.

 

I'm glad you liked the pictures!

[MarkP]

I am afraid Jhon picked a far-from-ideal english translation for the spanish word "zorra" (fox).

 

That is a very funny mis-translation

[indergaard]

Indergard, thanks for pposting the review.

 

I have a 1.4/50 Summilux ASPH and a 1.0/50 Noctilux v3 E60.

 

I have no interest whatsoever in buying a 0.95 Noctilux. I shoot at maximum aperture only when I need to but personally I like just a little bit more DOFfor that style of photography than the razor-thin. I find it is often quite disconcerting, if not contrived, especially for portraits where the cornea is in focus but by the time one get back to the ears, if not the cheek, focus has already been lost.

 

The Summilux is my standard 50 and the 1.0 Noctilux my 'art' lens - it is exactly the intentional optical design and the unintentional aberrations that make it so appealing for certain work. And it's still very nice at f2.0 down!

 

Have you tried the 1.0 Noctilux? A very different lens to the 0.95.

 

My pleasure!

I'm intrigued by the f/1 Noctilux, and I'd love to have one as my "art" lens too. From what I've seen the price has gone up tremendously on them though, they're almost in the same price range as used 0.95's nowadays, which is just too much cash to put into it. I might consider getting a Summilux 75/1.4 instead, as they are far more reasonably priced 2nd hand.

[MarkP]

My pleasure!

I'm intrigued by the f/1 Noctilux, and I'd love to have one as my "art" lens too. From what I've seen the price has gone up tremendously on them though, they're almost in the same price range as used 0.95's nowadays, which is just too much cash to put into it. I might consider getting a Summilux 75/1.4 instead, as they are far more reasonably priced 2nd hand.

 

A good thought. I have the 1.4/75 Summilux too (I have way too many lenses ).

It's like a much better corrected 1.0/50 Noctilux but at that focal length it has more of an intimate relationship with your subject.

Edited September 20, 2014 by MarkP

[Numbers]

I am afraid Jhon picked a far-from-ideal english translation for the spanish word "zorra" (fox).

 

I really prefer Jhons version..... and a fox eating grapes isn't any make sense anyway.

[Jager]

Very nice review, Borge. And kudos for spending a lot of time with the lens before drawing your conclusions. The Noctilux seems to draw an inordinate number of opinions based on reputation alone, from folks who have little or no actual experience with it.

 

The one thought I'd offer is your expectation that the Noctilux would provide comparable performance at f0.95 as your Summilux did at f1.4 had some pretty stiff optical science headwinds against it. Alas.

 

The reality is that speed increases beyond 1.4 instantly dump the lens designer into the netherworld of Mordor. Every tiny, incremental increase in speed comes with a stiff tariff. Any notion that an ultra fast lens is going to be like a regular fast lens - maybe just a little bit bigger and heavier - is, sadly, a fantasy.

In the real world, ultra fast lenses only come to fruition in the company of lots of optical compromises. The only question is how bad those will be.

 

Broadly, I think you've been very fair to the Noctilux. Sounds like you had a good time with it, notwithstanding your recent divorce. Good luck with the Summilux. That's an outstanding lens...