Noctilux price gone wild?

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by badpets

Does anyone has a Noct that focus accurately at all stops?

That would be amazing.
Focus shift is caused by spherical aberration, not by misadjustment.

[innerimager]

Originally Posted by badpets

Does this mean that it still focus shift a bit after stepping down from 2.0?

Does anyone has a Noct that focus accurately at all stops?

I can say that if you send one into DAG for focus adjust, he'll ask you where you want to optimize as there is focus shift. Mine is so "on" at 1.0 I'm quite happy, but if it drifts, I'd optimize it for 1.0-2.0 (he claims that is reliable) and leave 2.8-4 for other 50 lenses. I really never use the nocti past 2.0, almost always at 1.0 in any event. I'm sure by 5.6 it would be fine anyway, and I'm sure that many excellent images are made with this lens from f1-5.6! best...Peter

[boilerdoc]

Don calibrated mine and is perfect as far as I'm concerned. My Gods tho, if I can quadruple my $ from when i bought this wonderful lens.......
Roger Hicks says look at it as 'monopoly money". You haven't paid that much for it so keep the lens and keep using it. Gulp! OK, Roger!
Steve

[Daniel Ortego]

This is all fine and good for those with a lot more disposable income than myself. I purchased my 28-cron new and it was $3295 and that was about as high as I ever want to go. As it turned out I didn't much care for it despite popular opinions. In comparison, my silver 50-lux was $2995 and it's currently my primary lens since I sold my 28. It produced more keepers right off the bat compared to the cron'. Next up and hopefully my last (yeah, right), is a silver 24-Elmarit that’s just around the corner and it's intended (I pray) as my desired street lens. No doubt I’ll want a somewhat faster variant so the silver 35-cron may find its way into my bag. Yes, I really have become a "silver whore". With all the talk of something new in September, I plan on cooling off with any more hardware until after that period.
Regards,

[badpets]

thanks peter. i thought so. my noct is spot on from f1 - 2 now and it only focus shifts at speed slower than F2.0 like you said. with this setting, however, my summicon 35mm f.2 slightly backfocuses even at wide open while my ummicron 75mm f.2 slightly frontfocuses at wide open (both with about 1 inch and after applying sharpening in photoshop, they are barely noticeable). i used to adjust the roller cam so that my summicron 35mm was spot on at all stop, but then it rendered my noct unsharp at f1 - 2 and summicron 75mm totally unusable (frontfocus terribly). so i guess my current setting is the best?

Originally Posted by innerimager

I can say that if you send one into DAG for focus adjust, he'll ask you where you want to optimize as there is focus shift. Mine is so "on" at 1.0 I'm quite happy, but if it drifts, I'd optimize it for 1.0-2.0 (he claims that is reliable) and leave 2.8-4 for other 50 lenses. I really never use the nocti past 2.0, almost always at 1.0 in any event. I'm sure by 5.6 it would be fine anyway, and I'm sure that many excellent images are made with this lens from f1-5.6! best...Peter

[kwpatlaw]

Well you can add my name to the list of those who could not resist the sirens call of the noctilux. Today mine arrived as pristine as advertised. I am very excited to give it a try. Tonight I will shoot my sons band at a local downtown college bar. Will the affair last ? Who knows. What I do know is that no other lens brings out more diverse and polarizing opinions than the Nocti. Assuming that I can capture some of its "magic ", I will post some of my first efforts.
Ken

[kwpatlaw]

One more thing. I want to shoot B&W tonight. What speed film should I buy ?

[darkstar2004]

Originally Posted by sdai

Anything could happen on eBay, somebody paid US$14000 for a piece of gum spat out by Britney Spears.

I'd rather have a Noctilx, if it's all the same...

JEEEEEEZUZ!!! Now I'm wishing I'd have gotten a Nocti back in 2003 when I got my MP. I found an old camera magazine from May of '03 the other day. B&H was selling the Noctilux for $3200 back then!!

I fear that Leica and the currency exchange rate will conspire to price the Noctilux into extinction, especially if the non-ASPH f/1.0 version goes away.

It will be a sad day for all of Leicadom.

[jimrivers]

I have a Noctilux 1.0 that I am willing to trade for a small (6 person) jet airplane. My lens is in excellent condition. It has only been used to take photos of important people. That is people important to me. Your jet should have standing headroom and also have a toilet. And of course it should be in flying condition. I will be awaiting your call.

[awolf]

That Noctilux is still on eBay. Perhaps it isn’t worth that much..?

[marknorton]

Originally Posted by awolf

That Noctilux is still on eBay. Perhaps it isn’t worth that much..?

I'm quite sure it isn't. I paid $3030 for one new 18 months ago and while I quite like it, now that it is working properly after 3 trips to Solms, the idea it's worth $9995 is laughable.

[JWW]

The real price is what you pay for it minus what you can sell it for. In my experience with all my Leica lenses I own, I believe the total worth now is more than what I paid for. In effect I'm being paid to use my lenses. That's cheap in my opinion.

Jan

[Dantist]

Originally Posted by innerimager

Saw this on e-bay, a new Nocti at Photovillage in NY, an excellent dealer, for...$10K!!
Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1.0 New USA 6-bit No Compromises! - eBay (item 330235182287 end time May-16-08 13:54:17 PDT)
Called them and they said prices have gone crazy, and that used samples in good condition are fetching close to this. Good grief! I almost sold mine a few weeks ago for 5K, it was my love of the lens that had me back out, (actually for the second time, 2 different buyers). Guess I'm glad I love it so much! best....Peter

Here you are : http://www.leica-camera-paris.com/LEICAtarif.htm
Tax free 4.013,38 * 1.548 = 6.212,71 US $, or full tax 4.800,00 * 1.548 = 7.430 US$... means you might be able to get refund of tax amount when living at the airport

Buy a flight ticket for 2 days go and go back, it's worth to buy a Noctilux including tourism, Paris during the month of may is always surprising : strikes, blossom, spring mood, café terraces...

Nota : you'd better give a call first, to know about the stock in shop : +33 1 43552436
Cheers,
Michel

[rsh]

Value and worth is an individual thing. If someone is willing to pay $9,000.00 for a Noctilux and he gets enjoyment from owning and using it, then it is worth every penny he or she paid to that individual.

[GMB]

Originally Posted by JWW

The real price is what you pay for it minus what you can sell it for. In my experience with all my Leica lenses I own, I believe the total worth now is more than what I paid for. In effect I'm being paid to use my lenses. That's cheap in my opinion.

Jan

That's what I tell my wife, and that good thing is that's not a lie Of course, it only applies to some lenses and certainly not to the M8 itself.

[rsh]

US Prices of Leica Lenses are going up July 1. Curiously, the M8 Price will remain stable. The 21 Elmarit is will be $4,395, the 24 will be $3,995.00, the 28 Summicron will be $3,995.00, the 35 Summicron will $2,995.00, the 50 Summilux will be $3,695.00.

[Ecaton]

Originally Posted by rsh

US Prices of Leica Lenses are going up July 1. Curiously, the M8 Price will remain stable. The 21 Elmarit is will be $4,395, the 24 will be $3,995.00, the 28 Summicron will be $3,995.00, the 35 Summicron will $2,995.00, the 50 Summilux will be $3,695.00.

A little scary that the replacement costs for a M8 travel kit (M8 and 3-4 lenses, eg 21e, 28cron, 50lux, 90acron) will be in the USD 20000.- . range.

[Leicamateur]

OMG... I just checked Nocti prices a few days ago. Even here in Hong Kong prices are skyrocketing! Since I checked last time (around 1.5 years ago) the price has gone up by almost US$ 2000.
I should have bought one at that time coz I planned to have one due to its characteristic signature and if there will be a 0.95 asph nocti or whatever it certainly won't have that signature... so what now? Buy one now before it gets even more expensive or hope for some kind of wonder?

[rosuna]

This is the new special edition:

DSLR Magazine - Noctilux 50 mm f/1,0

The last 100 units... 10.000 euros.

[Saloti]

Seems that I am a lucky man: I bought my Nocti around a year ago second hand in Munich for 1.500 Euros, excellent condition, in the meantime I got it 6-bit-coded.