Dilemma w/ Lens Choice

[freitz]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I went back and forth between the .95, APO, and the Lux. I found that I only wanted 1 50mm for now and went with the best of both worlds which was the Lux.

 

I shot with all 3 for a couple of hours.

-The APO gave me the best pictures time and time again I received the most keepers.

-The Noct. did produce one or two wow shots when focused properly. I found that I struggled to nail focus however I had a short time with it so I imagine with practice it would be much better. The shallow depth of field was a nice look.

-The Lux provided a good mix of both. I received sharp images with nice separation of the subject and background drop off, plenty of sharpness (not as sharp at the APO which also handled shadows much better than the other two), and good colors (also not as good as the apo). I found the lux to be the best mix for my needs.

 

As a conclusion, what I thought would be a landslide choice for me to go right for the .95 I actually ruled it out. I would rather have the Lux or the APO. I settled for the Lux for now because I wanted the stop of light. I plan on picking up a second and most likely the APO. 

 

Now if I had to pick one lens 35 FLE all the way. I would not give up a 50 lux and 35 lux for a Noct. 

* Please note I have had my Leica in the shop and have not shot with the new 50 lux for more than a few hours.

 

I hope this helps.

[nelly]

I recommend the Voigtlander 50mm Nokton f/1.1 for those times you want an artistic creamy wide open look

and at  a fraction of the cost (1/10) of the Noct.

Not a lens to keep on full time as it's heavy, as is the Noct. 

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Peter Kilmister]

I have found that the Noctilux 0.95 is best when used in really low light to pinpoint a subject. It feels heavy but it weighs no more than 450 grams ... peanuts compared to CaNikon lenses.

Really good lenses cost more than poorer quality lenses for a very good reason. If you want crap then pay for crap. If you want quality then dig deep.

 

Years ago I was looking for a spotting scope. The best by a mile was the Leica APO Televid. Yes, it was the most expensive, but it was the best. I bought it and still enjoy its lack of vignetting. The next best was Swarowski, then Nikon. Both were poor by comparison.

 

You get what you pay for in life.

Edited May 26, 2015 by pkilmister

[nelly]

I have found that the Noctilux 0.95 is best when used in really low light to pinpoint a subject. It feels heavy but it weighs no more than 450 grams ... peanuts compared to CaNikon lenses.

Really good lenses cost more than poorer quality lenses for a very good reason. If you want crap then pay for crap. If you want quality then dig deep.

 

Years ago I was looking for a spotting scope. The best by a mile was the Leica APO Televid. Yes, it was the most expensive, but it was the best. I bought it and still enjoy its lack of vignetting. The next best was Swarowski, then Nikon. Both were poor by comparison.

 

You get what you pay for in life.

I beg to differ!

I have a number of affordable and older lenses from Leica Nikon Voigtlander and Zeiss  that I picked up very reasonably and the most expensive does not always translate into better.

Likewise a lower priced lens does not always mean crap. 

In the hands of an artist all are viable tools in my humble opinion.

Edited May 27, 2015 by nelly001

[dugby]

I have found that the Noctilux 0.95 is best when used in really low light to pinpoint a subject. It feels heavy but it weighs no more than 450 grams ... peanuts compared to CaNikon lenses.

 

 

 

According to the Leica wiki, a  0.95 Noctilux   is 700g

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/50mm_f/0.95_ASPH_Noctilux-M

Edited May 27, 2015 by dugby

[bocaburger]

You get what you pay for in life.

Sometimes yes, sometimes the law of diminishing returns takes effect, and sometimes there's a price premium on luxury brands that isn't always proportional to comparative quality in every respect.