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Noctilux .95 vs Mitakon .95 thread...


Donzo98

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I am new to Leica... and waiting on my SL to arrive.

 

I found this today....

 

https://www.talkemount.com/threads/quick-comparison-leica-50mm-f-0-95-noctilux-and-mitakon-speedmaster-ii-dark-knight-50mm-f-0-95.9773/

 

Basically the OP tested the Noct against the Speedamaster... and likes the latter better.

 

What do you guys think??

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What do I think?

Can I be honest?

I absolutely do not care about what a nobody blogger in need of attention thinks about Leica lenses and photography in general.

There's too much of those tasteless and talentless folks, with their unimportant thoughts.

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What do I think?

Can I be honest?

I absolutely do not care about what a nobody blogger in need of attention thinks about Leica lenses and photography in general.

There's too much of those tasteless and talentless folks, with their unimportant thoughts.

 

It's interesting to me that a lens that costs 10K plus can even be challenged by one under 1K...

 

I have a Noct 0.95 on it's way to me... so I'm hoping the guy's full of crap actually.

Edited by Donzo98
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Having owned and used a Noctilux f/0.95 I would warn anyone to try and buy before ownership. It is huge, weighs 700mgs, and blocks the viewfinder. If you are young, strong, and able to see around corners then it is an amazing lens.

If you don't fit the bill then don't bother.

 

Speedamaster may have produced something else that compares. So what? The concept of a huge lens on a rangefinder makes no sense at all to me.

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Having owned and used a Noctilux f/0.95 I would warn anyone to try and buy before ownership. It is huge, weighs 700mgs, and blocks the viewfinder. If you are young, strong, and able to see around corners then it is an amazing lens.

If you don't fit the bill then don't bother.

 

Speedamaster may have produced something else that compares. So what? The concept of a huge lens on a rangefinder makes no sense at all to me.

 

It's going to be used on the SL... not a rangefinder. Thanks though...

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Of course we can disregard reviews and evidence from the inexperienced with an agenda. Do that!

 

Bear with me...

 

Inexperience has nothing to do with personal aesthetics which are cultural, even familial. Uninformed is another term used to place a critic in time and place of history.

 

Inexperience and uninformed are terms that can only apply to a specialized literature of criticism.

 

Criticism, for better or worse, has terrific capital value.

 

None of us need be concerned with capital interest.

 

Get it?

Edited by pico
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I have neither the need, nor the skill set, nor the desire to ever want a Noctilux...but maybe this thing is just the cat's meow for someone who wants to fool around with such an unusual lens? Maybe it's like the Heavystar chinese made lens hoods: cheap, functional within certain limits? 

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Of course we can disregard reviews and evidence from the inexperienced with an agenda. Do that!

 

Bear with me...

 

Inexperience has nothing to do with personal aesthetics which are cultural, even familial. Uninformed is another term used to place a critic in time and place of history.

 

Inexperience and uninformed are terms that can only apply to a specialized literature of criticism.

 

Criticism, for better or worse, has terrific capital value.

 

None of us need be concerned with capital interest.

 

Get it?

 

No... I don't.

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I have neither the need, nor the skill set, nor the desire to ever want a Noctilux...but maybe this thing is just the cat's meow for someone who wants to fool around with such an unusual lens? Maybe it's like the Heavystar chinese made lens hoods: cheap, functional within certain limits? 

 

 

Then don't answer the question...

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I think Peter Kilmister's advice is very reasonable. I have first version (58mm filter thread) and I like it but even for a old lens,the price asked by some retailers and individual is beyond my understanding.

One thing for sure,this lens is not an allrounder. It is best accompanied with atleast another standard lens.

If thats what you want then go and pay for it. 3D-Kraft has better evaluation.

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I have the Noctilux and I am happy with the special effect it produces on my SL or Sony A7R2. I don't have the Mitakon for comparison. However, if pride is not your main concern, the Mitakon may be a good alternative, but you then need a Sony E to L adpater, is there one out there?

 

From your link, you can also read the review of Steve Huff about Mitakon, who seems to be quite happy with this.

 

IMO, the Noctilux has some other advantage. 1. The SL will recognize this 6 bit lens. 2. If you have a Techart adapter, your Noctilux becomes a Noctilux with AF ability on A7R2. Yes, it is real that the Techart can push the Noctilux.

 

There are already some good lens from China which are not made by the other major camera/ lens companies. It is worth looking into it. BTW, I am from Hong Kong and we can buy these lens easily.

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My question remains...

 

Did any of you look at the link??? Do you think the performance of the cheap lens is comparable to the Noctilux??

There is no way to tell on the basis of those shots. The lens is cheap enough to buy to try. I can imagine that it is preferable over the Noctilux for occasional use, as splashing out 10.000 $ for a few shots a year is nonsense. And who knows? You might like the results. After all, DOF does not depend on price.

 

To compare performance one would need to do rigorous testing. As far as I can see the blogger did not even use a tripod or match  exposure on his shots and he used a camera that is not designed to bring out the best in Leica lenses.

 

We went through this rigmarole before with the Hyperprime. There was some strong advocacy by Steve Huff, and it did not end well.

 

Here is the conclusion from 3DKraft! which suggests that it is nice enough but not in the class of a  Zeiss Otus or Noctilux/Summilux.

 

 

Both lenses are far from the perfection of a lens like the Zeiss Otus 50/1.4 but provide a lot of fun if you like playing with extremely shallow depth of field and bokeh. Center sharpness is good even at open aperture but you may have to adjust contrast to get crisp looking results. The Speedmaster provides better sharpness consistency across the frame.

If your main system is E-mount based, the Mitakon / Zhongyi Speedmaster 50/0.95 may produce better value for money for you whereas the three times more expensive HyperPrime CINE 50/T0.95 (which is still much more reasonably priced than the Leica Noctilux 50/0.95 ASPH, if you do not require a range finder calibration) provides more adaption versatility through its M-mount. The HyperPrime may have an advantage when used for videos as it has a clickless aperture ring and is free from focus shift when stopped down.

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Then don't answer the question...

Why?

You asked what we thought, and Univeralb50 replied that they don't care either way as both lenses are too heavy and large for them.

 

Shall I answer the question? I don't care. But if you want you can buy whatever to put on your SL. What do you think about the comparison? It's your money and your photography, do what you will. But while you're at it, please refrain from being rude here in future. :)

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Another...I can hardly focus for a 3/4 portraits using rangefinder. However I can with EVF and Noctilux on Sony is much easier.

I mean more keepers with EVF on both cameras. You can ofcourse conclude that I am unable to nail focus with RF.

Matt Osbourne of Coventry,England has some interesting pohtos in his flickr album.

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Having owned and used a Noctilux f/0.95 I would warn anyone to try and buy before ownership. It is huge, weighs 700mgs, and blocks the viewfinder.

 

I meant to say "... weighs 700 grams." 

 

700 mg (milligrams) is trifling in comparison.

Hopefully you all caught the drift. :( 

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I have neither the need, nor the skill set, nor the desire to ever want a Noctilux...but maybe this thing is just the cat's meow for someone who wants to fool around with such an unusual lens?

 

Sure, it is fun to play with the nature of extreme lenses, however for some of us fast lenses were critical. In the film days of photo-reportage they were often a requisite.

 

This is a fun picture taken with a Canon f/.95 mismatched to a 4/3 camera. (Mismatched because the adapter was too long.)

 

exiled.jpg

 

Exiled

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My question remains...

 

Did any of you look at the link??? Do you think the performance of the cheap lens is comparable to the Noctilux??

 

I certainly did look, and was impressed by the Mitakon. I would certainly give it a go.

 

Drifting a bit, I've played with the Sonnetar 50mm f/1.1. It has an interesting lack of certain correction which also makes it quite small. Below taken with the Sonnetar at 1.1, minimum focus distance.

 

sonnetar-min-dis.jpg

Edited by pico
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