Is noctilux f0.95 worth the jump?

[Xmas]

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I disagree about the Canon 50 1.0L being low contrast. I owned for a period of time and have several samples with it @ F 1.0 that are neither soft or low in contrast. Dont get me wrong , I am not saying that the sharpness and contrast didint get a bump from stopping down but my copy of the Canon 50 1.0 was very usable wide open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://rogaltacdesign.smugmug.com/Other/Abstract/IMG7075/652264846_gwRix-XL-2.jpg

 

 

http://rogaltacdesign.smugmug.com/Other/Abstract/DSC4837/710446861_Uq7oh-XL-2.jpg

 

 

Canon 50 1.0 L @1.0 on Canon 5D-2.

 

 

 

 

Gregory

Hi Gregory

 

Somewhere we had a back to the future problem, your Canon 50 1.0 L was/is a 'modern' SLR lens with 11 elements two surfaces aspheric in high ref index, the Canon f/1.2 LTM i tried to reference was from '56 7 element in 5 groups single coated medium refractive index for the Canon VI rfdr.

The LTM lens will fit into an LTM adopter and should clear a M9's baffles, about 400 GBP with hood if you are lucky.

It was a popular super speed lens but is kinda soft wide open and medium contarst at medium aperatures, but will do nice shots, with the digital sensor.

 

The Noct 1.2 or 1.0 or 0.95 and CV1.1 are from a (succession of) later epocs.

 

Sorry

Noel

[pico]

http://rogaltacdesign.smugmug.com/Ot...gwRix-XL-2.jpg

 

That looks like a view under my 1972 VW sedan.

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[Nikkor AIS]

No problem Noel. I know Canon had some really fast .95 50mm for the M mount. Sorry for the confusion, I thought you where talking about the EF vession which is widly reported as being soft. While I had my fare share of fast glass in my collection right now, the Canon 50 1.0 EF is one I miss.

 

 

Pico, if you where my local parking lot, it just might have been:). Take care of that nasty oil leak will ya:p.

 

I have a good friend who has the 50 1.0 Noctilux and is seriously thinking about getting the new Leica .95 Noct version. To help in on his quest I am buying one of his high speed Nikkor's with hand ground asperical glass. Does that make me an enabler?.

 

The fact is once you get the fast lens bug in your blood, there is no cure except more fast glass.

 

 

Gregory

[IkarusJohn]

Very remarkable indeed that you carry a citation of Ansel Adams, whom I respect very much. But just one thing, after enjoying and studying his work thoroughly, one question remained hanging in my head: why o why is it necessary that in every photo, everything needs to be sharp: that is a landscape-specialist's bias

 

Hi Otto,

 

No, I don't think everything needs to be sharp.

 

The issue I have is simply that narrow depth of field, and odd out of focus areas, have become a fixation all of its own. For me, depth of field and isolating the subject, and treating out of focus areas, is all part of composition. It is composition that makes a good picture for me.

 

The picture of the dog was purely to examine a narrow depth of field (at the eyes) looked wide open with a 50 Lux. While she is very cute, with such a long nose, the result is a bit odd. You can almost tell what is going through her mind. The big blurry blob of her nose does nothing for the picture.

 

With a Noct, the effect would be worse.

 

So, no. I don't think everything has to be sharp, but I do think if you're using a fast lens like a Noct, you need to be very careful about what isn't in focus.

 

Cheers

John

[edmond_terakopian]

Just wanted to share a shot on the Noctilux ASPH at f0.95 which I think is a good example of this lens' ability; low light, subject a couple of meters away but still creamy bokeh:

 

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Edmond

[pico]

=Nikkor AIS;1647819]Pico, if you where my local parking lot, it just might have been:). Take care of that nasty oil leak will ya:p.

 

If it ain't leakin, then it is out of oil.

 

The fact is once you get the fast lens bug in your blood, there is no cure except more fast glass.

 

A little OT, but the G1 cranked to max ISO with the Voigtlander 25mm F/.95 lens becomes a night-vision instrument.

[otto.f]

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Ok John

[richfx]

Nocti lust is one of those things that you need to get out of your system or it will continue to haunt you until you do. I shot for a year with the new 50 lux ASPH and got the urge for more speed, so I bought a CV Nokton 1.1 out of curiosity. It has really surprised me - a great lens all around and spot on at minimum focal distance. I got a good copy, no doubt. It is different from the 50 lux, for sure, but that was to be expected. I then decided that I wanted / needed more speed and thus a Noct 1.0, and bought one that I returned because it wasn't in the condition advertised. I put it through its paces however, and it was not much different to me than the Nokton 1.1 in terms of focal plane, bokeh and overall IQ. Certainly not six times better. So, I have quenched my Nocti thirst and found that I didn't need it after all. Not to say others don't or won't, but I'm glad to have resolved all of my questions about it.

Rich

[plasticman]

...and it was not much different to me than the Nokton 1.1 in terms of focal plane, bokeh and overall IQ.

 

I have to disagree with this, I'm afraid. I love fast 50mm lenses, and have accumulated quite a few now - they are all different in how they render, and each has its own charm.

I was lucky to get a Nokton that is sharp and focusses absolutely accurately on both digital and film, but the way the out-of-focus areas render is totally different to the Noctilux f.1,0.

 

I use the Nokton as a general vacation and beach lens, but imo nothing renders in the same way as the f1,0.

 

During the soccer World Cup I did a few unscientific shots of my sofa table. Unfortunately I forgot the Summilux, and I also would now have included the Summicron DR (though not on the M8) and Summicron-C 40. But this gives a general idea.

 

I'm looking forward to getting back my Canon 0,95 from a conversion in the UK - been waiting two years now!

[Xmas]

No problem Noel. I know Canon had some really fast .95 50mm for the M mount. Sorry for the confusion, I thought you where talking about the EF vession which is widly reported as being soft. While I had my fare share of fast glass in my collection right now, the Canon 50 1.0 EF is one I miss.

 

 

Pico, if you where my local parking lot, it just might have been:). Take care of that nasty oil leak will ya:p.

 

I have a good friend who has the 50 1.0 Noctilux and is seriously thinking about getting the new Leica .95 Noct version. To help in on his quest I am buying one of his high speed Nikkor's with hand ground asperical glass. Does that make me an enabler?.

 

The fact is once you get the fast lens bug in your blood, there is no cure except more fast glass.

 

 

Gregory

Hi Gregory

Of his GAS yes...

Noel

[pico]

A Noctilux .95 costs almost as much as I owe on my mortgage. Methinks I'll pay off the house instead.

 

In the meantime, I have two Canon 50mm F/.95s to frustrate me to no end.

[Xmas]

Hi

 

You have Canon 7 or have converted the lenses?

 

Noel

[Leicakillen]

I think there is a brand new Nocti here Leica Noctilux 50/0,95 ASPH i lager | Skåne | Blocket

 

/Anders

[pico]

Hi

 

You have Canon 7 or have converted the lenses?

 

Noel

 

I tried this, but the adapters put the lens too far from the sensor.

 

 

I have a beautiful Canon 7s for the lenses, and also the conversion flange to convert the lens to M, but frankly I'm afraid to try it right now. I suppose one of the lenses could be the sacrificial trial attempt, but not yet.

 

 

This is the adapter. As you can see, it has to be drilled for the existing mounting screws and just properly placed.

Edited March 22, 2011 by pico

[Xmas]

Hi Pico

 

Oooooooh, nice.

Most of the time I use Canon Ps cause they reload quicker...

 

Noel

[andrekeli]

Hi all,

 

I am sorry, I have just got back from Singapore. Well, in the end, I did it. I took the nocti plunge after lots of fear and trepidations. But I am glad I did it. What a marvel lens it is.

 

Thank you all very much for your inputs and advices. I really appreciate them. The reason I asked the question to you all is that I just wanted to reaffirm my decision and didn't want to get trapped in the O-it's-a-nocti-so-I-must-have-it mentality. In the end, I find that the lens can really help me achieve more in my photo journey...

 

As a token of appreciation for your time and advices, here's a sharing of some test shots I took...

 

Thanks again..

 

Cheers,

Andrew

 

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[k_g_wolf ✝]

Excellent, Andrew, thx for sharing these photos !

 

 

Best

GEORG

[Jager]

Congratulations, Andrew! I suspect you will enjoy your new Noct immensely. It is a special, special lens...

[cllee82]

Thanks for sharing Andrekeli.. those are some wonderful shots there.. regardless of what others had criticized about this lens, it is worth every single penny as long as you're happy shooting with it IMO.. Cheers

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Hallo,

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[mongrelnomad]

My most used 50mm is my Elmar f2.8 collapsible; closely followed by my f0.95 Noctilux. After that, it's my f1.0 Noctilux, then my Summicron and finally, my f1.4 Summilux ASPH.

 

Why? In honesty, the 0.95 is a super lense. Heavy, yes, but completely usable as an 'only' 50mm. It is phenomenally sharp at all f-stops, and if it lacks that magical 'painterliness' of the f1.0 when wide open, it compensates with more consistent and predictable sharpness throughout.

 

(Leica M9, Noctilux f0.95)

 

So why don't I use my f1.4 ASPH? In a word: the focus. Towards infinity, there is a small but perceptible weight that gets added to the throw. Nothing particularly terrible, but enough to register with the mind and fingers and make using it just that little bit less pleasant than the others. I have sent it back to Leica (they seemed surprised to find an LHSA 50mm from the MP-3 actually being used!) and they have told me it is completely normal and a product of the glass design of the latest Summilux.

 

 

The f1.0 is a difficult one. Yes, it's objectively crap (as most Nocti-haters will tell you) - soft, wavy in sharpness, absolutely horrible between f2 and f5.6. The focus throw is a nightmare - looooooooooooooooooooooong. The lense-hood is a joke. And yet it is exactly that that makes me use it so much. The world simply looks different through the lense - it really does impart magic to the mundane. If I'm going somewhere new, I'll usually take the f0.95; if I'm retreading old ground, trying to look at things differently, the f1.0 will usually be my companion.

 

(Fuji Neopan 1600, Noctilux f1.0)

 

And to the Elmar. To all those who criticise the Noctis for being too big, just chuck one in our pocket. Tiny, sharp, not-too-slow: it is the perfect daytime lense. I love my Summicron (my first ever Leica lense, bought with my M7 over a decade ago), but the truth is that for the one-stop, the difference in size is profound.

 

(Fuji Pro 160S, Elmar f2.8 collapsible)

 

Oh, and on a similar note, do not think the Summilux ASPH is a light lense. It is not. At all.

 

As to the 35s; a 35 is a 35 and a 50 is a 50 (duh). I use my 35mm as my "I have no idea what I'm going to shoot today so I'd better hedge my bets" lense. And for that, my first-gen 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH is perfect.

 

 

(Kodak Portra 160VC, 35mm Summilux f1.4 ASPH Vers.I)

 

Hope that helps!

Edited April 1, 2011 by mongrelnomad