FT2509 Posted January 28, 2007 Share #1 Posted January 28, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I am a new (happy) leica user (M8) after some years with Nikon, (digital) Blad... If my understanding of Sean Reid review (fast lenses on Epson RF body) is good, old canon lenses or new CV are neither better or worst than leica lenses, just different (rendering) !!! Without any cost consideration, I am thinking about buying a new Nokton 40mm for my M8 (40=53mm) : it is a compact lens, fast and seems to offer a beautifull moderate contrast and a good ability (density) to preserve details in hight light (precious, in my mind, in a digital approach). Do you think it is a good way to go or would you definitly recommand a leica 35mm summicron or summilux lens (not as a single lens but as a standard one) ? Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 28, 2007 Posted January 28, 2007 Hi FT2509, Take a look here Nokton 40mm on M8.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
gravastar Posted January 28, 2007 Share #2 Posted January 28, 2007 There are a couple of practical things to know about using the 40mm Nokton on the M8. It brings up the 50/75 frame lines in the viewfinder, whereas the 35mm frame is a much better match to the actual picture area. You can manually pull the frame selector to your left to get the 35mm frame, however the frame is fractionally too small so there is no safety margin. It's possible to file/machine down a small tab on it's bayonet mount to get the lens to pull up the 35mm frame but not so easy to undo the modification. Secondly there is a lens hood available with cut outs, Voigtlander LH-5 - similar to Leica - but when used on the M8 the cutouts are in the wrong place. The M8 viewfinder is in a different position with respect to the lens axis compared to the R-D1 or Bessa cameras. I use a 43-49mm step up ring and a 49mm B+W standard metal hood which cuts off about 7% of the frame area. I'm assuming you're talking about the multi rather than the single coated version. It's a very nice lens, small, compact and good optical performance - see Luminous landscape and Sean Reid's reviews. Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devils-advocate Posted January 28, 2007 Share #3 Posted January 28, 2007 I love my CV 40 Nokton and have been using it a lot on my M8. At first, I was very frustrated by the frameline problems but, now having used it a lot, my sense of what the lens is capturing has really improved. I'm still contemplating filing-down the frame-line lever to bring up the 35mm lines, but have held off because it's working quite well as-is. With a static subject, the lack of accurate framelines is not a big deal, since a quick chimp will tell you whether you've framed your subject correctly. Conversely, in more dynamic situations (where the speed of the lens is brought into play), I personally don't mind a looser and more random framing, though this is a matter of taste. As I mentioned in Michael's recent review of the ZM 50 f1.5, the Nokton is a stellar performer (absent any consideration of cost) in comparison to both the Zeiss and Leica 50s, but it is much more compact. - N. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmessenger Posted January 28, 2007 Share #4 Posted January 28, 2007 Also have a look at the Leica/Rokkor 40/2, I have a Rokkor CLE for my R-D1 and it's a great lens. Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmires Posted January 28, 2007 Share #5 Posted January 28, 2007 I recently bought the 40/1.4 MC version, and really like it. Here are a few of my observations: I did file the mount, to bring up the 35mm lines. The 35mm lines are much closer to what the 40 shoots. Also, on the M8, the 28 and 35 lines are paired. When shooting with the 35mm lines, there are no other lines inside the framing. Very nice. The lens is very compact, especially for a 1.4. Without hood, it's about the same length as the 28 Elmarit ASPH, which is very small. The window on the hood I got with my Nokton matches up perfectly with the M8 viewfinder. I can see the whole frame. The Nokton lens cap is awful, I hate it. Maybe my fingers aren't small enough to handle it, but I am constantly fumbling it. I'm still trying to figure out how to live with that one... As far as performance goes, well, you can read the tests elsewhere. I am pretty happy with it so far... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted January 28, 2007 Share #6 Posted January 28, 2007 I have one here and its in line for testing. The combination of compact size and speed is appealing. With respect to the frame lines, however, one might also want to consider the somewhat larger CV 35/1.7. Also a good match for the CV 40 on the M8 is a 50 mm external finder. Regarding the frame lines and the CV 40 hood...it's true that the slot in the hood doesn't entirely align with the finder but, in fact, it blocks only a very small amount of the 35 mm frame lines, even at close focus. When one considers that he or she would be framing slightly *inside* those 35 mm frame lines when using a 40, I'd say the hood is fine as is. Bob, might your CV hood not be mounting correctly? If $$ is no issue then I prefer the 35/1.4 Aspherical to either of these CV lenses but they both represent great value. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike prevette Posted January 28, 2007 Share #7 Posted January 28, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I love this lens. I started my leica life with a 40mm cron and a CL so I was very happy when this lens hit the market. i've been using it for almost two years now, and It's my standard lens. It works great on the M8 and is the smallest 1.4 lens you can get. The build quality is ok, mine is starting to loosen up, after all the heavy use. I haven't had the hood issues peple mention here. Here are some of my nokton shots: Flickr: mike@freedomfromgravity's photos tagged with 40mm _mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunom Posted March 2, 2007 Share #8 Posted March 2, 2007 Mike Surely the 35mm pre-aspheric summilux is smaller the the 40mm nockton? Bruno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 2, 2007 Share #9 Posted March 2, 2007 The 35mm framelines are paired with the 24mm lines. The 28mm lines are with the 90mm lines. I use a Leica 35/2 Asph, which is a great little lens. I would keep this in mind as an alternative. It can be found used for around €1200. The pre-Asph version can be found for around €800. Both are a lot more expensive, but they bring up the 35mm lines Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted March 2, 2007 Share #10 Posted March 2, 2007 I love my CV 40 Nokton and have been using it a lot on my M8. Nick, Cosina has just announced two new pancake lenses in Japan ... both M bayonet. Both are rangefinder coupled ... will start shipping in March and April. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted March 2, 2007 Share #11 Posted March 2, 2007 Simon, do you know if these are the existing lenses in a new 'sleeve' or the new formulas. If the former I don't see much to get excited about. The existing rangefinder coupled 21mm is a very good lens. Perhaps VC are putting their L39 past behind them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted March 2, 2007 Share #12 Posted March 2, 2007 Steve, the 21 Color Skopar looks like the same except the mount change, the 25 seems to be new but for some reason Cosina pulled the diagram from their web site and I didn't save a copy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted March 2, 2007 Share #13 Posted March 2, 2007 Actually ... they have a diagram on the site but it's labelled as the old Snapshot Skopar. Looks like the new one but the old one was pulled so I can't tell if there's any difference ... if you have the old one then you should see for sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Roberts Posted March 3, 2007 Share #14 Posted March 3, 2007 Those look great! I hope the 21 performs as well as their 28! Nick, Cosina has just announced two new pancake lenses in Japan ... both M bayonet. Both are rangefinder coupled ... will start shipping in March and April. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 3, 2007 Share #15 Posted March 3, 2007 That 21/4 may be just what I have been looking for. Now if they would just do a new 15/4 with rangefinder coupling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted March 3, 2007 Share #16 Posted March 3, 2007 The new CV 25 is supposed to be RF-coupled. That would be a big improvement. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted March 3, 2007 Share #17 Posted March 3, 2007 The new CV 25 is supposed to be RF-coupled. That would be a big improvement. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devils-advocate Posted March 3, 2007 Share #18 Posted March 3, 2007 Nick, Cosina has just announced two new pancake lenses in Japan ... both M bayonet. Both are rangefinder coupled ... will start shipping in March and April. Thanks Simon, that's great news! I am using the CV adapters and so have no luck with coding, which might be essential with these lenses. You've gotta love Mr. Kobayashi and his little lens-factory-that-could! Cheers, - N. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikolas Posted September 29, 2009 Share #19 Posted September 29, 2009 i am ready to get for my m8 the nokton 40mm but firstly I would like to know which is the different betwn single and multi coated version. As new in m system, i am not fully understood what does ' they bring up the 35mm lines' mean? mentioning by carstenw for the Leica 35/2 Asph, and and the nokton doesn't bring. Is that the line you see throu the viewfinder and with nokton they dont seem in the right position? Thanks nikos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnalex141r Posted September 29, 2009 Share #20 Posted September 29, 2009 i am ready to get for my m8 the nokton 40mm but firstly I would like to know which is the different betwn single and multi coated version. As new in m system, i am not fully understood what does ' they bring up the 35mm lines' mean? mentioning by carstenw for the Leica 35/2 Asph, and and the nokton doesn't bring. Is that the line you see throu the viewfinder and with nokton they dont seem in the right position? Thanks nikos Hi Nikos; I had the 40SC; I sold it about a month ago. (note, SC, not the MC version) I changed the frame lines to bring up the 35mm frame line; it is what you see in the viewfinder. The 35mm one was the best match for this lens on an original M8. Wide open, it gave me visual "blooming" that I did not like. Stopped down, some of my other lenses gave me more contrast/sharpness; so it was a bit frustrating. So, I sold it, (and another CV lens) and purchased a Summicron 28/f2. The CV lens is most certainly good value for the money; it just did not fit in all that well with my shooting style, and I am not a "lens collector" so it went to a new home. If I were to purchase it again; I would look for the multi-coated version. It is a personal choice; but that would be my choice. JohnS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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