wlaidlaw Posted February 23, 2007 Share #41  Posted February 23, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) The price rise is likely due to the rise in price, and short supply of helium. As an example: to fill my gas balloon for a flight a year ago cost $4500. Last month we paid $7800 to fill the balloon for the 3 day flight. And we were lucky to find a supplier who would sell us the gas at all.  Danni  Does this mean that Elcan would use half a balloon's worth of helium to make one Noctilux? Hmmmmm.....Voigtlander must be thinking of making a 50mm f1 or f1.2 Super Nokton if they could sell it at even one third of the price.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 23, 2007 Posted February 23, 2007 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Noctilux Price Increase. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
robsteve Posted February 23, 2007 Share #42 Â Posted February 23, 2007 I think both the 1.4x APO extender has this Noctilux glass in it, but it would be a much smaller piece than used in the Noctilux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Sievers Posted February 23, 2007 Share #43 Â Posted February 23, 2007 I have a feeling all Leica glass is going to skyrocket with the M8 flying off the shelves. Â Glad I bought my Noct last summer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 23, 2007 Share #44 Â Posted February 23, 2007 Two elements in a Noctilux 50/1 are made with the famous Noctilux glass (type 900403), which has a refractive index of 1.9005. These are the second element and the fifth, counting from the front. There are two elements of LaF21. Three elements are each made of a distinct type, LaK12, SF56, and SF10. If it is just one element that has gone up in price it must one these three and not the Noct glass, which probably ain't cheap either! Tom-- Thanks for the information. I didn't realize two elements were made of the special 'Noctilux glass.' I would guess that it is these two which have so grossly increased in price, since there would likely be a choice of suppliers for the other elements. Â Am I right to recall (article in LFI?) that the 'Noctilux glass' has a high "yellow number" and is responsible for the fact that the lens images just a tad warmer than other Leica lenses? (This is of course something one would be unlikely to see, since one usually uses the lens under conditions that are already warmer in tone.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
newyorkone Posted February 24, 2007 Share #45 Â Posted February 24, 2007 I had heard a rumor that the reason there are only Canadian nocts is because Leica no longer makes them and when they run through the remaining stock, that's it. Â This would explain to some degree why the price went up so much...deminishing supply. Â I'm happy that I have one and got it before the price jump. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
newyorkone Posted February 24, 2007 Share #46  Posted February 24, 2007 Does this mean that Elcan would use half a balloon's worth of helium to make one Noctilux? Hmmmmm.....Voigtlander must be thinking of making a 50mm f1 or f1.2 Super Nokton if they could sell it at even one third of the price. Wilson  It will never happen unless there is a Physics breakthrough.  f/1.2 yes. f/1, not likely. The companies that make these extreme lenses do so most of the time at a loss. The diminishing returns for making a f/1 lens drops off like a cliff from f/1.2 to f/1. That extra stop requires very complicated and expensive optics. Not something a company like VC could possibly handle IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 24, 2007 Share #47 Â Posted February 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) f`1 is only half a stop faster than f1.2... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted February 24, 2007 Share #48 Â Posted February 24, 2007 I had a interesting conversation about this with a Leica rep yesterday. and apparently to make this glass for the Nocti there is a special mold that is made of platnium so when they pour this glass at such intense heat that platinum is the only material that can handle the heat, there are 2 of these molds only. Apparently this price increase is driven not by leica but the materials to produce this glass has gone through the roof in price. I did not ask where the lenses were being made though. If folks remember the Canon 200 1.8 and that lens was made with lead in it and was not green friendly and was one of the reasons it was discontinued, i'm sure sales had something to do with it also. It is interesting to hear how these wild exoctic glass is made and what materials they use to produce them. leica also made the 35-70mm 2.8 which is a very rare lens and only some 200 or so where made and the cost on them was so high to produce , Leica was actually losing money on them. Try buying one today used and your looking at 6k up , i had one at one time and looking back should have never sold it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
popum Posted February 24, 2007 Share #49 Â Posted February 24, 2007 Okay... so the obvious question is whether Leica will continue to honor the Noctilux price in the letter they sent to pre 12/31 buyers. I'm not trying to be greedy, just curious.I'll probably buy the TE as a street lens. Â Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted February 24, 2007 Share #50 Â Posted February 24, 2007 ... Luckily we have a sense of humor ... Â My wife says the sense of humor is required. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 24, 2007 Share #51  Posted February 24, 2007 Thinking about exotic Leica glass, I don't know if it is an old wives tale, but someone told me not to try to take my late-type hex diaphragm Summitar 50mm through US customs, as it was sufficiently radioactive to trip the anti-smuggling of nuclear materials sensors. Some of the lens elements were apparently made with Thorium glass. You would have thought it would have fogged the films in the camera.  Wilson Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/16945-noctilux-price-increase/?do=findComment&comment=181892'>More sharing options...
arthury Posted March 1, 2007 Share #52 Â Posted March 1, 2007 It does sound like there's a 50mm/1.0 Asph Noctilux coming .... announcement in PMA? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJL Posted March 1, 2007 Share #53 Â Posted March 1, 2007 It does sound like there's a 50mm/1.0 Asph Noctilux coming .... announcement in PMA? Â How so, Arthur? Is this wishful speculation or do you have some knowledge that would solidify this idea? Not pressing you, just curious. Â Actually, while an aspheric sounds interesting to some, and the earlier f1.2 version did have asherical elements, I have to wonder how much of the "look" might be lost if things got too sharpened up? It may help with some of the focus shift issues, but it seems like the present lens is still holding its own in many cases. Â Wondering what others are thinking? Â LJ Â P.S. My decision was made to get the present Noctilux, so I am not really going to worry about some possible future version at this point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 1, 2007 Share #54  Posted March 1, 2007 I had a interesting conversation about this with a Leica rep yesterday. and apparently to make this glass for the Nocti there is a special mold that is made of platnium so when they pour this glass at such intense heat that platinum is the only material that can handle the heat, there are 2 of these molds only. Apparently this price increase is driven not by leica but the materials to produce this glass has gone through the roof in price. I did not ask where the lenses were being made though. If folks remember the Canon 200 1.8 and that lens was made with lead in it and was not green friendly and was one of the reasons it was discontinued, i'm sure sales had something to do with it also. It is interesting to hear how these wild exoctic glass is made and what materials they use to produce them. leica also made the 35-70mm 2.8 which is a very rare lens and only some 200 or so where made and the cost on them was so high to produce , Leica was actually losing money on them. Try buying one today used and your looking at 6k up , i had one at one time and looking back should have never sold it.  Guy,  Here is a picture of the platinum crucible in use, taken from Alessandro Pasi's lovely book, Leica, Witness to a Century.  Wilson Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/16945-noctilux-price-increase/?do=findComment&comment=187185'>More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 1, 2007 Share #55 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Thanks Wilson that is pretty darn cool to see that. Interesting that there are only 2 in the world . Just think I said this over on Photo.net and got hammered for it, what a nightmare that place is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Marks Posted March 1, 2007 Share #56 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Thanks Wilson that is pretty darn cool to see that. Interesting that there are only 2 in the world . Just think I said this over on Photo.net and got hammered for it, what a nightmare that place is. Â Oy. Isn't that the case. I hardly post on p.net anymore. . . it is sometimes actually unpleasent to read the posts there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 1, 2007 Share #57 Â Posted March 1, 2007 What do we think he is stirring the platinum pot with - I assume it is not a wooden spoon. Would not titanium or tungsten do as well as platinum or might that contaminate the glass like titanium used to make the beryllium copper non-sparking tools, used on the Lockheed SR-71 and U2 planes, go brittle. Â Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 1, 2007 Share #58 Â Posted March 1, 2007 I was thinking the same thing , I thought there was material that maybe better at heat than platinum. Okay were are the engineeers when you need them. LOL Â Maybe it does have something to do with contamination that platinum may not let the heat bleed in to the material, guessing of course Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Lad Posted March 24, 2007 Share #59 Â Posted March 24, 2007 Can someone tell me what the new US list price of the NOCTILUX is please ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted March 24, 2007 Share #60 Â Posted March 24, 2007 Why the Summulix 75mm has been discontinued? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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