Is a 50mm f/1.0 lens "wholly impractical??"

[Herr Barnack]

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There are the people who say a big lens is no problem.

 

and then there are the people who really take their cameras everywhere.

 

I take my camera everywhere, but it is almost always with a 35/2 Summicron or 28/2.8 Elmarit mounted.  Sometimes I will take the f/1.0 Noctilux along to have a second lens, but I can't recall ever carrying the camera with only the Noctilux.

 

An M-P 240 with a f/1.0 Noctilux mounted is still smaller and lighter than a Nikon D810 with an all-around zoom like the 24-120 f/4 lens; the M setup weighs in at 46 oz. vs the Nikon kit's 56 oz.  The Noctilux is heavy by Leica M lens standards but when we look at the big picture, an M-P with an f/1 Noctilux mounted is still within reason in terms of total weight.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Carlos Danger

[uhoh7]

I take my camera everywhere, but it is almost always with a 35/2 Summicron or 28/2.8 Elmarit mounted.  Sometimes I will take the f/1.0 Noctilux along to have a second lens, but I can't recall ever carrying the camera with only the Noctilux.

 

An M-P 240 with a f/1.0 Noctilux mounted is still smaller and lighter than a Nikon D810 with an all-around zoom like the 24-120 f/4 lens; the M setup weighs in at 46 oz. vs the Nikon kit's 56 oz.  The Noctilux is heavy by Leica M lens standards but when we look at the big picture, an M-P with an f/1 Noctilux mounted is still within reason in terms of total weight.

I take your points, Carlos

 

If I know I'll need superspeed and need my most consistent image quality, I take the CV 50/1.1, which is not a f/1, but it's good in it's own way. But I don't keep that lens on the camera in my general evening moving about, if I have the Sonnetar working right.

 

It's so quirky you have to relearn it several times a year

 

With the M9, a f/1 would be really sweet, and if I had one I would use it

 

The CV 50/1.1, seen used these days as low as 600USD, is a steal, really:

Lens Cased by unoh7, M9 50/1.1

 

The CV weighs 435 grams and it's performance is measured directly against the .95 by lensrentals here:

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2014/06/comparing-rangefinder-and-slr-50mm-lenses-version-0-7/

 

The F/1 is 580 or 630 grams and the .95 is 700 grams.

Edited October 16, 2016 by uhoh7

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[tsleica]

_{My Noct F1 is probably the last lens I would ever give up..just too juicy good..}

Edited October 16, 2016 by tsleica

[NB23]

_{My Noct F1 is probably the last lens I would ever give up..just too juicy good..}

Yummy in the tummy good?

[Herr Barnack]

I take your points, Carlos

 

If I know I'll need superspeed and need my most consistent image quality, I take the CV 50/1.1, which is not a f/1, but it's good in it's own way. But I don't keep that lens on the camera in my general evening moving about, if I have the Sonnetar working right.

 

It's so quirky you have to relearn it several times a year

 

With the M9, a f/1 would be really sweet, and if I had one I would use it

 

The CV 50/1.1, seen used these days as low as 600USD, is a steal, really:

Lens Cased by unoh7, M9 50/1.1

 

The CV weighs 435 grams and it's performance is measured directly against the .95 by lensrentals here:

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2014/06/comparing-rangefinder-and-slr-50mm-lenses-version-0-7/

 

The F/1 is 580 or 630 grams and the .95 is 700 grams.

 

 

 

i know that one image is not a comprehensive lens test, but I have to say that the IQ produced by the CV 50/1.1 - in the above example, at least - is surprisingly good; it is better than what some reviews of this lens led me to believe.