evikne Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share #21 Posted March 12, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) It is well known that prime lenses have lots of benefits compared to zoom lenses because of a simpler construction. Among other things the developers don’t have to take into account that it should perform well on all focal lengths. Maybe a lens without an aperture could have similar benefits, because it can be fine tuned to perform on one aperture only? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 Hi evikne, Take a look here Lens without aperture blades. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
MarkP Posted March 12, 2018 Share #22 Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) A bit like buying a Porsche with only one gear in the gearbox. Edited March 12, 2018 by MarkP 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted March 12, 2018 Share #23 Posted March 12, 2018 Maybe a lens without an aperture could have similar benefits, because it can be fine tuned to perform on one aperture only? I think that the Summiluxes and Noctiluxes do perform as well as possible wide open. I don't see the lack of an aperture diaphragm changing performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
evikne Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share #24 Posted March 12, 2018 A bit like buying a Porsche with only first gear in the gearbox. A Noctilux is made to be used wide open like a Porsche is made to drive on the freeway :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted March 12, 2018 Share #25 Posted March 12, 2018 ...or to accelerate from 0-100 in bugger all time, or tackle a windy road in 3rd-4th gear, or to drive on the freeway. Take your pick with a one-gear car but you can't do all. That's my point! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
evikne Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share #26 Posted March 12, 2018 There are lots of specialized lenses for dedicated tasks. All lenses need not be able to do everything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted March 12, 2018 Share #27 Posted March 12, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) while they are at it, a range of apertureless Noctiluxes with different fixed focus distances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
evikne Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share #28 Posted March 12, 2018 Well, that might be stretching a bit far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rus Posted March 12, 2018 Share #29 Posted March 12, 2018 One thing that's pretty certain is that if Leica did make a "special" edition Noctilux with no aperture blades, then in line with their pricing habits, it is going to cost more than the normal ones. Less is more indeed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted March 12, 2018 Share #30 Posted March 12, 2018 while they are at it, a range of apertureless Noctiluxes with different fixed focus distances. You are describing a process lens ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rramesh Posted March 12, 2018 Share #31 Posted March 12, 2018 Many years ago I did have something like this. Called it a 'pin hole' camera and I always used it wide open. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darylgo Posted March 12, 2018 Share #32 Posted March 12, 2018 I received a 21mm Summilux stuck on 1.4, brand new. With nothing to lose I used my jar opener and freed up the ring, it's always worked perfectly since. I think the OP has a very valid point about maximizing performance without the need to correct for use of center glass only. Iirc astronomers use a aperture disk external to the optics for improved imaging. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 12, 2018 Share #33 Posted March 12, 2018 Iirc astronomers use a aperture disk external to the optics for improved imaging. Nikon did the same for one of their 300mm lenses- the diaphragm was in the air behind the rearmost element. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ole Fasmer Posted March 16, 2018 Share #34 Posted March 16, 2018 Tape or glue will do the trick. I recommend tape, then you’ll be able to restore it, when you get to your senses again. I’m sorry, I find the idea of having no aperture blades down right silly. What will be the next purist idea? A lens without focus ring? Only to be used at a fixed distance? Cameras with only one shutter speed? Lenses that always are artistic out of focus? Oh I forgot the Thambar! Photography is all about light. The way you controle it, using the camera and the different settings, gives you many possibilities. You could take a dream like picture without having a thambar, using soft light or shooting against the light etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jto555 Posted March 16, 2018 Share #35 Posted March 16, 2018 I actuly have a Noctilux without apature blades. In fact mine is even more special in that it does not have glass elements, or a focusing ring, or a body. I call it "Harvey"... I've attached a photo of it. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted March 16, 2018 Share #36 Posted March 16, 2018 As I’ve said many times (many, many times) I make a picture when what I see makes me say “wow” (or, if I’m inexplicably upside down, “mom”) but there are times when I say “wow” (or, well, you get the idea) and I don’t make a picture. There are several reasons for this - wrong equipment, laziness, lack of time, ... but also overawedness. So I have empathy with Harvey. The best photographs I never took hang in the gallery known as Exo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted March 16, 2018 Share #37 Posted March 16, 2018 (edited) .... Maybe a lens without an aperture could have similar benefits, because it can be fine tuned to perform on one aperture only? A lens without an aperture is a bit like Leica's M-A camera, which corresponds to the MP except for the lack of the inbuilt lightmeter. I'd rather buy an MP and not use the lightmeter (I don't even have to put a battery in if I don't want to) than buy an M-A, but of course opinions on that may vary. Likewise, I can always fully open the aperture of any of my lenses, thus in effect making them "aperture-less", but if needed I may still stop down. I see absolutely no benefits at all in skipping the aperture, as Leica designs their current range of lenses to perform as good as possible at full aperture anyway. Cheers, Andy Edited March 16, 2018 by wizard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted March 16, 2018 Share #38 Posted March 16, 2018 (edited) As I’ve said many times (many, many times) I make a picture when what I see makes me say “wow” (or, if I’m inexplicably upside down, “mom”) but there are times when I say “wow” (or, well, you get the idea) and I don’t make a picture. There are several reasons for this - wrong equipment, laziness, lack of time, ... but also overawedness. So I have empathy with Harvey. The best photographs I never took hang in the gallery known as Exo. I have been experimenting of late. Your point, "wow," has always been something that fascinates me. The experiment has more to do with whether or not my immediate reaction, i.e. desire to compose, is exactly addressing the thing in my brain that brought on the response. I mean, there is definitely something there that stopped me in my tracks, but is it exactly what my immediate response leads me to act on? Several months ago I began to notice that, once i had taken the intended photo, if I stopped to look around a bit, I would often find an even better photograph.......sometimes from a completely different angle of view. Fascinating hobby. Edited March 16, 2018 by Wayne 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted March 16, 2018 Share #39 Posted March 16, 2018 Yes - the “wow” tunes you in to seeing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 16, 2018 Share #40 Posted March 16, 2018 Yes - the “wow” tunes you in to seeing. Wow Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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