Using The SL with the New 75mm Noctilux

[johnbuckley]

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We were fortunate enough to have been able to trade in our 50mm Noctilux f/0.95 and the 75mm Summicron to purchase the new 75mm Noctilux.  It arrived yesterday.  We've only had it for a short period of time, and only used it with the SL, but our initial response is that the combination of camera and lens is a real winner.  It does not feel too heavy in the hand because the SL and native lenses already felt heavy.  The ability to focus with precision is a delight.  There is very little purple fringing wide open. Below is a link to an initial review of the SL/75 Noctilux combination which I hope may be useful for those wondering how this pairing might work.

 

https://tulipfrenzy.com/2018/03/18/preliminary-thoughts-on-the-leica-75mm-noctilux-used-with-the-leica-sl/

 

 

[Fredd]

Very nice review. This looks very promising. Do you have any pictures of the Noctilux on the SL.

Thank you

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[johnbuckley]

Hi Fredd. I don’t but I’ll take one and post it.

[profus]

As much as I like the new 75 Noctilux I can't really justify the price of it.

For that reason I just bought 85/1.4 Zeiss ZF.2 Milvus instead and so far I am more than happy with it!

[IkarusJohn]

Nice review, John.

 

With a pixel size of 12microns, focusing distance of 1m, I get 4mm for the 75 Noct at f/1.25 and 9mm for the 50 Noct at f/1 (my calculator doesn’t go to 0.95). It certainly isn’t 9cm and 20cm shown in your article.

 

I’m pretty sure 12 microns is the right measure for the SL and M10 sensor. Someone more knowledgable will confirm.

[Vieri]

Nice article John, and congrats for your new lens!

 

Best regards,

 

Vieri

[lx1713]

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Nice article!

I like your phrase "Over emphasis on bokeh is an adolescent vice."

Nonetheless, it's good to have a noctilux as a choice.

[profus]

Nice review, John.

 

With a pixel size of 12microns, focusing distance of 1m, I get 4mm for the 75 Noct at f/1.25 and 9mm for the 50 Noct at f/1 (my calculator doesn’t go to 0.95). It certainly isn’t 9cm and 20cm shown in your article.

 

I’m pretty sure 12 microns is the right measure for the SL and M10 sensor. Someone more knowledgable will confirm.

 

 

Making same kind of calculation for Zeiss Milvus 85/1.4 on SL I also get 4 mm (2mm front and 2 mm behind the subject) at focusing distance of 1m and only 2 mm @ 0,8m which is MFD for Milvus

Edited April 23, 2018 by profus

[paulsydaus]

Pixel size of 24 MP is 6 microns.

According to https://www.pointsinfocus.com/tools/depth-of-field-and-equivalent-lens-calculator the values of 9/20cm at minimum focus distance are correct and also match Leica’s DOF tables in their lens data sheets.

Can you double check your calculations?

 

 

Nice review, John.

 

With a pixel size of 12microns, focusing distance of 1m, I get 4mm for the 75 Noct at f/1.25 and 9mm for the 50 Noct at f/1 (my calculator doesn’t go to 0.95). It certainly isn’t 9cm and 20cm shown in your article.

 

I’m pretty sure 12 microns is the right measure for the SL and M10 sensor. Someone more knowledgable will confirm.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IkarusJohn]

Hi Paul,

 

As 9cm is almost 4 inches, and 20cm just under 8 inches, something has gone awry with the quoted calculations.

 

Using True DoF-Pro on my phone, with 6 microns, 1 metre focussing distance, a 50mm lens at f/1 has 2mm (not cm) in front, and 2mm behind - total 4mm. The Noctilux 75mm at the same distance, f/1.25 results in 1mm in front and 1mm behind - total dof 2mm.

 

The 50 Noctilux reading can be doubted as the calculator doesn’t go down to f/0.95 and I’m sure that halving the pixel size and reducing aperture from f/1 to f/0.95 would have some impact.

 

I don’t know where the 9cm & 20cm figues have come from, but they are clearly wrong.

 

Cheers

John

Edited April 23, 2018 by IkarusJohn

[johnbuckley]

I believe I picked up the quite likely wrong 9cm/20cm figures, um, in a post here. If someone can settle the issue, I’ll be be happy to change it in my now month-old piece.

[Chaemono]

Just FYI  

 

[bsmith]

I did a unscientific, handheld test between SL with 75mm Noct, and my CL with my SL 50mm Lux.  (equal 75mm 1.4 on CL) both were shot wide open 

I stood in the same spot as did my subject of course. The results appear virtually identical within reasonable pixel peeping variances. The back ground seemingly identical in bokeh. The focus falloff  from focused eye to OOF was as close to each other as expected hand held. I'm sure there are subtle differences as in any two lens comparison as each lens ha its own character.  I also realize there are advantages to owing either lens  ( or both), but my point is if you own the SL 50 lux, a $3000 CL is awful damn close in rendering. Saving $10,000 for other Leica lenses haha! The 75 Noct is gorgeous and a pleasure to hold or use. I guess if you have an extra 13K and a CL, you now have a 112.5 f1.2 !!

Of course the SL on CL is still a 50mm and the 75 is a 1.2, but in many or most everyday situations, I think the results will be remarkably similar. I'm hope others will do a more controlled or scientific test, but  for now, my yearning has subsided. 

[Chaemono]

I did a unscientific, handheld test between SL with 75mm Noct, and my CL with my SL 50mm Lux.  (equal 75mm 1.4 on CL) both were shot wide open

 

Interesting, but wrong. The 50 Summilux-SL on the CL becomes a 75 Summicron. It's not equal to a "75mm 1.4" on the SL but rather equal to a 75mm 2.1. It should therefore be compared to a 75 Summicron on the SL. Crop factor does not only affect subject framing/field of view but also aperture. See here for "Why you multiple the aperture by the crop factor when comparing lenses."

 

[bsmith]

Not wrong, I did say "Of course the SL on CL is still a 50mm and the 75 is a 1.2"  , meaning the dof is still the 50mm DOF and the 75 Noct was a half stop wider aperture.

​My point was in a Portrait setting, it was very similar in focus fall off and BR bokeh.The lens remained a 1.4  Not enough of a difference for me to buy  the new Noct.  Interesting video though.