Voigtländer Nokton 35mm S.C. color rendition vs Nokton 35 M.C.

[leicaalex]

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i know, i know, the nokton is single-coated and usually recommended for b&w whereas the m.c. is usually cited as being more suitable for color.

 however, i wonder how the s.c. renders color. most pictures on the web show b&w photos. 

there are few color pictures taken with the s.c. it seems. though there are comments in forums which are enthusiastic for use with color pictures.

i know it is more prone to flaring than the m.c. version.

has anyone had a chance to use both? how would you describe the way colors are rendered?

i‘m considering it as an alternative to a used 35mm summilux pre asph. currently i‘m using a 50mm summicron v3. sure, the nokton is a bargain, yes it does have some barrel distortion. i‘m just interested in the color rendition versus the m.c. and / or the pre asph ‘lux.

[adan]

Good question - I have the m.c. and a friend (and "pusher" - he works at my local dea...er...camera store) has the s.c., and we've been planning to try a comparison, but haven't yet.

I can say, having actually used a Summilux pre as well, that the m.s. is quite a bit contrastier than that.

Flare is a somewhat ambiguous term. The m.c. will produce a bright flare ring (internal reflection) at f/1.4 sometimes, with a bright street light or such just outside the picture area. As will the Summilux pre, and probably the s.c. (that's more about glass geometry rather than coatings as such). But the overall "dreamy" or "Leica glow" look of the Summilux at f/1.4 might also be considered flare, and the m.c. does not have that characteristic (it glows locally around highlights a bit, but doesn't show the same overall veiling flare and super-low contrast at f/1.4).

I'm not sure I buy the idea that one or the other is "better" for color or B&W - I've used my m.c. for both and liked both, and I used the Summilux pre for both, and liked both. I'd say the citers you mention probably just have preconceived notions of what "B&W" or "color" are "supposed" to look like. But I have a sneaky suspicion I might like the s.c. better on digital for both color and B&W (can't have too much dynamic range!).

As to color palette, the Nokton m.c. is definitely a bit warmer/yellower in daylight than the Summilux pre (which is a very cool, blue-ish lens). That's sort of par for the course with the C/V lenses, in my experience. Something I'll be checking for when I get to try the s.c.

I'll look forward to seeing what other replies you get, and will come back with any useful results if/when I get to make my own comparison.

[leicaalex]

yeah, that‘s absolutely what i‘m looking for.

would love to hear from you and what your findings are

the usual recommendation m.c. for color, s.c. for b&w is IMHO just too general. CV do not provide too many pictures.

did you have a chance of comparing the old summilux and the nokton with the same subject? would you mind sharing them?

 

[S/W]

I like the Voigtlaender Nokton 1.4/35 S. C. because of his character in analog and digital:

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Lisbon (Portugal) * Leica M7 * Voigtländer Nokton 1.4/35 S.C. * Adox Silvermax 100 * Adox Silvermax 1+14 * 10 min. * Nikon Coolscan V ED

Frankfurt (Germany) * Leica M4-P * Voigtländer Nokton 1.4/35 S. C. * Ilford XP2 Super * Nikon Coolscan V ED

Frankfurt (Germany) * Leica M9-P * Voigtländer  Nokton 1.4/35 S. C. * NATE Cam X-Chrome-Vivian Maier

 

 

[adan]

5 hours ago, leicaalex said:

...did you have a chance of comparing the old summilux and the nokton with the same subject? would you mind sharing them?

Nope - had the Summilux 9 years ago on an M9. Just got the C/V M.C. 3 months ago, using on an M10. I only had the 'lux for about 3 months, due to the 1m close-focus distance (I need closer sometimes). I could post pix - but they would reflect a lot of other variables, not just those lenses head to head.

S/W's pictures are suggestive. The 2nd and 3rd look like what I could get with my M.C. - not a huge amount of difference. Although I don't know - the tones in the sky of that riverscape are pretty sweet.

However, in his first shot, there is just a tad of yet another kind of flare (top right, bright sky "bleeding" slightly into the sihouetted people on the wall, and the background building).

I haven't seen exactly that effect with the M.C. - but I also have not shot in exactly that lighting.

Now I do have to make a trial of my own....this is interesting.

[leicaalex]

thank you for sharing the pics and your opinions.

i‘m using an m4 with film but can‘t really say where that might lead. it complements my dslr . so far i do like shooting both b&w and color depending on my mood. main use is family especially the kids, indoors and outdoors. 

one could argue: get both - still cheaper than a used summilux but i‘d like to stick to one investment. my initial idea when reviewing the options out there was a summilux pre asph would be a great do everything lens with a higher price tag. the noktons were serious candidates because of their closer minimum focus distance. upon further reflection - which has also lead me to posting my question - i tend to think that the noktons are modernized pre asph summiluxes and probably better suited for everyday use. i don‘t mind the ‘glow‘ from the summilux i actually like it. i was quite surprised that the s.c. shows it to some degree. 

if it were more common in the used market, i would have already tried it. 

i agree that it is quite difficult to notice differences in a lot of pictures. there is a ‘shootout‘ of several 35mm lenses on the RFF including the nokton. my impression is it‘s kind of hard to decide on those pictures especially as most of them don‘t involve people. i do see a difference between the m.c. and the summilux in color rendition but i‘m not quite sure on the s.c.‘s overall signature on color.

further observations very welcome.

[lct]

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v1 and v2 are not the same lenses. SC v1 flares a lot contrary to SC v2 and the later is more contrasty. 

[lct]

1 hour ago, Steven said:

Thanks. What about MC v2 vs SC v2? vs Lux pre v2, if you want to throw that in there too.. 

My experience with the CV 35/1.4 MC v2 is too short sorry. I did not like its OoF rendering but it's just me. Compared to the 'Lux 35/1.4 v2, the CV 35/1.4 SC v2 has less flare, less glow at f/1.4 but more sharpness there and more distortion. Also the CV's MFD is 0.7m vs 1m for the 'Lux but you know this already i guess. Size wise they are very close and the CV takes E43 filters instead of Series VII or E49 but you know this already too.

[lct]

4 minutes ago, Steven said:

Thanks. I’ve had the nokton for over 6 month now, and while I can recognize it’s a great lens for the price, I can’t warm to it. Haven’t gotten one photo I like with it. It’s to “glowy” for my around highlights at 1.4, which makes me think the lux pre asph might not be a fit for me. The only thing that keeps me trying the nokton is the size. I want/need a compact kit in my need. This why I want to try the lux as an alternative to see if the look suits me better. Or the cron v4, but everyone seems to say that the lux at f2 is a cron. Looks like some tough days ahead for me and my first world problems. 

If you don't like glow (halos around highlights) you can forget both 'Lux 35/1.4 v2 and CV 35/1.4 SC v2. Size wise there is no significant difference between them though. The 'Cron 35/2 v4 is indeed more compact. It has a bit of flare too but significantly less than the 'Lux so they are not similar at f/2 from this viewpoint. They are not similar re focus shift either as that of the 'Lux is at about f/2.8 vs f/4 for the 'Cron. Also the 'Cron has more CA than the 'Lux. In your shoes i would try those lenses in person at a Leica dealer.

[adan]

4 hours ago, Steven said:

May I revive this thread to know if you, dear @adan, have had the chance in the past two years to compare the SC to the MC?

Sadly, no. I kinda have to wait on what shows up on my local dealer's used shelves. The guy I mentioned who works there and has the S.C. never brings it to work....

I did move up to the v.2 last fall, but still M.C.