Noctilux SL users

[6bit]

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Beautiful photos Andrew. I agree there is a time and place for the Nocti and if you don't have the time (subject candid, etc.), it is not the lens I would use either. I agree the SL 50 Lux is an awesome lens. I love mine. It's the best 50 I have ever used or owned. Paired with the SL2,. it's a deadly combo.

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[Andrew Gough]

6bit, I agree it is the best 50mm F1.4 that I have used. 

[tom0511]

Same here: Once had the 50/.95 and used it on the M. I then switched to the 50 APO since f2.0 was fast enough for me and f.95 very difficult to focus accurate for anything not being totally still and I was/am also very happy with its color/rendering.

On the SL2 I prefer the 50/1.4SL because it has AF. If it wasnt that big. Probably my fav lens of the SL system in regards of IQ. Color, smooth backgrund and rendering, but still very sharp.

Edited July 29, 2021 by tom0511

[XRayGuy]

Lots of love for the Summilux SL 50mm f/1.4 on this thread.  Those of you with both the Summicron SL 50mm and the Summilux - do you notice a big difference in the rendering between these lenses?  I know this has been discussed before a bit on other threads but it has been a while so there may be some new people who now own both.  I do enjoy using the 50mm 0.95 on the SL2 but am really curious if the Summilux SL brings that flavour to its images.  The Summicron SL is an amazing lens but it renders very differently from the Noctilux.  I am reluctant to add another 50mm to my already large collection of 50mm lenses (I have several M-mount 50mm already also; too many) but would seriously consider it if it gave me a lot of what the Noctilux does but with autofocus.

[Chaemono]

vor 21 Stunden schrieb XRayGuy:

...The Summicron SL is an amazing lens but it renders very differently from the Noctilux.  I am reluctant to add another 50mm to my already large collection of 50mm lenses (I have several M-mount 50mm already also; too many) but would seriously consider it if it gave me a lot of what the Noctilux does but with autofocus.

First test shots after I had just walked out of the store with the lens: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-thQ8ZX/i-qtw2XKN It reminded me of the Noctilux with AF. There are a couple there vs. the 50 Summilux-SL, too. 

[Photoworks]

23 hours ago, XRayGuy said:

Lots of love for the Summilux SL 50mm f/1.4 on this thread.  Those of you with both the Summicron SL 50mm and the Summilux - do you notice a big difference in the rendering between these lenses?  I know this has been discussed before a bit on other threads but it has been a while so there may be some new people who now own both.  I do enjoy using the 50mm 0.95 on the SL2 but am really curious if the Summilux SL brings that flavour to its images.  The Summicron SL is an amazing lens but it renders very differently from the Noctilux.  I am reluctant to add another 50mm to my already large collection of 50mm lenses (I have several M-mount 50mm already also; too many) but would seriously consider it if it gave me a lot of what the Noctilux does but with autofocus.

the Summilux SL and Summicron SL lenses are never going to look like the Noctilux. The Noctilux is a lens with different personalities . wide open it has glow and separation. there are character distinction all the way up to F4. after F4 it is sharp like any other M 50mm.

the Noctilux is a lens for magic and beauty. It helps to sell a dream. We don't always need to be all in your face and sharp from angle to angle.

I have so many 50's myself and the Summicron-SL is the one that stays at home most of the time.

[Chaemono]

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Initially, all SL primes I get remind me of the Noctilux with AF. Paranoid schizophrenia, I guess. 😂

[XRayGuy]

Thanks Chaemono and Photoworks for the responses.    Certainly I can say that the Summicron-SL is very different from the Nocti.  I just need to wrap my head around where the Summulix SL fits in the spectrum between those two I think....

[Andrew Gough]

On 7/31/2021 at 10:43 AM, Photoworks said:

the Summilux SL and Summicron SL lenses are never going to look like the Noctilux. The Noctilux is a lens with different personalities . wide open it has glow and separation. there are character distinction all the way up to F4. after F4 it is sharp like any other M 50mm.

the Noctilux is a lens for magic and beauty. It helps to sell a dream. We don't always need to be all in your face and sharp from angle to angle.

I have so many 50's myself and the Summicron-SL is the one that stays at home most of the time.

I found the same the same thing. The Summicron SL stays at home the most, but it is nice to have. The APO 50mm M mount stayed home the most too.

[IkarusJohn]

Here’s a bit of heresy - if you were going to keep your SL, and were allowed only one lens of each focal length, what would they be?

I’d keep the 24-90 zoom (cheating on focal length), the 21 Summilux, 28 Summilux, 0.95 Noctilux and 75 Summilux, and would be happy, I think.  (Though I would miss my M cameras, and the other M lenses, but the World would not stop turning).

[beewee]

4 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

Here’s a bit of heresy - if you were going to keep your SL, and were allowed only one lens of each focal length, what would they be?

I’d keep the 24-90 zoom (cheating on focal length), the 21 Summilux, 28 Summilux, 0.95 Noctilux and 75 Summilux, and would be happy, I think.  (Though I would miss my M cameras, and the other M lenses, but the World would not stop turning).

I would shoot APO Summicron SL for each focal length. To me at least, the only reason to pick up the SL system, other than Astrophotography with the Sigma 14-24, is because of the APO Summicron SL lenses. I’d shoot an M-body otherwise.

Edited August 17, 2021 by beewee

[oliviersm]

@trickness And? How far along your decision tree for the noctilux are you now? 🙂 What are the current considerations?

[trickness]

10 hours ago, oliviersm said:

@trickness And? How far along your decision tree for the noctilux are you now? 🙂 What are the current considerations?

I ended up buying a 50 1.4 Summilux M ASPH, a lens which I owned previously and really loved on the SL. I also have the 75 SL, which takes really dreamy photographs wide open. I’m thinking if I do end up getting a Noctilux, it will likely be a V.4 1.0, as that seems to be very different in character than the .095

I have to say… so many of the photographs I see taken with the 0.95 are cliche - wide open for no good reason, blurry shots of coffee cups and pets. I just haven’t really seen that many images that convince me it’s worth spending multiples over the Summilux M 50. The 1.0 might be worth it because I think the character of the lens is fairly different, unfortunately good copies are getting right up around what a used 0.95 goes for.

Really the only photographs that I’ve seen taken with in Nocti that I have liked recently are the work of MilanW, who I think primarily uses the new 1.2

 

[oliviersm]

 

Cool that you found a lens you like @trickness. I couldn't find any of MilanW's works. Would you mind pointing me to him? I'd love to see.

It was an interesting question you posed about the Noctilux. It made me re-examine the photos I've taken with it. Not very exhaustive and now that you've bought a lens...well. Either way, I am by no means an expert - I just like to make photos. I've never shot the f/1.0, but looking at the beautiful examples of others, I feel that the vintage character, mixed with the way the lens renders out of focus areas makes it easier to get the extremely dream like character. The f/0.95 still has a very dreamy look, but it's the kind of dream which from when you wake up, you could've sworn it was real. 🙂 You know what I mean? And only upon re-examining the dream, do you realise, it could never have been real - it was a dream. That's when you see, I couldn't have taken this photo with any lens than the f/0.95.

I find for the f/0.95, the background is almost more important than the subject. I say this because, if you have a relatively plain background it demonstrates mainly the technical characteristics of shooting wide open at f/0.95 vs f1.4. The distances between cameras subject and background have to be just right to exhibit that separation. Otherwise I would even argue that a lot of photos look simply like a telephoto lens from canon. A lot of photos I shot and looked at, simply exhibit wide open f/0.95 characteristics.

The photos of the roses below, I feel are going entering f/0.95 dream territory. The softness and the separation. The 2nd photo of my wife, I feel also exhibits f/0.95 rendering, although I am not certain if the way I've layered the image adds to that and if the same can be achieved with the summilux 1.4. Possibly. 

There is a third image, which I've removed as it is a bit NSFW and to me this really shows the f/0.95 dream type character in the way it renders the scene, the dimensions, and the out of focus areas. Trying to figure out what the best way is to share NSFW images. It's only slight, but I don't want to offend anyone...

Again though, I really am not the expert on these things. I just like making photos. 🙂 

 

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Edited August 22, 2021 by oliviersm

[trickness]

7 hours ago, oliviersm said:

 

Cool that you found a lens you like @trickness. I couldn't find any of MilanW's works. Would you mind pointing me to him? I'd love to see.

It was an interesting question you posed about the Noctilux. It made me re-examine the photos I've taken with it. Not very exhaustive and now that you've bought a lens...well. Either way, I am by no means an expert - I just like to make photos. I've never shot the f/1.0, but looking at the beautiful examples of others, I feel that the vintage character, mixed with the way the lens renders out of focus areas makes it easier to get the extremely dream like character. The f/0.95 still has a very dreamy look, but it's the kind of dream which from when you wake up, you could've sworn it was real. 🙂 You know what I mean? And only upon re-examining the dream, do you realise, it could never have been real - it was a dream. That's when you see, I couldn't have taken this photo with any lens than the f/0.95.

I find for the f/0.95, the background is almost more important than the subject. I say this because, if you have a relatively plain background it demonstrates mainly the technical characteristics of shooting wide open at f/0.95 vs f1.4. The distances between cameras subject and background have to be just right to exhibit that separation. Otherwise I would even argue that a lot of photos look simply like a telephoto lens from canon. A lot of photos I shot and looked at, simply exhibit wide open f/0.95 characteristics.

The photos of the roses below, I feel are going entering f/0.95 dream territory. The softness and the separation. The 2nd photo of my wife, I feel also exhibits f/0.95 rendering, although I am not certain if the way I've layered the image adds to that and if the same can be achieved with the summilux 1.4. Possibly. 

There is a third image, which I've removed as it is a bit NSFW and to me this really shows the f/0.95 dream type character in the way it renders the scene, the dimensions, and the out of focus areas. Trying to figure out what the best way is to share NSFW images. It's only slight, but I don't want to offend anyone...

Again though, I really am not the expert on these things. I just like making photos. 🙂 

 

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I don't think you could get either of these (extremely nice) images with the M Summilux 1.4 - but the SL 75 APO could produce similar images, and focus much closer than the Nocti.

 

Also see: https://www.instagram.com/milanswolfsphotography/

Edited August 22, 2021 by trickness

[farnz]

13 minutes ago, trickness said:

I don't think you could get either of these (extremely nice) images with the M Summilux 1.4 - but the SL 75 APO could produce similar images, and focus much closer than the Nocti.

 

Also see: https://www.instagram.com/milanswolfsphotography/

Note: I know that among other lenses Milan also uses a 75/1.25 Noctilux-M asph so some of his pictures are likely to be taken with it.

Pete.

[trickness]

2 hours ago, farnz said:

Note: I know that among other lenses Milan also uses a 75/1.25 Noctilux-M asph so some of his pictures are likely to be taken with it.

Pete.

Yep, he is very detailed in his tagging as to what lens he uses.

[trickness]

This was shot at 1.4 on the M Summilux 1.4 Asph - pretty dreamy I think, but obviously more DOF than a Nocti (click into the image to see full size, the forum image is really not sharp at all)

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Edited August 22, 2021 by trickness

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[LBJ2]

Similar to the endless prove me Leica threads all over the internet, prove me any Leica Noctilux lens is worth the cost/effort/light always ends in the same way, opinions and most certainly someone will post they can get the same shot with an iPhone.

Artistic expression is an emotional action/reaction and try as we may, hard to push art into pluses and minuses or measure in any sort of way the majority can agree upon. In the case of Leica and Uber expensive Noctilux glass even for Leica, rationale thought e.g., prove me this probably shouldn’t even consider the price or the weight as a rationale option. Worse, I can shoot 50mm reliably at 0,95 RF and EVF but I think I am in a very small minority from what I read, but I did take the time to practice and wear my glasses because I wanted to, not because I thought it would bring any financial or mechanical reward. 

As I commented previously, if its an itch and I’ll add , doesn’t destroy your finances I think most photographic artists should own and try this lens at least once in their lifetime and yes, this is a very emotional statement/recommendation and that’s probably why I like it so much. In reality and rationally, zooms are far more realistic for most deliverables but not necessarily what I would chose as an artistic approach YMMV.

I like what Thorsten said in one of his recent videos. Something along the lines of …The 0,95 is an artistic lens can explode the background/bokeh where the Summilux M 50 smooths the background/bokeh. Personally, when I heard this and replayed and few times, I thought to myself this is how I would describe the experience too. I also very much enjoy the Summilux M 50 asph too.

FWIW, I think the Summilux SL 50 also has a special artistic look to it too. One I would very much consider if I wasn’t currently dating the 0,95. If there’s one thing I;ve learned about myself even owning a couple of the almost perfect SL Summicrons, I’ll always favor the light and light for both technical and artistic reasons and like Trickness wrote above I’m also inclined to shoot 0,95 or 1,4 for “no good reason” —absolutely no apologies. 😎

Edited August 23, 2021 by LBJ2

[trickness]

4 hours ago, LBJ2 said:

Similar to the endless prove me Leica threads all over the internet, prove me any Leica Noctilux lens is worth the cost/effort/light always ends in the same way, opinions and most certainly someone will post they can get the same shot with an iPhone.

Artistic expression is an emotional action/reaction and try as we may, hard to push art into pluses and minuses or measure in any sort of way the majority can agree upon. In the case of Leica and Uber expensive Noctilux glass even for Leica, rationale thought e.g., prove me this probably shouldn’t even consider the price or the weight as a rationale option. Worse, I can shoot 50mm reliably at 0,95 RF and EVF but I think I am in a very small minority from what I read, but I did take the time to practice and wear my glasses because I wanted to, not because I thought it would bring any financial or mechanical reward. 

As I commented previously, if its an itch and I’ll add , doesn’t destroy your finances I think most photographic artists should own and try this lens at least once in their lifetime and yes, this is a very emotional statement/recommendation and that’s probably why I like it so much. In reality and rationally, zooms are far more realistic for most deliverables but not necessarily what I would chose as an artistic approach YMMV.

I like what Thorsten said in one of his recent videos. Something along the lines of …The 0,95 is an artistic lens can explode the background/bokeh where the Summilux M 50 smooths the background/bokeh. Personally, when I heard this and replayed and few times, I thought to myself this is how I would describe the experience too. I also very much enjoy the Summilux M 50 asph too.

FWIW, I think the Summilux SL 50 also has a special artistic look to it too. One I would very much consider if I wasn’t currently dating the 0,95. If there’s one thing I;ve learned about myself even owning a couple of the almost perfect SL Summicrons, I’ll always favor the light and light for both technical and artistic reasons and like Trickness wrote above I’m also inclined to shoot 0,95 or 1,4 for “no good reason” —absolutely no apologies. 😎

It’s funny but you summarize why myself and perhaps many others can never make a final decision about whether or not they want to drop the money on the Nocti - it does that thing that it does uniquely, but how often does one want to do “that thing”?  I don’t think I’ll ever really know the answer to that question until I own a copy of the lens. I know I can get close to the results with the 50 Lux or the 75 SL, but “close” isn’t “that thing”.

It definitely has an appeal, the ability to blow out a background and make everything look like some kind of colorful impressionist painting. I would primarily shoot it wide-open. But I wonder if I would be inclined perhaps too much to shoot it wide-open when the photograph I’m trying to take might be better served by a smaller aperture. Even with the M Lux, I find myself questioning why I’m shooting everything at 1.4 - It’s a fantastic creative tool but one has to be careful not to let it become too much of a habit or it all veers off into cliché. 
 

Not sure articulating anything new here really, I’ve seen a few amazing Nocti pix, and lots of not amazing photographs. I must say almost everything that I take with the 75 SL blows me away, that is if I’ve done my job correctly. I would almost recommend somebody by into the SL system just so they could use this lens, it’s that good.