Is the 50 lux sharper off center than 50 noct 1.2?

[Ktsa5239]

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Hi everyone,

just want to grab some collective thoughts on this. I’ve shot with the APO50 as my main lens for a long time and I’ve enjoyed the ultra clean sharpness but after I’ve picked up the Noct 1.2 I basically fell in love with that softer dreamy look for portrait work. The only thing that’s annoying is the drop off when placing subjects off centre. For those who had shot both, does the lux get noticeable improvement at 1.4? Or should I not bother? 
 

thanks for the input!

[caf]

I tried all three, 50 APO, 50 Lux, and 50 1.2 Noctilux at the Leica store in LA... didn't test the Noctilux at 1.4 but the whole rendering is very different amongst all three based on my brief testing at the store. Did tripod based testing on a stationary subject with all three and ended up being blown away by the 50 APO so went with that one as will use it mainly for travel photography. The Noctilux was way too dreamy looking so didn't do it for my taste as it seems very narrow use case, 50 Lux was between the two but more on the sharper side, I had a hard time deciding between the APO and the Lux if that is helpful, they both are very versatile, I'll probably end up with both. 

[LeicaR10]

Ktsa5239,  Based on my many years of Leica M experience with different 50mm lenses, I can best describe each lens to render different like an artist paint brush.  As you know, the 50 Apo Summicron was designed to be the "perfect" 50mm lens with either no or minimal optical "flaws" and very highly resolving.  The 50 Lux renders bokeh in its own unique way and resolves in a most excellent way almost all across the frame when shot wide open.  When I owned the 50 Noctilux 1.2 version 2, I found it renders softer when shot wide open, moreso than the 50 Lux.  But when you shoot the 50 Noctilux 1.2 v2 at f/4+ it renders a highly resolved photograph across the frame, very similar to the 50 Apo Summicron.  My experience with both the 50 Lux and 50 Noctilux 1.2 v2, the 50 Lux will show better resolution at f/1.4, but still it will render in a more soft way. I suggest you borrow or rent a 50 Lux and compare it to your 50 Noctilux 1.2 v2.  It will be up to you to decide the look and feel of the rendering of each lens rather than well meaning forum members offering advice. Myself included.  I hope this helps.  r/ Mark 

Edited August 14, 2022 by LeicaR10

[shirubadanieru]

One of the main differences to be aware of too between the nocti and lux is distortion. Nocti is full of it, and lux has none / minimal. Sharpness wide open, the lux would be definitely better, but from f2.8 or f4 they'd be similar sharpness wise. 

[Ktsa5239]

Currently the Noct at 1.2 is abit "too" dreamy but I really like this type of rendering, very painting-ish. I would definitely try a 50lux if its similar but a little bit sharper.  

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[a.noctilux]

@Ktsa5239

I'd say as usual, knowing the lenses in use do take some time.

I'd add my suggestions :

- try more your Noctilux from wide open (1.4 to 4 for example) ...then decide if you need Summilux.

- in my use of Noctilux, I see it as f/1 then "no use of other apertures", for different reasons (such individual things as the Ninja Stars/curve field and more) then from f/2.8 to f/8.

- I see my Summilux for long as more "universal" use than other 50mm (not always true, now it's Summarit-M 2.5/50)

- to follow by your own experiences and taste 😉

[evikne]

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How can everyone talk about 50 Lux and know which 50 Lux? The ASPH and pre-ASPH versions are very different (and pre-ASPH v1 is pretty different from v2/v3).

[T25UFO]

6 hours ago, LeicaR10 said:

Ktsa5239,  Based on my many years of Leica M experience with different 50mm lenses, I can best describe each lens to render different like an artist paint brush.  As you know, the 50 Apo Summicron was designed to be the "perfect" 50mm lens with either no or minimal optical "flaws" and very highly resolving.  The 50 Lux renders bokeh in its own unique way and resolves in a most excellent way almost all across the frame when shot wide open.  When I owned the 50 Noctilux 1.2 version 2, I found it renders softer when shot wide open, moreso than the 50 Lux.  But when you shoot the 50 Noctilux 1.2 v2 at f/4+ it renders a highly resolved photograph across the frame, very similar to the 50 Apo Summicron.  My experience with both the 50 Lux and 50 Noctilux 1.2 v2, the 50 Lux will show better resolution at f/1.4, but still it will render in a more soft way. I suggest you borrow or rent a 50 Lux and compare it to your 50 Noctilux 1.2 v2.  It will be up to you to decide the look and feel of the rendering of each lens rather than well meaning forum members offering advice. Myself included.  I hope this helps.  r/ Mark 

Interesting observation.  I don't have the Summilux, only the APO and the f1.2 Noctilux.  The Noctilux does seem as sharp as the APO when stopped down, indeed @jonoslack made a similar observation when he tested the lens.  I was fortunate to get a 35mm APO and I've hardly used the 50 APO since.  You can easily crop from 35mm to 50mm with the higher resolution M cameras (I use M10R).  The Q introduced the concept of cropping, but we often forget it is just as easy on the M.

The only reason I've kept the 50 APO is because it's the limited edition retro model and it's just a really lovely lens.  But it's becoming redundant because, for my use, I have all bases covered with the 35 APO and the 50 Noctilux.  Plus you can't shoot at f1.2 with the APO!

[a.noctilux]

25 minutes ago, evikne said:

How can everyone talk about 50 Lux and know which 50 Lux? The ASPH and pre-ASPH versions are very different (and pre-ASPH v1 is pretty different from v2/v3).

You are right.

Even if I'm certain the OP means Summilux "asph" without mentioning it.

Anyway, I know (from my use), the sharpness (?) from my Summilux 50 (asph. or not) is different at f/1.4 but similar from f/2 onward.

 

[Ktsa5239]

43 minutes ago, evikne said:

How can everyone talk about 50 Lux and know which 50 Lux? The ASPH and pre-ASPH versions are very different (and pre-ASPH v1 is pretty different from v2/v3).

Thanks for the reminder. I do mean the ASPH version