50mm Summilux pre-asph E46 vs 50mm 1.2 Noctilux remake or stick with 50mm Summicron V5

[leicaoptik]

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Nice thread here.

Hi Mads, my answer is that last year, I  pulled the trigger on the Noctilux 50/1.2 remake.

Owning a Lux 50 pre asph. and later the 50 asph. also, I was looking for an even more „character lens“.

The Nocti has more of the drawing painting and blurring than the Lux pre asph. Like others write here, it is an instrument of art that needs a hand to draw with. The results are not always predictable, but one can have that special result no other lens can produce.
Go for it, you will not regret.

The 50Lux pre asph is not that special.

Shot wide open it has a nice unsharp gradient outside the center of the picture, softer than the asph. one. That is what we love in the look of the old lenses. The microcontrast is miles away from that of the asph., objects are not as sharp and the hole picture is soft compared to the asph. which has a harsh unsharp gradient, showing another bokeh.

The Nocti 1.2 combines two lens specialists in one lens: At apertures from 1.2-2.0 it has a drilling swirling unsharp gradient effect around a small sharp center spot with a kind of low micro contrast. The outer zones are unpredictable unsharp, as the resolution of saggital structures differ from the resolution of transversal structures. Light spots are pear-shaped. You can separate objects from the surroundings even in greater distances and produce studio-like effects in case that the background looks like arranged or painted.

The second lens you have is a razor sharp instrument if you use it at apertures smaller than 5.6

I cannot see a significant difference compared to my 50asph if I stop the Nocti down to aperture 8- there it has high micro contrast, never reachable with the 50 pre. asph. 

The near focus distance is 1m as the 50 pre asph. goes to 0.7m

Wishing you a nice decision…

Philip

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest]

1 hour ago, leicaoptik said:

Nice thread here.

Hi Mads, my answer is that last year, I  pulled the trigger on the Noctilux 50/1.2 remake.

Owning a Lux 50 pre asph. and later the 50 asph. also, I was looking for an even more „character lens“.

The Nocti has more of the drawing painting and blurring than the Lux pre asph. Like others write here, it is an instrument of art that needs a hand to draw with. The results are not always predictable, but one can have that special result no other lens can produce.
Go for it, you will not regret.

The 50Lux pre asph is not that special.

Shot wide open it has a nice unsharp gradient outside the center of the picture, softer than the asph. one. That is what we love in the look of the old lenses. The microcontrast is miles away from that of the asph., objects are not as sharp and the hole picture is soft compared to the asph. which has a harsh unsharp gradient, showing another bokeh.

The Nocti 1.2 combines two lens specialists in one lens: At apertures from 1.2-2.0 it has a drilling swirling unsharp gradient effect around a small sharp center spot with a kind of low micro contrast. The outer zones are unpredictable unsharp, as the resolution of saggital structures differ from the resolution of transversal structures. Light spots are pear-shaped. You can separate objects from the surroundings even in greater distances and produce studio-like effects in case that the background looks like arranged or painted.

The second lens you have is a razor sharp instrument if you use it at apertures smaller than 5.6

I cannot see a significant difference compared to my 50asph if I stop the Nocti down to aperture 8- there it has high micro contrast, never reachable with the 50 pre. asph. 

The near focus distance is 1m as the 50 pre asph. goes to 0.7m

Wishing you a nice decision…

Philip

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Philip, for a very nice and detailed description. Great insight 🙏🏻

[Guest]

Quick update. Ordered the 50mm 1.2 Noctilux remake today. 😊 Can’t wait to start shooting this lens. 
 

Thanks for all the input and advice received.

[evikne]

22 minutes ago, mcpallesen said:

Quick update. Ordered the 50mm 1.2 Noctilux remake today. 😊 Can’t wait to start shooting this lens. 
 

Thanks for all the input and advice received.

Congrats! Your 28 + 35 + 50mm re-issues will undoubtedly make an amazing team!

[Keith (M)]

2 hours ago, mcpallesen said:

Quick update. Ordered the 50mm 1.2 Noctilux remake today. 😊 Can’t wait to start shooting this lens. 
 

Thanks for all the input and advice received.

Congratulations on your purchase.  I continue to be utterly delighted with the results from mine (on M10M & M11 - have yet to try with my M7).  Look forward to seeing your photos.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, evikne said:

Congrats! Your 28 + 35 + 50mm re-issues will undoubtedly make an amazing team!

Thanks, Ernst. I totally agree - will be such a cool set. Really happy with this.

[Guest]

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3 minutes ago, Keith (M) said:

Congratulations on your purchase.  I continue to be utterly delighted with the results from mine (on M10M & M11 - have yet to try with my M7).  Look forward to seeing your photos.

Thanks, Keith. Can’t wait to start shooting with it. 😊

[leicaoptik]

Congrats, love your combo👍👊💥

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, leicaoptik said:

Congrats, love your combo👍👊💥

Thank you, Philip 🙏🏻

[Guest]

@leicaoptik and @Keith (M), do you find distortion to be an issue on this lens? Hope I don’t have to worry. 🙈

[leicaoptik]

it is no issue, it is a gimmick

[Guest]

Love it already ✨

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[Keith (M)]

On 12/22/2022 at 6:58 AM, mcpallesen said:

@leicaoptik and @Keith (M), do you find distortion to be an issue on this lens? Hope I don’t have to worry. 🙈

Firstly, congrats on your acquisition and your first upload  

As to distortion (with the caveat that I don't specifically carry out architectural photography), uploading files into LR Classic and ticking the Lens Corrections / Apply Profile Corrections box corrects any that are present.  

Enjoy exploring what the lens is capable of, whether it be at f1.2 or any other aperture - I am still very much in the foothills of that journey!

[Guest]

@leicaoptik, @Keith (M), do you

also have to use two fingers to focus on you 50mm 1.2 nocti? My focus ring seems a bit too dampened/weighted to focus with just one finger.

I guess that is normal for this lens, when new at least, but just wanted to make sure everything is as it should be? 😊

Merry x-mas!

[leicaoptik]

The Nocti has a focus ring and not a focus tab. The Leica lenses with a focus ring are to handle with two fingers for adjusting the focus…

merry x-mas

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[TomB_tx]

I hope you enjoy the Noctilux 1.2. I had a chance to buy a new one (original) in 1969 when I saw it in a camera shop in Chicago (Altman's) for ~$678. But I was just out of college and it didn't fit the budget of this new engineer. So I got a Summicron and used it happily for 40 years. Now that the 1.2 is available new again it still doesn't fit the budget of this long-retired engineer. Some things never seem to change.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, TomB_tx said:

I hope you enjoy the Noctilux 1.2. I had a chance to buy a new one (original) in 1969 when I saw it in a camera shop in Chicago (Altman's) for ~$678. But I was just out of college and it didn't fit the budget of this new engineer. So I got a Summicron and used it happily for 40 years. Now that the 1.2 is available new again it still doesn't fit the budget of this long-retired engineer. Some things never seem to change.

Well, for me it wasn’t an “easy” purchase on the wallet. Had to trade-in a lens, will sell 1-2 more to ease the pain and also got a great deal. Else this would never have been possible for me.

But a totally get it - as an engineer of background as well. 😊

I will enjoy it respectfully for all the hard work it took me to be able to afford it even at a great price.

Thanks and very merry x-mas,

Mads

 

[Guest]

Just a quick follow-up question to fellow 50mm f/1.2 Noctilux re-issue owners: Does the aperture ring on your copies also have a slight hint of “play/wobble” in the aperture indents? I.e. when turning the aperture ring to change aperture, just before disengaging from the current selected f-stop/aperture click, I can wobble/wiggle the ring ever so slightly in the turning directions.

I guess, I shouldnt worry and it’s a bit like the aperture ring “play” of the 35mm Steel Rim re-issue (which I also have).

But would be interested in your experience.

Best,

Mads

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[evikne]

Not the same lens, but my 50mm Summilux ASPH Black Chrome behaved the same way. The materials and construction have much in common, so I guess we experience the same thing. When I tapped it with my finger, it produced a metallic sound that eventually drove me crazy. 😄

[Guest]

1 minute ago, evikne said:

Not the same lens, but my 50mm Summilux ASPH Black Chrome behaved the same way. The materials and construction have much in common, so I guess we experience the same thing. When I tapped it with my finger, it produced a metallic sound that eventually drove me crazy. 😄

Thanks Ernst. No sound or rattle at all. Just this slight play when “looking for it”. Guess I shouldnt worry.