50 APO, 50 Nocti & 75 Nocti - which one let go?

[Jan1985]

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I have a „big“ problem. Due to financial bottleneck I have to sell one of my 3 Leica Lenses. I have 50mm APO-M, 50mm Noctilux 0.95 and a 75mm Noctilux 1.25.

Basically I love all of them. And I know it will be hard and I regret selling it. But I need to.

But which one?

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[maxpower]

Tough choice! If you plan on buying it back again (another copy, used or new) if future financial situations allow, pick the one that would be most affordable to "get back" maybe? Which probably would be the 50 APO I think? Alternatively, look in your catalog to the last 6 or 12 months and see which lens you used least and do it based on that? 

It'll be a difficult decision regardless and I don't think anyone here will be able to help you make it.. good luck!

[wda]

50mm Noctilux.

[IkarusJohn]

The 50 Noct.

The 50 APO and 75 Noct is a useful combination, giving alternatives in size and speed.  Alternatively, sell both Noctiluxes and buy either a 28 Summilux or 35 APO - you’d still be ahead financially, and you’d have a better range - I struggle sometimes to choose between 50 & 75, but as I have Karbe 50s and a Mandler 75, they do complement each other.

[trickness]

Sell the Nocti. I think there's a good chance they'll update it (probably with the close focus cam of the 35 and 50 Luxes) and improve the performance based on what they accomplished with the 75 Nocti. Would definitely NOT sell the 75, if they ever discontinue that lens (as it isn't that popular, it's heavy and super $$) the value will skyrocket.

 

 

[spydrxx]

Figure which you use least....that should probably be the one to sell.

[Fedro]

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19 minutes ago, trickness said:

Sell the Nocti. I think there's a good chance they'll update it (probably with the close focus cam of the 35 and 50 Luxes) and improve the performance based on what they accomplished with the 75 Nocti. Would definitely NOT sell the 75, if they ever discontinue that lens (as it isn't that popular, it's heavy and super $$) the value will skyrocket.

 

 

they will evewntually update the 50 0.95 but soon you think?

[Jan1985]

Mostly I used the 50 & 75 Noctilux because I photograph weddings. But on the other hand the 50 APO is a wonderful lens.

The opportunity would to buy a Voigtländer 35mm Nokton 1.2 because it can draw like the Noctilux.

[darylgo]

The 50 Noct has an f2 aperture, sell the Apo despite it being a little gem.  Never the 75mm, a big gem.  

[trickness]

6 hours ago, Fedro said:

they will evewntually update the 50 0.95 but soon you think?

I certainly don’t have any inside information on this, but given that it’s been around for a few years, has a not so good minimum focusing distance and pretty bad chromatic aberration, and is very expensive while being technically crushed by the 75 Nocti, leads me to believe that it will be updated. Just my personal feelings, and who knows when it may or may not be updated - but when it is, the resale value on the current version is going to tank.

Edited April 16, 2023 by trickness

[sometimesmaybe]

8 hours ago, Jan1985 said:

The opportunity would to buy a Voigtländer 35mm Nokton 1.2 because it can draw like the Noctilux.

i dont have any direct experience with your trio, but i can speak about the CV35mm f1.2 III.

really nice rendering for portraits easily sharp enough wide open for portraits 

 

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[Photoworks]

17 hours ago, Jan1985 said:

I have a „big“ problem. Due to financial bottleneck I have to sell one of my 3 Leica Lenses. I have 50mm APO-M, 50mm Noctilux 0.95 and a 75mm Noctilux 1.25.

Basically I love all of them. And I know it will be hard and I regret selling it. But I need to.

But which one?

These lenses are expensive, and they take a long time to sell.

Put them all up for sale and the first one that sells is the one that gets you the cash quicker!

One day if you miss it you can repurchase it.

 

Good luck!

[Jan1985]

vor 5 Stunden schrieb sometimesmaybe:

i dont have any direct experience with your trio, but i can speak about the CV35mm f1.2 III.

really nice rendering for portraits easily sharp enough wide open for portraits 

 

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Great work! This is really a Noctilux like rendering overall. Just a wider field of view. Stunning.

 

[Jared]

If it were me? I'd sell the 50mm Noctilux and keep the 50 APO and the 75 Noctilux. Then, I'd pick up a Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.2.

Reasons?

• The 50mm Noctilux (assuming the f/0.95 version) is the easiest of the three to find used if you decide to repurchase later
• The 50mm Noctilux is the least "modern" of the three lenses, so will likely see a refresh sooner than the other two, and due to the age of its design is the lowest performing of these three excellent lenses; this mostly shows in the form of chromatic aberration wide open, and becomes more noticeable every time Leica releases a higher megapixel count camera
• You should be able to find a used Nokton for around 600 USD, and it is a truly exceptional performer that would give you very nearly the same control over depth of field as the 50 Noctilux while still giving you the cash you need, all in a more compact size with very little viewfinder blockage

- Jared

[Jan1985]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb Jared:

If it were me? I'd sell the 50mm Noctilux and keep the 50 APO and the 75 Noctilux. Then, I'd pick up a Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.2.

Reasons?

• The 50mm Noctilux (assuming the f/0.95 version) is the easiest of the three to find used if you decide to repurchase later
• The 50mm Noctilux is the least "modern" of the three lenses, so will likely see a refresh sooner than the other two, and due to the age of its design is the lowest performing of these three excellent lenses; this mostly shows in the form of chromatic aberration wide open, and becomes more noticeable every time Leica releases a higher megapixel count camera
• You should be able to find a used Nokton for around 600 USD, and it is a truly exceptional performer that would give you very nearly the same control over depth of field as the 50 Noctilux while still giving you the cash you need, all in a more compact size with very little viewfinder blockage

- Jared

Thanks for this recommendation! Very useful 

[Jan1985]

vor 16 Minuten schrieb Jan1985:

Thanks for this recommendation! Very useful 

you mean the Voigtländer 50 1.2 and not the 1.0?

There is just one aspect. Deep in my mind I think that the Noctilux is the holy grail of the lenses and no other lenses can produce this kind of magic. And a third party lens can not have the same qualities. But maybe this is a kind of wrong way of thinking in that regard that another cant have the same or better qualities.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Jan1985

[Ouroboros]

On 4/15/2023 at 11:52 PM, Jan1985 said:

I have a „big“ problem. Due to financial bottleneck I have to sell one of my 3 Leica Lenses. I have 50mm APO-M, 50mm Noctilux 0.95 and a 75mm Noctilux 1.25.

Basically I love all of them. And I know it will be hard and I regret selling it. But I need to.

But which one?

Maybe a more logical approach is to have a think about which one you use the most, that should give you an idea of which you might want to keep.

We’re all different and my choice would be to get rid of the two noctiluxes and keep the 50mm apo-summicron, a lens that is second to none from wide open and firmly within the original Leica M ethos of small and unobtrusive.

I would hate having to lug one noctilux around, let alone two

[RexGig0]

10 hours ago, Jan1985 said:

you mean the Voigtländer 50 1.2 and not the 1.0?

There is just one aspect. Deep in my mind I think that the Noctilux is the holy grail of the lenses and no other lenses can produce this kind of magic. And a third party lens can not have the same qualities. But maybe this is a kind of wrong way of thinking in that regard that another cant have the same or better qualities.

Ah, there is that word: ”Magic.” It is the optical IMPERFECTIONS, in the Noctilux 50mm f/0.95, that are providing the look, in your images, that you prefer. If your wedding clients are liking that look, well, that is your brand. Your Brand. That is important! It may well be a mistake to sell your Noctilux 50mm f/0.95. In contrast, the APO 50mm is so very well-corrected, optically, that it is a very necessary lens, for some photography, but, perhaps, not for YOUR photography.

Regardless of artistic considerations, the 50 APO has “flat field.” Everything that is within the DOF is in a relatively flat plane. The Noctilux f/0.95 has “field curvature,” rather than a flat field. The Noct’s field is not a flat plane. I do not claim to have been a “professional” photographer, but, one of my added duties, as a public servant, was crime scene photography. Crime scene photography is artless; it is supposed to be technically and scientifically as correct as possible. If I were to be tasked with photographing a crime scene, with an M lens, and an M camera, the APO 50 would be my choice. The Noctilux f/0.95 would NOT be my choice. You, however, shoot weddings, much of which is very much about art, creativity, and emotional appeal.

I have noticed that APO 50mm lenses seem to hold their value, on the pre-owned market, quite well, compared to Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 lenses. This could mean that you will receive a higher return by selling your APO. While not plentiful, one could hope to replace a 50 APO, when better times return. Or, one could reasonably opt to replace a Leica APO 50 with a much-less-expensive Voigtlander 50mm APO Lanthar VM lens.

Your 75mm Noctilux is a special case, being extremely well-corrected, optically, one of the best lenses in the known universe. It is also very rarely offered for sale, being out-of-stock at dealers, much or most of the time, and a rare bird on the pre-owned/used market. This lens would not be easy to replace. I do not know what it would be like, to own and use a 75mm Noctilux, so, really, cannot provide advice. For about a year, ending some time last year, I contemplated acquiring this gem, even though it would mean raiding my retirement account, so, I was paying attention to the availability of this lens.

Back to the 50mm Noctilux f/0.95, for a moment, I carefully compared on-line images shot with this Noctilux, and the new Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.0 Aspherical, and decided that they were different beasts, but that the Nokton images were not less-pleasing, to my eyes. Ultimately, the size and weight were important, with the Nokton being smaller and lighter than the f/0.95 Noctilux, with the bonus that the Nokton had/has a more-pleasant aesthetic appearance. I bought the Nokton f/1.0, which will not displace my much-favored Leica Summilux 50mm ASPH, but has a place, especially in very low light situations.

I am not any kind of expert. 🙂

Being pressed for time, I cannot quickly compose a decent closing paragraph. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by RexGig0

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Hallo,

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[fil-m]

It again depends on what you privilege: the APO Summicrons (35 and 50) are in my view almost ideal street shooters being compact, well built and highly permissive in post processing due to the very high technical quality of the files they produce (cropping, perspective correction etc). By default I carry an APO Summicron (I only take one lens at a time for a "trip")

Noctilux are specialty lenses that enable more creativity and more flexibility for portraits at the expense of bulkiness and lower technical quality (for the noctilux 50 which suffers from CA). This "technical quality" can be less important for you. I choose the Noct 50 (in my case the 1.0 that replaced my "older" .95) when I really want to do more creative stuff by shooting wide open and benefiting from the shallow DOF. 

So as a "base" lens I'd rather keep the APO Summicron 50 due to its versatility and as an extra lens for added creativity, one Noctilux. In that case the 75 as it corrects many flaws that I've seen in the 50. The 75 is bulkier than the 50 but in any case (my subjective experience) once you carry a bulky lens, the difference won't matter much, you have to feel the pain for the sake of shooting at such large apertures:). It is a different purpose.

I also agree with what's been said - that an updated version of the Noctilux 50/.95 is much more likely than the 75   

[Jan1985]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Mostly I shot weddings in the last years as you mentioned. And for them in most cases I used the Noctilux. The 50 APO I bought in 2015 and used it most often in 2016 at a journey to Cracow in Poland for an exhibition. 

What I still love about the 50 APO is its compactness and the extreme image quality. Leica like. Even if I didnt use it that much. 

For weddings on the other side I often had the wish to have a lens with a wider field of view but still a painterly rendering. So Maybe something like the Voigtländer 35 1.2 might be a good choice, if i sell the 50 Noctilux?

Carrying a Noctilux a whole day is very familiar to me. But I often had the wish it could be a bit lighter.