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

[newtoleica]

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Leica lenses, and especially the ones you have, are hard to justify as its a lot of cash tied up in something if you don't use it much, and also the first thing to look at as a source of ready cash when needed. Trouble is you'll regret it if you sell something critical to your work.

Suggest this approach?

- categorise your type of work and what's most important (sounds like you've done that)

- look through your best images critically by lens (sort them in Lightroom) and ask - could I have taken that image with a cheaper lens, or is there something (aperture, rendering etc) that makes it a unique product of that lens?

- do this for each strand of your work.

This process helped me decide that I didn't need a 24 Summilux, an Elmarit would do and that although I liked the APO 50 I hardly used it and a well used 50 Lux would do just as well. Saved me a LOT of cash...

[Photoworks]

15 hours ago, Jared said:

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

Personally the Voigtlander 50 f1.2 does not have anything in common with Noctilux 50 f0.95, the one that gets closer is the newer 50 1.0. The Leica version provides more micro contrast and in-camera vignetting correction with 6-bit coding. Voigtlander 1.0 has lower contrast, vignetting, and issues with 1-meter distance in focusing. The 50 1.2 is just soft closer to the old Noctilux 1.0, just like a vintage look.

We are comparing bananas to oranges here if we add the 50 APO. You would get the Noctilux for the separation, amazing bokeh, and fast lens. As you stop down the noctilux down to F4 and 5.6 it is very sharp and contrasty and the image is not any different from the APO. The markers we talk about are with f-stops from 0.95 and f4

The Voightlander 35 1.2 is an older lens and ok, but it is before Voightlanger started revamping the lenses with better quality.

Voigtlander does produce some gems, the bummer is the other design and front ring.

[Olaf_ZG]

If you need your lenses for weddings and therefore generate income, you shouldn’t ask us. Go through your orders and look which images sold best. Then, ask yourself could you generate same sales with another lens? Based on that, you sell what doesn’t have roi.

[sometimesmaybe]

6 hours ago, RexGig0 said:

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.

i dont have a horse in this race, but i did have a good chuckle 😉

[sometimesmaybe]

5 hours ago, Photoworks said:

The Voightlander 35 1.2 is an older lens and ok, but it is before Voightlanger started revamping the lenses with better quality.

the v3 of the lens was released 2 or so years ago. I don’t know the timeframe for the next update. v3 has a different optical formula making it slightly smaller and lighter than v1 and v2. it balances well on my m246

due to the combo of 35mm focal length, 0.5M MFD and 1.2 speed, it's really easy to get a unique look from the v3. if OP wants/needs something wider for weddings there’s prob no point waiting for v4, a bird in the hand and whatnot 

[geddon_jt]

Interesting responses to this topic, especially all the votes for the 50 Noctilux .95.

 

To me, the APO 50 and the 75 Noctilux are so similar optically (in terms of extreme high performance, focal length aside) that getting rid of the 50 Noct sort of robs you of variety. I would want that wild animal lens with one of the other “perfect” lenses. Would keep the 75 along with it if you could deal with the weight.

[Ouroboros]

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10 hours ago, Jan1985 said:

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.

I photographed weddings for over 45 years and never once did I feel I needed a noctilux to please my clients (well over 1000 couples).
99.9% of your clients will be happily ignorant of your cameras and lenses, they wouldn’t care if you used a noctilux or a Nikon 50mm f1.4.

It seems strange to me that as a wedding photographer, you’re asking your question on here.  Most LUF members have probably never photographed a wedding as a favour, let alone as a career.  

You have a cash flow problem, no one else can advise you about your lenses  but you definitely need to realign your priorities.

 

[oka]

I personally shoot weddings mainly with Noctilux 50 0.95. I tried APO50, but didn’t like look and feel on wedding photos.

I do have Noct75, but as I wanted lighter setup, I dropped out from my wedding kit. I used for some portraits and for reach, but I used it very rarely.

For the wide end I use lux21 and 28. Lux24 has more noct50 like rendering, but the fov was too wide or too tight.

I would sell on your situation APO50 and Noct75, just concentrate on your primary income tools and then if you have spare cash, get additional “fun” lenses.

I do hope that you’ll get business running!

[Jan1985]

vor 3 Stunden schrieb oka:

I personally shoot weddings mainly with Noctilux 50 0.95. I tried APO50, but didn’t like look and feel on wedding photos.

I do have Noct75, but as I wanted lighter setup, I dropped out from my wedding kit. I used for some portraits and for reach, but I used it very rarely.

For the wide end I use lux21 and 28. Lux24 has more noct50 like rendering, but the fov was too wide or too tight.

I would sell on your situation APO50 and Noct75, just concentrate on your primary income tools and then if you have spare cash, get additional “fun” lenses.

I do hope that you’ll get business running!

Thanks for your recommendations! Honestly I did 80% of my weddings with 0.95. for portraits I used 75 and 50 Noctilux. 50 APO mostly in the cupboard. But it’s a superb lens. 

best decision is to let it go. 
 

And why I can’t ask this nice community in that regard? Here are people that also love Leica. Even if none of my clients bother about what lens I use. For me it’s important with what I am working. And I enjoy Leica glasses and cameras and with the mix of passion it creates an own signature style. 
 

 

[leica5]

 

45 minutes ago, Jan1985 said:

Thanks for your recommendations! Honestly I did 80% of my weddings with 0.95. for portraits I used 75 and 50 Noctilux. 50 APO mostly in the cupboard. But it’s a superb lens. 

best decision is to let it go. 
 

And why I can’t ask this nice community in that regard? Here are people that also love Leica. Even if none of my clients bother about what lens I use. For me it’s important with what I am working. And I enjoy Leica glasses and cameras and with the mix of passion it creates an own signature style. 
 

 

I have a 50APO and it is great for general photography,travel. I sold Noct50/.95 to get Nocti 75,.no regrets as I use it on SL2 camera.I do miss 50  at times but have no urge to buy one again.

[sometimesmaybe]

52 minutes ago, Jan1985 said:

Even if none of my clients bother about what lens I use. For me it’s important with what I am working. And I enjoy Leica glasses and cameras and with the mix of passion it creates an own signature style. 

hear hear

[insideline]

11 hours ago, Jan1985 said:

Thanks for your recommendations! Honestly I did 80% of my weddings with 0.95. for portraits I used 75 and 50 Noctilux. 50 APO mostly in the cupboard. But it’s a superb lens. 

best decision is to let it go. 
 

And why I can’t ask this nice community in that regard? Here are people that also love Leica. Even if none of my clients bother about what lens I use. For me it’s important with what I am working. And I enjoy Leica glasses and cameras and with the mix of passion it creates an own signature style. 
 

 

I have owned al three of these lenses for quite a long time, the 50 APO since its 2012 launch, the .95 almost as long and the 75 1.25 since a few years ago. I have seen some of your work and you are a very good photographer and the two lenses I saw you use to great results were the 50 APO and the 50 .95 Noct. Personally the 75 1.25 is simply a bit too large plus I missed the character of the .95 as well as my original 1975 E58 F1 Noctilux, so for me it was an easy to choice to sell the 75 1.25 and I never miss it.  Optically the Nikon 58mm .95 Noct is simply a far superior lens optically to any of these lenses including the 50 APO but it's even heavier and of course requires another camera platform to use it. 

Given what I have seen of your work I would keep the 50mm .95 Noctilux and the 50 APO as the 50 Noct can be your wedding work horse and the 50 APO for those shots where optimal clarity is desired. Best of luck deciding.

One other option would be to also sell the 50 APO plus the 75 1.25 Noctilux and replace both with the 35 APO for a sharp wider focal length and use the 50mm .95 Noctilux for your character wedding needs. 

[Jan1985]

vor 27 Minuten schrieb insideline:

I have owned al three of these lenses for quite a long time, the 50 APO since its 2012 launch, the .95 almost as long and the 75 1.25 since a few years ago. I have seen some of your work and you are a very good photographer and the two lenses I saw you use to great results were the 50 APO and the 50 .95 Noct. Personally the 75 1.25 is simply a bit too large plus I missed the character of the .95 as well as my original 1975 E58 F1 Noctilux, so for me it was an easy to choice to sell the 75 1.25 and I never miss it.  Optically the Nikon 58mm .95 Noct is simply a far superior lens optically to any of these lenses including the 50 APO but it's even heavier and of course requires another camera platform to use it. 

Given what I have seen of your work I would keep the 50mm .95 Noctilux and the 50 APO as the 50 Noct can be your wedding work horse and the 50 APO for those shots where optimal clarity is desired. Best of luck deciding.

One other option would be to also sell the 50 APO plus the 75 1.25 Noctilux and replace both with the 35 APO for a sharp wider focal length and use the 50mm .95 Noctilux for your character wedding needs. 

Thanks you so much for your kind words! I appreciate that. This helps me in my decision making process. I didn‘t expect that this is so difficult for me.

[farnz]

It might be easier deciding which of your children to sell*. 

Pete.

*You probably wouldn't get as much for them though.

[jpto]

Here's my two cents. Sell both the 50's and buy the Voigtlander equivalents (APO Lanthar & Nokton F1). The latest VC glass is performing super close to Leica glass at a fraction of the price. 

Both the 50 APO and Noctilux are easy to find on the used market if you want them back once you're in a better place financially.

[chriscove]

57 minutes ago, jpto said:

Here's my two cents. Sell both the 50's and buy the Voigtlander equivalents (APO Lanthar & Nokton F1). The latest VC glass is performing super close to Leica glass at a fraction of the price. 

Both the 50 APO and Noctilux are easy to find on the used market if you want them back once you're in a better place financially.

I was just going to say this. Both Voigtlanders are excellent and I think the  Voigt 50/1 is sharper at the center wide open. 

[S Maclean]

+1 for selling the 50 Noctilux.  Actually, I'd sell the 50 Noc and the 50 APO and get a 2023 50 Lux. Plus the 75 Noc.

I have a 50 APO that I am thinking of selling along with my 5o Lux to try to get the 2023.  I also have the CV 50 1.  which is basically a cheaper, but not necessarily inferior noctilux.

[Jan1985]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb S Maclean:

+1 for selling the 50 Noctilux.  Actually, I'd sell the 50 Noc and the 50 APO and get a 2023 50 Lux. Plus the 75 Noc.

I have a 50 APO that I am thinking of selling along with my 5o Lux to try to get the 2023.  I also have the CV 50 1.  which is basically a cheaper, but not necessarily inferior noctilux.

How performs the new 50 lux in terms of IQ? Background separation? Etc. 

[S Maclean]

12 minutes ago, Jan1985 said:

How performs the new 50 lux in terms of IQ? Background separation? Etc. 

Better than the APO on background separation and very similar on IQ.  APO is a sharper and more clinical lens and its micro-contrast is best in class, The Lux is jut, IMO, and more all around use lens.  Background separation not quite as "special" as the Noctilux, but if you have the 75 Noctilux or get the CV 1. you are all set on that one.  You do get a lens that is much more user friendly than the Noctlilux.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[otto.f]

Both Noctiluxes are heavy and the 75 is an ergonomical nightmare on an M. The 50 Noctilux suffers from the minimal focusing distance being too long. And since their launch Voigtländer made very nice alternatives, if you are in need of cashflow. Also in the meantime the close focus lenses are coming up, at Leica’s and at Voigtländers. If you want classic, which I doubt, the Summilux 75 btw is a very good consolation for loosing your 75 Noct. and not as long and thus fitting much better on an M.