Good bye APSH glass

[lifeandmylens]

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5 minutes ago, Life By Stills said:

Hmmm... so just to throw a spanner in the works. I was thinking of the v2 Summilux because I absolutely want the "glow", although I found a present waiting for me at home... the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2. I know it's not quite a f1.4, but does the LLL wide open have the glow? I heard people say it practically looks the same as the 8-element lens, which I have heard has a slight glow.

With the LLL, do you think I can forego the Summilux on the basis that I have a lens which has that "Leica look" glow?

I have a 8 element summicron as well. It may have minor glow in some instances but it does not have anywhere near the glow that the pre asph lux has at 1.4. 

[Life By Stills]

@lifeandmylens Hahaha... so... still need that Summilux then. 🤣

Edited June 30, 2023 by Life By Stills

[madNbad]

I was looking for a primary lens to pair with a M4-2 that I bought from Huss. I have owned a lot of different 35 mm lenses but wanted something that would give me a little more speed than the 2.0 lenses but not too big. I found a used 35 1.4 Nokton SC V2 online for a good price. It came with the hood and several filters but it may or may not have had coating damage to the rear element. Decided to buy a new one and couldn't be happier. I'm using it exclusively with Tri-X rated at 200 and developed in Rodinal. It gives me the look I want and it's nice having a 1.4 35 that didn't cost a ton of money.

 

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M4, Voigtlander 35 1.4 Nokton SC V2, Tri-X @ISO 200, Rodinal 50:1

[Life By Stills]

1 minute ago, madNbad said:

I was looking for a primary lens to pair with a M4-2 that I bought from Huss. I have owned a lot of different 35 mm lenses but wanted something that would give me a little more speed than the 2.0 lenses but not too big. I found a used 35 1.4 Nokton SC V2 online for a good price. It came with the hood and several filters but it may or may not have had coating damage to the rear element. Decided to buy a new one and couldn't be happier. I'm using it exclusively with Tri-X rated at 200 and developed in Rodinal. It gives me the look I want and it's nice having a 1.4 35 that didn't cost a ton of money.

 

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M4, Voigtlander 35 1.4 Nokton SC V2, Tri-X @ISO 200, Rodinal 50:1

Loving the textures and the contrast between the rest of the shot and the shadows on the right. Have you found problems with focus shift on the v2? Also, can you remember what aperture you shot that at? Doesn't look like wide open at 1.4, but wanted to check.

[madNbad]

11 minutes ago, Life By Stills said:

Loving the textures and the contrast between the rest of the shot and the shadows on the right. Have you found problems with focus shift on the v2? Also, can you remember what aperture you shot that at? Doesn't look like wide open at 1.4, but wanted to check.

If it has focus shift, I’ve never noticed it. But it’s only been used on film bodies.

[Life By Stills]

Hmmm... so just to throw a spanner in the works. I was thinking of the v2 Summilux because I absolutely want the "glow", although I found a present waiting for me at home... the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2. I know it's not quite a f1.4, but does the LLL wide open have the glow? I heard people say it practically looks the same as the 8-element lens, which I have heard has a slight glow.

 

With the LLL, do you think I can forego the Summilux on the basis that I have a lens which has that "Leica look" glow?

[pippy]

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37 minutes ago, Life By Stills said:

...I found a present waiting for me at home... the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2. I know it's not quite a f1.4, but does the LLL wide open have the glow? I heard people say it practically looks the same as the 8-element lens, which I have heard has a slight glow...With the LLL, do you think I can forego the Summilux on the basis that I have a lens which has that "Leica look" glow?

Oh Boy! Where to start?

First-off thank whoever found the LLL '8-E'! These are not always easy to source!

Secondly 'Overall Rendering'; According to Erwin Puts the V1/V2 Summilux and the original 8 element Summicron are practically identical from f2.8 down. The LLL '8 Element' doesn't have the glow of the v2 Summilux at f2 and (as mentioned earlier) by f2.8 any 'Glow' has, effectively, already got up and went.

There is a very comprehensive discussion of the LLL '8 Element' elsewhere in this sub-forum which illustrates that the LLL is, to all intents and purposes, as near an exact replication of the Leitz lens as is humanly possible.

FWIW I have a (V6) LLL '8 Element' and I could not possibly be happier with the thing; it really is an absolute jewel of a lens yet as much as I love my v2 Summilux (which is, without doubt, my #1 lens) it was the LLL which I chose to take for a recent trip to continental Europe. Make of that what you will...

The LLL (just as the Leitz v1 Summicron) will not give you quite the same glow as a v2 Summilux but, seriously? it really is one HELL of a lens.

Philip.

Edited June 30, 2023 by pippy

[lct]

1 hour ago, Life By Stills said:

Yeah I heard about the focus shift issue in v1 which is why I will avoid a Nokton v1 as I'm only using analogue for the M system now

Focus shift is less a problem on film than digital. Not defending the Nokton 35/1.4 SC v1 that i did not like much but truth has to be said on that.

[lifeandmylens]

13 hours ago, Life By Stills said:

@lifeandmylens Hahaha... so... still need that Summilux then. 🤣

The v1 8 element (and I'm assuming the LLL) is still a fantastic lens.  And one of the best looking and built Leica lenses.  Also love the flare it creates. I really enjoy using it.  Very similar rendering to the pre asph lux as @pippy said, just without the glow or the f/1.4 aperture.  Why don't you try the LLL since you have it and see how you like it?

[pippy]

14 hours ago, Life By Stills said:

......I was thinking of the v2 Summilux because I absolutely want the "glow", although I found a present waiting for me at home... the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2. I know it's not quite a f1.4, but does the LLL wide open have the glow? I heard people say it practically looks the same as the 8-element lens, which I have heard has a slight glow......With the LLL, do you think I can forego the Summilux on the basis that I have a lens which has that "Leica look" glow?

 

1 hour ago, lifeandmylens said:

The v1 8 element (and I'm assuming the LLL) is still a fantastic lens.  And one of the best looking and built Leica lenses.  Also love the flare it creates. I really enjoy using it.  Very similar rendering to the pre asph lux as @pippy said, just without the glow or the f/1.4 aperture.  Why don't you try the LLL since you have it and see how you like it?

Now might be a good time to post the link to Al Brown's very informative and interesting thread where they carried-out a back-to-back comparison with an original Summicron and the LLL 8-Element. There are a great number of excellent images which go a fair way to showing the potential which this lens has. Enjoy!...

Philip.

Edited June 30, 2023 by pippy

[Life By Stills]

7 hours ago, pippy said:

 

Now might be a good time to post the link to Al Brown's very informative and interesting thread where they carried-out a back-to-back comparison with an original Summicron and the LLL 8-Element. There are a great number of excellent images which go a fair way to showing the potential which this lens has. Enjoy!...

Philip.

Oh man, that's pretty amazing! Can't wait to give the China-cron a go! Looks pretty much the same!!!

Thanks for sharing that, @pippy!

[Andy_Shields]

Idk if this will help but here is a v2 pre-asph that's been cla'd with flawless glass shot at f1.4. This particular shot was handheld at a 12th/sec so there's a sharpness penalty but it demonstrates the glow really well. Shot on an M10M I've been borrowing.

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[Life By Stills]

19 hours ago, Andy_Shields said:

Idk if this will help but here is a v2 pre-asph that's been cla'd with flawless glass shot at f1.4. This particular shot was handheld at a 12th/sec so there's a sharpness penalty but it demonstrates the glow really well. Shot on an M10M I've been borrowing.

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Oh wow, that glow looks so divine, Andy!!! Thanks for sharing this! 😍

[Life By Stills]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who offered their thoughts and opinions! I made a purchase... and wanted to share with you what I bought. I got this v2 Summilux boxed. The used gear expert at Leica said it's pretty much perfect, so I'm quite happy with my buy.

Can't wait to burn through some film with this now!!! I'm planning on bringing this with me to the Arctic to shoot the Northern Lights this winter! Summilux 1.4 with Portra 800 pushed to 1600... ahhh bliss!!!

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[lifeandmylens]

4 minutes ago, Life By Stills said:

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who offered their thoughts and opinions! I made a purchase... and wanted to share with you what I bought. I got this v2 Summilux boxed. The used gear expert at Leica said it's pretty much perfect, so I'm quite happy with my buy.

Can't wait to burn through some film with this now!!! I'm planning on bringing this with me to the Arctic to shoot the Northern Lights this winter! Summilux 1.4 with Portra 800 pushed to 1600... ahhh bliss!!!

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Congrats!  I think you made the right choice.

[Life By Stills]

13 minutes ago, lifeandmylens said:

Congrats!  I think you made the right choice.

Haha thanks for all your input @lifeandmylens! Although I am tempted to also get my hands on the Voigtlander, slap on a black mist / diffusion filter on it, and then do a blind test to see if you guys can tell the difference hahaha.

[lifeandmylens]

12 minutes ago, Life By Stills said:

Haha thanks for all your input @lifeandmylens! Although I am tempted to also get my hands on the Voigtlander, slap on a black mist / diffusion filter on it, and then do a blind test to see if you guys can tell the difference hahaha.

I’ve tried already  

1/4 and 1/2 black pro mist on the CV 35 1.4 II SC.  It’s not the same. 

[Life By Stills]

6 minutes ago, lifeandmylens said:

I’ve tried already  

1/4 and 1/2 black pro mist on the CV 35 1.4 II SC.  It’s not the same. 

Hahaha. Well, that's that settled then LOL. Have you got some of those samples you can share? Am curious as to how they might look.

[pippy]

1 hour ago, Life By Stills said:

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who offered their thoughts and opinions! I made a purchase... and wanted to share with you what I bought. I got this v2 Summilux boxed. The used gear expert at Leica said it's pretty much perfect, so I'm quite happy with my buy.

Can't wait to burn through some film with this now!!! I'm planning on bringing this with me to the Arctic to shoot the Northern Lights this winter! Summilux 1.4 with Portra 800 pushed to 1600... ahhh bliss!!!

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Congrats on the v2! I, for one, would be very interested to hear your views - if you ever feel the inclination to compare the rendering of your examples of these two lenses - once you have had time to put this and the LLL through their paces!

If you don't mind my asking do you know / would care to share which year your v2 was made?

Very best of Good Shooting with your lenses and I trust you will have lots of fun.

Philip.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Life By Stills]

58 minutes ago, pippy said:

Congrats on the v2!

Thanks so much, and thank you also for all your thoughts and ideas! It's that glow that I'm quite fond of, so it's definitely Summilux rather than Voigtlander Nokton. Although having played with it, I do see what everyone means when they describe it as a "modern version of the Summilux". Having said that, I found the Summilux being able to resolve details better - amazing considering the age vs modern lens!

59 minutes ago, pippy said:

if you ever feel the inclination to compare the rendering of your examples of these two lenses - once you have had time to put this and the LLL through their paces!

Of course - would love to share! Although you might have to be a bit patient for the comparison. I might take both the Summilux and the LLL with me to the Arctic to see if I can get some northern lights shots with Portra 800 pushed to 1600. A friend suggested I give CineStill 800 a go with the Summilux to see how the glow / halation would render on the CineStill, which will also produce its own halation on the highlights. Could be a VERY glowy photo, but defo up for trying. But yes, to get back to your point, @pippy, I definitely wouldn't mind sharing - though you'll have to wait / be patient for it.

1 hour ago, pippy said:

If you don't mind my asking do you know / would care to share which year your v2 was made?

Not at all! I believe it's a 1972 sample. Not quite earliest 1961 sample, but not quite latest 1995 sample either. Near the middle-ish, but still with some age to it.