Best M mount lenses for bokeh, separation, and character

[FrozenInTime]

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Bokeh: 40mm f/1.2 Nokton - a very smooth transition, much more practical than a Noctilux.

Separation: 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux - really shines wide open in the sun with a ND.

Character: 50mm f/1.5 Heliar - old school look, glow with outlining ( 35mm f/.4 MS Apoqualia as runner up ).

Hero: 35mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH - if I was forced to keep only one lens.

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[SoarFM]

On 11/28/2024 at 1:54 PM, RexGig0 said:

Bokeh: Summilux-M 50mm ASPH. 

Separation: Well, I have been so satisfied with the overall performance of my Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, I have not looked further into this specific factor.

Character: Summilux-M 50mm ASPH.

Hero: Summilux-M 50mm ASPH.

More on Bokeh: I like smooth bokeh. This means the entire character of the background blur, not simply “bokeh balls,” or other limited aspects of background blur. I do not normally like images with “busy” or “swirly” bokeh, or “soap bubbles,” though in limited doses, in the right setting, these can be nicely done.

On this “hero lens” thing, well, I feel that I started at the top, when I added the Leica M system, with a pre-owned Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, and, a new M10, in April 2018, a post-retirement self-gift. I had done the on-line research, looking at sample images, over a period of several years. I had looked into multiple lenses, and multiple camera systems. There had been a conflict, whether to buy a “character” lens, or a “super-telephoto” lens, for serious bird photography, on Nikon DSLR cameras, which my wife and I both used. A right rotator cuff injury, while moving heavy debris after Hurricane Harvey, in late 2017, had caused me to indefinitely suspend shooting with long, heavy lenses, so, it made no sense to continue shopping for 600mm f/4 or 400mm f/2.8 “hero” DSLR lenses. This created the budgetary opportunity to buy into the Leica M system. My pre-owned Summilux, and a new M10, cost considerably less than either of the super-telephoto Nikon lenses I/we had been considering.

So, at age 56.5, I started using the Leica M system. By age 57, my shoulder had healed, and was being re-strengthened, but, I felt no urge to buy either of those heavy, expensive Nikon lenses, to chase birds. Now, at age 63, I still use DSLRs, for nature photography, but, we do not need the “super telephoto” class of lenses, and have aged-out of wanting to carry their weight. I still favor the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, as my “hero” lens, and do not believe that I “settled for less.” Those super-telephoto lenses would have shot technically “perfect” images, but, I was ready to shoot images with “character.”

Money cannot buy a “more heroic” M-mount lens, for me, than the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH. A Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH would have a similar Peter Karbe design team “character,” would render a reasonably similar background blur, and would provide another stop of available light, in low-light conditions, but, would not be “better,” or more heroic, just a supplement/complement. The Close Focus of a Version II of the Summilux-M ASPH would not really be more useful, because I already have an APO Summicron-M 75mm ASPH, which has a Maximum Magnification specification that lets it do, at 0.7m, what the 50 ASPH II does at its Minimum Focusing Distance.

 

I believe the Summilux-M 50 ASPH to be one of the finest deals in Leica lenses. It is a superb lens in every way. To put it in perspective, I also have a Noctilux 1.0 v4, Noctilux .95, and a Noctilux 1.2 (reissue) which are all great lenses with their own character. All the Noctiluxes clean up very nicely by f 2.0, meaning all the character is to be found in the wide open settings. I also have a 50 APO, which at 2.0 is better than all the other 50’s at 2.0 and smaller. My inexact feeling is that the Summilux at 1.4 has a just perfect combination of “sharpness” and a very pleasing look in out of focus areas and its size is wonderfully small compared to the Noctiluxes. I could keep only one 50mm lens, without a doubt it would be the Summilux-M ASPH 

[sometimesmaybe]

On 11/29/2024 at 10:16 AM, FrozenInTime said:

AI chatbot as a solution ?

i hope not... who else is going to listen to me pontificate with a bunch of other (presumably) middle aged men over the merits or otherwise of some out of focus rendering 😅

[LarsHP]

Thypoch Simera 28mm @ f/1.4. 

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[Scrapbook]

The Summarit 5cm is a wonderful lens. Bokeh is characterful but sometimes too"nervous". 

Claus

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