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New NOKTON 50mm 1.1 CV Noct arrived today


Bo_Lorentzen

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Hi Sean,

 

I sure hope you test a Noct 50/f1.0 (latest 11822) as these are much more affordable than the .95 versions. Also, not sure any accurate reviews are really out there. I know that my Noctilux f1.0 never had extreme vignetting (e.g. 3 stops??) as some reviews have pointed out.

 

When I get caught up I'll test this and the Leica 50/.95. That should be interesting. BTW, I mentioned your coding template in the review of the CV 15/4.5 II and I'll say here that its got to be the best thing an M8 photographer can buy for just $5.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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You should have simply posted a few shots and said they was from a Noctilux. It would have been interesting to see how many of the usual Leica fanboys would start salivating about how "wonderfully soft but sharp it is, blah blah". Knowing it doesn't have Leica written on the front, those same people will think the lens is crap.

 

I think the results from this Voigtländer Nocton 50 mm 1,1 looks far better than what I would expect from my Noctilux 50 mm 1,0 (w/built in sun shade). But so is my Zeiss ZM 50 mm 2,0 too. It far exeeds the Noctilux in just everything. Except the size of the DOF.

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I just got around to downloading Bo's DNG street shot (Peet's), & like Enrico I was surprisingly disappointed by the resolution.

 

The portrait in the earlier post impressed me more, but this shot makes me wonder whether or not I'd want to use the lens wide open.

 

I usually use older Summicrons, but have a 35 Nokton 1.2 & 50 Nokton 1.5 for lower light. Both consistently perform better than what I saw in the Peet's shot.

 

I won't get excited until I read a careful & favorable review by Sean.

 

Kirk

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I hope to see some images uploaded on this thread. If anyone has made the purchase, show us your stuff, let's see what this lens can really do wide open in low light situations.

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Hello Wilfredo.

 

2009-07-04-50mm-nokton-11-Joyce.jpg

Shot in DEEP shadow at Cafe Verona on La Brea,

 

2009-07-01-nokton11-12.jpg

At Jerry's Diner on Beverly Blvd.... generally speaking a dark spot.

 

2009-07-02-50mm-nokton-11-at-MOCA.JPG

At MOCA for the Robert Franks exhibit, 1/30th at 1.1 @ iso 160 M8

 

Naturally these are all from the M8, and full frame film images will probably be a good deal different, for starters they will have a wider FOV, similar to a 35mm on the M8, which is why I personally strongly believe there is a need and a market for a 35mm Noct... from Leica or Voigtlander... I would buy that lens.

 

One could go darker and speed up the ISO... same thing so to speak.

The lens is turning out to be smoother than I had expected, and the last day I have noticed comparison images around the web from Canon and Hex lenses, where the posters point out that part of the charm of the lenses is the problems in them creating much more texture to the defocus area, referred to as wild swirls... I think that is a very interesting discussion, probably because I also feel that part of the noct charm (for me) is the slightly dirty performance with some inherent flaws. only time and a lot of pictures will really determine where this lens will rank, but it is interesting regardless because it is the only $1200 lens in the category actually available on the market.

 

My feelings is that regardless of the taste of the sophisticated critics (remember unlike most top artist, no art critic have ever had a statue in a public place), the price point and performance of the lens will surely invite young shooters on a budget to pick it up and do things with the lens because they have both vision and now the ability to purchase a ultra fast lens, they will eventually determine how the lens will be remembered.

 

BTW.. if you have time a afternoon, evening, let me know and we can catch a cup of coffee and you can give the lens a try.

 

.

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Bo -

 

Very nice photos. Thanks for posting and sharing them. I am interested in acquiring one.

 

I guess that you have not noticed focus issues (back/front, shift, etc.) with the lens.

 

cheers

 

mashu

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Huh? Wait a minute. You mean .... that isn't true? :eek:

 

A point of view I have stated many times and have been beat up about on this snob forum. I have stated that greater than 50% of leica glass owners could not tell leica glass from CV glass in most every day situations of picture taking (non-studio, non- 4 foot by 6 foot enlargements). I am vindicated.

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Let's clear one thing up now. Are we "nobs" or "snobs?" Or perhaps both?

 

you can only be one or the other, not both... and you would know which.

 

addendum: i am using an old definition of snob that apparently has been discredited, according to wikipedia, which i just checked.

so i guess i am too "the old man of discredited definitions" as Lars usually is of many other things...

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Hello Wilfredo.

 

2009-07-04-50mm-nokton-11-Joyce.jpg

Shot in DEEP shadow at Cafe Verona on La Brea,

 

2009-07-01-nokton11-12.jpg

At Jerry's Diner on Beverly Blvd.... generally speaking a dark spot.

 

2009-07-02-50mm-nokton-11-at-MOCA.JPG

At MOCA for the Robert Franks exhibit, 1/30th at 1.1 @ iso 160 M8

 

Naturally these are all from the M8

.

 

Curious why the last one is so sharp and the first one is soft. Is that a focus issue? Are they the same sized crops?

 

Thanks, the last one looks really nice, BTW.

 

Geoff

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Hello Geoff,

 

All 3 shots are full frame scaled to 800x600px

 

The first and last one is equally sharp, but the first one is a much lower contrast image, where as the last one is dark on white and a very high contrast scene. The lens is tack sharp. I had feared the dreaded front or back focus problems with this fast of a lens, but so far have not noticed any tendency for anything but neutral focusing, (though I figure that might change once I start shooting more images at smaller f.stops.)

 

.

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I wasn't planning on getting a Nokton 50/1.1 but I love extreme lenses and I'm afraid I was in the right place at the wrong time with my credit card. Here are three test shots from this evening. I do not have a UV/IR filter yet. I am also not interested in micro-testing the lens. I shoot pictures to process them, not to test lenses.

 

My initial reaction is that (a) there is some back focus in the shots, (B) it is inevitably soft at 1.1 but there is also a subtle glow rather like a soft filter which is the compensation for using such a wide aperture, © you are going to have to bracket shots, it is likely you'll get one keeper for 3-5 attempts.

 

Not that it matters but the build quality is very good on this lens. The focus is wonderfully smooth, almost buttery and the aperture ring is tight and positive. This has not been my experience with both Nokton 1.5s I have owned (speaking of which one will shortly appear in the buy/sell section).

 

All are shot at f1.1 on my M8 the first two at iso160 the last at iso640 in a pitch black room lit only by a UV lamp.

 

First one was focussed on the stamen in the front flower

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This one was focussed somewhere in the centre of flower

 

This was focussed on the shoulder of the vase below the bulb holder

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