VC 50f1.5 nokton

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photo4ls

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I have been considering the Voigtlander 50f1.5 lens for my M3. This lens
doesn't seem to be mentioned much for low light work, I would like to
know what users of this lens feel about it since you have used it . Please
post any photos if possible.
 
photo4ls said:
I have been considering the Voigtlander 50f1.5 lens for my M3. This lens
doesn't seem to be mentioned much for low light work, I would like to
know what users of this lens feel about it since you have used it . Please
post any photos if possible.
Click to expand...

One of the aspects I hear about this lens is it's high contrast. And that's what has kept me from it, especially for B&W and low light work. Personally I want my lens to be less contrasty for such work so that the highlights are more subtle and the details in the shadows come thru. I can always add contrast later at PS or printing time.
 
Hi Rich

Hi Rich

I've read the same, especially from the Sean Reid articles on LL. However, browsing through the flickr images, it seems like it may be lower contrast than say the 35/40 1.4 Noktons and modern DSLR glass in general.

I'll be trying one later this week, but I generally like high contrast except on bright sunny days.

If you can go wide to 35/1.2, that Nokton looks like the ultra low contrast lens, IMHO.

rich815 said:
One of the aspects I hear about this lens is it's high contrast. And that's what has kept me from it, especially for B&W and low light work. Personally I want my lens to be less contrasty for such work so that the highlights are more subtle and the details in the shadows come thru. I can always add contrast later at PS or printing time.
Click to expand...
 
Not that high contrast, in between the Ultrons and the color skopars,
in my experience. My Summicrons have more contrast.

But sharp and nice bokeh wide open.

Roland.
 
ferider said:
Not that high contrast, in between the Ultrons and the color skopars,
in my experience. My Summicrons have more contrast.

But sharp and nice bokeh wide open.

Roland.
Click to expand...

really? I'm guessing you mean more modern Summicron? I'm a lover of the modest contrast levels I get with my 50/2 Summicron DR and 90/4 Elmar....that's MY problem.....😛
 
So in terms of fast 50s, how does the Nokton compare with the Canon 1.2? I imagine it would be somewhat sharper & more contrasty.
 
Samples from CV Nokton 1.5

Samples from CV Nokton 1.5

I'm very impressed with the Nokton 1.5, I think it's a keeper.

This is my 4th CV lens, previous were the 2 28's (1.9 and 3.5), and the 35/1.7 Ultron. I ended up selling them all.

The 50/1.5 Nokton is a true fast 1.5 lens, unlike the 1.9 and 1.7 lenses which are basically f2 lenses, and soft wide open.

This lens has moderate contrast, and high sharpness, not as much as an asph leica, or even from what I've seen of the mini 35/40 1.4 Noktons, but more than the 35/1.2 CV or old lenses.

The lens flares wildly when overexposed, or aimed at the sun, much more than a cron asph or even Zeiss.

The nice thing is the f1.5 is very very fast almost like a Noctilux at f1.4 in the day, where even with a 2000th, ISO 200, you pretty much need an ND filter if you want to shoot in moderate sunlight wide open.

The lens is big, and gives great bokeh under daylight medium harsh conditions that I've been able to subject it to. This lens leaves me with no desire or need for any Summilux, but it wouldn't be my single lens to carry around, because even though the cron asph can flare, it controls it much better than this lens.

I think this lens is great for all around use and while I haven't shot it at night, I have tried some tricky foliage shots, and it has none of that nokton 1.4 wide open wierdness, but a very lux like rendering.

Something inside the lens makes a little grease spot in some but not all images so there is some internal reflections or something going on, but then again the price cannot allow for the build quality or QA of a Leitz lens so these things are to be expected.

Overall I'm very pleased and am going to be keeping this lens on my RD1 as my main < f2 lens for quite, and this may be my first CV keeper lens!

http://matsumura.smugmug.com/gallery/4554262_FqpHr#268348281

photo4ls said:
Ampguy,
Please keep me posted, would like to hear what you think.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Fausto said:
So in terms of fast 50s, how does the Nokton compare with the Canon 1.2? I imagine it would be somewhat sharper & more contrasty.
Click to expand...

I've just sold my Nokton and now do most of my 50mm shooting with an f1.2 Canon that I got a while ago ... that or my 50mm f2 Hexanon!

For me the Nokton was sharp : yes ... contrasty : yes ... nice bokeh : yes ... boringly predictable : yes!

I'm afraid the Canon kicks the Nokton's butt severely in the image charisma department ... I never know what it's going to give me next ... I love that and when I want total predictability I use the Hexanon! 🙂
 
Haven't tried the Canon 1.2

Haven't tried the Canon 1.2

But if it's old, it probably needs a huge lens hood and cleaning.

The M-Hexanon has no rivals, and is better color corrected and better flare control than the Nokton 50/1.5, but it is not nearly as fast. The Hexanon also has a look and signature that closely resembles that of the Noctilux. I'm going to be carrying both the Hex M 50/2 and Nokton 1.5 around for awhile, I like both!!

Keith said:
I've just sold my Nokton and now do most of my 50mm shooting with an f1.2 Canon that I got a while ago ... that or my 50mm f2 Hexanon!

For me the Nokton was sharp : yes ... contrasty : yes ... nice bokeh : yes ... boringly predictable : yes!

I'm afraid the Canon kicks the Nokton's butt severely in the image charisma department ... I never know what it's going to give me next ... I love that and when I want total predictability I use the Hexanon! 🙂
Click to expand...
 
ampguy said:
But if it's old, it probably needs a huge lens hood and cleaning.

The M-Hexanon has no rivals, and is better color corrected and better flare control than the Nokton 50/1.5, but it is not nearly as fast. The Hexanon also has a look and signature that closely resembles that of the Noctilux. I'm going to be carrying both the Hex M 50/2 and Nokton 1.5 around for awhile, I like both!!
Click to expand...


Hexanon signature similar to the Noctilux. 😱 🙂

I was lucky enough to get my Canon from Dante Stella throught the classifieds ... it's pristine and came with the genuine hood in it's original case ... it's enormous and I haven't had to use it yet as the Canon mainly gets used indoors at f1.2 🙂
 
Keith said:
Hexanon signature similar to the Noctilux. 😱 🙂

I was lucky enough to get my Canon from Dante Stella throught the classifieds ... it's pristine and came with the genuine hood in it's original case ... it's enormous and I haven't had to use it yet as the Canon mainly gets used indoors at f1.2 🙂
Click to expand...

I'm with you, Keith, although in my case it's my Canon 1.4. I know you had one and sold it, but I really like mine. The bokeh is great, and I've been getting some wonderful results lately with Foma 200.
 
the Nokton 50mm f/1.5 is a very nice lens. it's just about the right amount of contrast (for me) and i find it quite sharp wide open. i do recommend it.

that said, similar to Keith, i now really prefer the Canon 50mm f/1.2. it's not as contrasty, but that's easily fixed in aperture. it more than makes up for it in its OOF rendering. i have been surprised how sharp it is wide open (in the centre, mind you).

50mm seems to be that focal length where people end up acquiring multiple lenses. i also have a canon 50mm f/1.4 (which lives on my VI-T), a Summarit (which lives on the IIIf), and a jupiter 8 (which lives on a bessa -l).

i have several samples of the nokton and canon 1.2 on my flickr site.
 
Hello,
I agree with Oblio about the the Nokton 50mm f/1.5, it is a very nice lens. It has contrast and i find it quite sharp even wide open. I have no experience with any other LTm 50mm lens but I also do recommend it.
As it's the lens that I normally have on my camera you can see several samples in my gallery (and many are in low light conditions) and in my photoblog.
ciao
 
nico said:
Hello,
I agree with Oblio about the the Nokton 50mm f/1.5, it is a very nice lens. It has contrast and i find it quite sharp even wide open. I have no experience with any other LTm 50mm lens but I also do recommend it.
As it's the lens that I normally have on my camera you can see several samples in my gallery (and many are in low light conditions) and in my photoblog.
ciao
Click to expand...

Hello Nico, I just saw your photoblog ... it's like an old photo-book from 70-ies🙂 ... can you tell me, please wich lenses did you used besides CV50mm f:1.5? ( you are BESSA user, right? )
Best regards, Vlad.
 
PetarDima said:
Hello Nico, I just saw your photoblog ... it's like an old photo-book from 70-ies🙂 ... can you tell me, please wich lenses did you used besides CV50mm f:1.5? ( you are BESSA user, right? )
Best regards, Vlad.
Click to expand...

Hello Vlad,
thanks for visiting my blog ... you're right ... I can't make my photos look like they're shot nowdays 😱 ... and worst part is that I don't even know why 😕 🙂
Anyway, I'm a Bessa R satisfied user and beside the nokton 50 I use shot the CV skopar 21; sometimes, not very often, I use an old Orion 15 (28mm). I also recently bought a Voigtlandeer Vitessa that I keep always in my bag so a few photos are took through its ultron 50.
Ciao 🙂
 
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