35mm Ultron or 35mm Nokton?

[Disaster_Area]

I've got a silver LTM 35mm Ultron and I'm thinking of trying to trade up to the f1.2 Nokton... looking for opinions from those that have or had both. Size of the Nokton isn't an issue for me, I've got big hands. I use my Ultron 50/50 film and digital... how's the Nokton on digital?

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I don't use digital cameras, and I don't own any of them, but...
Just for curiosity, why do you want to trade the Ultron?
It's considered a better lens technically, a wonderful one, and it's aspherical, what can be seen with digital cameras more than with fast film... None of them were designed precisely for sensors as far as I know, the Nokton having the strongest barrel distortion in Voigtlander's 35's line.
The speed difference is basically nothing in the real world... IMO it has (the Nokton) a very, VERY beautiful transition from focused to defocused zones, though...
I use a Summaron stopped down for street just because it's very small, has zero distortion, and at f/8 on 400 film it's like using a V1 Summicron... Mandler just used computers to recalculate the 3.5 Summaron from the late 40's, and offered two versions of the same lens but with better corner performance for wider apertures and closer focus, those being the 2.8 Summaron and the V1 Summicron from the late 50's; and I also use a 35 CV Skopar (2.5) I bought before the Summaron (I'm weak for selling gear), for the same reasons, small size and low distortion... A great lens, the Skopar, by the way.
More modern 35's, optimized for digital, like aspherical Leicas, are far away in price, another world... Anyway, what's wrong with the Ultron? Is it horrible for digital? I'm here more for learning than for any other reason... Corrections are well received too!
Cheers,
Juan

 

[Disaster_Area]

To be honest, the Ultron has been amazing on film and digital... I mostly just want to change things up, and the Nokton has a few advantages for me:

- f1.2 vs f1.7, I shoot a lot of low-light and every bit of speed counts

- Bigger barrel... I've got huge mitts and I feel the ergonomics of the Nokton would be better for me

... and, I've just always wanted one 🙂

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were talking about the 1.4 35... The 1.2 is a more interesting lens, of course...
Cheers,
Juan

 

[ktmrider]

I have both a 35f1.2 Nokton and 35f2.8 C-Biogon and use both M2's and an M9. I bought the C-Biogon as a travel lens due to the Noktons size. Both lenses work great on the M9 and honestly the 35f1.2 Nokton seems to live on the M9 as it helps make up for the M9's ISO limitations.

You say the size of the Nokton is not an issue then get one. The Photo Village seems to always have a few used ones in stock for $200-300 off retail.