Prosaic
Well-known
I have a brand new 40/1.4 (multi coated) that I tried today. Results are rather dreamy at 1.4 close up. Its getting better at medium distances. Is this the performance to expect? I have fifty year old canon glass that performs just as well and would have expected at least some improvement over the last few decades in lens design. I might as well have a bad copy though...
Colman
Established
That doesn't sound right. I don't think I'd ever describe anything from the 40/1.4 as dreamy! Unforgiving, maybe.
Focusing it close-up can be pretty challenging though, since obviously the DOF is non-existent, and if you had a bad copy then the greater DOF at medium distances might hide the problem.
Focusing it close-up can be pretty challenging though, since obviously the DOF is non-existent, and if you had a bad copy then the greater DOF at medium distances might hide the problem.
ferider
Veteran
It is sharp wide open, just as good as a Summicron 40/2 for instance. Here are examples:
And crop:
Bigger pictures here: http://ferider.smugmug.com/gallery/2727734_MNe74.
But your camera RF has to work very well, and you have to focus carefully, close up DOF is 2cm. Do a test photo with a measuring tape on tripod and see.
Roland.
And crop:
Bigger pictures here: http://ferider.smugmug.com/gallery/2727734_MNe74.
But your camera RF has to work very well, and you have to focus carefully, close up DOF is 2cm. Do a test photo with a measuring tape on tripod and see.
Roland.
Merelyok
Well-known
I don't have much experience with the lens close up, but i do quite alot of night photography with the 40 and usually shoot it wide open at night. It is quite acceptable wide open, to me at least.
Here is a sample from a somewhat medium distance.
Here is a sample from a somewhat medium distance.
eleskin
Well-known
I have this lens and have found that my 35mm Summicron is sharper wide open on my M8. I have the 4th version, Canadian "King of Bokeh". I would like to see a sharpness comparison between the 35mm f1.2 Nokton, the 40mm Nokton, and the Noctilux f1.0.
Phantomas
Well-known
I find this lens particularly dreamy when I leave the autofocus on.
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Prosaic, you might have fifty year old Canon glass but the only really fast glass they made that was really decent back then was the 50mm f/1.4. Nobody that I know of was turning out 40mm lenses for Leica, and the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux I had back in the sixties? The best I can say for it is that it WAS f/1.4.
Phantomas, ain't technology great? There's just no way I'd ever expect to get such nice dreamy images if I had to rely on my eye looking through the rangefinder as my fingers gently turned the lens barrel. Lucky you!
Phantomas, ain't technology great? There's just no way I'd ever expect to get such nice dreamy images if I had to rely on my eye looking through the rangefinder as my fingers gently turned the lens barrel. Lucky you!
Phantomas
Well-known
Turn the lens barrel?...