50 Noctilux uncrews!?

[Olsen]

Is this normal?

i had a ND filter on my Noctilux and when i tried to unscrew the filter off, the front half of the lens started unscrewing instead of the filter! is this normal? i just screwed it back tightly (wasn't so curious to unscrew a $3,500 lens all the way to see what would happen).

i've taken it out a couple time and the pictures come out fine, but i'm alittle worried that somethings is not right.

is it normal for the lens to screw off like that?

thanks

I am shocked!

I have just got back a few films with 13 x 19,3 mm paper copies from, among others, my first Noctilux pictures. I have the Canon EF 50 mm 1,0L equaliant and have learned to live with it's strong and weak (vignetting) sides. I don't have any direct comparisons, but know the Canon lense - I have had it for many years, and know what to expect from it - both from a Portra 160 VC - or paper copies from my 1Ds II.

That should be said; the Noctilux does vignette less than it's Canon equaliant. Particularly compared to pictures from the 1Ds II. And, thanks to the viewfinder system, somewhat easier to focus under certain circumstances; very important when the DOF is only millimetres. But that is about all the advantages the Noctilux can offer compared to the Canon EF 50 mm 1,0L.

Canon offers better sharpness (particularly the 1Ds II files) better micro contrast, which is what you test when shooting with a Portra 160 VC, really, and better contrast at max aparture. Stopped down they both look more equal - to a Voigtländer 50 mm Color Scopar 2,5 to the fraction of the price.

Add to that that the Canon lense was some 30% cheaper when it was on the shelves, that it has AF and data busses telling the camera - and your computer what lense and aparture you are using and had a far more solid construction; like a hand grenade from WWI.

Still, Leica has this myth about them that they make these fantastic lenses - while many of Canon's have been compromized by their own digital camera....