50mm 'Cron or Nokton decision

The current cron is still the old formula the same as the one with the tab. I think it originated in the late 70's but might have been the early 80's. I had the late tabbed version and from my experience the Nokton is much lower in flare in backlit conditions. Sharpness is excellent in both. IMO the Nokton isn't that far off from my asph summilux 50. The summilux asph has a little advantage wide open but not a major one. I still favor the Planar over all others unless 1.5 / 1.4 is an issue.

FYI I purchased my planar new from Calumet either late last year or early this year, cant remember. I purchased it new with the box and US warranty from their ebay clearance store. I paid $461 new for it and it's the black version. Good deals can be found if you look.
 
I had the 50 Nokton with a Bessa R body and didn't really get on with it but That was more a personal thing. I am reasonably happy with the 'Cron. (a series 4 which replaced the tabbed series 3). However, the lens I am most comfortable with is the Pentax but that's just me.

If you buy a new Nokton and decide you don't like it, you will lose a fair amount on the resell. If you get a secondhand 'cron and decide against it, you could probably sell it for the same as you bought it.

Kim
 
Yes, but you can also get the Nokton 2ndhand (that's what I did).

Kim Coxon said:
If you buy a new Nokton and decide you don't like it, you will lose a fair amount on the resell. If you get a secondhand 'cron and decide against it, you could probably sell it for the same as you bought it.

Kim
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I'd advise Summicron DR or Rigid, as it's one of the best lenses ever made that delivers outstanding performance, given it's in a good condition, ie - no fungus, clear glass, etc. Great bokeh too. But if you need a faster lens, I suppose Nokton is a way to go. Build quality is different, some people had issues with Nokton. Rigid is made to a highest standard. I'd spend extra money and go with a Rigid.
 
Have you considered Nokton 40mm 1.4? The lens is very compact and you can easily slip the camera into yr coat pocket; very unobtrusive and people hardly know that i'm holding a camera. I also found the f1.4 very useful for indoor and low-light shooting.

Good luck.
 
In honor of this thread the 50mm Nokton was the only lens I carried today. Granted my photography isn't much of a benchmark for anything I remembered that I do really like the lens.

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I really like that second pic Carl ... very cool!

The one thing that peeves me off about my Nokton and I've heard others complain about it is how easily the aperture adjustment moves ... so easy to move it accidentally when focusing etc! It's a great lens as stated but is large and obstructs a fair bit of the 50mm frame on most rangefinders which I find distracting.

The first time I used my DR Summicron with black and white film I was very impressed at it's capabilities! It would be my choice if I had to chose between the two!

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Keith said:
I really like that second pic Carl ... very cool!

The one thing that peeves me off about my Nokton and I've heard others complain about it is how easily the aperture adjustment moves ... so easy to move it accidentally when focusing etc! It's a great lens as stated but is large and obstructs a fair bit of the 50mm frame on most rangefinders which I find distracting.

The first time I used my DR Summicron with black and white film I was very impressed at it's capabilities! It would be my choice if I had to chose between the two!

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Thank's for the compliment!

I've noticed that the aperture ring is not very "tight" and I can see myself accidently changing it even though I can't remember actually changing it without knowing.

I think all my shot's were done at 1.5 but I could be mistaken.

I have a rigid summicron, and it's back in New Jersey I think. I always liked the Nokton better. (I know, cursing in a church) I've been tempted by a current generation summicron but it's money I don't have.
I've never used a DR summicron and wouldn't get one because I can't use it on the M8 and even though I can use it on the M6 I like everything to be able to be compatible.

That's a nice piece of machinery Keith, is it yours?
 
Damn - this isn't getting any easier!

Firstly, thanks for the suggestions about the 40m 'cron and Nokton. hThing is, my M3 won't have 40mm framelines and I'd like to keep to what it does best (for now, at least...)

I think you've all convinced me that neither is a bad choice, and in fact there's almost nothing to call between them. Each has advantages that perfectly balance against the other's. So as Marc says, it's got to be on what tonality I want.

I saw Carl's Nokton shots and thought "my god - that's it. I need a lens that does that. Sorted." Then I saw Keith's DR shot and the tonality made me swoon. Just need to decide between these two styles.

So - a challenge. Let's see which lens mimics the other the best. Anyone got a really strong, contrasty shot from a 'cron? Or a creamy dreamy shot from a Nokton?

BTW, good to hear from you again, Kim!
 
jamiewakeham said:
Damn - this isn't getting any easier!
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Lol, I know this feeling Jamie 🙂

Here are some pics.
First batch: Nokton 50/1.5
 

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For ME - it's a pure subjective preference-based opinion - the winner is the rigid Summicron. It's a versatile lens that produces photographical drawing (I add that I prefer the Summitar for portraits, but the Summicron is a bit better for street shooting).
As for the Planar ZM and the Nokton, I can't really rank them but I'd say the Nokton is the best for the price. The Planar has a more drawing/painting rendition than the Nokton, and is a bit smaller than the Nokton.
 
Hi Jamie,

I recommend to make it completely dependent on the speed that you need.
The rendition and contrast will depend much more on film/processing
than on the lens that you choose. If you use the Nokton with
a 52mm filter ring instead of the stock hood (it is very flare resistant)
it will not intrude in the M3 framelines - it's the hood that makes
it big.

If you need f1.5 DOF for close up portraits (about 3cm) and/or if you
want to shoot landscapes or architecture at f2, get the Nokton (it's "sharper").
Otherwise get the Summicron - it's smaller and has beautiful rendition.
Note that I found the Nokton to handle faster than the Summicron, too.

Best,

Roland.
 
ferider said:
Hi Jamie,

I recommend to make it completely dependent on the speed that you need.
The rendition and contrast will depend much more on film/processing
than on the lens that you choose. If you use the Nokton with
a 52mm filter ring instead of the stock hood (it is very flare resistant)
it will not intrude in the M3 framelines - it's the hood that makes
it big.

If you need f1.5 DOF for close up portraits (about 3cm) and/or if you
want to shoot landscapes or architecture at f2, get the Nokton (it's "sharper").
Otherwise get the Summicron - it's smaller and has beautiful rendition.
Note that I found the Nokton to handle faster than the Summicron, too.

Best,

Roland.
Click to expand...

That's a sound advice 🙂 I stick to my opinion though 🙄
 
Consider also the possibility that the Bargain lens from KEH might have issues and it would be a lot more difficult to get that rectified given that you live in Europe. With a brand new Nokton you have little chance that something could go wrong. I think the Nokton is more versatile not only because of the faster aperture but also it can be used for both color and B&W.
 
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