A New Legend is Born - My review of the 50 Nokton

[Spicy]

Shame that it's only available in M mount. With LTM lenses, you see occasional whining, and everyone claims "oh it's no big deal, you can just use an adapter," but us LTM camera users get thrown under the bus with new M mount lenses...

Sure would look great on a IIIc or Canon P... Oh well, guess that sucks

 

[johannielscom]

Shame that it's only available in M mount. With LTM lenses, you see occasional whining, and everyone claims "oh it's no big deal, you can just use an adapter," but us LTM camera users get thrown under the bus with new M mount lenses...

Sure would look great on a IIIc or Canon P... Oh well, guess that sucks

Same here, sadly this isn't cutting it for my lovely Leica II's...

GREAT SHOTS on your write-up!

 

[Erik van Straten]

I've found a great shade for it, looks like it has been made for it.

Erik.

 

[jsrockit]

Shame that it's only available in M mount. With LTM lenses, you see occasional whining, and everyone claims "oh it's no big deal, you can just use an adapter," but us LTM camera users get thrown under the bus with new M mount lenses...

Sure would look great on a IIIc or Canon P... Oh well, guess that sucks

Well, I'd consider yourself lucky for all the LTM lenses that came out in the last 15 years... who would have thought that was going to happen?

 

[splitimageview]

Shame that it's only available in M mount.

Just get one of the earlier versions?

 

[Nick De Marco]

Thanks for all the comments.
This Nokton is growing on me.
I have just been using it on my M in Italy and stopped down it is one of the sharpest 50s I have ever seen

As an owner and lover of the Zeiss 50 Sonar 1.5 I thought I would do best to answer Raid's useful questions:

If the optical construction is the same, than does a nicer lens body tempt you to replace your ltm Nokton with the M Nokton?

As for choosing between the Zeiss 50/1.5 and the CV Nokton 50/1.5, which lens :
1. is sharper - I think it's close, but I think the Nokton might just win it - not enough to justify choosing one over the other though
2. has higher resolution - no idea - both good enough on the Leica M
3, higher contrast/lower contrast - both high contrast lenses, Sonar I expect slightly higher contrast
4. has more/less focus shift - Sonar has more focus shift - well known for it. I got mine re-optimised from f2.8 to f1.5. This is not an issue with the Nokton
5. feels better on your camera - Both feel good. The advantage of the Sonar is its tiny size - the Nokton feels a better build though
6. focuses closer - the Nokton (.7 v .9) this is the main advantage of the Nokton for me - I get annoyed not being able to get close enough with a 50.
7. has maybe a better resale value - no idea
8. makes you a happier photographer - if shooting at only f1.5 I love them both - as above the reason I would ultimately prefer the Nokton is it allows me to get closer and for me that is significant.

"Better" means many things.

Nick

 

[raid]

Thanks for your feedback, Nick. It seems that in your case the main point for getting this lens was the closer minimum focusing distance.

 

[rfaspen]

I'm also unhappy that LTM is not getting attention. I really do like to use my lenses on both mounts. I'm grateful for CV's production of LTM lenses over the last several years, but I don't see them making many new lenses in screw mount anymore, just M mount. Must coincide with the end of the Bessa R and transition to the R2x, R3x, R4x series with M mount only.

0.7m vs. 0.9 is unfortunate for me. I would only consider the LTM version of this lens (for time being) and now I feel like its inferior knowing there's a closer focusing version out there. No question the performance is outstanding with either version.

I guess I'm sticking with my Canon 50/1.4 as my main "fast" 50 for now.

 

[seakayaker1]

Nick, thanks for the great review and beautiful photographs posted in your blog.

I own a copy of the LTM Nokton 50/1.5 and love it. Like others, I may already have enough 50's, or is four enough?

Certainly I would love a Chrome Version of the Nokton (M) but that is just going to have to wait.
Time and patience, time and patience, time and patience, . . . . .
. . . . . ya thats the answer, time and patience . . . . .

 

[froyd]

Nick, thanks for the great review and beautiful photographs posted in your blog.

I own a copy of the LTM Nokton 50/1.5 and love it. Like others, I may already have enough 50's, or is four enough?

Certainly I would love a Chrome Version of the Nokton (M) but that is just going to have to wait.
Time and patience, time and patience, time and patience, . . . . .
. . . . . ya thats the answer, time and patience . . . . .

I believe the LTM can be modified to focus at .7m. I believe Cameraquest offers this service, though I'm not sure how much it costs. For those handy with tools I believe there are tutorials online on how to achieve the closer focusing.

 

[asiafish]

Well anyone who laments the loss of screw mount, I will happily trade my LTM Nokton for your M mount Nokton.

 

[ferider]

I love the new Nokton ...

Me too. Nice photos, Nick.

What's hard to describe is the amazing build quality of this new lens. The ltm version and even the c-sonar feel cheap compared to the new nokton (mine is chrome as well).

You guys might not care, but for me handling is half the rangefinder experience.

Roland.

 

[Nick De Marco]

Me too. Nice photos, Nick.

What's hard to describe is the amazing build quality of this new lens. The ltm version and even the c-sonar feel cheap compared to the new nokton (mine is chrome as well).

You guys might not care, but for me handling is half the rangefinder experience.

Roland.

Agreed Roland

The Nokton is made as well as it draws


Girl with a black dress and a White Lomo by nickdemarco, on Flickr

Nick

 

[estepan99]

Portra-Colors

Portra-Colors

Hi Nick!

I like your gallery very much, both b&w and color are outstanding!

Is this the natural portra-color or did you do some post-processing?
Did you adjust the film-processing for exposing the film with 200 iso?

Would be great letting me know your secret because thats the kind of color I am looking for for years now, admitting I have never tried portra!

Thank you,
Stephan

 

[santela]

Nice review, great pictures. You are really making it hard for me to hold back on this lens.

 

[Dez]

I recently got one of the LTM versions, and I'm happy with it, but I have to ask about the lens shade. It appears that its only practical function is to protect the front element from damage on a frontal impact, as it is so shallow it's hard to believe it is of any use in reducing lens flare. The manufacturer must have thought it was a good idea, as it only provided a lenscap that fits over the shade. One disadvantage to the shade is that it keeps the camera from fitting into a standard Leica case, while with a standard 52mm lenscap it fits just fine. I see the new version also comes with the same shade arrangement, although at 49mm. What is the thinking there?

The clip-on shade from a Nikkor 50mm lens from a Nikon SLR fits just fine and gives good flare protection, but cuts off a fair bit of the 50mm frame in my M4. I think I might modify one with a hole to cure the blockage.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[gsgary]

New 50F1.5 and very first roll of Agfa APX100

 

[Dez]

Same here, sadly this isn't cutting it for my lovely Leica II's...

GREAT SHOTS on your write-up!

I recently bought one of the LTM version to put on my M4. I tried it on my old Barnacks, and it's just too big, covering a big chunk of the finder even without its vestigial lens shade. Works great on a Canon P though.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[aizan]

the bokeh looks a lot smoother in these shots than i've seen in others. reconsidering a purchase...:bang:

 

[_lou_]

I received mine a few weeks ago. I'm very pleased with the build of the black version, even if it ain't solid brass. At the end of the day it's not the brass that makes the images.

I find it pretty good wide open, not critically sharp and contrasty, but good enough for an emergency low light shot. Other than that, I prefer to stick to f/2.8 where it deliver very crisp pictures (and maybe a tad too much contrast in fact). The D.O.F. is very thin at wider apertures, and I don't think I can trust my rangefinder that much.

I absolutely love the close focusing ability, for me close focusing is hardly an issue any more (as opposed to RF645's 1m which always get into the way).

All in all a fine lens, I'll try to scan some pictures to post.