Asph Nokton-M 50/1.5 V2 and Asph Nokton 50/1.5 LTM- Informal Comparison

The Nokton 50/1.5 Asph LTM and V1 M-Mount: modernized Double-Gauss with aspheric optics. 6 elements in 5 groups, the classic Canon 50/1.4 is 6 in 4. Most classic f1.4 lenses are 7 elements. The LTM 50/1.5 Nokton Asph goes for about the same as the Canon in clean condition. Read: it's a steal...
 
At F1.5-



I read a comment on another forum that the v2 Nokton exhibits Focus Shift. I do my comparisons wide-open and at F4, where the focus shift should be at its worst.

Wide-Open, Min Focus.



At F4, closest focus.



This is a relief type plaque- "not much depth" to the characters. If I had used a Sonnar, the figures would be out of focus.

In short- I just do not see any observable focus shift. Between F1.5 and F4- I'm seeing the DOF reaching out in front and in back of the main point of focus.

I've started using imgbb for image hosting- be sure to click the "Load full resolution" if you want to pixel peep.
 
Different "Bronze Bas Relief" plaque with the LTM Asph Nokton.

Wide-Open,




At F4,



If there was any appreciable about of focus shift, this image would be out of focus. I could never get a shot like this with a Sonnar without manually compensating. Whci I did not do with the Noktons, just not necessary.
 
Nokton V2, wide-open and close-focus on the M9. We went to Leesylvania state park today- warm and sunny in December.



"The Look"...


And the happier look-

 
Wide-Open,



And at F4.



At F1.5:





Focus shift on this lens- not within my ability to focus the M9 using a 1.25x magnifier. I just don't see it. If this level of focus shift in a lens bothers anyone, they should stick to using an EVF and mirrorless camera, not an RF.
 
The most boring test ever.... holding folded white paper up against a window, lens set to infinity, no filter, no hood, lens coding off, change the F-Stop.

After reading the review on Fred Miranda, decided these results are in-line with his test of the Nokton-M V2. There is a price for reduced size, it is vignetting in the corners. The new lens at its worst is almost 2 F-Stops on my M9. Wide-Open at F1.5.



My LTM 50mm F1.5 Asph Nokton, with its bigger front element, longer optical path, fewer elements- A little over 1 F-Stop of vignetting. Wide-Open at F1.5.

 
Quick brick wall test wide open between VM Nokton 50mm f1.5 v1 and v2, the v2 image shows sharper but also darker corners.

VM Nokton 50mm f1.5 v1
UrHdH7s7wOLeGyXZuhQQDpoNJDIC4G3RnZPehZKDk7-M1zBMxkIxdTemq9TmW-FXu-TIMJnxEtUYcJG_1s33PeXuXyeT0UEQVuoiXpxkeAD2VTWkOQVfIsVK1r0VfSUx17fpUaBZYxyh7xFRbdO3gXlSs5SolnAt3TD4IgvwRPCPacKND8LMQw4mrKuuuny8ZWRRkxDtF3U5FKymHP9UPdavEMNZue5Gi9gNDxqEQtK732yZMaBURlJUQoKyxZwy-2EqRk-OfweT8L-ucFaZCOIWtzmuMuJB0RxbkjGjL2dkVDplaTqWz1iVdyRPZluyVuIgbGogTZ83T1JUGi3eXl7SvDotFDJjK20HFnHwkdvF_8qZxiYhvPRYNxvY3YcGlEQ-cQ_DG1sCshcWEiMMCrh7MNvQ0sL_oWuJJXibdherkipC2S6oO5gMAGdcHxEMqCoFJIWhE07gmcS31gJzzNmVmcs7owHIcmiDjotmwdshhxwOk1DLhhG49BY_AUT8NUOiEC9z_2LiqbrBVLqsL5H3h83AqzSRKXgaVvvpD70R2-rbQ7KpDfR8FSzQbXemLADNgRxY9Chew_XUXm_7yJFc3jyJVgw15JIwg4qWgaxGe15Q4gpJ7SyIKH4JdavWRECEHNRhfoBsuOeRnvenuwYQ0Djv4DYMzmezKaS4DkfL677of5Ml2KN14PbY3Q=w2078-h1385-no


VM Nokton 50mm f1.5 v2
Y620m2ArmMK8mR1L2ai-7RknBGBKPC1KSK28c5t7YWp9WXCfSiXiqHvvvYegqzLjgqwmbbtOqODaA996BVCbQT0lXsVlJrE8odVp_bw7h_sauh4-zy9XB_bA5vgV55pcFI-eV-DQrDof0iTqjYPLyz1NlxHCDGYjjxkGhGDYs2BPnb9ZIGeaIsiiL9ySUFbvkeYulfWI9seel3rFbXWwiBYOvD5hDdVHOcQhQMvTV1JJxYfbYue_COmNa0m5aeHl0zPWsGtz4T79Te6tAKzJvlay2C_9adLvo7bXgffZRBORGHdowrvaVoPXRP56MY95nxo-1-chm0H8c75ihxkD641iu5MynP16E2JdicGcsyvLSx9x0223HQiJJD7DYR7dXbFFIORaDOvjSGhL3QNPaUjAZ0w56kLrhgp7USC5-AzZGPh7n_J3Y_ytAzOvxL418vTwowCjB80nDzx5AHCwtbL5Vg9hbBcH0TzuLPhMEjWiGBWvE-5DTquk3cHaI0LiloHdZlk_3dz1dRB7C0aF-sS-t2UFTOD8YL9bEtbU8h1MJNZia6r9cR-wGpwMBvJ6VH8lKA6PH5vlkAWD_jznH-NcID6dDpo5EeXbWsy8omOnflxvYocPzC_oT92FMaGjWkp7Q3Q0lJbisOw7jzfyCP73xdwljZikEnvRMofAtQ0C2X6pm3ct4xqi9yvD3A=w2078-h1385-no


-Thomas
 
The M Monochrom and M9 store the same number of pixels in the DNG file, but the edge pixels are thrown away in the interpolation process for the M9.

My code reads the image data from the DNG file, bins pixels in 8x8 squares, normalizes the values to the center.

Distance is in Pixels, each pixel is 6.7microns.

Across the Diagonal of the image.

Values are normalized to the center of each image.

These are with the M9.



This is across the middle row of the image.



Middle Column.





Code written back in the 1980s, updated for DNG and ported to Watcom Fortran-77.
The graphs- custom Fortran program.
 
I found an HP pen and ink Plotter emulator for Windows. It reads in the HPGL commands, displays the plot, and outputs a BMP file. My Fortran code can plot on the screen, HP Plotter, or HP Printer that does HPGL. In 1986- was hard to get plots like this on a PC. I used DISSPLA graphics on the mainframes since 1979. I ended up writing my own version of it for the PC.

I wrote the Fortran code to compute and display these plots today. Needed a break from writing device drivers...
 
Old school geek that takes a break by coding in Fortran. 🙂

I've got a couple of old pieces of hardware that used HPGL but I don't think I every really did much on anything with it.

Shawn
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9422.jpg
    IMG_9422.jpg
    161.5 KB · Views: 0
Nice work, looks like you are having way too much fun with these plots. I'm currently trying to decide whether to keep my Nokton f1.5 v1 (M-mount) or the v2. So far leaning towards keeping the v1. I like the handling and size of the new lens, but it seems to me that they went to far to try to get sharpness across the field wide open and also make the lens really small. Would love to see the v1 in a different mount, I hate the focus ring, but can't see that happening now.

-Thomas
 
I had to pull the Tektronix 2232 out of the basement to debug some code, turns out the Datasheet for a microcontroller was wrong. I was going to put it back, and my wife says "Why are you putting it back into the basement, you know you'll need it again"...

To add- I prefer the M8, M9, and M Monochrom over the newer Leicas as the files produced are much easier to work with. As in writing your own code to process them. Now that I have the code- need to work on a better diffusion disk and light source.
 
trisberg said:
Nice work, looks like you are having way too much fun with these plots. I'm currently trying to decide whether to keep my Nokton f1.5 v1 (M-mount) or the v2. So far leaning towards keeping the v1. I like the handling and size of the new lens, but it seems to me that they went to far to try to get sharpness across the field wide open and also make the lens really small. Would love to see the v1 in a different mount, I hate the focus ring, but can't see that happening now.

-Thomas
Click to expand...

The Nokton-M V1 is fashioned after the extremely rare 1950s Nokton in LTM. This lens was designed for the Prominent, which is a behind-the-lens leaflet shutter. The LTM version is basically the same lens in an adapter.

I kept my Aspheric LTM Nokton, which has more modern styling with a wide focus ring. It reminds me of the Cosina lenses on my first SLR that I bought in 1971. I plan on keeping it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom