kevin m
Veteran
All kidding aside, #3 is a stunning shot. 🙂
CV Nokton 1.5/50 vs Zeiss ZM Sonnar 1.5/50
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All kidding aside, #3 is a stunning shot. 🙂
burt
Member
Al Kaplan
Veteran
There is a 50mm f/1.3 Kinoptic in rangefinder coupled Leica mount on Ebay if you want something different.
Eric T
Well-known
I was very happy with my Nokton 50/1.5 until it just stopped focusing. I have no idea why this happened. Below f8, none of the photos on my M8 are in focus with this lens. Other lenses on the M8 are fine. There is no apparent damage to the lens. It remains rangefinder coupled.
So I am beginning to think that the cheaper build quality of the CV lenses can be costly over time.
So I am beginning to think that the cheaper build quality of the CV lenses can be costly over time.
elude
Some photographer
Loved the Sonnar, was a bit disgusted with the Nokton which is not bad, but too much modern for my tastes, and REALLLY weak at wide aperture. I just love Sonnar and Summarits abberrations, coma etc, great for portraits.
morback
Martin N. Hinze
Sonnar with Kodac NC
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raid
Dad Photographer
I agree 100% with you. It is like a painting. A nice painting. The photographer gets the credit and not the lens.
raid
Dad Photographer
Get a pre-war uncoated Zeiss Sonnar 5cm 1.5 and have Brian optimize it and adapt it for LTM. It is one of the best lenses ever made [in my opinion].
maddoc
... likes film again.
I just came across this thread, some really good stuff here ! 🙂
like2fiddle
Curious
If any body out there has a pre-war Zeiss Sonnar 5 cm 1.5 they want to sell....
I, too, love the sonnar rendering of the out of focus areas, and while I have neither the nokton nor the modern Zeiss 1.5, I do have a few 50's including a pre-war CZJ 5cm f2 sonnar, a DR Summicron, a Summitar, and a Canon 50 1.4, I keep going back to the Canon 50 1.4 (Planar I think) as producing the "look" I like most.
samoksner
Who stole my light?
so i went with the nokton and i love it to bits.
Wow, it handles light beautifully and the OOF is quite nice, maybe not as loud as the Sonar but very smooth and organic. If i was in teh market for a 50, that would be the image that sold me to it... (problem is i got shots that sold me to the sonar...)
thomasw_
Well-known
I really love how the C Sonnar renders in challenging back-lighting; like other ZM lenses, it is quite flare resistant.
kywong
Established
I borrowed a Nokton from a friend for 6 months, simply put, it has never failed to deliver.
The news of the Sonnar came out just when I had to return the lens, being addicted to the speed, I jumped on one when it came out. It wasn't until I bought one did I know that the front focus is not just a faulty batch.
The Sonnar does draw beautifully, but I couldn't get over the front focusing. But I didn't buy a Nokton, perhaps while it's technically very good, the results don't seem to have the character the Sonnar has. I came across a few photos taken by the 50 Summilux IV and loved them, and finally, after four 50s, I'm truly happy.
Sonnar or Nokton? Depends on your preferences. One draws beautifully but front focuses, one is technically good but a bit big and doesn't have the same sort of character.
Here are a few photos by the Nokton, not sure if photos from Deviantart would show, I'm wary that three may take up too much room. I'll try one and put links for the other two.
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs11/i/2006/206/8/f/2_2_by_kevinwong.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs11/i/2006/237/c/2/3_2_by_kevinwong.jpg
And this one is taken by the Sonnar (excuse the size and the colour cast)...
The news of the Sonnar came out just when I had to return the lens, being addicted to the speed, I jumped on one when it came out. It wasn't until I bought one did I know that the front focus is not just a faulty batch.
The Sonnar does draw beautifully, but I couldn't get over the front focusing. But I didn't buy a Nokton, perhaps while it's technically very good, the results don't seem to have the character the Sonnar has. I came across a few photos taken by the 50 Summilux IV and loved them, and finally, after four 50s, I'm truly happy.
Sonnar or Nokton? Depends on your preferences. One draws beautifully but front focuses, one is technically good but a bit big and doesn't have the same sort of character.
Here are a few photos by the Nokton, not sure if photos from Deviantart would show, I'm wary that three may take up too much room. I'll try one and put links for the other two.
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs11/i/2006/206/8/f/2_2_by_kevinwong.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs11/i/2006/237/c/2/3_2_by_kevinwong.jpg
And this one is taken by the Sonnar (excuse the size and the colour cast)...
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joachim
Convicted Ektachome user
Discontinued
Discontinued
the Nokton seems discontinued: http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/voigt/english/dispo.html
Anyone any clues?
Discontinued
the Nokton seems discontinued: http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/voigt/english/dispo.html
Anyone any clues?
nome_alice
Established
haha. my Nokton is a collectors item now 😉
let's surround it in fable and legend, and push the price up!!
let's surround it in fable and legend, and push the price up!!
P. Lynn Miller
Well-known
Sounds like a grand plan to me... since I have a pair of them!
TJV
Well-known
I don't own either of these 50mm lenses but from the photos shown here it is clear both have a very distinct character. I like the idea of the Sonnar because of its tiny size (for a 1.5 lens,) and the way it renders. Like others who have never used the lens, and maybe some that have, I'd be wary of buying one because of the focus shift issue. I now have a current Summicron, and love it, but have often thought about trading it against the ZM Sonnar. Funny that I have never found someone willing to it!
As an aside, I'm really glad this thread hasn't turned into a gear dog fight. Thanks for all of the intelligent posts. I was on another forum recently and read some of the most truly absurd arguments against using non Leica lenses on M mount cameras. It made me delete my bookmark links to the forum and I will never visit again. I'm looking forward to seeing some results you guys get from the new Nokton f1.1 to compare OOF areas with the old f1.5 Nokton and ZM Sonnar.
As an aside, I'm really glad this thread hasn't turned into a gear dog fight. Thanks for all of the intelligent posts. I was on another forum recently and read some of the most truly absurd arguments against using non Leica lenses on M mount cameras. It made me delete my bookmark links to the forum and I will never visit again. I'm looking forward to seeing some results you guys get from the new Nokton f1.1 to compare OOF areas with the old f1.5 Nokton and ZM Sonnar.
joachim
Convicted Ektachome user
I did, but a 1.5 caters for different market than the 1.1. The later being bulkier, heavier and more expensive.
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
john_s
Well-known
My guess is that the 1.5 will reappear with an M-mount. It must be one of CV's most popular RF lenses. The 1.1 would be far too big for most purposes. A major part of the appeal of RF is a degree of compactness.
Although it is true that they have discontined lenses that are popular enough to achieve cult status, like the SLR 125mm/f2.5 Apo-Lanthar. These are occasionally offered at much higher prices than their original list price.
Maybe they're trying to train us to buy fast in case the item be discontinued and we would miss out!
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