kshapero
South Florida Man
Anyone using this lens as their day to day lens?
CV Nokton 50/1.1, you like it
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BLKRCAT
75% Film
I carry it everywhere but only use it when I need it. For me finder blockage and heft is just not worth it for every day.
uhoh7
Veteran
It would be fine, but it's heavy.
Brian Legge
Veteran
Not an every day lens for me but fantastic for low light. I generally only use it in situations where I need the speed. I prefer something smaller, faster to focus and lighter for an every day lens.
mfogiel
Veteran
This is one of the few lenses that I got rid of. Too much focus shift for not enough enjoyment wide open.
Huss
Veteran
I guess I don't get the 1.1
Only 1/2 a stop difference in speed over a 1.4 lens which essentially makes very little difference in low light, with the negatives of size (finder blockage), weight and focus shift.
The weight makes it harder to hand hold at lower speeds vs a 1.4/1.5 lens so the negligible speed advantage is gone.
I returned mine. There's a reason these lenses lose about 40-50% of their new price buying used.
Only 1/2 a stop difference in speed over a 1.4 lens which essentially makes very little difference in low light, with the negatives of size (finder blockage), weight and focus shift.
The weight makes it harder to hand hold at lower speeds vs a 1.4/1.5 lens so the negligible speed advantage is gone.
I returned mine. There's a reason these lenses lose about 40-50% of their new price buying used.
Pioneer
Veteran
I use it fairly regular, usually on the M9 where it seems to really shine. Believe it or not I have not used it with the M3 but I think I'll do that and see how it works out.
I haven't noticed any focus shift. When I originally bought the lens it seemed soft, especially from about f/2 down. But when I began checking I found it was back focusing quite a bit, even when stopped down where DOF covers it up. I had DAG work on it for me and it now focuses spot on so any softness is my own doing.
It is a bit bulky, more like the Pentax SMC A 50/1.2 than a rangefinder lens but it seems to be pretty comparable to the Noctilux in size. I do think this is part of the reason for the lower prices in the used market. People check the reviews and note that it is a larger lens but I just don't think they realize how much larger it is in comparison to their other rangefinder lenses until they have it in hand. Since they only paid $1,000 for it, instead of $10,000 for a Noctilux, they just throw it back on Ebay for whatever they can get out of it.
I actually like mine quite a bit. This is a metal and glass lens, no plastic, so it is a bit heavy. Build quality is fantastic and the focus action is very smooth. From F2 onward it is quite sharp and reminds me of my Nokton 50/1.5. At F1.1 you better know that your rangefinder is accurate because depth of field is pretty short. This is actually why I bought the 1.25 magnifier but I actually wish I would have bitten the bullet and bought the 1.40 magnifier.
The one place where I prefer the Sonnetar 50/1.1 (which does have some terrific focus shift btw) is in the out of focus areas, also referred to as bokeh. In some cases the Nokton bokeh doesn't come out as smooth. It isn't terrible but it just doesn't come across as smooth as the Sonnetar does.
I really believe that, for most, if you can deal with the size and extra weight, you will like the Nokton. If it seems soft to you then I would do some focus testing with some dominoes or the like because it is probably back focusing on you. In that case you may need to send it to a reputable technician to get the focus adjusted.
I haven't noticed any focus shift. When I originally bought the lens it seemed soft, especially from about f/2 down. But when I began checking I found it was back focusing quite a bit, even when stopped down where DOF covers it up. I had DAG work on it for me and it now focuses spot on so any softness is my own doing.
It is a bit bulky, more like the Pentax SMC A 50/1.2 than a rangefinder lens but it seems to be pretty comparable to the Noctilux in size. I do think this is part of the reason for the lower prices in the used market. People check the reviews and note that it is a larger lens but I just don't think they realize how much larger it is in comparison to their other rangefinder lenses until they have it in hand. Since they only paid $1,000 for it, instead of $10,000 for a Noctilux, they just throw it back on Ebay for whatever they can get out of it.
I actually like mine quite a bit. This is a metal and glass lens, no plastic, so it is a bit heavy. Build quality is fantastic and the focus action is very smooth. From F2 onward it is quite sharp and reminds me of my Nokton 50/1.5. At F1.1 you better know that your rangefinder is accurate because depth of field is pretty short. This is actually why I bought the 1.25 magnifier but I actually wish I would have bitten the bullet and bought the 1.40 magnifier.
The one place where I prefer the Sonnetar 50/1.1 (which does have some terrific focus shift btw) is in the out of focus areas, also referred to as bokeh. In some cases the Nokton bokeh doesn't come out as smooth. It isn't terrible but it just doesn't come across as smooth as the Sonnetar does.
I really believe that, for most, if you can deal with the size and extra weight, you will like the Nokton. If it seems soft to you then I would do some focus testing with some dominoes or the like because it is probably back focusing on you. In that case you may need to send it to a reputable technician to get the focus adjusted.
Erik van Straten
Veteran
The Nokton 50mm f/1.1 is a great, great lens. It is very, very sharp full open, formidable for portraiture. The lens is also great for street photography. It is incredibly sharp over the whole field, only the extreme corners stay unsharp due to coma. Of course there is some image cut-off in the viewfinder, but any lens with a shade has this effect. You should not think about an Noctilux when using this lens, for this lens is really sharp. The Noctilux is "impressionistic", but the Nokton is sharp. Sharper than a Summicron. And no distortion! That is a miracle for such a fast non aspheric lens! It is much lighter than a Noctilux, so it is easier to carry. Another advantage over the Noctilux is the fact that it dos not have the "black corners" at full aperture. It works formidable on the M5. Absolutely recommended.
Leica M5, Nokton 50mm f/1.1, Tmax400.
(on the negative you can count the bricks of the walls)
Erik.
Leica M5, Nokton 50mm f/1.1, Tmax400.
(on the negative you can count the bricks of the walls)
Erik.
Huss
Veteran
kshapero
South Florida Man
What other 50 mm lens do you prefer?
kshapero
South Florida Man
I find mated to an M6 .85, it is a joy to focus.
john_s
Well-known
Thanks for the link. I notice that Roger's test equipment adjusts for the best focus so in addition to not showing field curvature, it also doesn't show the effects of focus shift.
"... the bench individually focuses at the center, mid point, and edge to generate the highest possible numbers...
...I haven't even begun to consider how we'll present field curvature data."
For all of that, I like my Nokton 50/1.1. I use it at full aperture where it focuses very well on both my bodies. The focus shift is less than that of the Zeiss Sonnar-C 50/1.5, which I owned for a week.
jkjod
Well-known
Curious how much finder blockage there is with the M3 or an M2 - any pictures or guidance on this?
Also, I've been considering the Pentax 50/1.2 and a Pentax MX as second body to my M2. I realize now that because my M2 is with Youxin that I'm left with nothing to shoot with :/ I've never shot with a SLR before, so I'm not sure if I will like the experience as much, or at all frankly. That being said, the Pentax 50/1.2 and MX combo likely would cost less than a M body alone!
Huss
Veteran
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