HU: Noctilux price increase effective January 1, 2008

Maybe for me a 50 Summilux would be better, although I'll probably never know because the price of that has gone up too.
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A bit, but it's a relative bargain compared to what's going on with the Noctilux and the Leica wides. I sold mine for a grand and if I want it back, I guess I'd have to pay $1,200 or so. $200 seems a fair 'stupidity tax' to me. 😀
 
kevin m said:
A bit, but it's a relative bargain compared to what's going on with the Noctilux and the Leica wides. I sold mine for a grand and if I want it back, I guess I'd have to pay $1,200 or so. $200 seems a fair 'stupidity tax' to me. 😀
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The Lux ASPH is not cheap.
 
Yes, costco

Yes, costco

Is there a better deal anywhere for 1hr, ~3MB scan file sizes, and only occasional scratched negatives, and free sample snacks while waiting??

rpsawin said:
Wait...you use Costco scans for your Noctilux images? Please, the irony is killing me.

Yes ampguy, a Noctilux will out-perform a Nokton. And at a certain point the price/performance ratio makes the Nokton the clear choice for most shooters. I suspect $6k is past that point. Having said that if you need/want a Noctilux get one...nothing else will do.

Best regards,

Bob
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The fact that you could buy a 75mm summilux and a 50mm summilux asph for the price of a new Noctilux, and still have cash left over, is surprizing to me.
 
My ultimate 50 when I scrape the readys together will be a Zeiss Sonnar for my Ikon. At f1.5 it's more than fast enough enough and if I find a situation where it's not I'll push the film. To me the only advantage the Noct seems to have is this extra stop of speed which translates to f.5 costing $5000.00. Lens technology above f1.5 has a steep premium obviously and as much as I marvel at it's capabilities I still find the Noct's OOF areas disturbing wide open and prone to inducing visual nausea in certain conditions!
 
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At B&H it is $5495 this morning. The text on the page reads "This item is temporarily not available. We have no estimated arrival date at this time." Looks like the used market is the only current solution if you want one.
 
ampguy said:
Is there a better deal anywhere for 1hr, ~3MB scan file sizes, and only occasional scratched negatives, and free sample snacks while waiting??
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It just seems weird to spend so much money on gear and then settle for minilab processing and scanning with occasional scratched negs.
 
It just seems weird to spend so much money on gear and then settle for minilab processing and scanning with occasional scratched negs.
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It's weird, allright. The $5k lens + cheap film processing equation is all wrong. If I didn't still have a decent 'pro' lab near me then I'd give up on color film altogether. CVS ( a drug store chain ) and WalMart can be counted on to screw up my negatives on the occasions I've tried them. The Fuji Frontier ain't a plug 'n play machine; it still takes some attention to detail to get good results.

No insult intended, but if you're shooting with Leica gear and farming your film out to the lowest bidder, you're being kinda silly. :angel:
 
It's not the lowest

It's not the lowest

If I settled for 1.5MB scans (fine for 4x6 / 5x7) I could save a bit more by going to a local Longs. Less scratching, but occasional streaking there on the negs.

I don't see how a pro lab could make my Fuji 400 film look any better, assuming there is no scratching. They use the latest minilab gear, though they're pretty rushed.

I shoot a lot, a real lot, sometimes I'll go through a few rolls as fast as I can change the film, which is why I got a DSLR and may be selling my Noctilux sometime this year as film prices and developing are getting steep.

However, whether I keep it or sell it, there is no equivalent of a Noctilux look on for a DSLR or any other lens. There are different looks, better looks in some cases, but not the same, that I have seen yet.

kevin m said:
It's weird, allright. The $5k lens + cheap film processing equation is all wrong. If I didn't still have a decent 'pro' lab near me then I'd give up on color film altogether. CVS ( a drug store chain ) and WalMart can be counted on to screw up my negatives on the occasions I've tried them. The Fuji Frontier ain't a plug 'n play machine; it still takes some attention to detail to get good results.

No insult intended, but if you're shooting with Leica gear and farming your film out to the lowest bidder, you're being kinda silly. :angel:
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ampguy said:
However, whether I keep it or sell it, there is no equivalent of a Noctilux look on for a DSLR or any other lens. There are different looks, better looks in some cases, but not the same, that I have seen yet.
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Ah, the joy of utility functions. For that matter, there is no lens that replicates the look of an Industar-61 either.

Philipp
 
Lol

Lol

It just so happens I have one of these for sale as well.

I have to calculate the 10% it just increased last night, before I put it in the classifieds ...

rxmd said:
Ah, the joy of utility functions. For that matter, there is no lens that replicates the look of an Industar-61 either.

Philipp
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ampguy said:
It just so happens I have one of these for sale as well.

I have to calculate the 10% it just increased last night, before I put it in the classifieds ...
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Ha, at least you're not in the Euro zone 🙂

Philipp
 
pfoto said:
At B&H it is $5495 this morning. The text on the page reads "This item is temporarily not available. We have no estimated arrival date at this time." Looks like the used market is the only current solution if you want one.
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New ones have just arrived in stores. Serial numbers starting with 3985xxx. Grab it before it becomes a Dodo.
 
Can anyone explain to me WHY these are so popular all of a sudden? While I wouldnt mind having one, I really don't want one any more than I did back when they were a lot cheaper. What gives? Is it just people can use them on M8? But it's not any better than on regular M. I don't get it.
 
I thought that since the M8 supposedly does not have very good high ISO performance that it is necessary to have a faster lens in order to achieve higher shutter speeds at lower ISO settings.

Maybe it's also the fact that rangefinders are now available in the digital medium that this style of camera and photography have gained popularity among the "masses" by making it less "inconvenient" in that you still have to manual focus but do not have to locate and wait for film development services. Its form factor is also smaller and easier to handle and conceal than most current middle- to high-end DSLRs. Perhaps these perceived conveniences finally convinced more photographers to explore the rangefinder format and invest in quality gear such as the Leica system. And if you are willing to spend $5000 on a digital rangefinder body, it is not a far stretch for this same person to spend that much or more on a lens, especially if one is of the belief that the lenses are the vital components and most worthwhile investments in a camera system.

I can also see that the digital medium allows people much faster feedback from their shoots and makes it easier to post results on the internet, thus giving the Noctilux and its unique capabilities more exposure among photographers worldwide. But the thing is, this new interest in the Noctilux can apply to both film and digital users. With the whole fascination over the "bokeh" phenomenon and gradual acceptance of larger lenses on rangefinder bodies (with these offerings still being smaller than many DSLR counterparts), it can easily add up to increased popularity of the Noctilux.
 
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