Leica matched Canon's 50/0.95 highest speed lens...

Sonnar2

Sonnar2

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Planned to be available Feb. 2009, that means, the world record of what was called Canon's "dream lens" is matched by LEICA after 48 years...
http://de.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/lenses/133.html
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/vbcms.php?area=vbcmsarea_content&contentid=8

36nocti.jpg
 
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Since one of the points they'll get by making this lens is making "the world's fastest" -- and a "prestige" thing at that anyway, because most photographers (amateur, professional or occasional) care more about having "everything in focus".

A specialty lens, which will be bashed by all those who don't like this style of shooting and/or can't afford it.

If they went this far, I wonder why they didn't shoot for f/0.94, or f/0.92, I mean, just to push things a little bit further.
 
About the old Noctilux, some people said that it is just a f/1.2-lens anyway, because of the light falloff to the edges it was just f/1 in the inner center. This one has same 62mm filter diameter (Canon had 72mm) which looks to me that in the decision between ghost pictures/flare against light falloff, Leica decided again for the light falloff, whereas Canon did the opposite in 1961, and, if we users of the Canon dream lens all know, ghost pictures can be annoying sometimes...
As for the decision not to call it a f/0.9 just to heel Canon, my respects to Leica...
On the other hand, with the same lens diameter, it's obvious that it can't be much faster than the old Noctilux... so probably there is a limit which can't be crossed at reasonable costs even with the technical sources of 2008.
About the price of the Noctilux, I suggest this is the price of the "best of the best" in a small series, in 2008. The dream lens price was the price of the "best of the best" at Japanese wages in 1961, in a big production run. If they had to build it now, the price wouldn't differ too much from the Noctilux!
 
I don't know that 'matched' is the best word here. Matched in speed, but bettered in performance. It is said to approach the 50/1.4 ASPH in quality stopped down- no mean feat.
 
dexdog said:
nice OOF rendition on the sample pic on the leica site. Didn't see a price, just curious.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see more pics from it. As for the sample pic on leica site - I can get about the same results with Nokton 35/1.2 😉 I think Nocti lost it's special "look" with this new lens. But like I said - I'd like to see more pics from it.
 
What is, your comment, Leica, the lens, the f-stop, your comment, your view of relevant...?

Gabriel: -The new Noctilux is so expensive as to be IRRELEVANT. It's why I stopped reading Road & Track or Car & Driver. They consistently ran feature articles on vehicles with price tags that resembled the GDP of Costa Rica - like I'd ever be able to own one. The price makes it IRRELEVANT - it might just as well exist on another planet. Im sure it's a vey nice optic - but $10,000 nice? No. I don't make my living with photography - and everybody knows that a significant percentage of the production run will spend their lives as "industrial art" in collections and not used for their intended purpose. That's what I mean by IRRELEVANT.
 
I allow to disagree that it will be irrelavant, Paul. Too expensive for me and you and lots of other photog., maybe. In terms of history of ultra-fast lenses, one may concern the f/0.7 Zeiss Planar (this one Kubrick used in Barry Lyndon) irrelevant because it wasn't generally available. But this one will be. There will be a production run of several 100's lenses at least.
You may be right that most buyers will store them in a box and seldom, if never take them out and use them as a photographic tool (which is the only way for a tool to fullfill its aim, because it's a tool and no piece of art. So a piece of art may be ruined by a scratch but no tool). But very few, say 10 of 200, will be used. To show the results, and maybe even some will show them in RFF. That is what makes it NOT irrelevant. And the 190 others: well, this is just a problem of typical human behavior, or say, behavior of people who are pretty rich, but not rich enough yet in some respects... 🙄
 
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Sonnar2 - I like your Contax II with collapsible Sonnar! I'm going to see if I find a 50mm F:1.5 for when I resurrect my Contax II. Add a vented hood and Voila! Another functional classic!

Paul
 
Paul, I have to admit that this is one of my 2-3 cameras which I don't use -- due to unpredictable shutter behavior. The shutter works, but is little til no influenced by the control wheel. So this is another "unhappy tool", because I don't be willing to spend the money for a complete overhaul, but it stays in my collection for historical reasons.
 
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