Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ASPH "1966" 2024

Ororaro said:
Crazy barrel distortion
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This lens does produce a very slight (and I do mean VERY slight) barrel distortion. What you are seeing is the heavy vignette present at the larger apertures (through around f/5.6). Mine is 6-bit coded as a Noctilux f/1.2, which largely corrects for this. Shooting film will produce all of the lens' full "character".
 
Bill Blackwell said:
This lens does produce a very slight (and I do mean VERY slight) barrel distortion. What you are seeing is the heavy vignette present at the larger apertures (through around f/5.6). Mine is 6-bit coded as a Noctilux f/1.2, which largely corrects for this. Shooting film will produce all of the lens' full "character".
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It makes nice images. What else do we care about?
 
Bill Blackwell said:
This lens does produce a very slight (and I do mean VERY slight) barrel distortion. What you are seeing is the heavy vignette present at the larger apertures (through around f/5.6). Mine is 6-bit coded as a Noctilux f/1.2, which largely corrects for this. Shooting film will produce all of the lens' full "character".
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I know what I’m seeing. I see crazy barrel distortion. And obviously I also see heavy vignetting.

For barrel distortion to show through those scans is quite an achievement.
 
Ororaro said:
I know what I’m seeing. I see crazy barrel distortion. And obviously I also see heavy vignetting.

For barrel distortion to show through those scans is quite an achievement.
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Some of the distortion to which you refer can be seen in the second image in my post #154 - even with the lens profile provided by the 6-bit coding. But that "crazy circular bokeh" is not barrel distortion. The horizons and lines in the other shots look pretty straight to me. Or am I missing something?

However, I admit it is a "character" lens, regardless. If I want to I can usually edit the vignetting out in post. Overall, for me at least, the lens is a keeper.
 
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Bill Blackwell said:
Some of the distortion to which you refer can be seen in the second image in my post #154 - even with the lens profile provided by the 6-bit coding. But that "crazy circular bokeh" is not barrel distortion. The horizons and lines in the other shots look pretty straight to me. Or am I missing something?

However, I admit it is a "character" lens, regardless. If I want to I can usually edit the vignetting out in post. Overall, for me at least, the lens is a keeper.
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Excellent photos. Lens seems ok.

I own the noctilux f1.2, I haven’t analyzed it yet, prefering to just shoot and accept whatever comes out of its character . But I don’t recall being struck by the distortion.
Another great lens with barrel distortion aking to a crystal ball is the venerable Noctilux f1.0.
 
Ororaro said:
... Another great lens with barrel distortion aking to a crystal ball is the venerable Noctilux f1.0.
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Although I don't own one now (sold my copy as the prices were skyrocketing at the time - stupid move I regret), the Noctilux f/1 is my all-time favorite M-mount lens. I love its character all the way around. The LLL f/1.2 and the Noctilux f/1.2 (although LLL claims to be duplicating the lens grinding technique and glass type of the original) have the exact same lens formula.
 
The 1976 test of 32 Normal lenses, includes the 50/1.2 Noctilux.

leica-a.jpg


The performance across the field is "wild", probably a by-product of limitations creating the aspheric surface of the day. I'm guessing it affected the flatness of field.
 
@Slumgullion thanks for the many beautiful photos in this thread. I always think that film is the best medium to shoot these vintage(style) lenses with. And beautiful colors on the Fuji 400 - is this the old Superia 400, or the new Kodak-in-disguise "Fuji" 400? All around very enjoyable content by you.
 
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