M8 + noctilux = : )

LichMD said:
Trojan Chuck,
very nice series of shoots. While I really like them all I have to say I find the last pic the most evocative. Beautiful effects here, great shadows, love the lone figure in the left background.
How long have you had a Noct?
I bought mine 8 days ago and it hasn't come off.
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AHH Mr. Lich, you hit the jackpot. that blurry little figure in my last picture is why i love my Nocti so much. it makes my mundane world so beautiful.

i've had my lens for a little over a year now, but i've never had so much fun with it until i put it on my M8. the thing about the Nocti is that the DOF is so slim that its really easy to mess up your focus, and hence very difficult with film. The M8 shines at this because you can actually check how you did right afterwards and make adjustments.

if you don't have a ND filter. go buy a three step ND filter, take your nocti out on a bright day, and never leave it off f/1. it truly is a beautiful jem.

🙂
 
What I particularly like about the M8 + Noctilux combination is that the fast shutter in the M8 (as fast as 1/8000th of a sec) allows an interesting use of the Noctilux wide-open even in daylight.

To wit:

1172865058.jpg
 
Very nice examples of the Noctilux capabilities. Similar to what is achievable with the 75 Lux on a film M, though I personally find the bokeh of the 75 more appealing. I agree with Flatline's comment on the M8's max shutter speed being a huge benefit with these fast lenses. I wish they would bring on the film M with the M8 shutter. I hate using ND filters on the 75.
 
mr roberts said:
I wish they would bring on the film M with the M8 shutter. I hate using ND filters on the 75.
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Flatline love that pic!

When the M8 came out the first thing I asked Leica for is an M9 with an M8 shutter mechanism. ND filters are a pain but I use them for summertime 100ISO shots so you get used to them after a while.
 
<Whining on>They're a necessary evil, but are much easier to manage in 39mm. The larger sizes and multiple factors are just a PITA, but at times (unfortunately infrequent in my case) the results can be worth it. <Whining off>
 
usccharles said:
L1000455_e-vi.jpg
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All brilliant!

Just got my black M8 finally...been playing with it with the Noctilux mounted most of the time.

I'm curious about how you are processing these. Sharpening, raw converter, etc.? I like how your post processing seems to be very gentle and retains the magic of the M8/Noct combo.

Thanks for any info. I'll post some M8/noct pics soon.
 
newyorkone said:
All brilliant!

Just got my black M8 finally...been playing with it with the Noctilux mounted most of the time.

I'm curious about how you are processing these. Sharpening, raw converter, etc.? I like how your post processing seems to be very gentle and retains the magic of the M8/Noct combo.

Thanks for any info. I'll post some M8/noct pics soon.
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Hi Steve,

congrats on your M8. you will love it on the Noctilux as i do.

not much post processing actually. I put a three step ND filter on when i'm out during the day with the Nocti. I just use Photoshop CS2 to convert the Raw files, and i sharpen with smart sharpen, change it to grayscale (when black and white) and do alittle play with Levels and that is pretty much it.

I have noticed that Nocti can be very sharp when focused properly at wide open, but when there is too much light hitting the subject, like sunlight, then the focus point becomes quite hazy and you do have to work on sharpening that area more during post processing. I have no gripes about it though. Nocti's were not intended to be used in bright sunny days, i think.

surprisingly, i haven't been out during the night with my nocti + M8 yet 🙂

i hope that answers your questions. thanks 🙂
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

Great tip. I had wondered why sometimes my shots were hazy (to me blurry and slightly out of focus) and other times sharp even though I was pretty sure my focusing was correct.

I had not considered the intensity of the light and with the max 1/8000 shutter speed of the M8 one might think it is no longer necessary to use ND filters, but clearly this is not the case. Your images make a very strong case to use ND filters on the noct despite the higher shutter speed on the M8.

Thanks for all the info!
 
NB23 said:
FWIW, since it's all relative, don't forget the 90 f2 will give you better isolation and compression.
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Yes... however on the M8, the 50mm is near 70mm and greater DOF. Not quite 90mm. The M8 does change the perception you may have of an old favorite 😉
I've read elsewhere of folks re-discovering the 75 Summilux for it's siganture and new 99mm FL on the M8... too bad it's just discountinued?

rgds,
Dave
 
newyorkone said:
I had not considered the intensity of the light and with the max 1/8000 shutter speed of the M8 one might think it is no longer necessary to use ND filters, but clearly this is not the case.
Thanks for all the info!
Click to expand...

steve,

actually, i think half of my pictures probably didn't need an ND filter because of the 1/8000 shutter speed, but for some reason, i tend to get better pictures at lower shutter speeds (between 1/250 and 1/1500) then at 1/8000 with any lens. so i used a ND filter anyways partly because of the sun and also partly because to keep the shutter speed down.

🙂
 
Paul, these are nice !! Noctilux seems really to be tempting but .... no more lens buying for me for a while ...🙄

-Gabor
 
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