jdos2
Well-known
... and life, beyond the lens, has been grand.
Originally, I posted several questions about the lens, asking if it were good to use as a "Normal" lens as I hadn't one for my MP, having just bought an off-the-shelf (well SOMEONE has to keep the local camera store in business- they've STILL not restocked!) 35mm Summilux (nice, but the front trim ring used to fall off until I jammed it in there with the tip of a toothpick; not an elegant solution for sure, but something that is easily un-done) and 90mm Summicron AA.
I wanted something special, and I wanted something even faster than the 'Lux.
I finally rounded up the Black G2 kit (excellent glass, but this was the second body to need return trips to NJ), the Mamiya 645 (1000- nice camera, I'd own another), and many other bits and pieces to trade... And I got a last-version Noc (and a Contax IIIa- funny how these things work out).
I then went on vacation to Portugal, shooting low light, in the then-new-to-me Diafine. I also shot plenty of color. The lens I used the most was indeed the Noc, though the 'lux followed by (rolling eyes here) the 135 fixed-goggled Elmarit were all in the mix. Sadly, the 90mm 'Cron stayed in the bag, being used for two shots. I brought along ND filters for the Noc and 'Lux, and had opportunity to shoot 100 ISO film wide open in the daylight to good effect.
I answered my questions, though, about whether or not the Noctilux could be used as a normal lens. "Certainly."
It's heavy, to be sure, but I bought the MP as a "lighter" camera than what I was originally going to bring- the wonderful Mamiya Universal and its super-speed 100mm f/2.8, along with the 50mm and 250mm lenses, would have been my "lightweight" kit. In contrast, of course, the Leica is a bit more than "slightly" smaller, even with the heavy chunk of f/1 dangling off the front.
It's an expensive piece of glass, indeed. It's heavy (NOT compared to the Medium Format cameras from which I gained my experience!) and the focus throw is indeed longer than my 'lux and Elmarit 28mm.
AND it's got a great image quality to it. The focusing shift I hear so much about when stopping down is somehow never, ever been a problem for me. There's a shot of me in my gallery taken by someone that had NEVER focused a rangefinder before, and she nailed it- a sharp picture at 1/15, wide open. In the corners it's obviously not as sharp in the corners as its darker brethren, but it still indeed takes a picture, and better, gets "just fine" stopping down.
The only reason I'd ever swap it out for another lens would be for the new ASPH Summilux, and that only because it's almost as bright, and doesn't vignette as much.
It was a good choice. It is a fine normal lens.
It's not flare-free, though. I[/u] can make it do that. Don't let anyone tell you that, but it is indeed hard to flare.
ANYWAY.
Originally, I posted several questions about the lens, asking if it were good to use as a "Normal" lens as I hadn't one for my MP, having just bought an off-the-shelf (well SOMEONE has to keep the local camera store in business- they've STILL not restocked!) 35mm Summilux (nice, but the front trim ring used to fall off until I jammed it in there with the tip of a toothpick; not an elegant solution for sure, but something that is easily un-done) and 90mm Summicron AA.
I wanted something special, and I wanted something even faster than the 'Lux.
I finally rounded up the Black G2 kit (excellent glass, but this was the second body to need return trips to NJ), the Mamiya 645 (1000- nice camera, I'd own another), and many other bits and pieces to trade... And I got a last-version Noc (and a Contax IIIa- funny how these things work out).
I then went on vacation to Portugal, shooting low light, in the then-new-to-me Diafine. I also shot plenty of color. The lens I used the most was indeed the Noc, though the 'lux followed by (rolling eyes here) the 135 fixed-goggled Elmarit were all in the mix. Sadly, the 90mm 'Cron stayed in the bag, being used for two shots. I brought along ND filters for the Noc and 'Lux, and had opportunity to shoot 100 ISO film wide open in the daylight to good effect.
I answered my questions, though, about whether or not the Noctilux could be used as a normal lens. "Certainly."
It's heavy, to be sure, but I bought the MP as a "lighter" camera than what I was originally going to bring- the wonderful Mamiya Universal and its super-speed 100mm f/2.8, along with the 50mm and 250mm lenses, would have been my "lightweight" kit. In contrast, of course, the Leica is a bit more than "slightly" smaller, even with the heavy chunk of f/1 dangling off the front.
It's an expensive piece of glass, indeed. It's heavy (NOT compared to the Medium Format cameras from which I gained my experience!) and the focus throw is indeed longer than my 'lux and Elmarit 28mm.
AND it's got a great image quality to it. The focusing shift I hear so much about when stopping down is somehow never, ever been a problem for me. There's a shot of me in my gallery taken by someone that had NEVER focused a rangefinder before, and she nailed it- a sharp picture at 1/15, wide open. In the corners it's obviously not as sharp in the corners as its darker brethren, but it still indeed takes a picture, and better, gets "just fine" stopping down.
The only reason I'd ever swap it out for another lens would be for the new ASPH Summilux, and that only because it's almost as bright, and doesn't vignette as much.
It was a good choice. It is a fine normal lens.
It's not flare-free, though. I[/u] can make it do that. Don't let anyone tell you that, but it is indeed hard to flare.
ANYWAY.
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
I have to click on your gallery to see the shot? I'm on dial-up! 
So you too are an Elmarit man? Last time I went to Chicago I took a small Domke bag and my ever-faithful Elmarits (the 28 and the goggled 135). Going from a huge panoramic vision to a very small one really forces you to think!
The Noctilux used to leave me cold (never was I victim to "Noctilust") until recently, when looking at Alex Pasi's book on Leica cameras. I saw a couple of shots with a dreamy, soft quality about them: one taken in a ballet performance (girls dancing) and the other in a museum...
So, I have now a Noctilux in a very distant plan. Thanks for letting us know about your experiences with it!
So you too are an Elmarit man?
Last time I went to Chicago I took a small Domke bag and my ever-faithful Elmarits (the 28 and the goggled 135). Going from a huge panoramic vision to a very small one really forces you to think! The Noctilux used to leave me cold (never was I victim to "Noctilust") until recently, when looking at Alex Pasi's book on Leica cameras. I saw a couple of shots with a dreamy, soft quality about them: one taken in a ballet performance (girls dancing) and the other in a museum...
So, I have now a Noctilux in a very distant plan. Thanks for letting us know about your experiences with it!
ChrisN
Striving
Is this the shot?
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/500/medium/InPort.jpg
Nice! (The photo I mean!)
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/500/medium/InPort.jpg
Nice! (The photo I mean!)
jdos2
Well-known
That's the one! This was her revenge shot, for all the film I took of her and her family.
Francisco- is there another way to show you the few posts I have up here? Dial-up is indeed slow, I do it from work (over the cell phone, though, so streaming speeds are much better than that 56kb over LL)
The only Elmarit I don't overmuch care for is the 50mm, but that's because it's a Tessar design, and we've fought (Tessars and myself) for years...
Seriously. It's so funny when I think about Leica lenses, there are a few obvious "dogs," (by Modern Leica Snob Standards) and yet, they are all capable performers. That Elmarit 135mm is known to be "not so sharp" yet it fills the frame with detail to the limit of my scanner. Go figure. I'm starting to believe that old addage about any lens being good, depending on how it's used. Some are more pleasing than others, though... A good example of reputation is the Summilux 50mm (non-aspherical elements) that wherever I read, folks panned for all sorts of reasons. I thought it would be like using a lens with a mesh behind the front element for as lousy as it was supposed to perform, but then I find out that its MTF is better than most modern SLR lenses of the same aperture, beating Nikon and Canon offerings handily, and stopped down is almost as sharp as a Summicron... I really believed what I read on the internet. I also read that the Noctilux isn't sharp. That's simply not true.
I like your idea of a long lens coupled with wide one. I'll have to give that a try sometime.
Now, anyone wanna trade a Noctilux for a Summilux ASPH?
Francisco- is there another way to show you the few posts I have up here? Dial-up is indeed slow, I do it from work (over the cell phone, though, so streaming speeds are much better than that 56kb over LL)
The only Elmarit I don't overmuch care for is the 50mm, but that's because it's a Tessar design, and we've fought (Tessars and myself) for years...
Seriously. It's so funny when I think about Leica lenses, there are a few obvious "dogs," (by Modern Leica Snob Standards) and yet, they are all capable performers. That Elmarit 135mm is known to be "not so sharp" yet it fills the frame with detail to the limit of my scanner. Go figure. I'm starting to believe that old addage about any lens being good, depending on how it's used. Some are more pleasing than others, though... A good example of reputation is the Summilux 50mm (non-aspherical elements) that wherever I read, folks panned for all sorts of reasons. I thought it would be like using a lens with a mesh behind the front element for as lousy as it was supposed to perform, but then I find out that its MTF is better than most modern SLR lenses of the same aperture, beating Nikon and Canon offerings handily, and stopped down is almost as sharp as a Summicron... I really believed what I read on the internet. I also read that the Noctilux isn't sharp. That's simply not true.
I like your idea of a long lens coupled with wide one. I'll have to give that a try sometime.
Now, anyone wanna trade a Noctilux for a Summilux ASPH?
awilder
Alan Wilder
Congratulations on your Noctulux! You certainly have some nice superspeed performers. You may get some insight from my particular case. I recently purchased the 50/1.4 asph. after sellling my late E60 Noct. for close to what I paid for it (a nice advantage with Leica). The optics of the Noct. performed exactly as expected and I figured it would be a good compliment for my Summicron. Trouble was, it's a PIA to devote that much space (2 lenses) in your bag for a 50mm focal length. Sure you can always take just one but there are times when you can't decide which to choose and you wind up taking both. Once the asph. 50 came out, I realized it's better to have a single lens for low light and top performance in a single package. The loss of one stop was a no brainer considering the savings in weight, bulk and extra space in my camera bag. Don't get me wrong, the 50/1 is the best lens in it's class, PERIOD, and if you occassionally need f/1 for available light or you like to emphasize isolated focus, you've made a great choice. On the other hand, if image sharpness in low light is more important than photon capture, use your 35/1.4 asph. or 90/2 AA.
furcafe
Veteran
Your experience w/the Noctilux matches mine, which I've had for over 3 years now. The main reason I got into Leica in the 1st place was to be able to use the bright M viewfinder for low-light people photography (jazz musicians, etc.), so it was inevitable that I would end up w/the Noctilux, but I was also reluctant @ 1st due to the lens's mass & reputation for "softness," vignetting, focus-shift, etc. Once I got mine, I was delighted to find that the negatives were greatly exaggerated.