Noctilux Future Value

[chikne]

chikne, is that surprising? huh? It is aperture blades for 😉

I'm puzzled as to why you are being so arrogant 😕

Anyway, the point of shooting fp4 in daylight isn't quite to stop the lens down.....

 

[gdi]

I never understood the people getting tired of it, really. I got mine for 1600$ and I just knew how good and what this lens was about after I shot 1 single roll with it. Anyone who understands what it takes to create a Noct and what kind of glass and engineering it takes will realize it whole potential.

The real problem is the people that don't have a clue about photography, those that get into the Leica bandwagon to imitate HCB and that quickly get tired of it. Those are the same ones that snobbed the Nikkor 28 1.4, The Noct-Nikkor and other gems while they we're still affordable.
The masses.

This being said, it's all my own opinion. And while I understand the Noctilux' price going up because of what it takes to produce it (no, it's not speculation as some people think!!!), I still don't think it is an investment simply because lenses are meant to be used.

How can you be so sure that the price is only going up due to the cost to make it? Have costs truly doubled in the last couple of years?

It's really just speculation on your part, isn't it? 😀

 

[Al Kaplan]

A lot of people speculated on the rising value of houses in the last few years, and they went bust. Maybe somebody should set up a futures market for collectable cameras and lenses...

 

[gdi]

I like the Noctilux, but I find it just a tad slower than I normally need... 🙂

If this guys right, maybe the price will drop?

 

[whitecat]

I might be wrong, but I heard the Noctilux is no longer being made and all stock we see now was made years ago. Any ideas?

 

[Ororaro]

How can you be so sure that the price is only going up due to the cost to make it? Have costs truly doubled in the last couple of years?

It's really just speculation on your part, isn't it? 😀

It would be speculation on my part indeed if I wouldn't be able to backup with a reliable source. The production cost to make the lens is actually the official reason for its raised cost and it was announced on Leica's website for some time before the price was raised, giving people a chance to order the lens.

 

[Hacker]

I wasn't talking about dealer prices, but rather 2nd hand market - as can be assumed from "Noctilux as investment" point. Besides it is really hard to tell what a price e.g. for used 35mm Leica glass would've been now if not all Noktons, Biogons and Ultrons floating around.

Whether it would have risen more without the introduction of competing products is debatable. But the prices have risen indeed.

As investments? I doubt cameras or lenses make good investments.

 

[Hacker]

A lot of people speculated on the rising value of houses in the last few years, and they went bust. Maybe somebody should set up a futures market for collectable cameras and lenses...

That is why they are called speculators, not investors.

 

[LeicaTom]

I like the Noctilux, but I find it just a tad slower than I normally need... 🙂

If this guys right, maybe the price will drop?

WOO HOO!!!!!!! Go Go Canon .95 Go!!!!! 😀

Tom

PS: Yep when the Republicans take us into Iran......more than just camera equipment`s going to be cheap in America

 

[gdi]

It would be speculation on my part indeed if I wouldn't be able to backup with a reliable source. The production cost to make the lens is actually the official reason for its raised cost and it was announced on Leica's website for some time before the price was raised, giving people a chance to order the lens.

But before which price increase? 🙄

Do you have a link to this statement handy that the price increase is solely a result of rising costs? I doubt they would say that, but I could be wrong.:angel:

 

[Ororaro]

But before which price increase? 🙄

Do you have a link to this statement handy that the price increase is solely a result of rising costs? I doubt they would say that, but I could be wrong.:angel:

Before the last price increase, the 1000$ one.

I don't really know how to find it. A google search or even a RFF search will probably show interesting results on this Leica official announcement.

 

[pfoto]

I might be wrong, but I heard the Noctilux is no longer being made and all stock we see now was made years ago. Any ideas?

My understanding from the German Leica forum is that the glass was made years ago but the lenses that Leica shipped to stores recently are newly assembled. There is apparently a finite amout of glass to make the lens.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Most likely the glass was ground, polished, assembled into cells, and then just stored until recently when demand for the lenses made it worthwhile to machine some new focussing mounts.

On another tack, both Angeniux and Zeiss, like Canon, make 0.95 lenses in a range of focal lengths for the TV and motion picture industries. I'm wondering if anybody ever tried to make a rangefinder coupled Leica M mount for a 50mm Angenieux or Zeiss lens. They might not cover full frame 35mm very well but they should do OK on the M8's smaller dimension sensor.

 

[maddoc]

My understanding from the German Leica forum is that the glass was made years ago but the lenses that Leica shipped to stores recently are newly assembled. There is apparently a finite amout of glass to make the lens.

From a french web site:

Le Noctilux utilise entre-autres un verre à indice de réfraction très élevé (1,92), à dispersion partielle anormale. Deux des éléments utilisent ce fameux verre type 900403. A l’origine il était censé coûter 45 fois le prix des verres des objectifs Nikon ED ou Canon L.

The design of the Noctilux is based on two glass elements with a refractive index of 1.92, which is very high compared to "normal" glass and thus very limited (and expensive). Also, the cooling down process for this special glass takes 18 month to avoid cracks. Leica (opposite to Zeiss and other) sometimes uses glass with very special physical properties, either made exclusively for Leica or in very limited series. I still think, that Dr. Walter Mandler's design of the Noctilux (and 75/1.4 Summilux) was ingenious....

Despite its unique character, the Noctilux might not be a good investment, money-wise, but for snap-shooters (gear-heads) like me it's a good investment, fun-wise, to share the fuzzy and flat results with my photo buddies.... 😀😀

cheers,

maddoc

 

[Krosya]

The Bush administration did not cause the "upcoming" recession. In fact the economy has been going very well for the last few years.😀

Aha...Going where? 😉

 

[paragon]

There is one on UK Ebay at the present time UK£2,000, (US$4,000), with 16 hours to go

s/n 3984751

Sold for £2,100, (say US$4,200)

 

[tomasis]

I'm puzzled as to why you are being so arrogant 😕

Anyway, the point of shooting fp4 in daylight isn't quite to stop the lens down.....

If I sounded arrogant, I'm sorry 😉

I'm just failing to understand your point in your earlier inputs.

If the lens works for you, it is also possible to use Nocti, right?

But Nocti is not small, has long focusing throw, I see this rather more as a lens to compromise with at limited time as evenings and nights. If somebody is well built and to hold M body with Nocti, it is like a piece of cake for him, then it is great for him to use the value of Nocti out and use Nocti as allround lens 🙂

I doubt very much that one can make very useful shots at thin dof. I'm not fan for images taken with those DSLR stuffs with 400mm 😉 Say at daylight I set lens prefocussed at f8 so I can take shot at any moment. This matters more for me.

At last, Summilux needs more compromise compared to light smaller lenses as Nocti does, right? I also agree that f1.4 is best alround single lens without too much compromises with size and weight when it is set on the widest aperture. But things changes when f1.4 is not enough for me and this happens only at dark places.

 

[icebear]

Value is personal

Value is personal

In Ned's interview in the latest LFI 02/2008 there is a price of 5000 Eur mentioned, you can find dealers selling it at 4795 Eur (incl German VAT of 19%). W/o the VAT for sales outside Europe this would translate to 3884 Eur --> x 1.46$/Eur =>5670$. US official pricing is around 5900$ (?). So that would be a new one from a dealer. The price is a number off a list in case someone pays for it.
I bought mine for 2200$ used 4 years ago and I won't sell it 😀 . The value obviously is more personal and a matter of priorities - and obviously critical point of heated discussions .... If you have one and like it, enjoy it. If you don't but have tried and didn't like it, ok too. It's not a stock option but as long there is no alternative 1.0/50 out there, it will still hold that mystique. And there might be some people trying to get there their hands on one.
Btw I find the new price insane but so are handbags for 1900$ and there is not such a big discussion about that, maybe just because you find 10$ knock-offs in Chinatown...🙄

 

[Al Kaplan]

I wonder what it would cost to convert a 0.95 TV lens to rangefinder coupled M mount. I think that Angenieux and Zeiss still both make them.

 

[giellaleafapmu]

Will Leica or other manuf ever introduce modern,
presumably BETTER 50/1 and faster designs?
Stephen

I doubt companies will make others 50mm F1:1 lenses for rangefinder cameras but there are already rather fast (better?) lenses for other (now more popular) systems like the EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, the EF 35mm f/1.4L USM or the EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM, just to cite Canon's toys. I guess other makers are making similar lenses for their systems...

By the way, I know it is evil DSLR but did you try the 85 I mentioned? Do you _really_ miss the Noctilux...? 😉

GLF