Noctilux Photos

[Ororaro]

I'm shooting with this lens a lot. Since not everyone is lucky enough to own one, and since some people are more in favor of the 50 summilux, I've decided to post some pics in this forum more often with this lens...

 

[Ororaro]

I'm just aiming at posting shots, any shots, taken with this lens. There's so much more to this lens then mere Boke and shallow DOF (the 90mm f2 has the same shallow dof... so nothing too exotic about the noctilux).

 

[Krosya]

I'm just aiming at posting shots, any shots, taken with this lens. There's so much more to this lens then mere Boke and shallow DOF (the 90mm f2 has the same shallow dof... so nothing too exotic about the noctilux).

Ok, I'll bite - so can you post shots with it, to show what is that "much more" that you are talking about? I don't have this lens, so I'd really be interested to see what it's capable of, besides shallow dof /bokeh.
thanks.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

quit teasing eh...post more 😉

 

[Ororaro]

Ok, I'll bite - so can you post shots with it, to show what is that "much more" that you are talking about? I don't have this lens, so I'd really be interested to see what it's capable of, besides shallow dof /bokeh.
thanks.

I certainly encourage anyone who has this lens to post!

 

[MikeL]

You could change film speeds blah blah blah it's huge blah blah you could use another lens blah blah. Whatever. If the prices hadn't gone crazy I don't think people would have such strong emotions over it. I got mine as a gift, before prices went crazy (er crazier), so maybe I don't have the right perspective.

I think it's a nice lens, and it's the only reason I still have my M4. And for someone with an eye like Ned's, the lens is plenty good.

 

[Davor]

Thanks for the shots, guys. They are absolutely wonderful! I'm in love with that swirl, wish I had the lens.

 

[maddoc]

I'm shooting with this lens a lot. Since not everyone is lucky enough to own one, and since some people are more in favor of the 50 summilux, I've decided to post some pics in this forum more often with this lens...

Ned, thanks for posting. I often wondered how "specialized" this lens is since most of the photos which I see taken with this lens are about shallow DoF only ... I am thinking since a while about getting a Noctilux (and dumping my Summilux / MP for this) if I would give up too much with such a switch. As I remember you have a M4-P (with 0.72x VF). Is focusing very difficult with the 0.72x finder or is a higher VF magnification a must (like the 0.91 of the M3) ?

Thanks,

Gabor

 

[Ororaro]

Gabor,

Thanks for your remarks.
The M4-P I have is extremely accurate. I have no focus issues with it at all. Focusing the Noctilux wide open is a breeze. THat's why I used the M4P for all Velvia shots (being ISO 50 and expensive) while all the B&W was done with my M3 and APX400.

I have calibrated my M3 myself but It's still a little off. It's a hard task! I don't want to mess with the RF too much but I'll give it a last try. I love shooting wide open when I can. With the cold and gray winter knocking at our door, it will also be the "wide-open shooting season" ;-)

The M4-P's viewfinder is perfect for the 35mm lens. 50 is not that bad, but I'm in love with the M3's viewfinder. Too bad I couldn't shoot with the 35 summilux.

As a side note, I'm shooting the M3 + 40mm Summicron-C more and more. With tape on the frame illumination window, the whole viewfinder becomes 40mm (IMO) and it becomes the perfect viewfinder with no lines.

 

[maddoc]

...The M4-P I have is extremely accurate. I have no focus issues with it at all. Focusing the Noctilux wide open is a breeze. THat's why I used the M4P for all Velvia shots (being ISO 50 and expensive) while all the B&W was done with my M3 and APX400...

Thanks for the explanation, Ned ! The M4-P became my "workhorse" lately, the most reliable and easy camera I have. I thought about getting a M3 or M2 as second M camera and paired with a Nocti ... 🙂
Velvia is expensive but great ! Like it for MF a lot ...

 

[Ororaro]

Thanks for the explanation, Ned ! The M4-P became my "workhorse" lately, the most reliable and easy camera I have. I thought about getting a M3 or M2 as second M camera and paired with a Nocti ... 🙂
Velvia is expensive but great ! Like it for MF a lot ...

For a Noctilux, I would most certainly recommend a dedicated M3. Have it CLA'd and its rangefinder calibrated expressely for the Noctilux and never separate them.

 

[maddoc]

Seems that I should look for a M3 then again ... 🙂

 

[KM-25]

While I think it is a really cool lens, I have yet to see any image that is not of a beer bottle, tree branch or any other static object that speaks to me: "You need to spend $5,000 on a 50mm".

I know it is cool and all, but I just don't see stellar stuff with it. I see much more brilliant stuff with other 50's in the hands of great photographers than I ever have with the Nocti.

Honestly? For $5,000 I would rather keep cranking out great publishable pics from my stunning LHSA 50 1.4 Asph and get a Nikon 200-400 VR for my D3.

No offense...but I have yet to see a truly talented shooter make me want to buy this lens.

 

[Ororaro]

I post all kinds of images with this lens, taken in any kind of environment. I am not doing this for praise. That's a problem some people have a difficult time understanding-like you now.

No offense, but I don't understand your post. I'm not trying to sell you this lens.

 

[KM-25]

I post all kinds of images with this lens, taken in any kind of environment. I am not doing this for praise. That's a problem some people have a difficult time understanding-like you now.

No offense, but I don't understand your post. I'm not trying to sell you this lens.

I'm sorry but this is not pointed at you, it is just me saying that unlike images I see from say, a Canon 85L which have a very distinct look, I am not seeing any images from the Nocti that set it apart from other lenses.

I want to see something that totally knocks my socks off with the 50/1.0. That is all...

 

[MikeL]

I know it is cool and all, but I just don't see stellar stuff with it. I see much more brilliant stuff with other 50's in the hands of great photographers than I ever have with the Nocti.

No offense...but I have yet to see a truly talented shooter make me want to buy this lens.

This is why I usually stay away from Noct threads.......

 

[Ororaro]

I'm sorry but this is not pointed at you, it is just me saying that unlike images I see from say, a Canon 85L which have a very distinct look, I am not seeing any images from the Nocti that set it apart from other lenses.

I want to see something that totally knocks my socks off with the 50/1.0. That is all...

Why are you supposed to see something that totally knocks your socks off? People don't understand the noctilux.

They all expect some super bokeh and ultrathin focus.

What makes the Noctilux so special is the fact it can be used at f1.0 and equally at f8 for landscapes, as opposed to the Noct-Nikkor which would suffer serious CA. Let's not even talk about the Canon f1.0 paperweight.

People do not understand the Noctilux. They keep on talking about focus shift but they forget that such a lens rather shows a severe field curvature. It's so severe that instead of just being sharp at the middle, it's sharp at the middle, soft as we go out and gets sharp at the edges. There is in fact 2 planes of focus when shot at f1.0 because of the field curvature.

No, people expect impossible things from this lens. They all want to see bokeh but they forget the 90mm f2 will give them more of that.

 

[Ororaro]

This is why I usually stay away from Noct threads.......

Why exactly? Did you know you can shoot it in the dark and shoot landscapes with this lens and get perfect sharpness? What other lens does that?

Not the Noct-Nikkor.
Not the Canon f1.0 paper-weight.
Not the Canon f0.95.

Ah! I see! you're talking about talent and composition? You're wrongfully discriminating the Noctilux, then.

If you know your stuff, any Noctilux post is interesting because it rivals any Summilux, any time. Instead of always expecting Bokeh and softness, expect what the Noctilux does best: all around shooting capability.

 

[KM-25]

The explanations you gave about comparable lenses are spot on.

Enjoy your Nocti..🙂.

Why are you supposed to see something that totally knocks your socks off? People don't understand the noctilux.

They all expect some super bokeh and ultrathin focus.

What makes the Noctilux so special is the fact it can be used at f1.0 and equally at f8 for landscapes, as opposed to the Noct-Nikkor which would suffer serious CA. Let's not even talk about the Canon f1.0 paperweight.

People do not understand the Noctilux. They keep on talking about focus shift but they forget that such a lens rather shows a severe field curvature. It's so severe that instead of just being sharp at the middle, it's sharp at the middle, soft as we go out and gets sharp at the edges. There is in fact 2 planes of focus when shot at f1.0 because of the field curvature.

No, people expect impossible things from this lens. They all want to see bokeh but they forget the 90mm f2 will give them more of that.

 

[Ororaro]