Nokton 1.1 ... is it just 'ho hum?'

[Krosya]

You imagine that a background with less presence would be better... Well, not for all scenes! Above all, good photographs don't require an unsharp background, but a sharp concept. At least that's me. If I started to worry too much about bokeh, it would speak clearly about my abilities as a photographer. It's not the lens but how you use it. The 40 1.4 nokton can give the same bokeh than the 35 1.2... And there are worse bokeh shots by Leica's 40s: you can see them after googling a bit, in tests done by reviewers you respect.

Cheers,
Juan

Its not just the background with less presence, but rather how that background is presented. I dont want "choppy", I prefer smooth. If I wish for more presence - I just stop down the lens. But if I wont smooth and out of focus - I dont want to find choppy later. I also disagree that 40/1.4 gives the same bokeh as 35/1.2. Not sure about Leica 40's but my Minolta 40/2 gives a very smooth bokeh. Maybe not as smooth as Hexanon 50 but good enough. YMMV.

 

[Paul T.]

Not sure about Leica 40's but my Minolta 40/2 gives a very smooth bokeh. Myabe not as smooth as Hexanon 50 but good enough. YMMV.

CHeck Sean Reid's 40mm review. Under certain conditions, the Minolta and SUmmicron C give lousy bokeh.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I was working at the Cannes Film Festival with all my Canon kit and decided to keep my kit as light as possible, and hadn't planned on doing any touring. Unfortunately with my work, I don't get many opportunities to utilize a Leica....carrying my Canon kit around is enough weight for me. Had I known I was gonna stop off in Paris for 3 days, I would've definately brought it along...regretting it now ;-)

Makes sense! Thanks for replying. As I said, it was idle curiosity but I can clearly understand your (as it turned out wrong) choice.

Then again, I'm only about 300 km from Paris now...

Cheers,

R.

 

[leicashot]

Makes sense! Thanks for replying. As I said, it was idle curiosity but I can clearly understand your (as it turned out wrong) choice.

Then again, I'm only about 300 km from Paris now...

Cheers,

R.

only 300km? Jealous am I. It was killing me to hit the streets of Paris without my M, but I do enjoy seeing others' interpretations with their own M's.

 

[leicashot]

Leica M, specifically M8.2, I don't leave home without it, ever. Seriously, how much space is taken by a M body and a 35 or 28?

A lot when you carry a pretty big pro kit consiting of a lighting studio too...every little bit counts.

It's easy to take an M body anywhere when you're not a busy working pro carrying a tone of heavy equipment everywhere, and paying excess bagage charges wherever you go....and by the end of large events, I honestly don't really feel like shooting anything.

 

[kshapero]

Well ... the answer to my question appears to be a lack of any real charisma from the lens.

We were expecting a Porsche and we got a Subaru!

I once owned a Subaru for over 10 years. A great car.😛

 

[popobsd]

there is a fact that when you comparing the photo stream in group.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nokton50f11/
to the steam of noctilux group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/noctilux/.

you will know the answer.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I don't get this comment. The Noctilux series of lenses has been out for more than 30 years, and the F1.1 Nokton has been available for ~two months.

How about the Leica 50/0.95 photostream? How does it compare with the F1.2 and F1.0 Noctilux? It's probably boring compared with it's older siblings. Probably not enough aberrations.

Any steam in these photo's?

http://www.flickr.com/groups/958044@N24/

 

[WoolenMammoth]

wow, the new noct appears just as boring and clinical as the nokton and for what, about $10K more? jeesh.

 

[maddoc]

wow, the new noct appears just as boring and clinical as the nokton and for what, about $10K more? jeesh.

... add the attribute "ASPH" to a Leica lens and it will become .. "clinical". I have read many comments from photographers, who went back from the ASPH versions to the latest pre-ASPH versions, especially with the 35 and 50mm Summilux lenses.

 

[WoolenMammoth]

yeah, its a super personal thing, but I was completely stoked to get a 28mm elmarit asph when I saw the size but after looking at the photos it can make, which can be awesome, I knew for sure it wasnt for me and wound up with the last pre-asph version. I guess leica finally has some response who viewed the noct as "broken". They fixed it... Or you can get a ridiculously similar looking lens for a tenth of the cost without having tenth the results. I always thought the price of the noct would come down once these new things started getting out there, I think I need to revise my thinking on that one...

 

[Viktor Sebastian]

the 50 1.2 is a thing of beauty though and there is something really special about that lens. I cant imagine who is chosing the nokton over the 1.2 hex given that they are more or less the same price.

I wish that was true. Anyone have a 50mm f1.2 Hexanon for $999?