Nokton 35/1.2 II + M9 = wow !!

[Wobba]

I picked up the new version of the Nokton 35/1.2 a few days ago and, so far, I'm very impressed. This lens gets so much right. First up, it feels great. Focus is silky smooth and the aperture ring clicks into place nicely with just the right amount of damping. Prior to receiving the lens, I was a little concerned about the size but once mounted it's balanced and feels great in the hand.

In terms of IQ, it is already quite sharp from wide open with decent contrast, unlike the previous version which was rather low in contrast until stopped down. There's zero focus shift. And the bokeh is lovely. Stopped down to around f8, it is razor sharp across the frame and better than my 35/2 ASPH. Coding for an M8/M9 is also a breeze since the mount has a slight recess. This is an incredible lens for the money.

 

[Never Satisfied]

Hey wobba, where did you get the lens from, the Camera Exchange?

 

[Wobba]

Hey wobba, where did you get the lens from, the Camera Exchange?

My lens came from Scott at Mainline. He is all out until the next shipment arrives but Camera Lane had one in their window today.

 

[SimonSawSunlight]

there seems to be less distortion than with v1, but I think I still like v1's OOF areas a little better.
whatever, so far it seems to be a great lens and a worthy replacement.

 

[leicashot]

Looks nice, but I agree about the bokeh, which does seem smoother on the V1.

Quite honestly I think this bokeh may just have more character though....time will tell

 

[Wobba]

there seems to be less distortion than with v1, but I think I still like v1's OOF areas a little better.
whatever, so far it seems to be a great lens and a worthy replacement.

I can't comment on the V1 but the V2 requires +5 in Lightroom to correct distortion.

 

[Wobba]

Looks nice, but I agree about the bokeh, which does seem smoother on the V1.

Quite honestly I think this bokeh may just have more character though....time will tell

G'day Kris,

There is so much to like about the way this lens renders. I have owned the 35 V4, 35/2 ASPH and 35/1.4 ASPH and prefer the Nokton to all three. It helps that focus is spot on at every aperture and at all distances.

Vince

P.S. I'm hanging out for the 28 Summiduper.

 

[Wobba]

oh ok, forget what I said then. I thought these were uncorrected files.

These files are all uncorrected. Distortion is very minimal that you won't see it in these images. I shot my garage roller door and the slight distortion that was visible was easily corrected with about +5, in LR.

 

[leicashot]

G'day Kris,

There is so much to like about the way this lens renders. I have owned the 35 V4, 35/2 ASPH and 35/1.4 ASPH and prefer the Nokton to all three. It helps that focus is spot on at every aperture and at all distances.

Vince

P.S. I'm hanging out for the 28 Summiduper.

Thats a good sign Vince as I know how picky you are 😉

I should have mine this week, and now missing the Summiduper 🙁

 

[leicashot]

Vince, did you get the lens hood? How does it look? Big? How about a pic?

 

[SimonSawSunlight]

too bad the price in germany is about 1860 USD... 🙁

 

[Wobba]

Vince, did you get the lens hood? How does it look? Big? How about a pic?

Unfortunately Scott did not receive the hoods. I think he said they will be in stock in a few weeks. I've been shooting outdoors in bright conditions without a hood and flare hasn't proven to be an issue at this stage.

 

[Wobba]

too bad the price in germany is about 1860 USD... 🙁

That's a big ask. The list price in Australia is AUD $1250 including tax which works out to AUD $1136 ex. tax.

 

[DamenS]

Great shots Wobba - so overall you like this lens more than the first version ? I was a little concerned (especially about build quality) when they discontinued the first lens stating that the glass had become too hard to get (or was too toxic ?) and that the lens had become too expensive to produce ... that made me think the Version II was going to be a bit "cheaper" when it came to the build and that the new glass may not be as nice.

Did Scott happen to mention when they expect the next shipment and do you know if this second version is available in chrome ?

Ta - lot of questions I know, LOL !!

 

[Wobba]

Great shots Wobba - so overall you like this lens more than the first version ? I was a little concerned (especially about build quality) when they discontinued the first lens stating that the glass had become too hard to get (or was too toxic ?) and that the lens had become too expensive to produce ... that made me think the Version II was going to be a bit "cheaper" when it came to the build and that the new glass may not be as nice.

Did Scott happen to mention when they expect the next shipment and do you know if this second version is available in chrome ?

Ta - lot of questions I know, LOL !!

HI Damen, I don't have a great deal of first hand experience with the V1. I shot with one a coupe of years ago and it seemed quite sharp from wide open but contrast was very low and required quite a lift during PP. As I said earlier, I have owned a bunch of Leica 35's (including the 35 Summarit which I forgot to mention) and the V2 Nokton appeals to me more than any of the Leicas, except perhaps for the Summarit which had very sweet bokeh.

The build quality is top notch, irrespective of price. It is a steal for AUD $1250. This could easliy sell for a lot more.

Scott didn't say when the next batch was due but Camera Lane had one in their window today.

 

[DamenS]

Thanks for the response Wobba - darn I need an excuse to spend money like I need ... well, I don't need one ! Looks like a trip into the city might be on the cards tomorrow ...

 

[leicashot]

Thanks for the response Wobba - darn I need an excuse to spend money like I need ... well, I don't need one ! Looks like a trip into the city might be on the cards tomorrow ...

Tell Al Kristian said to do a 2 for 1 special 😀

 

[DamenS]

Tell Al Kristian said to do a 2 for 1 special 😀

LOL - Would two of them make an expensive 70mm f2.4 or a cheap 17.5mm f0.6 I wonder ... 😱

 

[jsrockit]

there seems to be less distortion than with v1, but I think I still like v1's OOF areas a little better.

Ut oh, here we go... 😱

 

[SimonSawSunlight]

it definitely looks good enough 🙂