Nokton 50mm F1.5 : Original vs. CV Version

[raid]

I have both Nokton lenses, and I wonder whether anyone here has used both lenses with the goal to identify applications in which the original Nokton has an edge over the modern apherical Nokton.

The Prominent camera is heavy and it designed in a way that targets your eyes or potentially poking one of your fingers into your eyes as you focus! Maybe an eye doctor had a role here!

Amedeo is now making a Nokton to Contax or Nikon adapter. This adapter will allow users to combine them with M adapters so that the original Nokton can be used with the M8 or M9. The lens is very well made, and it is an excellent lens or its age.

Amedeo will offer his new adapter here for a special price. It is certainly less ostly than buying the Noton in ltm as it is a collectible. There exist otjer adapters, but they may not be as well crafted as tnose by Amedeo.


Feedback is invited.


If I get an Amedeo adapter soon, I will compare the two lenses.

 

[Tom A]

Cosina made an adapter for the Prominent Nokton 50f1.5 for a short while. If you are going to use it on a M-camera you need a lot of adapters, screw-mount to M, an Orion style helical adapter and the Cosina adapter. I usually bypass most of them and use the Cosina adapter on a Nikon rangefinder instead.
The old, vintage Nokton is a bit lower contrast than the VC versions, also more prone to flare. They do have a very "mellow" tonal range. Resolution is less than the newer versions. However. it has its own charm - and is great for portraits.

 

[Tom A]

Nikon S3, Prominent Nokton 50mm f1.5. TriX in Microdol 1:1 for 16 min.

 

[raid]

Thanks for posting images with this lens, Tom.
I think that the new adapter will allow users to get away with using one or at most two adapters. This lens should be great as a portrait lens.

 

[Merlijn53]

Talking about the original Prominent lenses, imho the 2.0 50mm Ultron is a much better lens.
Frank

 

[raid]

This thread is about the 50/1.5, Frank. There are many better 50mm around. The vintage Nokton is regarded well by many people (it seems), and I wondered if there applications in which it still is useful, compared to the highly praised new Nokton 50/1.5.

 

[furcafe]

I've had (& still have) most of the various versions: original in Prominent mount, original in LTM, CV in LTM & Nikon RF, current CV in M-mount. The only 1 I no longer have is the CV LTM version.

If I had to summarize the difference between the old & the modern, I would draw an analogy to the original Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm/1.5 Sonnar or Zeiss-Opton/Carl Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar & the modern Carl Zeiss C Sonnar (ZM or S mount).

Links to my photos w/all the various versions (only goes up to 2012, so nothing from the current M, but you've probably seen a bunch from that lens):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/cosinavoigtlander5015noktonltmc2002/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/cosinavoigtlander5015snoktonc200307/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/voigtlander5015noktonc195260/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/voigtlander5015noktonltmc195260/

 

[Merlijn53]

"This thread is about the 50/1.5, Frank. There are many better 50mm around. The vintage Nokton is regarded well by many people (it seems), and I wondered if there applications in which it still is useful, compared to the highly praised new Nokton 50/1.5."

Sure, I've read the title 🙂
But I suppose the original Ultron will fit on this adapter as well, contrary to other 50mm's around. And if it does, information about the Ultron becomes interesting.
But I'm sorry for messing up your thread.
Frank

 

[raid]

This is actually unclear since Amedeo sometimes makes adapters that only perfectly fit one specific lens, Frank, but you could be right, and thenthis adapter would also open the oor or users of the Ultron.


edited: I checked with Amedeo. His new adapter will fit the Ultron too.

 

[raid]

There is a ring on the adapter that allows you vary the distance to the focal plane, making it possible to adjust your
lens for a specific range. This is like having a choice of multiple shimmings for fine-tuning the lens.
This sounds like a very useful feature to me.

 

[raid]

I will try out my old Nokton once I receive the new adapter for it.

 

[raid]

Thanks

Thanks

Thank you for the links to your photos with these lenses.
Which link is for the original Nokton? Is it the 3rd and the 4th ones?


Raid

I've had (& still have) most of the various versions: original in Prominent mount, original in LTM, CV in LTM & Nikon RF, current CV in M-mount. The only 1 I no longer have is the CV LTM version.

If I had to summarize the difference between the old & the modern, I would draw an analogy to the original Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm/1.5 Sonnar or Zeiss-Opton/Carl Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar & the modern Carl Zeiss C Sonnar (ZM or S mount).

Links to my photos w/all the various versions (only goes up to 2012, so nothing from the current M, but you've probably seen a bunch from that lens):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/cosinavoigtlander5015noktonltmc2002/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/cosinavoigtlander5015snoktonc200307/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/voigtlander5015noktonc195260/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/voigtlander5015noktonltmc195260/

 

[furcafe]

Yes, sorry. I always include the year of manufacture in my tags but flickr's current interface no longer displays the full text of long tags (very annoying :bang🙂. For some reason, the flickr mobile app actually displays more of the text in tags.

Thank you for the links to your photos with these lenses.
Which link is for the original Nokton? Is it the 3rd and the 4th ones?


Raid

 

[raid]

I figured it out. The original Nokton is not bad at all. It is very well made, which is not something you can say about all new modern lenses. If one or two adaptesr can make it possible for me to use this lens on my M8/M9, then I will be happy.

 

[raid]

Amedeo sent me an adapter that is for a Prominent 50mm lens to Contax mount. I add a Contax to M adapter, and I can use the Nokton on the M8. The result look very good to my eyes. Once I get my M9 back, I will use the Nokton with it.

I took some portraits with the vintage Nokton, and the results are like Tom described such images with the Noton to be. They are lower contrast, and the lens has character.