On the verge of selling my Nokto 35/1.4

[noimmunity]

I appreciate it's unique combination of size, speed, and cost.

But I love the image produced by its bigger brother, the beastly 35/1.2

Sure, it's great to have a diminutive fast 35 that doesn't cost a lot and is easy to carry for times when I just wanna kick around.

But I could use the funds. For a tripod, or a second set of tanks and reels, or another 35 that would pair better with the Beast. I do miss that "noisy cricket"!

Strangely enough, I'm hesitating. Sharing my hesitation here is probably the height of folly, easy on me, folks! 😱

 

[ferider]

It's a new lens - you can always get it back, Jon. Or just not worry about it and think about the next photos you want to take.

 

[leicashot]

Small lenses like that are only beneficial for travelling and street photography cause they're lighter and faster to focus. The 35/1.2 IS the killer lens to keep. The images of the 1.2 make it easy to forget the burden of lugging around the extra weight.

 

[stupid leica]

i really dont think the 1.2 is worth the increase in size, cost, and weight. It's like 1/3rd of a stop faster, right? Bokeh is a little softer, but i like the 1.4's character more... and i LOVE the 1.4's size.

 

[back alley]

i know that i'm in the minority on this one...but i didn't care for the 1.2 at all. of the 2, i would keep the 1.4.
that being said, i much prefer the somewhat tighter view of a 40mm lens these days.

but if i was interested in speed i would go for the 50/1.1 --- and i very much hope to be able to get another one in the future!

 

[SteveM(PA)]

I think they're both great lenses to have. The 1.2, for going out when you have no intentions of trying to hide the fact that you have a camera. The 1.4, though, for discretion. And with it's focus tab, you can guesstimate your focus for chest/hip shots and maybe achieve more popping subjects than hyperfocal might provide.

 

[tbarker13]

Sell it.
There is no shortage of small, interesting 35mm lenses in this world. If you ever decide you want something smaller than the 35/1.2, you'll be able to find something else with very little effort.

 

[Bruin]

Will NOT having it deter you from carrying your camera for times when you just wanna kick around?

If you get a compact, slower 35, will it be able to fill the above role?

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Like Joe, I've never been quite sold on the CV 35mm f1.2. I like the idea, and the lens is in my wish list, but when I got my M5, I knew that the CV 35 f1.4 was the right one for this body.

Now you have one, you've used it, experienced it and appreciated it... Go and sell it, get the faster one and then you'll be able to compare. Who knows? Maybe you'll end selling the lighting speed lens and going back to the old spunky cricket. 🙂

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

I did not have neither but checked the wide open shots from both and I did not see the soft character of the bigger one. In what conditions you get softer bokeh with f1.2? When the background is far away?

 

[umcelinho]

if you prefer the 1.2 and the 1.4 is not being used, sell it. no point in keeping a current production lens catching dust, you can always buy another copy later on if you really miss it.

 

[Thardy]

I would like to see photos taken with the 1.2 v 1.4. How different are they?

 

[shadowfox]

Reading this thread, once again I tell myself to hang on to the 35/1.7 and wait for a killer deal or a moment of craziness that will land me a pre-ASPH 35mm Summilux 😀

 

[david.elliott]

What you need is a uc hexanon \o/

 

[noimmunity]

Well, my goodness, thanks to everyone for the input! RFF rocks!

Will NOT having it deter you from carrying your camera for times when you just wanna kick around?

If you get a compact, slower 35, will it be able to fill the above role?

After having slept on it, I've decided to hang on to the lens. Bruin, dude, you always come up with the spot on advice!

I would recommend talking to Nate about buying his stunning W-Nikkor C 35/1,8 in M-mount....it is a killer all-round tiny, fast lens that is very rare in M-mount, with only 3 copies in existence!

I was and am very tempted by the idea, Thomas. If only I could try it out first. Living in Taiwan, it is always much harder for me to buy and then sell a lens than it is for people in North America, so I am very hesitant to commit to an expensive unknown (for me) lens (Only caveat about that lens seems to be the 0.9 MFD and the slightly slower aperture).

I would like to see photos taken with the 1.2 v 1.4. How different are they?

I've done my own "tests." I'm sorry, I have little interest in posting them here because I'm not a stringent tester nor a really technically competent professional, and just don't want to get involved in the huge debate around these lenses. But my experience, FWIW, is that the color rendition on the 1.2 is better (the 1.4 version has a slightly cool, in fact I'd say greyish tint, and undersaturated look). The bokeh of the 1.2 is noticeably better, to my taste. The speed difference is negligible. The 1.2 works better on the M8 (no focus shift). The handling of the 1.2 works better for my thick fingers than the 1.4, esp. when I don't need a tab (which is most of the time). The 1.4 looks great in black n white, but so does the 1.2 . The 1.2 is 'magic', the 1.4 is 'interesting' and 'competent'. Hope that helps...

Once I get my Hex 50/2.4 from Japan, I'll see if I still need the Rollei Sonnar, and if not, may sell that instead to get funds towards something else...

 

[back alley]

sell the rollei?

good god man...NO!!!

 

[noimmunity]

sell the rollei?

good god man...NO!!!

Actually, Joe, I don't want to sell anything! I only wanna collect more and more!!!

p.s. I didn't say I'd sell it, yet. That lens has given me a ton of keepers. But the addition of the Hex 50/2.4 adds some pressure...

 

[back alley]

be still my heart...


.

 

[noimmunity]

be still my heart...
.

Well, we all know even you, Joe, will eventually sell, perhaps rebuy and perhaps sell again that marvelous lens...

 

[back alley]

oh, i hope not....