Summicron or Nokton for my M2?

[lubitel]

Hi folks, help me make a decision on a 50mm lens. I have a summicron 4th version (no tab), which is my personal "jewel"– an awesome lens (and also the most expensive that I have bought). I am contemplating selling it and getting a CV Nokton 50/1.5. Which is cheaper from what I see in classifieds and eboy, obviously one stop faster and probably a lot sharper than a Jupiter-3 which I have. I can also use it on Bessa-R or on M2. The question is - will i regret this decision big time and miss the quality of a summicron, or is nokton just as good and I won't notice a difference?

What are your thoughts, is nokton comparable to an older summicron?
thanks in advance.

 

[roundg]

I have the CV50, superb in Optics, but the mechanical quality is not to Leica standard. ANd it's quite big on M2, IMO.

SO it depends on whether u really need the extra 1 stop (pls notice it's marked as 1.5 but it's 1.6 actually.)

If I were u, I will keep the Summicron no matter whether I buy the CV50 finally.

 

[eric mac]

i had the 50 Nokton and sold it because it was physically too big. Try it out on the camera first as it may cover part of the viewfinder. It just seemed to bring the camera out of balance as I recall. I generally use a 35 Summicron on my m2.

Eric

 

[kbg32]

I have the 50 Nokton and it is a wonderful lens. Sharp, contrasty, and a wonderful bokeh wide open. I don't find it objectionably large at all.

 

[wintoid]

Have you considered the Hexanon 50mm? They seem to be cheap these days, and it's a lens that I personally don't feel leaves anything lacking.

 

[Ronald M]

Keep the `Cron if you like it. They are not the same optically even stopped down. The Nocton is good, but not equal. The latest Leica optics are in a class by them selves and I can see the difference just looking at negatives with my plain eye.

 

[thafred]

hi,
my take is, keep the Summicron! I have the Nokton and had a coll. Summicron and only sold the summi because the time was right, I was hot for a Rolleiflex and I didn´t use the 50fl much in the last months.
I have still mixed feelings with the nokton...maybe the nokton is too contrasty for me but also with sharpness I allways have the impression the detail doesn´t go down to the same level as my Coll Cron did or my CronC does!
It´s like the Cron draws with a very fine pencil and the Nokton uses black ink...sharp but...ahh you get the picture..... (now every lens-test I did showed me that the Nokton is everybit as good or better than the Leica lenses..but in real world....I´ll get a cron 50mm again one day 😉 )

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[borismach]

Don't. Leica on Leica...I use VC though, but never ever sell a Leica for a VC. Not a good decision...from my point of view.

Cheerz
bm 🙂

 

[Keith]

I have taken pics with my Nokton at f1.5 and my Summicro DR at f2 and the Summicron has it by a long way for me! Just my two cents ... where have I heard that before? 😀

 

[tajart]

what was it someone said, "you can never have too many fifties," or something like that. keep the 'cron definitely, every leica shooter should have at least one summicron... and get a nokton too. they are both great though different.

 

[ferider]

Keep the Summicron and try out the 40/1.4 Nokton for a while.
Amazing lens. Since it focuses closer you can practically get the
same pictures as with the 50/1.5. Plus it's much smaller, faster,
and fits the M2 35mm framelines well for 4m and above.

Roland.

 

[kalokeri]

The Nokton is said to be very good. IMO this and the extra stop are not enough reasons to sell the Summicron. I wouldn´t consider this. Keep your "jewel". Otherwise you will regret it some day.

Thomas

 

[lubitel]

Thank you all for your replies. I think you guys are right about keeping the summicron. If I sell it now, who knows, may be I will never be able to buy a lens like that again and will regret selliing it. If one day I can afford an extra Nokton or even a summilux, that would certainly be awesome 😀 but I guess right now a Jupiter-3 is sufficient for my amateur-available-light needs.

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[sockeyed]

If you love the Summicron, hang onto it and hold out for a used Nokton. I picked one up for not a lot more than $200 and I think that it's a fantastic lens.

If you don't want to own both but you still want the extra stop, push your film a stop. With modern emulsions, you're not really compromising your pictures, particularly with the right film/developer combo.

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[cmogi10]

regarding the size issue, is the 35 nokton too much lense to mount on an m body?

 

[richard_l]

If the Nocton is really f/1.6 (as someone wrote), then compared to the 'Cron, it is closer to 1/2 stop faster than 1 stop faster. (Base 2 log of (2^2)/(1.6^2) is approx. 0.64.)