The 40mm Nokton and its brother 50mm Nokton

[Fabri970]

Hi,

i've the Nokton 50mm f1.5 and i love this lens, it's my favourite lens, when i 've go out with only one lens my choice is for the Nokton...

Now i've read many post about the 40mm where it's described like a wonderful lens, near at the leica standard....

It's natural that the feel to have this lens 's borned in me!!

The question is: does it have sense to buy this lens having already the 50mm Nokton and the 35mm Pancake?

 

[Richard Black]

I think you would not gain much given the two lenses you have. The 40 has a reputation of being a wonderful lens, but so does the 50. Ask youself how would the 40 fit into your photographic vision? If it does, there is your answer.

 

[David Noble]

I agree with Richard. The 40 would be useful only if you feel you need something wider than the 50 (but not that much) or faster than the 35 (and almost as wide).

I initially bought the 40 and ended up replacing it with the 50 and the 35/1.7.
Sometimes I wish I'd kept it instead—but I guarantee if you own all three one or more of them will see little use.

 

[kully]

I have the 50 and the 40 Noktons.

I much prefer the look of the 50 (completely personal view), it is just smoother. I was sceptical of the "bokeh harshness" posts on the internet, but looking at prints I can see that the 50 has a much more pleasing bokeh wide open (again, completely personal).

But. The 50 is big, so the 40 stays for nights out when the speed and size make the difference between taking something or nothing.

 

[35mmdelux]

the 40 Nokton has harsh over-the-top boke when used wide open. as such, its not a lens I can recommend. If you want a 40, get the Summicron-C.

However, since you already have the 50 Nokton and the 35mmP, the 40 won't add any material diff IMO.

 

[dazedgonebye]

I dropped my 35 and 50 in favor of the 40. That free'd up cash plus space in my bag and I haven't regretted it.
I haven't seen the harsh bokeh that others here complain of.

 

[RayPA]

I agree with what others have said about a 40 & 50 kit. They are too close (in focal length and speed) to be useful in a single camera kit. I have both, but I use the 40 with my CLE kit. Both lenses are great. I've found the 50 to be a little harsher, but that's relative to the 40. However, I've always thought they were more similar than different. I have never understood the bokeh criticism that follows the 40, but lens preference and evaluation, particularly when it comes to jucging bokeh, has always been a subjective thing.

If you're keeping the 50 and want to go wider, then maybe you should be looking at the 35 or 28 focal length.

 

[Captain]

The 40mm focal length is great for those who find 50's a bit to narrow and 35's a bit too wide for their standard lens. Given that you have both already, I wouldnt bother with a 40.

 

[35mmdelux]

I have never understood the bokeh criticism that follows the 40, but lens preference and evaluation, particularly when it comes to jucging bokeh, has always been a subjective thing.

Initially I was an admirer of the 40VC lens. Fast and inexpensive. A PNEt member wrote up a glowing analysis along with some outstanding photos in one of the big magazines about 2 yrs ago. Mostly he discussed the differences between MC and the SC (multi-coating vs single coating).

I followed the 40VC threads for a couple years. After some time I began noticing very harsh boke in low light pictures. Not the subjective stuff, but harshness that a blind woman could see. Very harsh, and some downright ugly. Alot of guys on PNET were big advocates for the 40VC and even they said the boke was poor.

Not trying to be argumentative, its more of an FYI. You'll need to judge for yourself. I wish someone had told me to use caution when I bought my 35mm Summilux pre-asph and told me its propensity for flare.

good luck -

 

[rich815]

Hi,

i've the Nokton 50mm f1.5 and i love this lens, it's my favourite lens, when i 've go out with only one lens my choice is for the Nokton...

Now i've read many post about the 40mm where it's described like a wonderful lens, near at the leica standard....

It's natural that the feel to have this lens 's borned in me!!

The question is: does it have sense to buy this lens having already the 50mm Nokton and the 35mm Pancake?

From my understanding the fact that they are both "Noktons" means little.

I had the 40VC S.C for a little while. Frankly while good and certainly sharp, it was nothing special or unique in the character department (in my wholey subjective opinion of course), and the bokeh wide open was quite harsh.

I sold it. Much prefer my 50/2 Summicron DR, 50/1.5 Summarit and the 35/1.2 Nokton.

 

[RayPA]

...

Not trying to be argumentative, its more of an FYI. You'll need to judge for yourself. I wish someone had told me to use caution when I bought my 35mm Summilux pre-asph and told me its propensity for flare.

good luck -

I understand, same here; However, like you I've looked at a lot of CV 40/1.4 images (online), and I find the 40/1.4 bokeh to be really very nice. It's all subjective, though. I've seen folks here post examples of the "great bokeh" exhibited by a particular lens that have made me cringe. Even the use of the word 'harsh' is subjective, really. What does that mean, anyway? That's not a direct question. Anyway, thanks.

 

[troym]

Initially I was an admirer of the 40VC lens. Fast and inexpensive. A PNEt member wrote up a glowing analysis along with some outstanding photos in one of the big magazines about 2 yrs ago. Mostly he discussed the differences between MC and the SC (multi-coating vs single coating).

I followed the 40VC threads for a couple years. After some time I began noticing very harsh boke in low light pictures. Not the subjective stuff, but harshness that a blind woman could see. Very harsh, and some downright ugly. Alot of guys on PNET were big advocates for the 40VC and even they said the boke was poor.

Not trying to be argumentative, its more of an FYI. You'll need to judge for yourself. I wish someone had told me to use caution when I bought my 35mm Summilux pre-asph and told me its propensity for flare.

good luck -

How long did you use the lens before your opinion changed? In other words, did you find that there were certain situations in which you would use the lens and get results you didn't like, or was it a cumulative process?

 

[35mmdelux]

How long did you use the lens before your opinion changed? In other words, did you find that there were certain situations in which you would use the lens and get results you didn't like, or was it a cumulative process?

My opinion changed as a result of discussions around fotos with RF shooters with far more experience than mine. I was willing, able, and ready to buy but my research indicated that the lens would not meet acceptable boke standards for me.

 

[kshapero]

I have two 40mm's and a 50mm. I like the 40mm. It is just a great all around lens. Fast, compact and for me, no problems with bokeh.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I basically agree with Kully's post (#2).
I had the cv 35 PII, a Canon 35mm 2.8, and the 50mm Nokton. The 50mm Nokton is a gem of a lens but a little big. I wanted something a little wider for my no-light band shots in bars. So I bought the 40mm. I don't regret getting it. But were it not for having an option for wider shots in very low light situations, I would pass on it. For street-shooting, I prefer the feel of the PII and the look of the Canon.
Here are a few shots with the 40mm.

 

[rxmd]

Hi Paul,

Initially I was an admirer of the 40VC lens. Fast and inexpensive. [...] I followed the 40VC threads for a couple years. After some time I began noticing very harsh boke in low light pictures. Not the subjective stuff, but harshness that a blind woman could see. Very harsh, and some downright ugly. [...] My opinion changed as a result of discussions around fotos with RF shooters with far more experience than mine. I was willing, able, and ready to buy but my research indicated that the lens would not meet acceptable boke standards for me.

Forgive me, but were you an admirer only, or a user as well?

I think one really has to see whether a particular lens' rendition is suited to one's own style of photography. Bokeh is a rather subjective and elusive thing, and judging bokeh from other people's comments on scanned, postprocessed, downscaled 640x480 pictures posted on the Internet is not the best way to influence a lens buying decision. If that's the only point weighing against it, better try, buy and sell again if needed. I certainly wouldn't comment on the Internet with a definite opinion on the bokeh of a lens I've never used.

Personally I've found that my bokeh preferences sometimes differed significantly from what photographers on internet fora said. For example (I keep repeating myself) I use medium format a lot. By internet standards the best bokeh lens I own in medium format should be a 180 Sonnar, and its bokeh is indeed fine, I think, but the bokeh I like best is actually that of a lowly Soviet Vega-12 90/f2.8 lens. Nobody on the Internet apparently uses that lens at all, let alone would have said a positive thing about its bokeh; I stumbled across it completely by accident and fell in love with it because of a single portrait shot I made. (I don't have a scan here, sorry.) Since as a photographer I first want myself to like my pictures, I tend to guide myself by my own preference on my own pictures, not what others write about somebody else's pictures.

I'm interested in the 40 Nokton because it's compact and fast and has a nice focal length. I've seen ugly and beautiful pictures from it, just like with any other lens. In that it's really no different from the 35 Summicron that everybody calls the "King of Bokeh" (apparently because having a red dot for a crown, it has to be king of something). I certainly won't be forming my judgement of the lens based on this kind of third-party opinion only.

You'll need to judge for yourself.

Exactly.

Philipp

EDIT: Corrected some spellings.

 

[Fabri970]

Thank'you for the reply, i' think that the mine is more curiosity than necessity, i really love the 50mm Nokton its sharp is great the only thing that i don't like about it it's the size, but when you see the picture you forgive it......

I've also the summicron 50mm, great lens, compared to the Nokton i don't see great difference, only a little bit minor sharp and a more plasticity (read like three-D),

I think that to try a lens you 've to have it in the hands a play with it a lot in all different situation of light..

I will'nt buy the 40mm , i'll spend my money , perhaps..., in a weekand out of town, with my CV gear, of course......