the nokton 35mm f1.2 introduced me to 35mm.

the nokton blocks the lower right quarter of the viewfinder almost completely. with the vented hood it's a bit better, but it has never really distracted me...
 
nome_alice said:
i have the 35/1.7 Ultron which seems to give very nice OOF rendering but i keep lusting over the 35/1.2 Nokton with the faster maximum aperture and closer minimum focus distance.

i've looked at many examples from the 35/1.2 Nokton but just can't make my mind up whether the OOF rendering is 'nicer' or not. some shots look beautiful while others appear to have a bit of double lining and bright rings to the edges of OOF highlights.

i'd love to hear from people who've owned and shot with both the 35/1.7 Ultron and 35/1.2 Nokton, which one did you seem to like the best in terms of image rendering...it's ok to say you don't know why you like one over the other...i understand ;-)

also, although the weight of the 35/1.2 Nokton is not a concern to me, how much of the view does this lens block on a Bessa R2A?

Cheers.
Click to expand...

The 35f1.7 and the 35f1.2 are two different lenses. The 1.7 is a good, medium speed 35 that will do a great job across the board. It is also ssmaller and easier to lug around. Wether you use a 1.7,1.4,2.0 doesnt really matter - they are all good,
The 35f1.2 falls into the category "specialized " lenses. When the lights dim - there are really no alternative to it. It has a rather unique fingerprint wide open, sharp in the focusplane, but with dramatic drop off to the OOF areas. When the lens first came out and I got a pre-production sample, I shot some tests and promptly sold my Noctilux 50f1, realizing that I would use it even less than before. Shooting with the 35f1.2 you can handhold it at 1/8 with rather predictable results and with 800/1600 film - the result is quite stunning! Your limit is actually what lightlevel you can focus at - the lens will deliver. Like with any "super fast" lens, you will have more misses than with the mere "mortal" lenses at f2! It is not the fault of the lens! It is our capacity to focus at these lightlevels! It is the same problem with the Noctilux!
 
I know that everyone shoots this lens wide open, but how does it perform at, say f4.0 or 5.6 or even f8? And how big is this lens actually? Can't be as big as my beloved Nikkor 35mm f1.4. I am thinking that this lens could be the end of my hunt for a versatile 35mm lens for my Bessa or a future M.

You know the old one camera/one lens/one film/one developer philosophy that we all dream about. Efke KB25 in Rodinal 1:100 has the film/developer covered, just need to nail down the camera/lens.

Wonder who I am kidding?
 
fgianni said:
You ba5tards stop it right now!

I can't afford another lens!
Click to expand...

With the price difference in the US, you can hop a plane and have an excuse to come over to "save" money, my friend in the north sends a few pounds to the US.

Unfortunately, I do not see it dropping much in price, and this was one of only two black Cosina lenses I bought.

At least you should not lose much in value on this one, as it is only a matter of time, I recommend you just bite the bullet. ;-)

You only regret the lenses you do not buy.

There must be one with your name on it somewhere.

Regards, John
 
personally, i like the feel of its size in my hand. feels like a real lens. i know this is superfluous as i also love my 15 heliar on my Bessa L because it is like nothing at all in my hand and makes for very different photographs. but the 1.2/35 is a solid lens that has all the controls right where my stubby fingers want to go. and it is fast to change, although i prefer to shoot DOF pretty much all the time. and it is also nicely balanced on my M3, equal weights but definitely not a pocket camera combination, that. i started with the ultron 28 1.9 and still love using it in the field but i find the 35 a nice workhorse lens on both film as a 35 and the rd as a 50-ish. 50 is a great focal length often snubbed but it's "rejection" (to use an audio mic term) is fantastic for tight shooting. 35 on film was THE lens of the 70s in my work, though. hard to get past it. definitely worth the money. if you're unsure of 35 as a focal length, get a cheaper one and try it out then trade up to the 1.2 as long as they're available. otherwise, as someone said, bite the bullet...it'll leave a great taste in your mouth. mho.

-dd
 
I have a whole "Cave" series done with Nokton 35/1.2. I posted some in one other thread. You can find them all here

But to give a taste - here are a few from it:

2593519022_b66c8ae3f6_o.jpg


2593518904_cf9ce35dd7_o.jpg


2592680873_84919fb18a_o.jpg


2592681379_fc793b35df_o.jpg


2593518754_7306711b95_o.jpg
 
It's my favorite lens as well. Jawdropping results. It's a big sucker, but if I know I'll be shooting people, it's the go to lens. It's just that special. And I think Tom is right is right in that the limiting factor is your ability to focus. I love that on my R-D1 it turns into a portrait lens.
 
One on the Way

One on the Way

Well, I have been debating between the 35 1.4 and the 35 1.2 for six months to go with the 35 2.5. I was attracted to the small size of the 1.4 but in the end all the glowing reports of the Nocton 1.2 won out.

In almost forty years in photography, I have never owned a lens faster then f2 so I am looking forward to trying low light with my M. And not being quite as limited on film or shutter speed as with something that is limited to f2. And I am thinking the 2.5 and 1.2 will be so different that I won't mind owning 2 lenses of the same focal length-something that in the past I have very seldom done. If not, I will sell the 35 2.5.

So now I guess it is time to buy a scanner and figure out how to use it. Are black and white films more difficult to scan then the C41 films for black and white (can't remember what they are called.).
 
Last edited:
hi ktmrider!

you should try to scan black and white, in my opinion it's as easy as scanning C41 for black and white, and much easier than color.
 
Thanks for Info about Scanning

Thanks for Info about Scanning

Don't want to take over this thread but thanks for the info on scanning regular black and white negatives. I read or heard somewhere that scanning C41 films was easier and that the grain in b&w films could cause some difficulty. I guess I am going to have to do some research on scanning as I prefer to develop the film myself and go from there.

Don't know how many miles of Tri-X I used up in college and during a short career as a photojournalist but we got to be pretty good at getting it up to ISO 1600-3200.

So can anyone suggest a good book or website with information about scanning. I am still pretty good in a chemical darkroom but totally new to scanning and then printing it digitally. Any reference would be really appreciated.
 
I bought this lens back when Dubya sent us, hardworking folks, our economic stimulus package. The money didn't quite cover the whole cost, but it got me close enough.

I like many people had lusted after the Nokton for a long time. I had been looking for a lens that could compete with the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 Ai-S. I also have the ZM Biogon 35/2 and it is a great lens, but it renders in a way that has taken some getting used to for me. I loved the Nokton right away and never felt bothered by its size/weight.

samples:

Wide open at 1/4 with Kodak 160 NC
2415617630_df46ca8bfb_b.jpg



wide open at 1/15 with Neopan 400
2481468669_de356efc16_b.jpg


at 1.4 with Neopan 400. Focus was on the hand.
2482412928_8999b7edac_b.jpg
 
yup....finally I ordered a new 35mm f1.2 from Scott-Sydney-Mainline photography, I can't wait to lay my hand on it in 6 days...yay!
 
Yeh, it's not on the website, give him a call and order the lense, it's 25% deposit and he's selling it for $Aud 995!!!
 
got my 35/1.2 from scott several months ago, paid $A9xx i think it was, can't really remember. sometimes with mainline you have to ask for some products. they have a fairly regular turnover there, not always on top of the website. bought all but one CV lens from mainline, about eight i think i have now. great to deal with.
-dd
 
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