VC 50 1.5 Nokton, opinions?

[BrianPhotog]

I recently posted a number of Nokton pics taken over the last couple of weeks here: http://www.photomalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9456

 

[Nearsighted]

I had to buy this lens for the low light capability it should offer. I havn't recieved it yet and I just purchased it on Friday from a fellow RFFer. After reading the reviews I'm pretty jazzed about trying it. The other CV lenses I own are all pretty slow (25/4, 35/2.5, 75/2.5). I usually shoot 400 speed film and I'm hoping this lens will take me into some darker places than I'm able to go now.

 

[dostacos]

here is my 2 cents, love the lens, and I don't have a problem with the lens in the viewfinder

 

[chenick]

Here are some shots from my first 2 rolls with the CV Nokton 50mm, trying to ascertain its character... it's a big lens, smooth and nicely machined.

2 wide open and 2 stopped down around F5.6 or F8 if I remember correctly 🙂

Colour: Kodacolor 100
B&W: Ilford XP2 Super

Cheers,
Nick

 

[sanmich]

brass or not?

brass or not?

I'm surprised to hear that the Nokton is build from brass. I thought only the color skopar 50mm and the 28/3.5 were made of brass. Can someone inform on this....

 

[BJ Bignell]

Attached is a picture (sorry that it's so blurry) of the 50mm framelines from a Bessa R, with the 50mm Nokton and hood. The picture on the left shows the intrusion into the framelines at close focus (1m), the picture on the right with focus at infinity.

It's not bad at all, but every once in a while, you may find that it gets in the way.

 

[sf]

I love mine, it is very well built and the focusing action is firm but smooth. Some people complain about the bookeh, but as you can see on this shot, it appears to be buttery smooth. I don't remember the aperture used on this shot, but it was pretty close to wide open as you can see how shallow the depth of field is. I keep it on my Bessa almost exclusively.

I have been watching this lens for a long time. This and the 75mm Heliar. Honestly, I can see no reason at all to buy into the more expensive glass with these two around. The 50mm looks to be a nicer lens than the 40mm in terms of oof and microcontrast.

The 75mm is just simply gorgeous.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I like mine. The build quality is not as solid as a Leitz lens, but hey, it costs waaaay less. You can feel the difference in build quality when you turn the aperture ring. Also, CV finshes mar/chip much more easily than their Leitz counterparts. But the image quality is good -- if you can't make a good photo with this lens, don't blame the equipment. I think Erwin Puts has a write-up on this lens -- check it out if you feel the need to read about it.

I'd echo Rover's suggestion. Shoot 100 rolls of film with this lens, step back and see if you like what you've produced.

Good luck! Enjoy the lens and let us know how it turns out.

Ben Marks

 

[aad]

My main problem with this lens is the hood intrudes on the rangefinderof my IIIf-not normally a problem, but when it's really getting dark, the chunk out of the RF patch makes difficult focusing even more nasty. Great otherwise, and I use an aux finder for framing.

 

[BrianPhotog]

The infamous FrankG posted his thoughts on this lens HERE

 

[Terao]

Blimey, its big, smooth, nicely built (reminds me of vintage lenses from the 50s). Easy enough to focus on my R-D1 (even easier on my T) and obscenely sharp stopped down a little (good enough wide open). Excellent portrait lens for the R-D1.
When I'm travelling light I'll probably take my 40mm Nokton but for better bokeh I'll use this...

 

[thafred]

The Nokton is an awesome lens as many others have mentioned.
I ditched the hood and got a cheap 52mm snap-on cap ...it doesn´t feel so large anymore (silly but it´s true!) and the VF is better 🙂 (the hood is somewhat useless anyway)

I have some nokton shots here (mostly wide open)

 

[clintock]

The CV Nokton 1.5 50 was my first CV lens. Four years I've had it, and four years I've read 'it's great and a great value, but some hate the bokeh..'
I've always thought the bokeh was fine- no blood cells or footballs, just nice gauss disks..
From what I've gathered in the four years spending much more time reading about my photo equipment than using it, I've come to the conclusion that the supposed bad bokeh legend on the internet all stems from just one photo, on this page:
http://web.telia.com/~u32008343/bokeh.htm
Namely photo #4. Ok, yeah, the upper right light bulb is harsh.
But look at the whole photo! The contrast has been jacked so much that there is no transition of anything at all- no grey, only blown white and solid black. Of course the highlight is a sharply defined disk, what else could it be with the contrast jacked up so high?
On the other shots, one of the color ones, the author says the bokeh is getting somewhat more distracting. I say no, that bokeh is just fine, the only reason I think anyone may ever think the bokeh in photo1 and 1A is dominant or harsh is because the text under the photo says so! There aint nuthing wrong with no damn nokton 50 bokeh...
Now the old 'real' Voightlander prominent lens made blood cells, but so do summicrons..

 

[pan]

I own a nocton since lat August

I own a nocton since lat August

I like particulary the bokeh and the...prize too.

I highly recommand this lens.

Here some tests that i did :

http://www.pbase.com/cpan/nokton_50

Thanks

 

[didotcicero]

Hear, hear!

Hear, hear!

I like it a lot too.

Bessa R + 50mm/f1.5 Nokton + Ilford XP2 400 Indoors (uncropped)

 

[Terao]

Finally got a chance to use it last weekend, very happy with it. Lovely feel to it, excellent results even wide open.

e.g.

 

[mwooten]

Nice image Terao -- I just received my Nokton this evening, and it seems to be sweet. I'm looking forward to shooting with it.

By the way, in your image is the "incumbent" the same as a vicar?

Take care,
Michael

 

[d_e]

I am also looking forward to getting this lens along with other CV ones. Great pictures guys!

 

[John Robertson]

Have had mine since they came out about 5-6 years with no problems. No plastic, its quite a heavy lump of lens. Try a vented hood, the one for the 35mm f1.2 fits!!
Very sharp.

 

[Terao]

Nice image Terao -- I just received my Nokton this evening, and it seems to be sweet. I'm looking forward to shooting with it.

By the way, in your image is the "incumbent" the same as a vicar?

Take care,
Michael

Yes, incumbent is the vicar. There are a pair of windows - the other lists them going back to at least the 1200s I seem to recall (its also in my flickr gallery). Its the parish church in the hamlet from where most of my family (going back to the 1700s) are from...
Also one of the oldest churches in Hampshire, UK...