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Anyone here use a Noctilux lens?

post #1 of 21
12/31/11 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
I'm curious if anyone here uses a Leica noctilux lens.

Can it be used as a regular 50mm lens? I'm thinking of an M9 with a 3 lens kit: a 21mm; a 50mm; and a 90mm. Would the noctilux make a good all-purpose 50mm lens?
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post #2 of 21
1/2/12 at 12:43am
Quote:
Would the noctilux make a good all-purpose 50mm lens?
I can't see any reasons why it wouldn't.
The sharpest is the summicron, though, and focusing at f1 will probably be a challenge.
21mm and 90mm will each require a different finder too, but I guess you already know that.
!luc
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post #3 of 21
1/2/12 at 8:05am
I'd get a 35mm before I got a 90mm. I shoot professionally and my most used lenses are 35 and 50, followed by a 24. I'm rarely reaching for anything longer than 50 these days.
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post #4 of 21
1/5/12 at 7:15pm

I had the previous version Noctilux (1:1.0, not 1:0.95).  It was a beautiful lens physically and optically.  The only downside is its size and weight - it is big and heavy and defeats the point of owning a Leica.  I traded it for a 35mm 1:1.4 which was far more practical and about 80% cheaper.

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post #5 of 21
1/6/12 at 9:01pm
The 50mm/1.4 Summilux ASPH will outperform the Noctilux at the same apertures; it just can't open up to 0.95. The I'd think of the Noctilux more as a low-light speciality lens. For general purpose, look elsewhere.
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post #6 of 21
1/7/12 at 11:06pm
rangefinders used to be the best type of camera for shooting in low light, so a noctilux does not quite defeat the purpose of using a leica. i agree that it is a special purpose lens, though. the 50mm summilux asph or summicron is what you're looking for.

an aspherical version of the summicron was originally deemed unmarketable, too expensive for the speed, so it was revised to become the summilux asph. oddly, there are new rumors floating about that the summicron asph is going to be made after all.

the 50mm summarit-m is another option. imo, the focusing tab and metal rectangular hood make it preferable to the summicron despite being 2/3 stop slower.
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post #7 of 21
1/8/12 at 10:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aizan View Post

rangefinders used to be the best type of camera for shooting in low light, so a noctilux does not quite defeat the purpose of using a leica. i agree that it is a special purpose lens, though. the 50mm summilux asph or summicron is what you're looking for.
an aspherical version of the summicron was originally deemed unmarketable, too expensive for the speed, so it was revised to become the summilux asph. oddly, there are new rumors floating about that the summicron asph is going to be made after all.
the 50mm summarit-m is another option. imo, the focusing tab and metal rectangular hood make it preferable to the summicron despite being 2/3 stop slower.

All this, and the 50mm Summilux ASPH is broadly considered the best 50mm lens ever made. The Noctilux is too big and too heavy for the regular use that a standard lens in intended for. F1.4 is already very fast.
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post #8 of 21
1/9/12 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
I have been convinced.

I think that the wide angle tri-elmar , the 35mm 1.4, and the 90mm will likely be my picks. (although the new Fujifilm X-Pro 1 may has me re-thinking the need for a Leica system altogether.)
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post #9 of 21
1/9/12 at 9:23pm
i'm ambivalent about the fujifilms. they've latched onto the demand for manual controls, and it's great that some of their "x" cameras have an aperture ring on the lens, and all have a shutter speed dial, an exposure compensation dial, and a focus mode switch on the body.

the fly in the ointment is that the rest of the user interface sucks, and that's not an exaggeration! i also have major misgivings about the x100's autofocus performance and, more critically, its manual focus capability. the x-pro1 may have addressed these concerns, and it may not even be an issue for many potential customers, so i'll just have to wait and see.

if anybody wants to make a quick buck, pre-order one of these babies and resell it on ebay. icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif
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post #10 of 21
1/10/12 at 11:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by aizan View Post

i'm ambivalent about the fujifilms. they've latched onto the demand for manual controls, and it's great that some of their "x" cameras have an aperture ring on the lens, and all have a shutter speed dial, an exposure compensation dial, and a focus mode switch on the body.
the fly in the ointment is that the rest of the user interface sucks, and that's not an exaggeration! i also have major misgivings about the x100's autofocus performance and, more critically, its manual focus capability. the x-pro1 may have addressed these concerns, and it may not even be an issue for many potential customers, so i'll just have to wait and see.
if anybody wants to make a quick buck, pre-order one of these babies and resell it on ebay. icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif

I have some of the same reservations you do, particularly the manual focus issues. I also wonder about the hybrid viewfinder. Some folks seem to love it. Some folks hate it. A good viewfinder is important to me, so I will need more information on it before I make any decisions.

Having never owned an interchangeable lens rangefinder, I also have some reservations about the M9, particularly the need to switch to the ungainly universal rangefinder adapter whenever I want to use the tri-elmar lens.
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post #11 of 21
1/10/12 at 2:52pm
I would pick the Sony Nex-7 over the X-Pro 1, based on what we know of the latter.

If you haven't used an interchangeable lens rangefinder system before, maybe you should start off with one lens (35mm or 50mm) and see if you actually need anything else. It seems many rangefinder users stick to one primary lens. After all, a primary advantage of using rangefinders is their compact size. Carrying around a bag full of lenses defeats much of the purpose.
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post #12 of 21
1/10/12 at 7:52pm
the x100's optical viewfinder is downright impressive, but the electronic viewfinder is already outdated.

i've only looked through the universal wideangle finder once, but i remember it being very nice.

how familiar are you with shooting rangefinders? have you used accessory viewfinders and superwides before? shot with a telephoto on a rangefinder? i just want to make sure it's the right tool in the first place.
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post #13 of 21
1/10/12 at 10:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mafoofan View Post

I would pick the Sony Nex-7 over the X-Pro 1, based on what we know of the latter.
If you haven't used an interchangeable lens rangefinder system before, maybe you should start off with one lens (35mm or 50mm) and see if you actually need anything else. It seems many rangefinder users stick to one primary lens. After all, a primary advantage of using rangefinders is their compact size. Carrying around a bag full of lenses defeats much of the purpose.


+1 - The most fun I had with a film camera was a Leica CL with the original 40mm lens.  The small size and light weight allowed me to carry the camera in my computer bag and take pretty much anywhere I went.  

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post #14 of 21
1/10/12 at 10:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by aizan View Post

the x100's optical viewfinder is downright impressive, but the electronic viewfinder is already outdated.
i've only looked through the universal wideangle finder once, but i remember it being very nice.
how familiar are you with shooting rangefinders? have you used accessory viewfinders and superwides before? shot with a telephoto on a rangefinder? i just want to make sure it's the right tool in the first place.


I don't know anything about rangefinders. I used a pair of Canon F1 SRLs since the early 80's. Am using an Olympus E-P2 now.

I want something more compact than current DSLR's with excellent lenses and image quality, and a viewfinder that I can look into, as opposed to composing on the lcd screen. I want it to be as reliable and durable and well built as my Canon F1. (which I loved.)

The Olympus has been a good camera, but am wondering if moving up to a larger sensor would be good.

Everyone raves about Leica lenses, and I tend to favor primes over zooms, so the Leica lenses look like a good fit. M9 build quality, manual focus, and controls all appeal to me.
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post #15 of 21
1/10/12 at 10:22pm
can you borrow or rent a leica for a weekend or more? there's a bit of a learning curve and it may not be your cup of tea. a lot of mirrorless cameras are going to come out this year, too.
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