[Leica] UPDATE: Surviving the wait for a Noctilux

[Tony Rowlett <rowlett@alaska.net>]

Dear LUGnuts:

Thank you for your thoughtful replies regarding my dilemma.  

Since my last report, I have literally been green in the face with
anticipation.  My heart has been pumping twice as much blood, and I have
had no appetite.  My drink of choice after work yesterday was Bombay
Saphire, up with a twist (x2), which helped me to relax my racing mind.  I
have never in my life felt so anxious to receive something.  Last night,
while looking for some Leica literature on the lens to show my girlfriend
(oh, she is VERY interested in Leica now!), I sat on, and crushed flat, my
eye glasses.  I was awake at every hour last night, and on each hour,
looking at my glowing digital alarm clock, dreaming that it was some sort
of f/ stop reading on some exotic lens.  And today is only Thursday.  This
makes me feel that I've finally figured out the main flaw of mail-order.
Thankfully, somebody from the LUG has offered to send 20 some odd pages of
LUG clippings that concern the Noctilux, which should help for this weekend.

In my flustered state, however, I couldn't help but notice the numerous
different "Noctilux" scenes in and around Anchorage after I left work last
night (this was around the time I mentioned to my girlfriend in the car
that I shouldn't be driving right now, but I still was).  Not surprisingly,
just the knowledge that I will soon have that gem of a lens in my hands has
opened my mind to some of the low-light, but scenic possibilities for
shooting at f/1.   Here, the sun is setting a little after 4pm, and by 5pm
the colors around the western horizon make an incredible blue/orange
backdrop (complete with mountains)  for our city scape.  There are numerous
Christmas lights still blazing up here, not only as remnants of the
Holidays, but also as part of a winter mayoral program known as "City of
Lights," which helps to beautify our city and make it safer during the long
dark winter hours.  

I have plenty of ideas already on what I will be shooting with my Noctilux
all next week beginning Monday when I receive the lens.  Actually, anywhere
I see any light at all is now a possibility, especially with some of the
faster films.  Are there some insights out there regarding specific
exercises/experiments/projects that I may try during the "breaking in"
period of this lens?  I shoot primarily candid/street scenes with Tri-x
rated at 400 in my M6 and M4-2 and Tmax-100 in my M4-P.   Maybe this lens
will break-in me, who knows! 

I'm still holding in there.  But this is only Thursday.  Will keep you
posted.

Tony Rowlett
Anchorage, Alaska
http://www.alaska.net/~rowlett