Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 06:34 PM 22/01/2000 GMT, Dan wrote: >Rob, this is only evident at the widest apertures. It is one of the trade >offs of an F1.0 lens. Stopped down this lens is really superb. Indeed at f >4.0-f11.0 I would doubt most users could tell it from the Summicron M at >enlargments less than 10x...and no way could you judge the difference when >using high speed film. > Rob made a good point, I think. Sure, the Noctilux no longer exhibits vignetting at smaller stops, but a 50 Summicron M at less than a quarter of the price would do quite well for that. The Noct is intended to be used mainly as a fast available light lens wide open, or close to it, so the vignetting is objectionable because it happens under the primary applications for which the lens is best suited. Sometimes you can disguise this with the right background, but other times it draws attention to itself, as when there is a uniform background which is evenly lit. This is a flaw that the lens has -- and I have to call it a "flaw" with some reservation. I noticed it right away when I tried this lens. But given what the lens is designed for, most people who use it accept that flaw because of what the lens can do in really low light. The vignetting -- or is it just light drop-off -- moot point I suppose -- gives the lens "character" which not everyone finds acceptable.