Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Nokton first impressions... and possibly last.
From: P2CON@aol.com
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:00:36 EDT

Johnny, I hate to see a person blow off a lens on the basis of a very limited 
evaluation of bokeh. So limited in fact that he is not willing to show us the 
results. I would challenge you to shoot the exact same shot with the Nocton 
and your 75 using the same aperture and shutter speed, (and the same image 
size), then compare the shots for bokeh and tell us what you see.
Regards, Paul Connet

<< J Deadman writes:

<< Well, I guess I've shot around ten or twelve rolls with this lens now and
 ... it's a tough one. Most of the stuff I've shot has been family stuff
 which I don't like to put on the web, so it's hard to illustrate the points
 I'm about to make.
 
 First, the good things: it's as well made as my other Voigtlander lens (the
 75, which I love to bits), it handles well, and for such a fast lens it
 behaves impeccably when shooting against the light. The focus throw is nice
 and snappy. As for sharpness, well, check out Erwin's figures. It's as sharp
 as I will ever need a lens to be.
 
 Are you detecting reservations? You sure are.
 
 There is something about this lens that I don't like. Frank Dernie said he
 didn't like the bokeh, and I agree. It's just... not right. If I had to give
 it a name it would be 'technical' or 'cold'. In a 1.4 lens this is a
 disaster. The 75 has great, chunky bokeh.
 
 The 50 is... smushy, but not in a good way.
 
 It's depressing to buy a lens (having shot some stuff with it in the shop
 and developed it) and then get the growing feeling, which I now have, that
 this is not a lens I can live with. I know others (BD, right?) like the
 Nokton, and in many respects I can see why. It's sharp, even wide open, it's
 flare-resistant, it's cute, the pictures it takes are really 'modern'
 looking (ie they look like current-generation lens shots). And it's cheap.
 But it's a definite case of the MTF charts and the price tage not telling
 the whole story. The 'character' of this lens is all wrong, IMHO. Sad, isn't
 it? 
 
 Anyone want to buy one, near mint, boxed, etc?
 
 --
 Johnny Deadman >>