Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/09/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 10:23 PM 9/13/03 -0700, "Richard F. Man" <richard@imagecraft.com> wrote: >Yes, one of the perpetual comparison question. Which one is "best" wide >open at 1.4, and how soft is the Canon at 1.2? > >Looks like there's a Nikkor 1.4 and a Canon 1.2 for sale right now, I am >somewhat tempted.... Richard: Go to http://www.dantestella.com/technical.html Peruse the sections "Canon lenses for Leica" and "Nikkor lenses for Leica." They will tell you a great deal about these lenses, with some sample pictures. I used to have a 50/1.4 Nikkor. It was decent wide open and close up, with a kind of retro look. Low contrast, but quite usable with some contrast adjustments for printing. Because it is optimized for wide open and close up, the outer areas of the picture suffer even when stopped down. Both the Nikkor and the Canon are Zeiss Sonnar deriviatives. This means that they are very sharp in the center stopped down even one stop, with a noticeable fall-off of sharpness towards the edges. They also give ni-sen (double-line) bokeh. Out-of focus highlights can have a dim core and a bright edge. Lines can actually double. Some find this objectionable. Some don't care. I sold my Nikkor and picked up a used Voigtlander (really Cosina) 50/1.5 Nokton, which remains my available light 50 today. At $260-$275 for a good sample used, it is a real bargain, and may actually be cheaper than the older lenses. You can see some sample pictures on my Web site at: http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/lhsa2002/ (click on the .htm files that begin with 2 digits). Some samples pictures with the 50/1.4 Nikkor, all wide open: http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/currentpics/paula_harpo.htm http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/currentpics/charlie_xmas.htm http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/marianne.jpg I don't own a 50 Summilux, but my friend Mark Davison does. A while back we got together and had a shootout between my 50 Nokton and his Summilux. What we found was consistent with what Erwin Puts says. The Summilux is a tiny bit sharper in the very center, the Nokton is significantly sharper overall. The Summilux is smoother in terms of transition from in-focus to out-of-focus areas, and has a bit better flare control. It has a classic look. The Nokton has more "bite" to the image, a more modern look, with wirier out-of-focus rendition. The Nokton can have a "bokeh" problem--sometimes out-of-focus highlights stand out glaringly. The Nokton gives such highlights a sharp edge, while with the Summilux, they usually fade out at the edge. However, either lens can give ugly bokeh under some circumstances, and it's hard to predict exactly when. And I must say that my 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH can give bokeh just as ugly as the Nokton sometimes, but nobody complains about that lens. Bottom line is that either lens will give you good pictures, with the Nokton giving you an occasional bokeh hearbreak. Other than that, lighting and technique are more important than the mostly subtle differences between the optics, especially with ISO 400 and higher film. I would recommend either lens over the old Nikkor or Canon unless you are looking for a truly "retro" look. One of these days I may pick up a 50 Summilux or Noctilux. In the meantime, the Nokton is so good and such a bargain that I am content to wait until the right time and the right lens comes along. Others disagree--Nathan Wajsman had a Nokton, which he sold because of the bokeh, and bought a Summilux. On the other hand, B.D. Colen uses a Nokton in his professional work. If you do get a 50 Summilux, make sure to get one with a serial number over 1,844,001. The 50/1.4 Nikkor will edge out the earlier Summilux. Any Summilux over the above serial number is the current optical formula. I believe the most recent one focuses a little closer, 0.7 meter instead of 1 meter. Hope this is helpful! - --Peter Klein Seattle, WA - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html