Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>I suspect you are among those few who own and use >both the Leica M 50mm Noctilux, as well as the Canon EOS >50mm f1.0 lens. If I am correct, may I ask what your >personal opinion on these two, comparatively speaking ? > >I often find myself photograpjing at extremely low light >levels (recently at f1.4, ISO 1600, 1/15 sec), so a fast >lens is always welcome in my camera bag. However, in some sense, >the issue is moot for me as in such situations, I prefer the results >from digital sensors than any current film. This is why I find >a high-quality digital rangefinder camera so appealing. > >Regardless, I am still curious, and I thank you in advance >for your opinion, and await your reply with much esteem >and anticipation. > >- Phong Hi Phong! Same wishes for you in the next year. You guessed right I do not like give opinions of material I do not own. I'm a happy Leica owner and user but, besides, another 50 cameras and 100 lenses make me rather skeptical about the *perfect* equipment above all others. I must declare, anyway, that if any, Leica is the best. But that said other manufacturers produce very good equipment and, almost all, with a much better quality/price ratio. Canon 50mm f1 is huge, is weighty end softer than Canon 50mm f1.8, has a slow autofocus but full open, while having a different signature, it's not worse than Noctilux nor the Nikon 1.2 that I use with my Nikon F3. The Noctilux is smaller, lighter but not better full open while sharper if you close some stops. For low light pictures there is long time ago I do prefer using a Canon EOS 1Ds MkII at 3200 ISO but not with the f1 lens -with his minimal DOF- but with another more "practical" lenses. Digital is superb -more Canon that Nikon- in low light situations. Even last camera Canon EOS 5D excels in low light. For checking this, please have a look to my last work in Santiago de Compostela: El p?rtico de la Gloria with very scarce light and a difficult mix of natural and artificial light.. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=554115 Regards Felix