[Leica] About the Noctilux

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Walt Johnson offered:
Subject: [Leica] About the Noctilux
> I'm just curious what the fuss is all about concerning the Noctilux.<<<<

Hi Walt,
It's not worth any fuss whatsoever, quite simply because it's a techie test 
bench "no never mind" subject by technical astute folks! :-)

My Noctilux has been used on more assignments around the world than any lens 
I have, or damn near it, given I bought it 1972 or '73 as soon as they were 
available in Canada.

A fair number of the scenes in my books, "Doctor's Work. The Legacy of Sir 
William Osler" and "Women in Medicine. A Celebration of their Work." are 
shot using the Noctilux. Wide open and otherwise. Not to forget it was used 
on several other books of various subjects.

The technical information recently posted by Marty, thanks Marty! I never 
knew any of these things about the Noctilux. I suppose if I did I'd be 
thinking all these years I was using a dog of a lens when in fact I've been 
using one absolutely magical leica piece of glass!

The truth is I'm never interested in technical things about any lens as I 
much rather use them and find out what the pictures look like. My criteria 
for any Leica lens has always been... "get the fastest" first as in 
aperture, simply because I'm as total an available light shooter as one can 
be.

Look in the medical books and see what one can do if you show no fear or 
give no thought to the amount of light and put all the concentration on the 
subject moment, click! ;-)

>>> Big, pricey and seemingly flawed. <<<

Naw only in technical people's minds! ;-) User's? Not at all! :-)

> Maybe that should be one of the next "shadow" type entertainments posted 
> here? Are fuzzy aberrations worth the price? Lets do f 1, 1.4, or 2.0 and 
> be there???<<<<

Not a hope and nothing more than a waste of time, honestly.

However, if we were "all there together" shooting the identical subject at 
the identical time it might mean something. This would be?

We had too much time on our hands and would be better off sitting at a round 
table, beer in hand, just having a good old time "jawing on the first human 
space flight to Mars!" Now that would be an interesting subject sans 
apertures! :-)

And that my friend is what a Noctilux is all about. Quite frankly the lens 
is worth every dollar and more as far as I'm concerned. And well proven in 
practice.

ted