Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/04/26

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: Noctilux at work
From: reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid)
Date: Thu Apr 26 16:46:07 2007
References: <0JH40033NPDRKO76@l-daemon>

Hey, chill. You missed the point on this one.

The reason I did tests is that I'd taken 500 pictures with the M8/Noctilux 
combination and the focus was wrong on all of them. I'd not had this trouble 
with my M6, so I tested the M8. The problem is that I tested it in high-IR 
conditions because so many of the blury Noctilux shots involved high-IR 
illumination (candles, fires, high-wattage tungsten bulbs).

The only M cameras I've ever used are the M6 and the M8. I never had any 
problem focusing the M6 with any lens, and I had no problem focusing the M8 
with any lens except a Noctilux. It may well be that there is something 
different about the rangefinder on the M8. I don't know. What I do know is 
that I have hundreds of blurry pictures that were taken with a Noctilux on 
an M8, and that practice was not making perfect.

I temporarily solved the problem by switching to a 35/1.4, which gave me no 
focus problems at all and was much smaller and lighter. It was only when 
that lens went in to Leica for repair and stayed there forever that I 
re-approached the Noctilux, because I was getting tired of taking all of my 
pictures with a 28.

It remains true that the Noctilux is not as useful a lens for me on the M8 
because I don't seem to be able to focus it very well. I'm toying with the 
idea of putting it on my M6 body and leaving it there, and finding a service 
provider who will develop and scan film from the M8 quickly and cheaply. I 
know how to focus it on the M6, and it has always worked well there.

Brian Reid
LUG Saloon Keeper


Replies: Reply from faneuil at gmail.com (Eric Korenman) ([Leica] IMG: Noctilux at work)
Reply from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson) ([Leica] IMG: Noctilux at work)
In reply to: Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] IMG: Noctilux at work)