Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/07/08

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: 50/1.5 Nokton
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 1997 09:50:59 -0400

At 01:43 AM 7/8/97 -0700, Patrick Sobalvarro wrote:
>At the recent San Mateo show, I saw a Voigtlander -- a Prominent, I
>think it was -- with a 50/1.5 Nokton lens.  At a brief look I couldn't
>see whether this was an interchangeable-lens camera.  It was equipped
>with a rangefinder, though.  It occurred to me later that Nokton was a
>name I had seen on the LUG, possibly when Erwin Puts reviewed 50mm LTM
>lenses.  And I seem to remember that the lens was considered quite
>good...  was this lens available in LTM?

The Prominent was offered with three normal lenses, one wide angle and
medium tele-photo, along with a reflex housing and a 150mm lens.  I have
owned several and find them wonderful, albeit quite quirky, cameras.  

The 1.5/50 Nokton is a fine lens:  it was offered in small numbers in LTM
and in minute quantity in Contax RF mount -- in fact, the 'Contax IV'
prototypes Zeiss Ikon played with before deciding on the Contarex SLR
system both sported Nokton lenses, as Zeiss owned Voigtlander at the time.

It is a telling indicator of the lens' worth that an LTM Nokton sells for
six to eight times the price of an LTM 1.5/50 Sonnar, perhaps the finest
normal lens of the era.

Marc


Marc James Small
Cha Robh Bas Fir, Gun Ghras Fir!
FAX:  +540/343-7315