Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/08/21

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Subject: [Leica] Bokeh--Summilux vs. Noctilux
From: Mary & Stan Kephart <kephartol@att.net>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 98 23:28:26 -0500

8/21/98

Hello LUGgers,

Many thanks to those who responded to my question on "bokeh."  This 
explains what happened to me last year.  I bought a 50 Summilux, thinking 
that 1.4 was good enough and that the Noctilux being so much more money 
wasn't worth it for 1 f-stop.  I was pleased with the size and weight of 
this lens, but very dissapointed in my photos.  I know now that they were 
lacking the "bokeh" I wanted.  

An opportunity arose to shoot a party at a friend's house.  My test shots 
showed that I needed the fastest film and largest aperture I could get.  
So I rented a Noctilux for the occasion, hoping that it might put to rest 
the "I-should've-bought-the-Noctilux" thoughts which kept coming to me.  
I loaded my M6 with T-max 3200 and used the rented Noctilux.  I was 
amazed at the results!--beautiful soft portraits in very low light.  A 
week or so later I traded the Summilux plus $$$ for the Noctilux.  An 
expensive mistake--for me.

I guess the "bokeh" discussion has been done to smithereens, but it was 
helpful to me that some of you were willing to re-hash.

Thanks again.

MK

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever"--Shelly (or was it Keats?)