[Leica] Lenses for Dr. Blacktape

[Tom Bryant <tbryant@pars5.gsfc.nasa.gov>]

Hi Luggers, especially Dr. Blacktape:

    Congratulations on being on the mend, good doctor.  Worrying about what
Leica equipment to purchase is symptomatic of this happy condition.

    As a recent Noctilux owner, may I offer a few observations?

    The Noctilux is the size of a 90.  A *very* fat 90.  The only less
portable lens for my Leica is the 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit.  The lens is
impressive, and you will be noticed as you point it at your subjects; at least
more than a Summicron or Summilux.  Thieves are more likely to notice.  A 
dropped Noctilux is more likely to sustain damage than a Summilux or
Summicron, as the laws of physics apply to lenses as well as to ants and
elephants (I refer to the fact that material strength rises with the square of
the size of an item, and it's volume (~weight) with the cube of the size)

    There are 2 version of the f/1.0 Noctilux, differentiated mainly by how the
shade works.  It either pulls out, in the later versions, or bayonets on, as
the earlier.  Both clobber the lower right corner of your viewfinder, the
later version a bit more egregiously.  The Summilux (with the detachable shade)
hardly takes any of this corner, and the Summicron (again, with the detachable
shade), not at all.  The shade on the Noctilux is *plastic* and DOES NOT
REVERSE.  The lens cap is an expensive joke. :-(.  I replaced mine with a 69
cent plastic bowl cover

   Oh, according to everything I've read, the Summilux is sharper than the
Noctilux, and the Summicron is the sharpest of all.

    All these negative conditions are more than canceled by the fact that the
Leica is made for hand holding, and the single limiting factor on sharpness of
a hand held camera is camera shake.  The Noctilux allows you to shoot with
shutter speeds that are twice as fast as a Summilux.  It's greater weight and
size makes it steadier to shoot when hand holding than any of it's slower
brethren.

    I haven't used my lovely Summilux since acquiring the Noctilux.

    I have the 21mm F/2.8 Aspheric Elmarit, but not the other wide angle
lenses.  It's hands down the sharpest, most contrasty wide angle lens I've
ever used.  Nicely made too.  The only problem with it is that perhaps it's a
bit *too* wide.  A 24 or 28, with their  more "natural" perspective, might be
more useful, although the 28 is mighty close to your lovely 25.  Anyway, if
you get the $21$, you won't be disappointed. 

    I have a 90mm f/2 Summicron, old style, big and bulky, and I love it.  I
haven't been tempted by the Summilux 75, although I'm sure its a wonderful
lens, but my M3 doesn't have a 75mm frame, and the 90, with all of its bulk,
hand holds with amazing steadiness. 

    Hope this helps.

    Tom


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