Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/11/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>If this is not arising other flame I humbly state than I use regularly a >Noctilux and a Nikkor 50mm f1:1,2. >[snip] Anyway Nocti is better but Nikkor is not really bad. Full open lack contrast and sharpness is average but Nocti >is not much better... The real merit of these lenses is to get pictures in >available light and Noctilux is really good avoiding coma and other optical >aberrations. Both are really very difficult for focusing but Nikkor is >easier with the electronic rangefinder of F4 camera that can use both AF and >MF lenses very well. I'm going to test the magnifier with Nocti to improve >my pictures focus. >Félix I wanted to comment on the Nikon 50/1:2 MF lens, which my wife has permanently mounted on her FM2. I've used it frequently, mostly indoors and always at f/1:2 and 1:4 and have found it to be a fantastic lens. Color rendition is beautiful, bokeh (for those who believe in such stuff) is gorgeous, all in all, a great performer, IMO. I recently took the plunge and bought a Noctilux, which I'm still getting a feel for. I haven't shot enough with them both yet to be able to compare them, but I am a little suprised at Félix' comments above. I haven't noticed any lack of contrast wide open with either camera - almost the contrary - but then again, maybe I've not looked closely enough at those images and compared them with others shot stopped down. (BTW, both lenses also perform beautifully when stopped down.) The difficult task for me is going to be controlling focus. So far, I'm not doing too badly but as I said, my experience thus far with the Noctilux is limited - haven't had a lot of time for shooting/printing over the past couple of weeks, and haven't really got "out and about" with that lens. I'll do a little shooting tonight with it at a poetry reading in a generally dimly lit setting (at Beyond Baroque in Venice, for those L.A.-ites out there) and see how it goes. I've had serious problems getting focus where I want it with a IIIf/Jupiter 9 at f/2; just having to move my eye from the rangefinder to the external viewfinder gives me the opportunity to also move my body, and even slight movement with an 85 at f:2 is enough to have portraits with the ears in focus and the eyes a blur. Guy - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html