Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]There seem to be mixed opinions on the Noctilux. (Duh). <g> My interest in the Noctilux has nothing to do with F1.0, weight, size, bokeh, cost, color, filter size, sharpness, softness, balance or whether it should be one's only 50mm. My interest is its' maximum minimum focus of one-meter. I have an old 35mm Summilux which is a wonderful lens, but it has a minimum focus of one meter. If I'm sitting across from somebody in a restaurant and want to photograph them I have to back up (and usually bump heads with whoever's sitting behind us). If I'm photographing people (working, playing, reading -- or what-have-you) I cannot really get very close to them. It just gripes the heck out of me. Yes, I have a 50mm Summicron. Yes, I have a 28mm Elmarit and both of those focus closer (.7 meter). In fact, I have the old 21mm F4 and it focuses down to 12 inches (why doesn't my 21mm F2.8 do that?). I understand there are design issues with such a lens as the Noctilux, but the one meter minimum focus is for me a real limitation. The idea of owning yet another lens with that maximum minimum focus is difficult. I realize that every lens built is a compromise of a number of factors and I'm sure that the minimum focus was such a compromise with a (ohmygawd) F1.0 lens. 'Just my US$.02 worth. John Fulton Fort Worth - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html