[Leica] Yeah, But Tina Really Knows What She's Doing!

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Good morning all, it sure feels good to be home and off the road once again.
:-)

By the look of it this Noctilux topic is / has been a good one. Therefore
allow me  a little space to clarify a few a things about my use and
concerns.

Considering I have over 30 years use of the lens, same one I started with
way back when because it was the fastest lens. Important note to understand
here: I always buy leica glass on the faster the lens the better!!! Surely
there isn't any other factor to be concerned about as a photojournalist
shooting by the code of "if you can see it.... you can shoot it!"

It's never had anything to do with squigglies per mm, corner drop off as so
many seem to find a problem, or back ground out of focus effects or some of
the other things people see that I never have, or if I did it was only part
of the picture. That is until it's pointed out to me which usually evokes a
comment like...

"So? Just look at the content and never mind the techie crap. Is it a good
photograph or not and if it makes you hully gully in the gut because it's a
damn fine photograph, what the hell does the corners being slightly darker
create any concern, which you'll probably burn down in the darkroom anyway?"

Weight? What weight? Carry it for 30 years day after day months at a time
and it's a feather! OK on some days a brick!! Hang over's will do that to
you! ;-) ;-) Usually it's the other 2 M's hanging off your neck help add to
the feeling.

F.1.0...... I never think about the background going all "globily?" That's a
cool description. ;-)

However, it's never a thought I have while shooting..... "other than when I
want to make use of it!"  And that my friends is the secret! Use it where
it's most effective. To get rid of distracting things in the back ground you
can't do any other way. The lens is nothing more than a tool, so make it
work for you and not it create whining factors for the user. It's no
different than a 400 2.8 wide open shooting flowers with a macro-adapter
attached.Tools!

If many of you got past your over concerns about it's not really sharp at f
1.0 to drop off in the corners etc theories, you'd have a hell of a lot more
fun taking pictures instead of diagnosing them for lens effect.

I always figured when I bought the Noctilux f 1.0, basically the fastest
lens in the world for it's speed of aperture, (please don't come back with
any stuff about the Canon f. 0.95 and waste time,) why not use it at f 1.0
as often as possible. Yep even in daylight, wide open or stopped down.  Been
there, done it any number of times. Slow film, asa 100 or less and a 3X ND
filter screwed right into the lens! OOPS! Now I let that one out heaven help
me. ;-)

I had the 1.4 Summilux, eventually sold it as it sat on the shelf for years
because the Noctilux was the lens of choice, early on, through the years and
still is.

And like Tina we use it without thought and the concerns many of you have,
it's a tool like any other lens and allows us to capture when we see
something that motivates us  to shoot.

I trust this helps some of you understand the Noctilux isn't the big bad
bug-a- boo lens it's made out to be. Because it's just another lens to shoot
where others fear to tread....
ted