Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/11/18

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Subject: [Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...
From: firkin at ncable.net.au (Alastair Firkin)
Date: Fri Nov 18 16:10:12 2005
References: <BFA2336C.1ECCA%mark@rabinergroup.com> <000f01c5ebf8$2d07f480$6500a8c0@klus> <71E25F61-B604-489B-8618-4F0156C29423@dodo.com.au>

I have not had any trouble focusing the Nocti: its other people's eyes 
that are the problem ;-) In reality, you do need to be  a little more 
careful  and I had the focus adjusted to the Nocti when I first got it 
to be sure. If you want trouble, try focusing the Summarex 85 on a IIIf 
with aging eyesight ;-)

Cheers
On 19/11/2005, at 9:10, Rick Dykstra wrote:

> Hi Rose,
>
> I've not ever really noticed much trouble with focussing the Noctilux 
> (though Mark thinks my bowling balls are in and my girl's eyes are 
> out.  It's coz the bright balls have nice edges  ;-)  )  A little 
> extra care is needed, that's all.  The softness that comes from 
> shooting at F1 in dim light and lower shutter speeds tends to make 
> slightly missed focus a non-issue.  IMHO.  Where I have found myself 
> thinking "oh, I'm not sure I like that" was a session where I was 
> shooting a team of young women in their new soccer touring outfits.  I 
> took a couple of head and shoulders shots of each in bright overcast 
> with the Nocti at the 1m close focus, at f1 and 1000th.  The slice 
> through space looked extraordinary but it didn't look natural.  Too 
> much separation between IF and OOF within their faces.    And their 
> eyes were a little kooky, slightly cross eyed, due to the short 
> distance.   They laughed.  I preferred the 90mm shots.
>
> Focussing the Nocti?  Same as any other Leica lens - though mine is 
> stiff to turn.  Swaying the body works, back and forth.
>
> Never use a Leica lens with the focus turned 'fully close'.  Back off 
> a little.  The focussing mechanism of the body has a little lash at 
> the close focus point and doesn't translate that last bit of focus to 
> the rangefinder.  Maybe this is why people complain about missing 
> focus with the Nocti.
>
> Rick.
>
> On 18/11/2005, at 3:25 PM, Rose Scollard wrote:
>
>> A couple of Noctilux questions (three, actually): 1) Have their been 
>> any significant changes in design/construction (and, comcommitantly, 
>> performance) since the lens was first produced?  2) Is the Noctilux 
>> at f1 more unforgiving in its demand for critical focus than the 
>> Summilux 75 at f1.4?  3) Are there any general feelings of 
>> (dis)satisfaction with the CV 35mm 1.2 lens?  I'd be most interested 
>> in answers on any of these points. thanks, David Scollard
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Rabiner" 
>> <mark@rabinergroup.com>
>> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 2:17 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 11/15/05 3:30 AM, "Rick Dykstra" <rdcb37@dodo.com.au> typed:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Every now and then the Nocti catches something that makes me think 
>>>> it
>>>> was worth it.
>>>>
>>>> It was dark enough in the bowling alley at the kids' party. Then 
>>>> they
>>>> turned the lights down and put on the swirly coloured mirror ball
>>>> thingy.
>>>>
>>>> My daughter was about ready for the party food I think.
>>>>
>>>> Leica MP, Noctilux, f1, 1/15th, Velvia 100F.
>>>>
>>>> http://members.dodo.com.au/rdcb37/bowling.jpg
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I like the shot a lot!
>>>
>>> Some missed focus shots I've got in my stack of prints I show people.
>>> I try not to be such a hard ass and know that a shot can work 
>>> without the
>>> focus nabbed.
>>> Your bowling balls one row towards us are a bit sharper than the 
>>> model if
>>> you notice so your focus so you were racked out a tad too much. Not 
>>> the end
>>> of the world in this case.
>>> But it got me thinking about dark indoor shooting with 100 speed 
>>> film.
>>> And the odd thought that a lens like this could somehow be designed
>>> optimally to work with "fast" film thicker emulsion. Probably not but
>>> there's an off chance. Having 100 film in a Noctilux is not a weird 
>>> thing as
>>> if you want to do my shooting during the day wide open its not going 
>>> to
>>> happen with 400. So I put 100 in mine. (right behind the aperture 
>>> blades). I
>>> figure just as long as I feel a little bit bad about it its ok.
>>> This is a soft shot. Nothing seems go be sharp although those two 
>>> bowling
>>> balls if you obsess on them are as I say a tad sharper. No ones 
>>> going to
>>> notice that except photographers obsessed with nabbing their focus.
>>> Not only is everything out of focus but there is camera movement and
>>> possibly subject movement to add flavor. Eye of newt. Makes a perfect
>>> combination. I'm a low saturation guy but I like the high saturation 
>>> on this
>>> shot.
>>> I spend time on my large light table with most films and then go 
>>> outside and
>>> it's like you're reading a book about thunderstorms and you go 
>>> outside and
>>> it's a sunny day and you're amazed the sun is out. Real life is not 
>>> the
>>> same. The sky dos not look like neon.
>>> So I use Astia and still Kodachrome.
>>> Nowadays color saturation wise it doesn't matter what film you use 
>>> anyway
>>> because that's tweaked buy yourself anyway command U in Photoshop.
>>> So I don't sweat the sat.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Mark Rabiner
>>> Photography
>>> Portland Oregon
>>> http://rabinergroup.com/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
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>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
Alastair


In reply to: Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...)
Message from editor at frontenachouse.com (Rose Scollard) ([Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...)
Message from rdcb37 at dodo.com.au (Rick Dykstra) ([Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...)