[Leica] About the Noctilux

[rangefinder at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig)]

Walt

In most cases I prefer the "slower" and compacter lenses.  But when you go 
to the limits of available light photography, every half stop counts. Even 
if it's on the cost of compactess, sharpness or whatever. With f1.0 you have 
anyway a DOF of a few millimeters only - so why talking about 
sharpness/softness then?

I couldn't afford a Nocti but have a LTM 1.2/50 Canon as my fastest lens. 
This one IS really soft, vignettes and flares like hell, is shorter but a 
bit larger than a Summilux, and bulky especially with the huge vented lens 
hood on. BUT there are situations where I take this lens with me and not one 
of the 1.4 or 2.0 lenses I have (I rarely got out with more than one lens).

Two f1.2 shots, handheld at about a 1/4 sec :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40833360@N00/94947403/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40833360@N00/94950652/

Didier