Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/05/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]A really interesting contribution on this, Peter. I've never used any of those lenses.I've not read Sean Reid's reviews either. Erwin's review is worth a read, I think. I opted for the 35 Summicron ASPH. partly due to the reported focus shift characteristics of the Summilux. Leica acknowledged that characteristic and it was reported and demonstrated in LFI along with how to manage it (as you mentioned). Purportedly almost all fast lenses work that way. Now that I have the M8, I hardly use the 35. It deserves more exercise. Carry on Noktoning team and show pics! 2009/5/17 Peter Klein <pklein at threshinc.com> > Bruce: I somehow missed this thread until now. I do not have the 40/1.4 > VC. But I must confess to having both the 35 Summilux asph and the 35/1.2 > Nokton. They are different enough that each one is "better" for certain > situations. Tina pointed this out to me when I was thinking of getting the > Nokton, and she was exactly right. > > I use the 35/1.2 with an IR filter, and I don't bother with coding. My > Summilux is hand-coded with a black sharpie marker. > > Interestingly enough, Geoff, my 35/1.2 does not have the focus shift that > the Summilux does. Sean Reid found the same thing. On the other hand, my > Summilux's focus shift is a lot less than Internet chatter would have you > believe. Coping with it is easy--at f/4 and f/5.6, you just focus on the > closest thing you want in the zone of focus. > > The Summilux is *very* sharp, even wide open. Its bokeh can be a bit wiry, > and it has a very modern look that some people call "clinical." But when > you want a picture that, at f/1.4, looks like a 50 Summicron shot, this is > the lens to have. > > The 35/1.2 Nokton is a unique lens. It is not quite as razor-sharp wide > open as the Summilux, but it is certainly sharp enough. Its bokeh is more > gentle, as is its contrast. The way it draws is at a sweet spot in between > the modern, clinical look of the modern Leica aspherics and the more > "classical" look of lenses from the 60s-80s. I like this look, which is > one > reason why, along with the f/1.2 aperture, this lens is a "keeper." > > The price you pay for all these virtues is its size and weight--it's a big, > heavy piece of glass. The one other flaw I've discovered with the 35/1.2 > Nokton is that it will give you purple fringing at high contrast > edges--tree > branches against a bright sky and so forth. And it does it at all stops, > not just wide open. The Summilux doesn't purple-fringe very much even wide > open, and not at all stopped down. > > So if you already have the Summilux, I would get the Nokton only if you > like to play in the dark a significant portion of the time and really need > the extra half stop, and you like the way the lens draws. I would not sell > the Summilux in favor of the Nokton. On the other hand, if you're like > Nathan, and already have a great slower 35mm lens, the Nokton is an ideal > purchase. > > If you can, Bruce, buy or borrow the Nokton and use it alongside the > Summilux for a while and compare your pictures. They you'll know what to > do. > > Here are some photos with the Summilux Asph, mostly wide open: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004383RitaAnya-w.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/friends/Gandolfi/L1001119JodConPiano-w.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/friends/Gandolfi/L1001114FourHandsBW-w.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/friends/DavidovDec07/L1002446-prf.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/friends/DavidovDec07/L1002447-prf.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/friends/DavidovDec07/L1002415-prf.jpg.html > > Here are some photos with the 35/1.2 Nokton, wide open or nearly so: > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1003415Harold-w.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1003399PeterTryGlasses-w.jpg.html > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1003428Ada-w.jpg.html > > --Peter > > At 04:50 PM 5/16/2009 -0700, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Hi Bruce. May I join your discussion on this? Are you considering getting >> rid of a Summilux 35 in order to get the Cosina Voigtlander f1/1.2 35? >> In my opinion this would be a downwards step. However I know some users >> who >> are happy with them and I have not personally shot with one. I would be >> surprised if it does not exhibit significant focus shift as you stop down >> (the Summilux has some too). Maybe you could visit a store and shoot some >> frames with one before commiting? Or Nathan and Ted may share some >> experience there? >> If you are going to try it out, keep your Summilux too and use them both >> for >> a while before you decide that you want to get rid of one of them! >> Anyway here it is on a camera (with a master using it!) if you wanted to >> get some idea of its size on the M8. >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/lf/SF4.jpg.html >> >> >> >> 2009/5/16 bruce golding <leica at ralgo.nl> >> >> > when appropriate, nathan, would appreciate hearing of the balance of the >> > 1.2 on the m8. >> > >> > i'm wondering about trading my summilux in; but i love the balance and >> size >> > of this latter, >> > >> > thanx, >> > b. >> > >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Cheers Geoff 'Life's not B&W, except at both ends' http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/ http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman