- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
f/4, actually (at 1/60s, I believe) - but yeah ...
However, this reminds me that the successor, the L-308X, does have display illumination. But I have enough lightmeters for a lifetime ... I think.
M.
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Gear Porn
- Thread starter Amin
- Start date
However, this reminds me that the successor, the L-308X, does have display illumination. But I have enough lightmeters for a lifetime ... I think.
M.
The similar controls to what I've been using most the last 5 years is one of the reasons I'm trying this.
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
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Three siblings:
- By now, the Nokton 50mm f/1.2 feels like the granddad of the current series; it's also the bulkiest of the three (not the tallest, though) and makes the M10 decidedly nose-heavy - it'll invariably dip forward and hit the surface the camera sits on when left to its own devices. More importantly, it's a nice enough performer wide open, but it's not free of aberrations; stopped down a bit, it becomes very good - it can hold its own against the Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (V) at equal apertures while adding one and a half stops at the fast end ...
- The APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 is a fantastic performer and, even though it's longer than the 50mm f/1.2, balances quite a bit better than its faster relative; performance-wise, this is my best 50mm lens for the M system (and only really beaten by the huge and high-tech Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S; the Z 50mm f/1.8 S is almost as good, though). I really like how it feels and handles on the M10 - but small it is not (a third bigger than the aforementioned Summicron-M 50mm f/2).
- Finally, the new kid on the block: The Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II is *small*, and while it's not quite as sharp as the Summicron-M, it's not far behind; if you stop down a bit, it becomes very crisp, and the bokeh is very interesting: swirly, but really quite pleasing, with only slight outlining. Rendering is modern, but it has some pop and very smooth transitions - in that respect, it beats its big brother, the 50mm f/1.2; of course, that one can have the background melt away much better, but that's not news.
- Interestingly, compared to its predecessor, it's smaller, but handling is better - though that's more down to design than mechanics, I think (even though my own old Nokton is in need of a CLA - or at least the "L" part). That said, I still like the images coming from the first version - the optics have their own signature, and the new lens is a completely different animal. But objectively, the 50mm f/1.5 II not only is smaller and slicker to handle, it's also optically superior. Here's a side-by-side:
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I've seen the size difference described as "huge"; that's inaccurate: The old lens is only slightly bigger and heavier than the Summicron-M which is virtually the same weight as the new Nokton. Nevertheless, the differences in weight and girth are noticeable - indeed, the new lens *is* smaller than any of the other lenses mentioned.
All in all, this is one heck of an achievement by Voigtländer; while I still see a use case for the (slightly superior overall) Nokton 50mm f/1.2, the Nokton 50mm f/1.5 II is certainly good enough to stand in for both the faster lens *and* the (much better, but also bigger) APO-Lanthar in many cases. More to the point, it's defintely the better EDC lens than any of its siblings: quite sharp, quite fast, pleasing rendering, tiny, slick. That said, I think for me, the APO-Lanthar is worth its (slightly) bigger bulk in most cases - because that lens isn't only good, it's stunning. But I also have to say that I definitely prefer the new Nokton for doing what I like best: Walking around with the camera in my hand.
M.
- Location
- FT Worth, TX
Nice comparison! I too love the 50 APO (I had one for my Sony but ended up selling it) I don't use 50mm a whole lot so the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 II works perfectly for me as a fast lens. It is small, fast with very good image quality. I also have the Leica Summarit 50/2.5 to fill my Leica branded lens desire.
- Location
- Minnesota
- Name
- Chris
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
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- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK.
- Name
- Charles
I had one of these, late 1950s! I loved it for a time, then p/exed it for an SLR, so that I could take close-ups, and alternative lenses that didn't cost a fortune. My choice was an Olympus OM1, which was small, light, and a lot of fun. Those were the days, as they say!
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I inherited it from my mom who had inherited it from her mom. It traveled the world with Grandma and spent a good deal of time in Pakistan/India in the early to mid-60's as my step-grandfather was working for US AID at the time. I don't shoot film, but when I tried it out with the M3 I found the camera really caused my hand to cramp without a grip added to it. I had the camera CLA'd a few years back when I got it going from storage. It works very well now and should for a good long time to come as I'm not wearing it out at all.
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Not really "gear porn" in the true spirit of this thread. But I was rummaging around for the charger for the old Pentax K5 for a little comparison shoot over in the Pentax board , which led to most of my old DSLR bodies ending up on the dining table!
Left to right: Pentax K5, Pentax K10D, Minolta 5D, Nikon D200, Oly E-300 (with grip). Not shown are a pair of Canon Eos bodies, a 5D classic and a 40D.
The K10D was my first entry into Digital SLRs , purchased new. The current one isn't that camera, it was stolen from my car years ago. The K5 followed as a new purchase when released. I definitely love Pentax, so I picked up a cheap K10 a year or two back again. The Minnie, Nikon, Oly and Canons were all thrift shop finds over the years. I still keep an eye out for cheapish models of interest. I'd like a Fuji S5Pro and a SD-1 Merrill, for instance. Don't need them, just like them. And I'd still like to try one of the old flagship sports bodies from Nikon or Canon one day, lol.
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Left to right: Pentax K5, Pentax K10D, Minolta 5D, Nikon D200, Oly E-300 (with grip). Not shown are a pair of Canon Eos bodies, a 5D classic and a 40D.
The K10D was my first entry into Digital SLRs , purchased new. The current one isn't that camera, it was stolen from my car years ago. The K5 followed as a new purchase when released. I definitely love Pentax, so I picked up a cheap K10 a year or two back again. The Minnie, Nikon, Oly and Canons were all thrift shop finds over the years. I still keep an eye out for cheapish models of interest. I'd like a Fuji S5Pro and a SD-1 Merrill, for instance. Don't need them, just like them. And I'd still like to try one of the old flagship sports bodies from Nikon or Canon one day, lol.
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
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I was really looking forward to shooting the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2 VM on the Z 6. But once I had mounted it via the Voigtländer M to Z mount helicoid adapter, the whole combo felt really dense and surprisingly heavy. Of course, it's not really that exceptionally bulky - it just felt almost uncomfortably front heavy. This compelled me to put its cousin, the Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II-S, on the D750, and lo and behold, the two combos weigh virtually the same (within a couple of grams), with the DSLR combo feeling way better balanced. With the adapted lens, I felt the strain on the wrist after only a couple of minutes of carrying it in the hand - something that doesn't often happen with the Z bodies at all.
Of course, optically, the 50mm f/1.2 is way better than the 58mm f/1.4, and the Z 6 combo offers (3-axis) I.B.I.S. still. But my enthusiasm has been quenched quite a bit. This only goes to show: There's more to lens design than just optics and size: Balance is really important on the whole. I remember not liking the feel of the Z 24-70mm f/4 S on the Z 6 much - whereas both the bigger Z 24-120mm f/4 S and the mighty Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S feel quite nicely balanced. Even the huge Z 50mm f/1.2 S (which blows the Voigtländer out of the water, optically) feels bearable, though it's not a good idea to want to carry it around in the hand for any length of time (I tried).
This prompted me to play around with the 50mm f/1.2 on the M10, with the additional grip, without it ... The whole combo is about 100g lighter, so, not a lot. Sadly, Leica's original grip for the M10 feels really quite uncomfortable for me (not while carrying but while shooting - it's a real stretch to reach the shutter button), because it solves the only irritating issue I feel the combo has: You can't set it down on a surface without the camera tipping forward and the aperture ring taking the hit. Again, it's pretty front heavy (of course it is - everything above 250g and a certain length causes the combo to tip; it just about balances with the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 *on a good day*). But with my compact combo (just using Leica's thumb rest), it's quite manageable, and certainly not much a pain to carry. So, the 50mm f/1.2 is definitely better at home on the M10 ... Go figure.
Which leaves me scratching my head a bit. I thought I had elegantly gotten around the fact that Voigtländer just issued their 40mm f/1.2 (which is almost as desirable as the 50mm f/1.2 - but not quite) for Z mount. I know how well Voigtländer's chipped lenses work on Z bodies - I own two of their APS-C lenses for the Z fc. Now, the nagging feeling that it would be a really nice thing to have is back. And the price of the new lens isn't that high at all, comparatively speaking. This looks like a case of recurring G.A.S. ...
M.
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
And while we're at it ... Upon writing the announcement for the "Single in February 2023" (SiF 23), it occurred to me to take this image:
Two fast "normal" lenses, one so good as to be called exceptional, one so cheap as to be called a no-brainer: The Voigtländer 50mm f/1.2 is an impressive performer (even though it's not tack sharp wide open) while staying manageable, the 7Artisans is a "classic" lens in many regards (quirky, with less than stellar IQ), but it's a really nice fit on the Z fc.
The combo shown on the right will most likely be my pick for SiF 23.
M.
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Two fast "normal" lenses, one so good as to be called exceptional, one so cheap as to be called a no-brainer: The Voigtländer 50mm f/1.2 is an impressive performer (even though it's not tack sharp wide open) while staying manageable, the 7Artisans is a "classic" lens in many regards (quirky, with less than stellar IQ), but it's a really nice fit on the Z fc.
The combo shown on the right will most likely be my pick for SiF 23.
M.
Back around 2016 I tried myself as a Blog-Writer in regard of Photography. Gear, Locations etc. In this time i "reviewed" some gear and of course I tried myself in product photography of said gear. Here are some examples.
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- Location
- Seattle
- Name
- Andrew
