Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/18

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Subject: [Leica] Re: 50mm Summilux vs Noctilux
From: Ken Wilcox <wilcox@tir.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 14:43:39 -0400

Bob,

The Noctilux is a very special lens. I love mine at f/1-2 but would not
want it to be my "standard" lens. It is just too heavy for that. I think of
it as my "unknown situation" lens. When I have no idea about the light
where I'm going to be shooting the Noctilux is what I take.

I suspect that the bokeh of the f/1.4 Nikor would be very different from
the Noc. Try to rent or borrow the Noc. and see what it will do for you.

Ken Wilcox

At 09:51 AM 9/18/99 EDT, Bob McEowen wrote:
>I must admit I'm always a little baffled (maybe slightly impressed) when I 
>see folks discuss these super fast lenses. I shoot for a monthly
publication 
>and end up in a lot of diverse situations (though not nearly as many as in
my 
>newspaper days) still I rarely find the need for extremely fast lenses. I've 
>just started in Leica photography but my Nikon kit contains no lenses faster 
>than f2. Besides rarely needing anything faster I just can't imagine what
the 
>results would look like shooting a 50mm at 1.4. Depth of field would of 
>course be very limited and it seems (to me anyway) inappropriate for the 
>field of view you would get with a 50mm at normal working distance. A 180mm 
>wide open I can understand but a 50mm f 1.4 just doesn't register in my
mind. 
>Perhaps I need to try it and see (I think we have a Nikkor 1.4 around here 
>somewhere . . . )
>
>Bob McEowen

- ------------------
Ken Wilcox					Carolyn's Personal Touch Portraits
LAW LHSA MEA						          <wilcox@tir.com>