[Leica] Re: Re: 35/1.4 ASPH vs Noct

[drodgers@nextlink.com]

Thanks to all who replied to my 35/1.4 ASPH vs Noct quandry. All the
reponses -- on the list and in private -- were great. They overwhelmingly
favored the 35/1.4 ASPH Summilux. I also went back through the archives and
did a search on comments regarding the 35/1.4 ASPH and the Noct.  (I have
all the old digests archived on a single file on my server so I can do
quick searches).

(For those of you interested in such things, the text file of a year's
worth of LUG digests is almost approx 25MB. That's nearly identical to the
size of a maximum resolution scan on my Nikon Coolscan III. The old adage
"a picture's worth a thousand words" doesn't hold true in the digital
world. In "digispeak" it appears that  "a picture's worth a year of
Lugging" ; which, believe me,  is a lot more than a thousand words!)

Back to my  search.....In a very short time I read hundreds of comments
regarding both lenses. The comments were spread out over a year and covered
a variety of situations.  Amazingly, out of all those messages there was
not one negative comment about the 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH. In fact, there are
very few comments that ranked below  gushing praise of this lens. You'd
think somebody somewhere would have had a bad experience with this lens, or
they would have disliked something about it! Think again! It appears to be
THE lens to own in the Leica M system, based on the historical, as well as
recent comments.
I also discovered that used 35/1.4 ASPH Summilux's are as rare as hens
teeth. And those that are used go for about the same price as those
available "in box" from reputable Leica dealers. Granted the 35/1.4 ASPH
Summilux has not been around for that long. However, one would think that
there would be a few used items here and there. Again, there were none to
be found. JOOC I search the archives and found none.

In contrast, in response to my post last week I had a half dozen offerings
of used Noctilux's. And two more  closed on ebay last Friday. (One minty
for $1,500 and one almost new for $1,625). It appears that used Noctilux's
are more common than used ASPH Summilux's. That could be because the Noct
has been around longer (though I'm sure annual production of the 35/1.4
ASPH is much higher so the total out there may be closer to equal). In any
event,  it does seem to indicate that owners of  the 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH
hold it quite dear; more so than the Noct, or any other Leica lens for that
matter. IMHO, that's high praise. It says more about a lens than all the
tests in the world.

I don't mean to take anything away from the Noctilux.  But I also get the
impression that it's a very difficult lens to use. As one person said,  "it
sounded more fun than it actually was."  To paraphrase some wise counsel,
"if you don't know for certain that you need a Noctilux, you should
probably think twice before buying one."

I also heard privately what we rarely read publicly on the lug; the
Noctilux is not an easy lens to use.  I'll reiterate my past comments and
say that people who can get a high percentage of keepers -- when dof that
can be measured in milimeters -- are much better photographers than I. I
know there are a few skilled users on the LUG. I've seen their photographs
and I'm impressed. I know how difficult it is to use fast lenses in low
light. I have enough trouble with my 50 Summilux and 90 Summicron M.

I'll enjoy the 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH. I ordered one today. Thanks again to
all who responded.

David