M8 + noctilux = : )

[usccharles]

http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photos/2/236102/4660705/L1000455_e-vi.jpg

http://images21.fotki.com/v632/photos/2/236102/4660705/L1000427_e-vi.jpg

http://images22.fotki.com/v723/photos/2/236102/4660705/towel-vi.jpg

http://images22.fotki.com/v724/photos/2/236102/4660705/L1000395_e-vi.jpg

:p

[Uwe_Nds]

Great pics!

I particularly love the towel one.

Best regards,
Uwe

[neuro_man]

I am love in it

[haagen_dazs]

very pretty! let me make a guess.
these photos are taken in asia?

[peter_n]

I love the second one. The top left quadrant of that picture is surreal. What an amazing lens!

[NB23]

All ok, but I have to question the subject (or lack of) isolation. It's as if the Noctilux has to be used wide open, all the time, even for subjects that would actually gain to have more DOF...

[usccharles]

All ok, but I have to question the subject (or lack of) isolation. It's as if the Noctilux has to be used wide open, all the time, even for subjects that would actually gain to have more DOF...

i guess its all relative. the whole point of having a nocti, for me, is to able to make ordinary things stick out and be extraordinary. if i wanted more depth of field, i would by a summicron or an elmarit. :o

[usccharles]

very pretty! let me make a guess.
these photos are taken in asia?

:p south korea

[Avotius]

damnation, I need a bloody m8...

[NB23]

i guess its all relative. the whole point of having a nocti, for me, is to able to make ordinary things stick out and be extraordinary. if i wanted more depth of field, i would by a summicron or an elmarit. :o

FWIW, since it's all relative, don't forget the 90 f2 will give you better isolation and compression.

[raid]

I like the shot of the towel. Very nice indeed. Too bad that I cannot afford to buy an M8 or a Noctilux.

Raid

[Benjamin Marks]

Nice effect!
Ben Marks

[dnemoc]

Towel.... lovely one.

[MikeL]

FWIW, since it's all relative, don't forget the 90 f2 will give you better isolation and compression.

Ned, this has been my thought on the noctilux. I had a hard time rationalizing the noctilux, largely due to my pocket book, but if I want to isolate the subject a 90mm in 135 or 80mm in medium format seem to do a nice job. That said, backgrounds with the noctilux wide open are unique.

Given your experience with the lens (nice images on your website), under what conditions and for what look do you think it's the best tool? Thanks for any thoughts on this,
Mike

[Robert]

Great lens, hard to look at the background. Hard on the eyes.

[NB23]

Ned, this has been my thought on the noctilux. I had a hard time rationalizing the noctilux, largely due to my pocket book, but if I want to isolate the subject a 90mm in 135 or 80mm in medium format seem to do a nice job. That said, backgrounds with the noctilux wide open are unique.

Given your experience with the lens (nice images on your website), under what conditions and for what look do you think it's the best tool? Thanks for any thoughts on this,
Mike

Mike, the Noctilux is excellent for pictures like the OP posted, no denying (and the towel shot is very nice). I use mine wide open in dim light. Otherwise I shoot it normally and also closed down to f8 when needed. My personal style is Photojournalism involving people. this is where I think this lens shines. Only IMO.

[Beemermark]

Oh God now I finally see a reason I need to buy one.

[LichMD]

Trojan Chuck,
very nice series of shoots. While I really like them all I have to say I find the last pic the most evocative. Beautiful effects here, great shadows, love the lone figure in the left background.
How long have you had a Noct?
I bought mine 8 days ago and it hasn't come off.

[KJB]

FWIW, since it's all relative, don't forget the 90 f2 will give you better isolation and compression.

The Nocti on my M8 is my favorite combo. The normal/slight tele (on the M8)perspective combined with the ability to isolate the subject are unparalleled. I'd imagine some of these wonderful shots would be impossible without having the room to get a similar field of view.

[GrahamWelland]

Ok, ok, all this discussion and Noctilux pornography must stop RIGHT NOW!!! My poor debit card is sitting in my wallet quivering in fear that it'll be unleashed at my local dealer really really soon so that a Noctilux can join the rest of the photographic extravagance at my home.

Have you people no heart? Don't you realise what you're doing to the rest of us? :eek: :eek:

:D
{to be clear - this is meant as a joke ... we really do want to hear more about the M8/Nocti btw.}

[usccharles]

Trojan Chuck,
very nice series of shoots. While I really like them all I have to say I find the last pic the most evocative. Beautiful effects here, great shadows, love the lone figure in the left background.
How long have you had a Noct?
I bought mine 8 days ago and it hasn't come off.

AHH Mr. Lich, you hit the jackpot. that blurry little figure in my last picture is why i love my Nocti so much. it makes my mundane world so beautiful.

i've had my lens for a little over a year now, but i've never had so much fun with it until i put it on my M8. the thing about the Nocti is that the DOF is so slim that its really easy to mess up your focus, and hence very difficult with film. The M8 shines at this because you can actually check how you did right afterwards and make adjustments.

if you don't have a ND filter. go buy a three step ND filter, take your nocti out on a bright day, and never leave it off f/1. it truly is a beautiful jem.

:)

[Iron Flatline]

What I particularly like about the M8 + Noctilux combination is that the fast shutter in the M8 (as fast as 1/8000th of a sec) allows an interesting use of the Noctilux wide-open even in daylight.

To wit:

http://my-expressions.com/up_media/4445/pblog/5901/1172865058.jpg

[mr roberts]

Very nice examples of the Noctilux capabilities. Similar to what is achievable with the 75 Lux on a film M, though I personally find the bokeh of the 75 more appealing. I agree with Flatline's comment on the M8's max shutter speed being a huge benefit with these fast lenses. I wish they would bring on the film M with the M8 shutter. I hate using ND filters on the 75.

[peter_n]

I wish they would bring on the film M with the M8 shutter. I hate using ND filters on the 75.Flatline love that pic!

When the M8 came out the first thing I asked Leica for is an M9 with an M8 shutter mechanism. ND filters are a pain but I use them for summertime 100ISO shots so you get used to them after a while.

[mr roberts]

<Whining on>They're a necessary evil, but are much easier to manage in 39mm. The larger sizes and multiple factors are just a PITA, but at times (unfortunately infrequent in my case) the results can be worth it. <Whining off>

[newyorkone]

http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photos/2/236102/4660705/L1000455_e-vi.jpg



All brilliant!

Just got my black M8 finally...been playing with it with the Noctilux mounted most of the time.

I'm curious about how you are processing these. Sharpening, raw converter, etc.? I like how your post processing seems to be very gentle and retains the magic of the M8/Noct combo.

Thanks for any info. I'll post some M8/noct pics soon.

[usccharles]

All brilliant!

Just got my black M8 finally...been playing with it with the Noctilux mounted most of the time.

I'm curious about how you are processing these. Sharpening, raw converter, etc.? I like how your post processing seems to be very gentle and retains the magic of the M8/Noct combo.

Thanks for any info. I'll post some M8/noct pics soon.


Hi Steve,

congrats on your M8. you will love it on the Noctilux as i do.

not much post processing actually. I put a three step ND filter on when i'm out during the day with the Nocti. I just use Photoshop CS2 to convert the Raw files, and i sharpen with smart sharpen, change it to grayscale (when black and white) and do alittle play with Levels and that is pretty much it.

I have noticed that Nocti can be very sharp when focused properly at wide open, but when there is too much light hitting the subject, like sunlight, then the focus point becomes quite hazy and you do have to work on sharpening that area more during post processing. I have no gripes about it though. Nocti's were not intended to be used in bright sunny days, i think.

surprisingly, i haven't been out during the night with my nocti + M8 yet :)

i hope that answers your questions. thanks :)

[newyorkone]

Great tip. I had wondered why sometimes my shots were hazy (to me blurry and slightly out of focus) and other times sharp even though I was pretty sure my focusing was correct.

I had not considered the intensity of the light and with the max 1/8000 shutter speed of the M8 one might think it is no longer necessary to use ND filters, but clearly this is not the case. Your images make a very strong case to use ND filters on the noct despite the higher shutter speed on the M8.

Thanks for all the info!

[DaveSee]

FWIW, since it's all relative, don't forget the 90 f2 will give you better isolation and compression.
Yes... however on the M8, the 50mm is near 70mm and greater DOF. Not quite 90mm. The M8 does change the perception you may have of an old favorite ;)
I've read elsewhere of folks re-discovering the 75 Summilux for it's siganture and new 99mm FL on the M8... too bad it's just discountinued?

rgds,
Dave

[grduprey]

While I would love to have the Nocti, great shots by the way, I really need a WA for my M8, since my 35 Summilux is now a normal lens.

[swoop]

oh god. I just messed my pants.

[usccharles]

I had not considered the intensity of the light and with the max 1/8000 shutter speed of the M8 one might think it is no longer necessary to use ND filters, but clearly this is not the case.
Thanks for all the info!

steve,

actually, i think half of my pictures probably didn't need an ND filter because of the 1/8000 shutter speed, but for some reason, i tend to get better pictures at lower shutter speeds (between 1/250 and 1/1500) then at 1/8000 with any lens. so i used a ND filter anyways partly because of the sun and also partly because to keep the shutter speed down.

:)

[black_box]

Beautiful... 'oof' area is so creamy yet geometric

[paulhart]

M8 + Noctilux is my favourite combination too...http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/331282932_14dbf30d22.jpg

[paulhart]

And some more:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/331724318_8747cd645e.jpg

[paulhart]

OK, just one more in case anyone hasn't yet gone out to buy one...http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/378508596_ed6a71a104.jpg

[Gilles L.]

Mashiceo! ('beautiful' in korean... I think...)

[maddoc]

Paul, these are nice !! Noctilux seems really to be tempting but .... no more lens buying for me for a while ...:rolleyes:

-Gabor

[jamriman]

I can get one for 3K mint new version, no box or case. Should I splurge??????????

[usccharles]

Splurge! :)

[newyorkone]

I can get one for 3K mint new version, no box or case. Should I splurge??????????

Quite simply, the M8/Noct combo is photographic heaven on earth :)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/457218837_218ad8256f_o.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/457212072_1cfdb60281_o.jpg

[jamriman]

Did the WTB ad thing on photo.net. Actually got it for $2900 LN paypaled and shipped! I suggest this method. Always worked out for me with less ebay nonsense. Members are the best to deal with.

[IGMeanwell]

It does seem to become a heck of a portrait lens on the M8

[Benjamin Marks]

Thought I'd add one. Anyone else wind up typing M* a lot (meaning M8, of course)? M8 + Noctilux wide open.

[morgan]

I just have to say how amazing these shots look. I've got M8 fever bad enough alone, but stick on noctilux on it and I'm three steps from the poorhouse. Beautiful images.

[maddoc]

Did the WTB ad thing on photo.net. Actually got it for $2900 LN paypaled and shipped! I suggest this method. Always worked out for me with less ebay nonsense. Members are the best to deal with.
I can only agree with this ! Bought all my lenses from members (either here or photo.net) and were never disappointed. BTW, how do you like the Noct ? I can't afford any new purchase right now :D... just curious !

- Gabor

[BadMonkey]

Holy Crap! That's an increadible shot!

M8 + Noctilux is my favourite combination too...http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/331282932_14dbf30d22.jpg

[Olsen]

Watching TV...

[DaveB]

Diffused, bounced, whatever...flash is such an inadequate substitute for any kind of ambient lighting when it comes to producing natural looking photos of people.

I've always found "candids" with flash to be particularly incongruous.

[tooffy]

All nice & wonderful shots by "Naughtylux":D