View Full Version : Fat Boy is here
As I have to shoot a wedding in July I needed faster glass in the medium focal length.Today I got my Nokton 35/1.2. Stephen Gandy (Cameraquest) provided extraordinary fast service: Ordered Thursday evening, it arrived on Tuesday morning. Intelligently labelled too: Despite a largish box it slipped through customs unnoticed
First impressions:
BIG! But not heavy. Well made, although the finish is less sophisticated than Leica. Smooth focussing, good, long throw. Aperture ring, smooth clicks. Focus spot-on.
Viewfinder intrusion suprisingly little, considering the size.
Small minus: Not too easy to reach the lens release button. The optional vented hood is relatively expensive ( but not needed)
First test shots:
The fingerprint looks a lot like older, lower contrast Leica lenses.i.e. sharp with good 3D effect, which means good microcontrast despite sligtly lower overall contrast.
I attach a bokeh test shot, late afternoon light, wide open.
All in all, very pleased and great value for money
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-m8-forum/88105d1211321093-fat-boy-here-fat.jpg
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-m8-forum/88106d1211321093-fat-boy-here-test.jpg
That makes a very nice looking combo and the photo example looks very pleasing. Considering all of the focus problems that M8 owners have talked about with the Noctilux, this looks like a sensible alternative, if a 35mm will do the job.
Jim N.
Tuolumne
05-20-2008, 14:43
Just curious - why didn't you get the new 35mm f1.4? The .2 f-stop difference can hardly matter and it seems to be a very small lens.
/T
2000$ difference, for a lens I will not use too often? A no-brainer. Also against the Noctilux. Half a stop slower, same DOF and a similar character - 900 $ vs 9000 $... I'm willing to forego a small bit of quality and a hug amount of status for that..
The link to the pics is broken, could you repost it? I'm curious to see the results from this combo! :)
Tuolumne
05-20-2008, 15:15
2000$ difference, for a lens I will not use too often? A no-brainer. Also against the Noctilux. Half a stop slower, same DOF and a similar character - 900 $ vs 9000 $... I'm willing to forego a small bit of quality and a hug amount of status for that..
Oh, sorry - I meant the new Voigtlander 35mm f1.4.
/T
The link to the pics is broken, could you repost it? I'm curious to see the results from this combo! :)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e32/jaapv/fat.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e32/jaapv/test.jpg
baycrest
05-21-2008, 05:41
Just curious - why didn't you get the new 35mm f1.4? The .2 f-stop difference can hardly matter and it seems to be a very small lens.
/T
I've tried a couple of copies of the new CV 35f1/4 and to be blunt it s a bit of a "dog". Soft all over at any aperature setting. Have a look at Reid Reviews and see what Sean observes from his testing.
Going with the CV 35mm F/1.2 if you can get over its:
size and
slightly redish colour castis a great choice.
Best
Rob
Great lens on the M8 ... It's nearly all I use on mine now. I just wish someone would bring out a fastish 25mm ... surely it's possible! :p
Nice lens, it is still on my wish list altough I already own a Nokton 40mm/ 1.4 witch gives lovely available light picts.
Resolution test @ f5.6:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e32/jaapv/linked/field.jpg
and 100% crop
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e32/jaapv/linked/fieldcrop.jpg
Not bad at all...
Looks like a really nice setup - I've been meaning to try one.
bottley1
05-21-2008, 23:37
I love the 1.2 also. A shot of bluebells taken at widest aperture
parameters
05-23-2008, 15:14
i've got good shots from my VC 35mmf/1.2
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2364/2394038372_f9b8e25c85.jpg?v=0
but i'm wondering if lux 35mm/f1.4 would give me better (shaper/3D) results???
here's one cron 28mm/f2, i love this lens
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/2479705079_c86d157d94.jpg?v=0
other examples of the lens here http://fieldfront.blogspot.com/
If you mean better high-frequency response by sharpness, imo you would need the Summilux 35 asph to get sharper files. But what you gain at sharpness, you lose on smoothness of bokeh.
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-m8-forum/88368d1211496429-fat-boy-here-bokeh1.jpg
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-m8-forum/88369d1211496429-fat-boy-here-img_20080522_0420.jpg
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-m8-forum/88371d1211499013-fat-boy-here-bokeh3.jpg
Cheers! :)
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-m8-forum/88522d1211588035-fat-boy-here-lens.jpg
parameters
05-24-2008, 02:43
great picts jaap... love the last one - the timber gate. Nice tonal range
Nick De Marco
05-24-2008, 03:05
I love my Leica lenses but in some areas the Voigtlanders are best. 12mm obviously (where there is no competition) but also the Nockton 35mm f1.2 which is my favourite fast lens and I think my favourite lens
A couple with the Nockton wide open:
http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/image/94644785.jpg (http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/image/94644785)
http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/image/97225564.jpg (http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/image/97225564)
If I had to choose only one fast lens, I have no doubt it would be the Nockton 1.2 which has just about everything for me - a super fast wide (although standard on the M8), renders colour well, sharp in focus areas and attaractive bokeh.
parameters
05-30-2008, 07:51
hi all,
testing the water here
i'm thinking of selling my VC 35mmf/1.2 purchased less than 10 months ago
any takes if i put it in the classifieds? lens is in london
sevres_babylone
05-30-2008, 09:11
Nice lens, it is still on my wish list altough I already own a Nokton 40mm/ 1.4 witch gives lovely available light picts.
Ditto.
I do like my 40mm very much -- wide open and otherwise. But there is something special about this 35mm, which the samples in this thread demonstrate.
Alas, an unexpected necessary computer purchase (plus my telling myself that my recent Zeiss sonnar purchase will be it for a while) will keep it on my wishlist for a while anyway.
Just for fun...
@ 1.2http://forum.getdpi.com/gallery/files/5/0/wild_rose.jpg
Roger Hicks
06-01-2008, 01:15
Great lens on the M8 ... It's nearly all I use on mine now. I just wish someone would bring out a fastish 25mm ... surely it's possible! :p
Dear Keith,
Yes it is, and I'd be surprised if there weren't at least one reasonably fast (f/2) 24mm or 25mm at photokina. But in order to cover 24x36 as well, it will be big and heavy and -- you've guessed it -- expensive...
Cheers,
Roger
evad1962
06-04-2008, 16:10
Just received my Nokton 35/1.2 yesterday after reading quite a bit of info on the web about it - basically decided to go with it as a reaction to the noisier high ISO's on the M8...I shoot weddings mostly and I'm hoping the extra 1.5 stops over the Zeiss Biogon 35/f2 I've been using will make a big difference in low light (hopefully about 1.5 stops difference :) ). Anyway, my early views are: Yes its big and heavy but I've got a 1966 90 cron that's heavier, 'leica like' in it's rendition (compared to the old 90 & the 135 i use - don't have anything Leica in the same focal length to compare), focus was absolutely spot on out of the box and by crikeys, was that reassuring!!, not as contrasty as the Zeiss but i like that and the Nokton is pretty damn sharp wide open although noticably 'crisper' even at f2.
Here are some test shots of the cat / kitchen...sure, not high art but hopefully might give anyone considering this lens a bit of a feel for it. I particularly like the 3D look, dare I say 'pop' of the 2nd pic. The soap bottle was shot wide-open while the shots of the cat are at f1.4.
Thanks to Jaap who's original post really got me thinking about this baby. So far I'm extremely impressed.
Cheers
Evad
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