Go Back   Rangefinderforum.com > Rangefinder Forum > Optics and Lenses -

Optics and Lenses - This forum is aimed towards the TECHNICAL side of photographic OPTICS and LENSES. There will be some overlap by camera/manufacturer, but this forum is for the heavy duty tech discussions. This is NOT the place to discuss a specific lens or lens line, do that in the appropriate forum. This is the forum to discuss optics or lenses in general, to learn about the tech behind the lenses and images. IF you have a question about a specific lens, post it in the forum about that type of camera, NOT HERE.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes

Leica's best glass vs. Nikon 85mm 1.4
Old 06-14-2008   #1
Nh3
-
 
Nh3 is offline
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 981
Leica's best glass vs. Nikon 85mm 1.4

Look now, I have seen some of the sample images taken with Nikon 85mm 1.4 and I'm simply astounded at the "aesthetic quality" of images produced by this lens.

... And if Nikon stopped producing this lens the prices will sky rocket like the Nikon 28 1.4, which means one can't go wrong buying one of these for a $1000.

I think this lens produces images that are "painterly" like Nocti.

What do you think?
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #2
NB23
-
 
NB23's Avatar
 
NB23 is offline
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Inside a Noctilux
Posts: 1,556
Wrong.
If nikon stops producing the lens it will probably stay in the same price range or close. Why? Because they produce a huge quantity monthly, unlike the extremely limited 28 1.4.
If they discontinue the 85 1.4 it is because they have an upgrade, unlike the very specialized and hard to produce 28 1.4.

I don't agree the lens is as painterly as the "nocti" (Noctiwhat? Noct-Nikkor or Noctilux? Those 2 lenses are extremely different). What does Nocti mean anyway? In my mothertongue Nocti means fingernails.
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #3
ferider
Registered User
 
ferider's Avatar
 
ferider is offline
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 10,300
Compare to the 75/1.4. Best lens Leica ever built.

Roland.
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #4
Nh3
-
 
Nh3 is offline
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 981
But you have to agree that nikon 85mm 1.4 has that Leica 'creaminess'?
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #5
ferider
Registered User
 
ferider's Avatar
 
ferider is offline
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 10,300
There are few bad superfast portrait teles ....

Still have to try out my Helios 40-2. Now there is a creamy lens !
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #6
NB23
-
 
NB23's Avatar
 
NB23 is offline
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Inside a Noctilux
Posts: 1,556
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nh3 View Post
But you have to agree that nikon 85mm 1.4 has that Leica 'creaminess'?
I don't know what is a "Leica Creaminess" or even "Threedeeness". The only times I've read such terms was in the Dpreview Canon forum.

Can you point me to "Leica Creaminess" images?
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #7
FrankS
Registered User
 
FrankS's Avatar
 
FrankS is offline
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Great White North
Age: 56
Posts: 17,159
The Jupiter 9 is nice. Costs peanuts. What's behind the camera counts more.
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #8
Nh3
-
 
Nh3 is offline
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 981
Quote:
Originally Posted by NB23 View Post
I don't know what is a "Leica Creaminess" or even "Threedeeness". The only times I've read such terms was in the Dpreview Canon forum.

Can you point me to "Leica Creaminess" images?
You're right, silly words don't mean anything.

Look at the pictures in this thread and the way they "look" is superb - they might not be great photographs but the way they look is amazing.

opps link: http://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/sho...d.php?t=159121

Last edited by Nh3 : 06-14-2008 at 09:36.
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #9
x-ray
Registered User
 
x-ray's Avatar
 
x-ray is offline
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Knoxville, TN USA
Age: 64
Posts: 2,096
From having shot the 85 1.4 for years and owning the 75 1.4 summilux for years I would say the Nikon has the edge in image quality. It's not a big difference but the Nikkor is exceptional. I never owned the Nikkor but shot them in my work and do own the Canon 85 1.2 along with the 75 1.4 and owned and shot extensively with the 85 1.4 Planar. All are excellent but my shooting experience shows the Canon to slightly top them all. All are excellent lenses. Without question I would rank the Nikkor and Canon above even the 90 apo asph in close focus performance. At a distance the gap narrows.
  Reply With Quote

Old 06-14-2008   #10
kevin m
Registered User
 
kevin m is offline
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Eastern Connecticut
Posts: 2,321
Quote:
Compare to the 75/1.4. Best lens Leica ever built.
In theory.

In practice, it's heavy, has tiny framelines, and is slow to focus. That and the 90 Summicron were the two Leica lenses I couldn't get rid of fast enough, despite their excellent image quality.
  Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 13:32.


vBulletin skin developed by: eXtremepixels
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

All content on this site is Copyright Protected and owned by its respective owner. You may link to content on this site but you may not reproduce any of it in whole or part without written consent from its owner.