Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1, Test Photos, Comparisons, and Discussion.

Nokton 50/1.1 Wide-Open
This is a test for focus at the edge of the image: focus is on the face. Field curvature is well controlled.

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Nikkor 50/1.2 Ais Wide-Open
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Nikon made a Prototype DF-Monochrom. The 16MPixel CMOS sensor was available in color and in monochrome, both used in their Microscope camera.
I would have bought one.

Feel free to post Noctilux images here. "Plastic Look" is a term usually applied to lenses that are under-corrected for Spherical aberration. You will see the higher intensity at the center of the out-of-focus circles behind the subject. The Nikkor 10.5cm F2.5 was designed to be under-corrected for spherical aberration, as was the SLR Nikkor 85/2.
 
That’s really cool that you are already using the new Nokton f1 Sonnar Brian. How is the finder intrusion? It looks fat enough to block a fair amount of the 50mm frame.
 
The finder intrusion on the M9: Roughly comes up to the 75mm frameline, lower right corner WITHOUT the bayonet-style hood. Another advantage of the much smaller 50/1.2 Nokton. With the supplied hood- about the lower 1/3rd of the finder.

I might try a Vented Hood with this lens.
 
The finder intrusion on the M9: Roughly comes up to the 75mm frameline, lower right corner WITHOUT the bayonet-style hood. Another advantage of the much smaller 50/1.2 Nokton. With the supplied hood- about the lower 1/3rd of the finder.

I might try a Vented Hood with this lens.

Thanks for that information. Is that the intrusion at around infinity? I’m guessing close to half the 50mm frame is blocked at MFD.
 
Nokton 50mm F1.0: Just checked: at minimum focus, 0.9m, the edge of the hood almost comes up to the lower right of the RF Patch. The tip of the Hood slightly obstructs the RF Window at minimum focus.
The Hood is Solid. I'll be looking for my 62mm vented hood to compare.

On the Noctilux: I looked at some images in a Flickr group, not mine so I am posting links.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144566...pool-noctilux/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/itarug...pool-noctilux/

I see out-of-focus circles typical of over-corrected for spherical aberration in these. Outer edges are brighter. Some astigmatism, vignetting, etc. The case is close-up with a lot of foliage in the distance, and lights in the background.
This is the "Torture Test" for Bokeh, but brings out the trade-offs that went into a lend.
 
Re. finder intrusion and critical focusing of the super-fast lenses: I suppose they are more useable on the latest mirrorless full-frame cameras. Cheers, OtL
 
Nokton 50mm F1.0: Just checked: at minimum focus, 0.9m, the edge of the hood almost comes up to the lower right of the RF Patch. The tip of the Hood slightly obstructs the RF Window at minimum focus.
The Hood is Solid. I'll be looking for my 62mm vented hood to compare.

On the Noctilux: I looked at some images in a Flickr group, not mine so I am posting links.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144566...pool-noctilux/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/itarug...pool-noctilux/

I see out-of-focus circles typical of over-corrected for spherical aberration in these. Outer edges are brighter. Some astigmatism, vignetting, etc. The case is close-up with a lot of foliage in the distance, and lights in the background.
This is the "Torture Test" for Bokeh, but brings out the trade-offs that went into a lend.

Thanks for that, Sonnar Brian!
 
I've posted this shot before-

50mm F1.1 Nokton, wide-open. During a tour of Caverns in the Shenandoahs.
"Shoot Black Bears in Caves at Midnight" It was Dark.

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Like any Super-Speed lens, can give amazing results once you know its character.

On a mirrorless camera: CMOS Sensor with a Thick filter stack, corner smearing is something to watch.
Film - best for super-speed lenses. CCD, second best. CMOS- more processing to pull up the light-falloff at the edges. Mirrorless with a thick filter stack, watch for smearing. If anyone has samples, feel free to post them.

https://cameraderie.org/threads/leic...octilux.37682/
Above thread- same Noctilux 50/1.0 used on the Epson R-D1, Leica M8, Leica M9, and Sony A7R. Big increase in vignetting on the latter.

This Shot (Link, not my Image)

https://cameraderie.org/threads/leica-50mm-f-1-noctilux.37682/#post-255931

Is the 50/1.0 Noctilux on the M Monochrom. From the Out-of-Focus circles, I see over-correction for spherical aberration, Coma, vignetting, and maybe a little astigmatism.
There are 4 versions of the Noctilux, but all seem to have the same optical formula.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/50mm_f/1_Noctilux-M

Interesting that Raytheon bought Elcan. The first Digital Sensors I worked with were made by Raytheon 40 years ago.
 
I figured out a way to mechanically correct focus shift on a Jupiter-3: fix the aperture ring to the Mount and turn the lens barrel to set the aperture. The aperture ring screws into the barrel on earlier J-3's. The pitch of the thread is about the same as what is needed to correct focus shift. SO: Stop down to F4, the barrel moves out slightly with respect to the aperture ring. Fix the Aperture ring in the Mount, and the focus shift corrects itself. Next J-3 that comes along: I'll do a "Proof of Concept".

This is a no-brainer. I wonder why Leica and Zeiss did not do this on the 1930s. All this talk about focus shift would never have happened.
This is where I get to add "I used to be a Rocket Scientist".
 
Don't go into shock, but I just snapped up a CV Nokton f/1.1 for cheap. It'll be the fourth one I've owned.

Okay! Glad I am sitting down...

When it comes in: Post some pictures taken wide-open and close-up.



This is the Cam on mine- one layer of 3M Copper tape, used for RF Shielding.
 
And Nobody will be shocked that I bought "yet another Sonnar". A friend is turning 80 and wants a lens made when he was born. Cannot; guarantee the exact year, but at least got close enough to know "He was in Production". The original Wartime Sonnars with Silver Noses have hidden set screws holding the namering in place. I found on with no scratch marks. Scratch marks on the spanner slot- someone had opened a Wartime Sonnar not knowing about the hidden screws..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175040267089

The seller contacted me to ask if I had carefully looked at the pictures and was satisfied with the lens. I sent him the link on the $75 basket-case wartime Sonnar and assured him I was not one of those customers that complained about an old lens in this condition. He was happy!
 
I saw that one, was wondering whether that was fungus on the rear lens elements. Other than needing a good cleaning, it looks to be in decent shape. I imagine that you have enough spare parts to fix whatever ails it, though.
 
I saw that one, was wondering whether that was fungus on the rear lens elements. Other than needing a good cleaning, it looks to be in decent shape. I imagine that you have enough spare parts to fix whatever ails it, though.

That- I do, can take care of it. It had the original front lens cap as well.
I think the marks in the glass is just the coating, the wartime lenses had issues- probably with impurities or hard life. This lens is within 25 of my perfect one.
 
... When it comes in: Post some pictures taken wide-open and close-up. ...
Yes, I absolutely plan to. But it will very likely first go out to DAG for 6-bit coding. That's been taking a month or more lately.

Too good a deal for me to ass up - even though it's not my favorite 50. It was $550 shipped (about a 9 condition as far as I can tell).
 
For full disclosure - this was the picture that made me do it! ...

I now call this ALT Art.

Artistic Lens Test. I also used the Mandelbrot equation to test CPU speed. Artistic CPU Test. Been a good day for the latter. Hopefully this weekend will be good for ALT Art.
 
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