Image courtesy: Photozone.
The Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 is a mythical lens. Also because the price of $11,000 makes it impossible to own for “normal” people. But let’s keep our feet on ground. Does the lens deliver a $11,000 optical performance? The answer seems to be “no” if you read the latest two reviews posted in these days:
Photozone reports:
To those who either simply need the speed or really care about the rendering characteristic, the Noctilux may well be worth its price. One should be aware, though, that the most expensive Leica lens is not necessarily the best one, but no doubt one of the most special ones.
The lens earns only 2,5 stars out of five.
EosHD compared the Noctilux with the SLR Magic 50mmf /0.95 Hyperprime:
Price – $10,000 (Leica) vs $3000 (SLR Magic)
Centre sharpness (wide open) – higher resolution on the SLR Magic
Corner sharpness (wide open) – higher resolution on the SLR Magic
Vignetting (wide open) – furthest corners are darker on the Leica
Minimum focus – 0.7m on the SLR Magic vs 1.0m on the Leica
Contrast (wide open) – higher contrast on the Leica
Purple fringing (wide open) – due to design both have high purple fringing at F0.95 but this can be muted in post using digital correction on raw files
Yes, the Noctilux is a great lens, but do not expect to get a $11,000 Image Quality. If you do not need that extreme speed you may buy the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens which I am sure will give you a higher performance. But you have to use an adapter and take into considertaion that the lens size is huge!
4 Responses
First, I´d like to say that as Otus lens is only f/1.4 and not 0.95, these lenses are very different and not comparable. The comparation with SLR Magic is more fair.
In my opinion, Photozone is the best lens test site in the web. This said, there are some aspects in a lens not easily measurable and these are in relation to out of focus blur, color, adequate balance between center and corners… All this is that we can call “look”.
Anyway, Leica was the best lens maker in the past, but now lenses are computer-aid designed and more lens makers can reach the perfection of ancient German lenses and even go beyond.
I don´t want Leica lenses nor don´t want to buy Zeiss lenses because you are essentially paying a lot for the brand name. Sure, the optical quality of Otus lens probably is fantastic, but you get a lens that is only manual, really big, heavy and very expensive. For me there are better alternatives out there, including new lens makers.
> All this is that we can call “look”.
+1
It is known for very long time that Leica, unlike others, doesn’t optimize lenses to be as close as possible to perfect tonal curves. Instead they optimize for better skin color reproduction.
Whether that worth the asking price… I personally decided that it is not. Others obviously have different opinion.
But still, I own the Pana-Leica 25mm and plan to buy its m43 equivalent. Both have this Leica magic inside and portraits come out of them really really well.
What?
If you think you can compare the SLR Magic to the Noctilux your not even remotly interested in photography…
Sure it´s silly expensive but the Noctilux is the dream machine of bokeh and contrast!
Look again, the “magic” in the SLR Magic lens is only referring to the price, it has no other personality than a cheap mist to the pictures. Not saying that´s bad, it´s quite trendy actually, but it doesn´t make me smile and I´d never buy a new lens that bad.
This lens caters only for a small niche market. For those who can afford and want to own this grossly overpriced “thingy”, good for them and their ego. In terms of IQ, no one can’t tell it at a glance from a Sony NEX 50/1.8.