Another Leica Lens

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Mike Farley
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Another Leica Lens

Postby Mike Farley » Thu 30 Nov 2017, 09:12

I could not resist a followup to my post about pictures taken with a Leica lens.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2646

This is Leica's latest product announcement - a Noctilux 75 f/1.25. There is an aperture ring, but it is not intended to be used stopped down. It is all about shooting wide open to isolate the subject with a limited depth of field. Getting a lens to perform well at its maximum aperture is no mean feat, which is one of the reasons Leica charges what it does. And does this one cost. The US price is given as $12,795, which will probably translate into somewhere in the region of £12k.

Ironically, the Noctilux is manual focus and designed for Leica's M rangefinder cameras. Based on the press release, Leica appears to be suggesting that it will be all but impossible to focus accurately at its maximum aperture via the rangefinder. Instead, it seems that the optional Visoflex EVF will be better suited or the lens should be mounted on the SL, which has a very clear EVF to aid manual focussing.

Oh, and do not think about shooting it to its full potential when the sun is shining. Base ISO on the Leica M is 200, although there is a pull 100 setting albeit at some cost to image quality. At f1.25, a very fast shutter speed will be necessary. All the example photos in the link below were taken either indoors, at night or in twilight conditions. Hmm, a £12k manual focus lens which can only be used for its intended purpose in the dark. Good luck. Firstly in raising the funds and then nailing sharp images.

https://petapixel.com/2017/11/29/leica- ... ream-lens/
Regards

Mike Farley
(Visit my website and blog - www.mikefarley.net)

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