Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f / 0.95 ASPH

The World’s Fastest Aspherical Lens (35 mm camera system)

The new LEICA NOCTILUX-M 50 MM F / 0.95 ASPH

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091505leica_50mm_f0_95.asp

The most salient feature of this lens (from the link) to me is:

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<i>Hand assembled in Solms Germany, this lens is designed to retain its value and usability for decades.</i>

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A new legend is born! :)

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PS: Price is (again from the link) UKP 6290. A bit lower than I expected.

Will be available at photo stores, or only at jewelery shops?

I am waiting the day when I see one shot when it matters. I do predict eventually seeing a pic of someone's kid or girlfriend's face by candlelight with only two eyelashes in perfect, creamy focus.

Can't wait for the flood of images of peoples desks, fruit bowls, dogs, kids and cars. At these prices they should be really expensive desks, fruit bowls, dogs, kids and cars as the lens will only be purchased by people rich enough or credit addicted enough to manage the outlay.

In a like matter a F1.4 lens is "not required" because one could have jsut used a F2; then one might as just get a F2.8; or F4 lens! :)

<i>PS: Price is (again from the link) UKP 6290. A bit lower than I expected.</i>

<p>According to <a href="http://www.xe.com/ucc/" target="_blank">XE.com's universal currency converter</a> that would work out to... $11,307.66 USD from today's exchange rate.</p>

<p>W.</p>

<p>T.</p>

<p>F....</p>

<p>Leica's already priced itself out of relevance as far as today's market goes, with the world economy being in the state it's in and what's being offered by the major makers. Let's now watch and applaud as they price themselves completely out of existence.</p>

And the other theoretical limit: being able to clear the viewfinder!<g> I wish it didn't read like a Leica ad, and had some proof rather than "will be's". That's a lot of light between 0.95 and 1.4 though.

What is the difference between f1 and 0.95? (I'd actually like to be able to shoot at f1, I just can't afford to.)

the difference between 1 and 0.95 is only 5%. But a symbolically very important 5%. People like to invent barriers connected to round numbers. Remember the millennium?

El Fang - why do you (and others) insist on calculating untaxed U.S. prices from European ones that INCLUDE tax (VAT) of 19% or

so. Just out to Swift-Boat Leica?

 

The U.S. Nocti f/0.95 price already listed a few places is $9,999. Which is high enough - no need to exaggerate by $2,300!

Ooops - $1,300. Sorry! (Dang those 999.95s 'sted of nice round 000s!)

How can anyone put a price on a legend?

 

It has already been assured that the new legend will keep its value.

I might order one just so I can see the cynic's turn blue with popping veins. :-)

Leica is pricing itself way out of the reach of its own market. It might be producing excellent products, but smart users are not going to fall on the sword for an extra third of a stop. The ultrawide tri-elmar is another example of an awesome product at an even more awesome price. How many of these are selling? I'm sure there are happy users out there, but is Leica really moving a lot of widgets or are these destined all to become low-volume future collectibles?

 

On the other hand, Leica puts out the Summarit range in an effort to price-discriminate, and maybe they get a reasonably successful line. But honestly, the new Summarit range doesn't look like much competition for the tried and true older line of Leica lenses.

 

I got excited about the 50mm f0.95 Noct ... until I saw the price. If I do go for a Noct, it'll be an older f1 model.

When I was a young photographer, I would just gasp at the prices of Leica gear. When I finally started using it in 2006, I

paid about $1,500 for a classic M6 and 2nd version 35 Summicron. I loved it.

 

So by last last year, I had my self a M3, M6TTL, MP3 w/ Leicavit, matching 50 aspheric, 28 summicron and 35 1.4

asph. I paid less than $12,000. The M8 was of course a bit over $5,000.

 

For what it does in the large scope of the photo world, it is a lot of money and quite frankly, my D700 and D3 are so good

with Zeiss ZF lenses, that digital and Leica is almost an extravagance.

 

But the prices now, you have got to be joking. No way I would pay the new prices on the lenses I now own and the 50

.95 for 10K?

 

I'm done with Leica as far as new purchases go.....they are nuts. I debate keeping the M8 or not as it puts out a killer file

at ISO 640 and less....but I can't use it along side my film M's, which is why I bought it. If I thought it would stand the

test of time like my film M's, I would just keep it and not look back.

 

I'm not a collector, I am a photographer, I make images, not lens tests.

 

Leica is no longer supporting the professional or the impassioned visual talent. They are catering to the talentless

braggart or the collector and that is a shame, because I think it is going to put them out of business.

<i>The U.S. Nocti f/0.95 price already listed a few places is $9,999.</i>

<p>Oh, I'm so sorry, my mistake. Yes, you're right of course, $9,999 is an absolute steal. Where do I sign up to get one?</p>

<p><i>I might order one just so I can see the cynic's turn blue with popping veins. :-)</i></p>

<p>Yes, from busting out laughing at you!</p>

Its interesting to read newcomers to Leica *learning* they are more expensive. The Noct 32 years ago was 855 bucks new; the Dow was at at a high in July 12 1976 at 1011; the best between 1973 and 1982. Yesterday the DOW closed at 10,917.51; its up 10.8 times! :) whats 10.8 times 855 bucks? oh boy 9234 dollars! In Kansas City in 1976 gasoline was typically 58 cents; yesterday in New Orleans I paid $4.19; thus maybe the new Noct F 0.9 should be only 855 * (419/57) = 6285 bucks. Maybe an F2 lens in the depths of the depths of the great depression of the 1930's was considered expensive; or was the story that Leicas in the 1930's could be bought for a few Apples?

Oh dear. Being laughed at would be hard to take. What oh what will I do. :-)

f/0.95 gets you not 5% but 10,8% more light. Photographical basics? Definately optional around here...

(And no, the 0.95 doesn't thrill me one second, the new 1.4s do!)

I really think that in order to make this thing worth the money they need to name it the worlds *most* fastest aspherical lens...

Unfortunately I have to agree with Daniel. As much as I want Leica to succeed I can't see it happening with products

priced like that. I often spend silly money on camera equipment (including amongst many a new Noctilux f1 which

was crazy at half the price of the new one) but this bunch of new releases is in a different league of demented. I am

sure they are fantastic but I'll stick with my film Ms and my FX Nikons.

My collapsible 1:2 Summicron is looking better and better. . .

Two new F 0.9 Nocts fetch the same price as a pair of good tickets for the last game at the old Yankee stadium; ie 20 grand.<BR><BR> So In which era do the folks here believe NEW Leica products were inexpensive?<BR><BR>USED Leica was cheap in the late 1960's; a IIIc body would go for 29 bucks; Dealers had a glut of them. Folks would trade in their old obsolete stuff and pay cash to get a Petri slr. <BR><BR>Before autofocus took hold a 50mm F2 or F1.8 Nikkosr was the standard starter lens for a Nion product; with its actual worth about say 65 bucks when a Summicron was eight to ten times as much. <BR><BR>The pricing of new Leica products has really not varied much; its the dollar and new folks who have just learned pricing. A new Leica in the 1930's was a years salary for the bloke trying to survive during the depression; was that considered "demented" then too?