lee hamiel Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I may have missed a thread here but did not see any mention of the new Noctiluxpricing. Looks like $5495. USD as of now. Aside from the new pricing what effect do we assume this will do to usedNoctilux lenses? I have always felt that the 3800. or so was pushing the limit but ... Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Sold yours too soon, Lee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 That's 1/3rd it's weight in gold. Jimmini! Man, I'll have to sell the Ferrari! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee hamiel Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 I do not own one - my son has one that I bought for him a while back Great lens but at what price ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Good for your son then! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicaglow Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Had to sell mine to go finish college in the early '80's. Yes it's a great lens, but dang hard to focus accurately wide open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Noctilux's are often sold after the honeymoon phase; a few months.<BR><BR>Folks think they can bake bread, change diapers etc like the summicron. <BR><BR>Here I have had one since the late 1970's. mine cost about what a used smoking tired Ford Pinto would fetch, about 400 bucks. <BR><BR>I never have understood why folks bitch about the Noctilux's close focus distance of 1 meter. Maybe after reading another decade of Photo.net Noct experts who used the lens for a few one night stands the 1 meter "problem" will be clearer. I got mine when asa 400 print film was just coming out and total crap and asa 125, 160 and 200 were normal print film speeds.<BR><BR>The Noct was bought for astro work, shooting in clubs, vampire stuff. Since most folks sell their Noct in a few months they are often cheaper used as folks sell them off post honeymoon.<BR><BR>On a RD-1 and 1600 iso setting they work well; less vignetting too! :)<BR><BR> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjords Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Mr. Flanigan, ( ? ) <a href="http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/kodakHistory/ 1930_1959.shtml">Kodak introduced Tri-x asa 400 in 1954</a>. the nocti f/1.2 was introduced in 1966, the nocti f/1.0 in 1975. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul hart Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 My dealer here in the UK told me recently that substantial price increases are due across the whole range. Write out 100 times, "I must not sell my Noctilux"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred_c1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 400 speed <i>colour</i> film came out in the 1970s, right around the time of the f/1 Noct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 John; Tri-x came out in world war 2. The 1954 date is for roll film tri-x. I used surplus ww2 tri-x sheet film in 4H club in the the 1950's, before 1954. Folks new to photography repeat the errors when tri-x was born, along with Kodak too. Tri-x is in the 1940's Kodak databooks; this overrides the lies spread on the web. <BR><BR>I got my Noct in the late 1970's. FAST color print films didnt come out until the mid to late 1970's. The late 1970'asa 400 color print films were way worse that todays 1600 asa color print films by a long shot; total BS horrid grain.<BR><BR> A fast lens like the Noct allowed folks to use decent asa 125 and 160 color negative films in lower light; since its a faster lens. A F1 lens is 1 stop faster than a F1.4 lens; two stops faster than a F2 lens.<BR><BR>A faster lens allows one to shoot in lower light. This is clearly basic stuff; even in photo books a century ago.<BR><BR>In the 1960's and 1970's one had Royal-x at a real asas of 1250; and old Kodacolor was asa 80 for along time. Slide film such as high speed ektachrome was asa 160 since the early 1960's; and asa 400 with a pushed ESP envelope . For color work films were slower than dime store tri-x for decades. <br><br>Usage of a fast lens like the F1 Noct allowed a user in the 1970's to use standard asa 80 Kodacolor; or asa 160 Vericolor II and shoot in lower light settings. Today one can get iso 800 Superia at Walmart thats better than the slow 1970's stuff; and has a 4th emulsion layer that forgives alot of lighting color temperature sins. <BR><BR>With color print films radically faster today than the 1970's; the reason for owning a Noct are far less. Its just a specialized tool; usefull in some applications. Fools seem to think it can magically replace a lightweight summicron. A real common marriage breakup is folks assume their camera body will magically focus and track correctly. Folks jump from the forgiving F8 world of a summicron and assume a f1 Noct witll be spot on; when their body was last aligned decades ago. Thus lack of commitment; the on night stand or annullment; the Noct is sold and folks go back to f11 and get good results. <BR><BR> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Most Noct users don't own a F1.2 Noct; the F1 version has been always a more practical user; a lower cost lens made in much higher production volumes.<BR><BR>The Noct I bought in the later 1970's was not super expensive; ie 400 bucks used. My new Nikkormat Ftn with 50mm F1.4 SC lens was 301 bucks in 1973. In real dollars my late used 1970's Noct was cheaper than my 1973 Nikkormat. In the early and mid 1980's used Nocts were sometimes only 200 to 300 bucks via shutterbug adverts. After 9/11 Nocts were only 600 to a grand on Ebay; I bought a 2nd one and sold it a year later for a profit. Go study Buffet; you want to buy value when there the prices are a screaming deal; not stratospheric pricing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul hart Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 The Noctilux demands a lot of practice, and the M8 makes that practice a lot easier and quicker. And then when you nail one, it's really good.<p><p><center><a href="http:// www.flickr.com/photos/paul_hart/331724318/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http:// farm1.static.flickr.com/137/331724318_8747cd645e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Emma in Contemplative Mood" /></a></center> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay_patel Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Looks to me the focus is on her cuff and her eye is soft. Is that the way you intended nailing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_cheng1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Got one a few years back when Leica pricing was at its lowest. Didn't use it very much but will use it a lot after getting M8. This is the lens that all Leica users should try at one time or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul hart Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 VP: I should have guessed a slightly positive remark about Leica/Noctilux/M8 would prompt a contribution from you. The female cuff is an object of beauty that few are aware of. However, if you click on the image then select 'all sizes' you may see that it is not as you say. Unless, of course, that would spoil your day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_huff1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 The NOCT with the M8 is an amazing lens. I actually sold mine a couple weeks ago and now I am kicking myself in the behind. Not onlky becuase of the price increase, but becuase I truly miss it after only 2 weeks. The Noct and M8 are a great combo. http://k43.pbase.com/o6/60/628360/1/74317342.IHjW9dcr.d5bstingmainvitage.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_huff1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 http://k43.pbase.com/o6/60/628360/1/74392112.fTERs47v.d5bsting1.jpg NOct at F1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_huff1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 one moe at F1, ISO 640 http://i5.pbase.com/o6/60/628360/1/74106221.rR7r9e1c.brandonnightf1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony31664880056 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Noctilux threads pop up fairly regularly on the various forums, and, given the recent price increase, are currently getting a lot of play. Some of the questions being asked are quite reasonable, as are some of the answers. What I fail to understand is the point of those who dogmatically assert that one shouldn't consider the lens because of it's limitations. It is true that: a) it is a relatively heavy lens (though not so much to those used to SLRs) b) it is a very expensive lens (especially after the price increase) c) it is lens which has a very narrow DOF, so accurate focussing is a challenge d) for many applications, other 50mm Leica lenses are sensible alternatives At the same time, however, the Noctilux is a remarkably unique lens which allows hand-held shooting in low light, and, to my eye (and many others) paints a beautiful image, as some of the photos on this very thread demonstrate. So, if one can afford the price, and if one values the unique abilities of the Noctilux highly enough, then it's limitations are (or will be) rendered insignificant. It's really that simple. Regards, Tony C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Noct images on M8 (or R-D1s) look even better, I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_t3 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Wow, $5500 USD??? Holy #$%@ Whats next? $6000 and a lung..... Lee, do you have a list of the new prices or can you direct me there? When do these go into efferct? Thanks, JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 The Noct is a thinly traded item. It the next business downturn they will again be lower in cost. The Noct to me is like my 10 1/4" Big Foot worm drive circular saw. You can cut a 4x6 piece of lumber; 4x4's etc in one pass. When a large job is required it does its job well.<BR><BR> Bigger tools are often heavy.<BR><BR> With the Big foot saw or the Noct I didnt sell off my regular 7 1/4" skill saws or Summicrons; or Mystery brand 7 1/4 Chinese saw or Jupiter -8's either. Placeing the 400 bucks in walmart stock in the late 1970's would have been a been return on invsetment than buying a Noct. There were used Nocts on ebay at 1800 to 2 grand last summer. Maybe more interest in the M8 and RD-1 have propped up the used market abit.<BR><BR>A 50mm F2 Summicron wide open with fast film will get most shots today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 It's the Dollar prices that are really zooming, not the Euro prices. The Euro started 2006 at 1.18 US Dollars, now it's 1.31 US Dollars. (On the other hand, the Euro started 2005 at 1.34 US Dollars!) Leica Camera pays almost all of their expenses (except Kodak sensors) in Euros. Look to Washington DC for the reasons the Dollar is falling against other currencies, it might have something to do with very large budget deficits... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie_caswell Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Are we talking the f/1.2 or the F/1.0 version? You can buy the f/1 everyday for $2000 to $2500 on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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