58mm f1.4 VC Nokton SLII

[frederick_muller]

The 58mm VC Nokton looks like an interesting lens. I've used its rangefinder

cousin, the 50mm f1.5 VC Nokton Aspherical in Leica mount and have been mightily

impressed. The Nikon F-mount model looks like a different formula, however.

Does anyone know how they stack up?

[leicaglow]

I did a search and found a pretty good thread here: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00OzQ3

[frank]

You'r right, the 58mm VC Nokton is a very interesting lens. I used this lens (and its cousin Zeiss ZF 50/1.4) for a published practical test for several weeks and I liked the Nokton very much. Build quality of both lenses is excellent. While the Zeiss comes with a bayonet shade you have to buy the metal screw in shade of the VC extra. In the center even at f. 1.4 both lenses are very good - more than adequate for portrait work. If you stop down to f. 2 you can see how they improve. At 2.8 even the edges become very good. At f. 4 both lenses are top-notch. In direct comparison the Zeiss is a tad better at every f-stop. IMO the higher price of the Planar 50/1.4 is okay. Nevertheless I like the bokeh (creamy) of the VC better than the the bokeh of the Zeiss (harsher). For Portrait work I like f. 2 and f. 2.8 best.

With Nikon's standard focusing screen I was not able to focus these both lenses properly on a D200 - especially at full aperture. So I replaced the Nikon screen by a screen from Katzeye Optics. Now lenses like the 50/1.4 or 85/1.4 can be focused easily. I recommend the VC 58/1.4 provided that you use the Katzeye focusing screen.

BTW, since many years I use the VC 50/1.5 for VC/Leica M. IMO this lens is (like most rangefinder lenses) a bit better than its SLR-brother.

[frank]

And one more pic with the VC SL II 58/1.4 mm

[frederick_muller]

Thanks guys. Frank, great subject and great shots. The Planar looks really sharp, but the bokeh is rather disturbing. I don't know if it's the straight edges of the books in the background that broke up the out of focus areas so badly ... the nature of the background in the second shot is very different. But the Nokton looks like nothing to sneeze at.