First Try with Leica Noctilux 50mm F1 v4
First of all, I would like to thank Sony again… Because Sony launched the 50GM, my friend passed on the Noct v4 to me at an affordable price… I have owned the Noct v2 for over ten years, and when I first got it, it was to shoot the birth and growth of my children. I had planned to replace the Noct v3/v4 because the resolution of the Noct v2 was a bit difficult when I used it with a full 42mp camera… The main reason for replacing the v4 is that I believe I will be using a digital body most of the time, so I have a reason to Replace it.
First of all, it should be noted that each generation of Leica Noctilux is a classic and has its supporters… Noct v1 e58 has the most vivid colours… v2 has a classical look. v3 is excellent for both film and digital… v4 is very suitable for digital use… etc…
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Noct v4 First impressions
I put it on the Sony A7R3 mod and I can see from the EVF/LCD view that the contrast and saturation are much higher than the v2… It’s very suitable for digital use and even feels like a modern lens… The full aperture image is still a bit soft / Leica Glow. I’ve gone past the stage of having to use a full aperture with the Noct, and instead, I mostly decide on the aperture value considering what kind of depth of field I want to convey, and of course, I try to stay between F1.4 and -2.8 at large apertures. -For street photography, I tend to use F4–5.6…
With Nikon / Sony mirrorless bodies, you can add an autofocus ring. With Eye-AF and Real-Time Tracing, focusing is more accurate and reliable than using EVF or magnified focusing… It’s not that paraxial focusing is bad or trap focusing is not bad; it’s just that Noct is at full blast. No matter how good you are, if the subject or quickly moves slightly, the depth of field is no longer encompassing… Advances in technology have significantly increased the success rate of shooting, but maybe you should stick to the side axis body as the best choice… There is nothing right or wrong with this. …but I tend to prioritise shooting success…
The author’s earlier presentation
I think the Noct should be positioned for portrait or close range optimization…the best performance should be within a range of about 2–5 meters…if you see any infinite telephoto lens resolution test, you don’t need to take it seriously, and I won’t take a Noct to shoot landscapes from an infinite distance. Most of the lenses in the film era were designed with a niche in mind and did not require the same all-round orientation or need to be sharp from centre to edge at a full distance as today…that’s why the Leica 50/0.95 or 75/1.25 lenses were introduced after 2008 and became enormous in size and weight. …I prefer the Noct to have a good bokeh transition or enough micro-contrast at portrait distances, and that’s enough.
Post-processing
As mentioned above, the Noct v4 has higher contrast and saturation, which took me some time to get used to, but now I can use many film style files to match my taste. Some people think that the LEICA M9 CCD is the only one that brings out the Noct flavour, while others prefer the Monochrom M9. I have experienced negative shooting and CCD / CMOS shooting over the years… I think that the simplest and most direct way to express the Noct flavour is to take the film back to the camera and shoot the positive film, even if the negative image will be better than today’s M9 Kodak, GFX 4433 SENSOR In the digital age,
Simple real-life photos The best place to test NOCT photos Or the low light, indoor fruit fence
In black and white, the workflow is relatively easy to follow Colour still takes a bit of time to learn Noct v4 + A7R3 + LR 10.1 + Nik Sliver Efex 2
Conclusion
The Noct v4, which I have only used for a few days, feels suitable for the time being and provides relatively stable image quality most of the time. It is enough to perform well in its area of expertise…
Lastly, I have owned the Noct for almost ten years, I don’t take it out for many photoshoots or trips every year… I hope I can still have time to share my photos taken with the Noct v2 over the past ten years… Finally, the Noct is not well used. It’s just my problem. The lens performance is mostly good with high stability…
The Noct v4 has a slightly higher contrast, but also a bit of Leica Glow, a bit more of an old-fashioned flavour without losing the sharpness of the mid-focus, very suitable for portraits of dogs and meows…The most significant consideration with this lens is how often you want to take it out with you. …whether you bring a film , a digital M camera or a mirrorless body…the best lens is the one you are willing to take out with you constantly. XD…I hope I can take the Noct v4 out more often in the future.
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Other related articles by the author: The A7R3 is slimmed down to make it more suitable for use with side lenses
If you like this post, feel free to give me a pat on the back and let me know you like it too XD
You can also follow me by pressing the Follow button, but unfortunately, you can’t set up a sneak preview XD. If you are willing to pay USD 1 per month for a cup of coffee, you can support me in my “Words are worth it, photos are worth it”. I have been writing blogs for more than ten years so that you may have read my Minolta articles, other equipment and photo tips in the past. It is not easy to maintain this interest in blogging. Today, many photographers like to shoot youtube or use pictures instead of writing, so in-depth introduction and evaluation may be a chore for many people. Still, I believe that words and photos have a specific value. I have many more pictures and photographs that I would like to share with you, and a little financial contribution from you would help me go further or write.
If you are interested in paying for a cup of coffee every month, subscribe to the author Patreon at:
You can also sponsor me to write a one-off article through Payme
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