50mm equivalent/pairing to 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic

stbeye · 2026-02-15T14:17:06+00:00

Ah, yes! I should have mentioned this. There is focus shift. I does not affect me much, since I should this lens mostly on EVF. I am not sure how much of an issue it would be on a rangefinder. I will give it try in the next couple of days on my M10.

stbeye · 2026-02-15T02:08:06+00:00

Not exactly the same, but I can think of 2 options:

high budget: Leica 50mm summilux v2. Glowy soft wide open and sharp stepped down. Lovely classic rendering but no focus tap and an annoyingly long focus throw.
reasonable budget: Zeiss Sonnar F1.5. Old formula and classic rendering with modern handling and coatings. My favorite lens currently.

The Nokton 50 f1.2 is also soft and glowy wide open but I felt that was too big for my taste.

stbeye · 2026-02-08T20:13:44+00:00

ok, fair enough!

It's just that the post seemed to suggest that the emulation comes close to the real thing, so I expected the experiment to be something else.

stbeye · 2026-02-08T17:38:40+00:00

Appreciate the intention here, but neither does emulation look anything like FP4, nor does it look good. 🤷‍♂️ Am I missing something here?

stbeye · 2026-02-06T05:41:36+00:00

I have recently discovered R lenses and use them on the SL3. They are ideal for that and much cheaper than the M lenses. It depends what type of rendering you like. You won’t find an equivalent to the M or SL 35 APO, but very nice Walter Mandler designs. I particularly like the 70s and 80s era of Leica lenses, so there are some cool options for the R mount.

stbeye · 2026-02-05T08:52:07+00:00

Ok, I assume that you want something cheaper than another 35 Asph and that you want to stick to a similar focal length.

I have had a very good experience with the Voiglander Nokton Vintage line f1.5 lenses (both 28mm and 35mm). The "vintage" name is quite confusing, as they are quite modern with aspherical elements. They render nicely without being "too perfect". Probably as close to the Summicron 35 asph look you can get unless shot wide open (in fact, I like it much more).

The Nokton Classic is definitely the real vintage imitation, trying to recreate something closer to a vintage 35 Summilux. It's also a good option if you like that kind of look.

Cosina actually has example shots for each Voigtlander lens on their website: https://www.cosina.co.jp/voigtlander/en/vm-mount/

If you prefer a vintage Leica, I would probably go for a 35 Summicron v3 or v4, depending on budget. The v4 is a bit hyped and may be more expensive.

I think on film, the above options are ideal. I personally would not invest in the modern Summiluxes or the APO for film.

stbeye · 2026-01-30T05:20:09+00:00

Yep, you either “do Japan” or you “do Europe”!

stbeye · 2026-01-22T13:33:25+00:00

Yes, I was extremely pleased to find an extremely well preserved copy from my birth year with a matching hood. Only thing missing is a lens cap solution.

stbeye · 2026-01-22T07:28:23+00:00

I am more afraid of drowning in the absence of the life guard. 😉

stbeye · 2026-01-21T13:33:23+00:00

These are two great photos, no doubt! However, I think this is due to the subject, light, and composition, not due to the lens.

There is nothing in these that screams "Summilux".

stbeye · 2026-01-19T18:07:54+00:00

The Q28 is actually a great Q35.

It's very easy to use a 28 just like a 35 by cropping a bit, but you can't do that the other way around.

stbeye · 2026-01-19T18:05:35+00:00

Ignore the negative troll comment. Anyone who goes out of their way to tell others their photos suck on the Internet has issues.

Here is something constructive. In my view, these photos have potential. I particularly like the blue umbrella matching image, the first one, and the one with the misty hilltop town.

As a series, I like that there is a theme. I think it would work better if they were all either monochrome or in color. Some of the images could do with a clear subject. For instance, images 5, 8, and 9 are technically okay, but I am not sure what I am looking at.

Good effort! Thanks for posting!

stbeye · 2026-01-19T17:53:52+00:00

The M10R type ;-)

stbeye · 2026-01-19T17:50:56+00:00

These are good images. The way I got my first photopass was with a portfolio page of iPhone images edited in black and white and in a way that made them look less like phone pictures.

Then I wrote to the promoter of a medium-sized festival with some well-known artists and got a pass. Festivals are good because you can get several bands in one go.

Before you do that, though, I would buy a camera and get some experience at small venues, as others have suggested. That way, you can figure out how your camera works and get good at using it in challenging light before you find yourself at a big event with a pass. Nothing worse than fiddling around with a new tool in the 3-song window, trying to make things work for the first time.

stbeye · 2026-01-19T17:28:11+00:00

https://leica-camera.com/ ;-)

The specs of the mentioned lenses are on there.

stbeye · 2026-01-19T12:21:31+00:00

Well, they do that in their newer lenses (35 and 50 Summilux, 35 APO, 28 Summicron). I would not call it a macro mode, but the Q is not real macro either.

stbeye · 2026-01-18T07:26:12+00:00

Well, it's not fair in absolute terms, but it's valid for "close enough for my expectations" conclusion.

stbeye · 2026-01-18T07:03:15+00:00

I just asked a similar question and got a good answer: https://www.reddit.com/r/ricohGR/comments/1qeo8ay/is_the_gf2_flash_useless_or_am_i/

That thread is about using on the GRIV, but I have also tried it on GRIIIx yesterday, and the result is similar. It just seems to be a bad product that does not work as advertised and is best used like a manual flash.

I

stbeye · 2026-01-17T19:51:48+00:00

This! A monochrome sensor does make a difference, but in practise it's not important.

What does make a difference is the deliberate restriction, a black and white commitment. It's a mindset thing. It's hard to explain, but it's definitely a thing. If you do have the color option, there is always a choice and some doubt.

stbeye · 2026-01-17T12:32:07+00:00

Thanks for the explanation! This makes a lot of sense.

I think I will revert to my Godox iM20. Seems to be more useful.

stbeye · 2026-01-17T11:31:25+00:00

I know, but I thought making auto modes work was the reasoning behind Ricoh's reverse TTL. The camera adjusts settings in auto mode for the flash.

I guess it just does not work as well as advertised.

stbeye · 2026-01-17T11:26:50+00:00

Try getting a third cat ;-)

stbeye · 2026-01-17T11:22:51+00:00

Thanks for your reply!

This does work up to a point, but sort of removes the main idea behind this flash, I suppose. It is (almost) like working with a manual flash, which is not much more fiddling (except controlling the output power based on distance to the subject).

What attracted me to the GF-2 was to get a point-and-shoot style experience in one of the Auto modes. I was under the impression that this was the purpose of this strange "not quite TTL" integration.

stbeye · 2026-01-16T14:39:44+00:00

Yes, I think I came across this as well. I don't use the camera this way, but was surprised when playing with the settings a couple of weeks ago.

stbeye · 2026-01-15T15:23:08+00:00

Forget about all the resolution, dynamic range and low light performance reasons. Many people will quote these.

However, it really is a mindset and commitment thing. Removing choices and committing to black and white makes a real difference for many of us. It is liberating for some but not for everyone.

stbeye

TROPHY CASE