Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/21
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Eric Welch wrote:
>Nope. There has been no change in the 50mm f/1.0 Noctilux formula since
it's beginning.
Eric,
Here's a quote from the Photography in Malaysia page:
It seems to contradict your statement.
http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/speciallenses/leica_notc.htm
Used to be the sole fastest commercially available 35mm lens in the
world - but remains as the fastest
modern lens in the rangefinder camera system. First model appearing
in 1976. Current version
Noctilux-M. New glasses enabled the Notilux to be re-computed to
give outstanding maximum aperture
of f1 and also dispense with aspherical surfaces - thus making the
manufacturing process simpler. The new
version is a complete new design with seven elements instead of 6
elements and with "air lenses" for
additional correction. This lens is heavy for a standard 50mm - in
fact, most leica 35mm lenses are
heaviest in its class - focal length by focal length, aperture to
aperture compared with other lenses of
different makes. This lens weighting almost 630gms. But its gives
you all the extra speed yet retaining
superior performance that you would need in low light photography,
I bet you can bear with the weight.
The Aspherical lens surface tackles common spherical coma in low
light photography, thus, bright spots of
light source will be rendered more natural in eventual images.
It is expensive - just like any other Leica lenses. But first rated
mechanical construction, optical
performance and couple with rangefinder's strongest element -
bright frameline for easy focusing, does
attract some followers and for those demanding photographers who
often works in low natural light
condition.
By the way, a couple of years back, an American friend of mine
offered me a unit of this and said it is
"special" - I don't know what he meant, until not too long ago,
Stan Tamarkin of Tamarkin Photographica,
NY confirmed to me that mine is a prototype version of Noctilux. So
...what should I do with it now ?
May be if I am free, I will try to take a picture of the lens and
put here for all Leica fans to share.