Its Official! New Leica M Mount 0.95 50mm from Noktor – POLL!!

Just spoke with SLR Magic/Noktor and was told that the new lens they are releasing soon is indeed a Leica M mount 0.95 50mm lens. This is an all new lens by Noktor and is made for the full frame Leica M9 as well as Leica M film cameras. The previous Noktor lens that was released for Micro 4/3 and the Sony E-Mount is a smaller lens and would not work for a full frame sensor.

This will be 6-bit coded as well. Yep, a new 50m f/0.95 lens for the M mount that will be MUCH less expensive than the Noctilux. The lens is coming soon but Noktor is still doing some design enhancements and they asked me to post a poll so you guys can help!

NOKTOR NEEDS YOUR HELP!

As you can see from the image of the prototype, the focusing ring does not appear to give much grip. I mentioned to them my preference but they had the idea of me putting up the poll to ask you for your preference.

They asked me which type of focusing ring Leica users would prefer. Scalloped, Round Barrel, or Focus Tab? Also, would you prefer a green ring on the front of the lens or a black ring? Vote in the poll below so Noktor can finish the design and get this lens released!

[polldaddy poll=5325782]

37 Comments

  1. I think the green ring would stick out like a sore thumb when shooting photos on the street… One of the main points of having a rangefinder camera is being able to be stealthy.

  2. I´ll take the Tab with a GREEN ring … it`ll be great for people photography and it will look awesome – it should NOT be similar to the Noctilux …
    Can`t wait to order one…..

  3. I was in the market for a fast 50 for my M9. I think now I’ll wait a little while to see how this will perform.
    Any idea of the timing for release and availability?

  4. Like everyone else, I’m not a fan of thegreen ring. I like that the rest of the asthetics are line the Noctilux. Focus tab or focus ring like the 50 Summicron would be my preference… Not a fan of the scalloped Nokton look.

  5. Black ring, I would buy it, depending on price, green ring I wouldn’t buy it for half price!

  6. I thought it could be useful to have another view. http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/noktor/index.htm
    if this is true, then it seems the min focus distance is 0.6m.
    if this is true, it will be interesting to know how a cctv lenses act on a M9. Especially if it’s ends up being anything near a Leica lens that would be a revolution.

    looking forward to it 🙂

    • This is a view from KR on the OLD Noktor lens for M4/3, one of which he never used or touched. This lens, for the M9 is a totally different lens, and is not the CCTV lens that the M4/3 lens was.

      Everyone seems to be thinking this is the same lens and it is NOT. Totally different lens that should have a .7 minimum focus distance when completed.

  7. Anthing but a green ring!!!! Subtlety is one of the Leica M’s most attractive qualities for me. I would try out the lens just for it’s aperture but won’t go near it if it’s luminous green.

  8. The dealbreaker for me is that the focus throw is going the wrong way.

    even before knowing its performance, I can not shoot with the focus throw going “backwards.” I hope the lens is still a prototype and that can be changed. if not. then… nokton for me.

    addititionaly, in my mind, the Noktor Is not a competitor to the noctilux. rather, its main competition is the CV Nokton ƒ1.1 and the old LTM fast canon lenses.

    will be be like the nokton in image quality? reasonably sharp, very little “character” or will it be fuzzy and dream-like, like a canon ƒ.95. (judging from the old 4/3rds samples, I bet its going to be a dreamy/fuzzy lens, not that is a bad thing, mind you)

    I’m holding off any kind of judgement until the lens is released and the real world reviews start pouring in. Besides, there are rumors abound about a new 50mm ƒ1.4 that CV is working on. I’m in no rush, I’m more of a 35mm kind of guy anyway 😉

  9. What kind of focus ring will be irrelevant if the lens gives poor performance. If it is priced at a low enough price point, then yeah it’s a fun lens to use for special effect much like a lensbaby. To be honest the Voigtlander Nokton is an excellent lens, will it even be close to that in performance?

  10. please, if they really going to release the len
    don’t do it with any green colour on it
    no offence, but it does look a bit disgusting
    if the len is going to look like sth around the noctilux and the voigtlander f1.1
    will be great!

  11. This could be very interesting on film. Black ring please or it will look a little alien on my silver MP!

  12. Steve,

    Are you going to review this lens when it’s out?

    I’m only asking, because Noktor are a major site sponsor, and are alsoactively involving you in the development. (Please note, I am in no way questioning your impartiality. I’m sure if you do review it and it’s terrible, you would say so.) I’m just wondering whether, in order to secure future funding for the site as a whole, you will not take the risk of reviewing the lens.

    • I’d like to add that if you do give it a negative review, I hope Noktor are professional enough to accept that, rather than pull their sponsorship.

    • Of course I will review it! Noktor being a sponsor is only a help IMO as this will let me review the lens as soon as it comes out. I present photos from cameras and lenses in my reviews. If they are bad you will see this. I provide crops, full size files, etc. If the lens sucks you will see it and I will say it as I did with the M4/3 version over a year ago. Let me state though that this is not the same lens as the m4/3 version. It is an all new lens. If it is any good or not, I have no idea. We will find out when it is released. But of course I will review it! Can’t wait actually! (BTW, if it is bad and Noktor decides to not advertise with me again I will offer the space to someone else, easy).

      Thanks for the comment.

      • Steve, what’s your view on the focus being potentially the other way around from Leica M lenses?

  13. The green color ring could be useful though, especially at car shows. When there’s too many cameras pointing at a car show model/promoter/race queen, normally I have to wait for her to look in my direction to snap the photo or get her attention by waving my hand, with a green color ring I think she’ll notice it right away.

  14. It could be usefull for m43 and Nex as well. From what we’ve seen, it would not be the sharpest at the edges but it could probably be sharp at the center. If so it would make a GREAT portrait lens for the smaller formats, which really make use of the sharpest center only. To have a portrait glow (softness) just use post process. Its better to have sharpness in source files, then a soft shot in the first place.
    Focus: Follow the Voigt 25mm. Add a crescent tab.
    Ring Color: GREEN is a NO-NO. Would prefer MATT BLACK all the way.

  15. Not enough info to decide about the focus ring
    If the focus is difficult to move like the 50 lux ASPH I would prefer the knurled — the tab on the 50 ASPH is useless.
    But if it’s “35 cron-like”, I’d greatly prefer tabbed.
    Black ring. Hands down. But, either way I’ll put a silver B+W UV MRC filter on it.
    Can’t wait to see what character this has!

  16. Always prefer a focus tab, but that pales in comparison to my preference for something understated over that awful gaudy green monstrosity! It’s kind of like anti-camouflage, not something you want for discrete shooting.

  17. Interesting.

    Can they really 6-bit code it? Isn’t that a patent infringement on Leica’s coding process? If these guys can code the lens, then why can’t Zeiss or Voigtlander? Maybe Zeiss and Voigtlander have chosen specifically not to code their new lenses?

    Hate to be the naysayer (and I’m not a patent expert), but I thought I read some where that ZM and VC lenses could only be coded by a non-manufacturer, as otherwise there would be legal issues involved. Maybe/hopefully I’m wrong.

  18. What kind of retail price do they have planned I wonder and will they be able to manufacture enough to meet demand? I’m going to hold off getting a Nokton 50mm f/1.1 until I hear more about this lens. Good news.

  19. Hey Steve

    Thanks for the info finally confirmed, great news !

    Finger cross for min focus 0.7m …..

    When you say “made for the full frame Leica M9 as well as Leica M film cameras”, does it mean it won’t work on my M8? 🙁

    Cheers, JB

  20. Cool, now all the poor Leica shooters might be able to afford a super fast M mount lens. I would like to try this with some B&W film. Digital is cool for immediate gratification, but what about some high speed Tmax or illford shot in a bar with this bad boy? Sounds like a lot of fun if you can nail the focus…

  21. The focus travel seems to work in the opposite direction that it should according to the top image! Interesting that it focuses closer than .8m though (maybe even .7m?)

    • If the final focusing direction is the opposite to the normal Leica direction, that’s going to be very user unfriendly.

  22. On one hand, being an owner of the original love it or absolutely hate it Noktor for the micro 4/3, it’s good to see that SLR Magic bought them and are continuing with its development. But…I wonder if it will be any different from the original? The oddly “D” shaped bokeh…the super softness at f/0.95. Though there really hasn’t been a “toy” (can you call it a toy if it’s more than $100) lens for the M mount so I suppose there is a market there. I think this time I will take a back seat and not jump on this. As it is, the poor original Noktor is sitting neglected on my shelf while the Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 is not semi-permanently on my GF1 and my X100 is getting lots of love… Good luck to SLR Magic!!

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