Testing the Noktor 50 f/0.95 for Sony E Mount with the new NEX- C3

 



Testing the Noktor 50 f/0.95 for the Sony E Mount with the new NEX-C3

Hello to all! It’s been a LONG LONG day for me but I am back in my office and doing what I love to do most, and that is to sit here at my desk while in my big comfy chair and tell you guys about my experiences when shooting with new gear 🙂

The 24 Hour Adventure

Yesterday afternoon my buddy Mike and I took a drive to Las Vegas, which is about a 4-5 hour drive from Phoenix. I brought along a very light kit consisting only of the Olympus E-P3 and 12mm lens and the brand new Sony NEX-C3 camera. I decided last minute to drive to Vegas just so I could have a change of scenery to test out the Noktor Sony “E” mount 50mm f/0.95 Hyperprime, which is basically the same lens (though now made in a new factory with better fit and finish) as the Micro 4/3 version I reviewed over a year ago. Seeing new things can inspire and I needed it after spending day in and day out in the hot blazing sun and brown desert that is PHOENIX. Yep, this was gonna be a quick 24 hour trip but I was excited.

Another Noktor Hyperprime?

Some of you probably remember that I was the 1st in the world to review the Noktor 50mm Hyperprime for Micro 4/3.  I was also the first to say I didn’t care for it. It was OK for what it was, but it was very soft, very low contrast, and the colors were not so hot. I did manage to get some decent shots at a wedding with it attached to an Olympus E-P2 but at the end of the day, the lens just was not for me. Shortly after that review Noktor seems to have disapeared and then later resurfaced when SLR Magic bought them out.

SLR Magic made a few tweaks to the lens design and started manufacture of the lens in a totally different factory, and then they released it for the Sony E mount. Yep, a 50mm f/0.95 lens for the Sony NEX mount cameras, which will give you a 75MM equivalent, unlike the 100mm equivalent on Micro 4/3.

Many out there argue that this lens (well, not THIS specific version) can be bought on ebay (but without the “E” or M4/3″ mount) for less than the $1000 or so Noktor charges for it. Well, the lens as it is now is pretty slick looking and does indeed come complete with the mount of your choice, a box, metal screw in lens cap, etc. None of this means SQUAT if the lens sucks though, so my curiosity was aroused.

After asking SLR Magic about this lens they shipped out the Sony version to me so I could give it away to one lucky reader in my SLR Magic/NEX contest. That was pretty cool of them to just donate the lens for me to give away. Since I had the lens here, I decided to take it out and see if it performed better on the NEX with it’s larger sensor than it did on the E-P2 and to see if the color and contrast was any better (it was pretty bad when I reviewed the 1st version of this lens on Micro 4/3)

I will make this quick as this is really just a quick look at the lens. I only shot with it for one night so all I am qualified to talk about is my quick experience with the lens.

 

FIT AND FINISH

The lens feel and looks GREAT. It’s metal, it’s very solid, and it’s built very well. This lens is actually a lens designed for cinema so the aperture ring does not click. Instead it is just free and smooth and you can lock it down with a twist of a metal knob. I left it wide open all night at f/0.95. I have NO COMPLAINTS on the build or look/feel. The build of the Hyperprime gets a B+ in my book and a lens like the Leica Noctilux gets an A+, which is a TANK. So a B+ is actually quite good for a $1000 f/0.95 lens.

PERFORMANCE

 

I will not lie or sugar coat it. As with the Micro 4/3 version, this lens is a CHALLENGE to use. I shot it all night in the Fremont street area of Las Vegas and it was tough to get sharp images. Why? Well, this lens is NOT really that sharp when wide open. It CAN be a teeny bit sharp if you nail the focus, or if you stop it down to 1.4 but using focus peaking, shooting quick, and shooting wide open was a HUGE challenge. I love challenges though so what did I think after a few hours of use? Well, I do indeed like it better on the NEX than I did on Micro 4/3 but it is still a challenge to use due to the shallow DOF.

I ONLY used the focus peaking feature of the NEX-C3 when shooting this lens. Basically, when you manually focus there are bright red areas on the screen that pop up on the in focus areas of the image. Never once did I stop and magnify the back LCD. Shooting in this manner with the Noktor and NEX was a breeze and I want to give Sony huge props for implementing this peaking feature. It works very well. BUT as I already stated the Noktor lens itself IS INDEED a somewhat soft lens when shot wide open. I mean, it is a f/0.95 50mm for around $1000 so we can not expect miracles.

The lens felt good on the NEX-C3 but the camera is just a bit too small for my tastes when using lenses like this. The grip is semi useless and everything is just too cramped. IN use, I MUCH prefer shooting the Olympus E-P3 as it is a little larger, has better controls, and feels great in my hands. The C3 was just too small for me to really get into it with the Noktor and if I were buying a NEX today, I would go with a NEX-5 over the C3, no contest. It has a better grip, feels more solid and because of this, it feels better in my hand. I can say that with the 16mm kit lens, the NEX-C3 felt good but still a little small. Maybe I am just so used to the larger grip on the NEX-5?

Ok, how about the images? I did say this was a “quick look” so let’s get to what is important, the RESULTS!

You can click on any image for a larger view and to see the pictures how they should be seen. Also please note, every image in this review was shot as a JPEG. Photoshop/Lightroom does not process NEX-C3 RAW files yet. Some of  the JPEGs had minor enhancements – Levels, contrast, color saturation, etc.

Shot wide open and from a distance using the Focus Peaking of the NEX-C3 – The Noktor gives you the dreamy creamy look. Color does seem pretty good, and better than what I got on the M4/3 version over a year ago.

You can get good results if you concentrate. Again, the colors are saturated and bold here. Wide open, click for larger.

These girls were taking photos of themselves with all of the cool lights behind them.

The Bokeh? What do YOU think?

I did NOT focus on the letters here but instead on the cable/wire in front of them. Again, wide open and you can see the look you can expect from this lens on the NEX cameras.

Shot very quickly as I walked by and was lucky to nail it. Again, click image for larger view!

A walk by shot. I raised the camera, aimed, quickly focused and when the NEX told me I had focus I fired away!

Another quick raise and shoot! 

What a combo, spongebob and chucky.

More Bokeh testing….Vegas is so colorful!


In the mirror 🙂

and stopped down to 1.4..it sharpens up quite a bit when you stop it down a little

Click the image below for a straight from camera JPEG and 100% crop shot at 0.95, wide open. 

So what is the verdict on the Noktor Hyperprime f/0.95 E mount? YOU be the judge!

Ok, some of you may have not even read what I wrote above about how I disliked the Micro 4/3 version of this lens. Well, as you can see from the images above, the lens does seem to do better in most areas when using the larger image sensor of the NEX. The color is better and the contrast is better. Period. STILL, this lens is a challenge to use. MANY shots that I took WERE soft and out of focus so I did not always nail it. I thought I did when shooting but when I looked back there were many that were just a bit off. So yes, this lens can be a challenge if you are shooting street, wide open at night! Hell, ANY fast lens is a challenge at night! This IS f/0.95!

Also, NOKTOR IS a site sponsor (see their ad to the right) and  they did send me this lens to give away as part of my contest BUT this does not mean I am going to tell you that this lens is superb. I am just telling you MY THOUGHTS after one night of use. That’s it. The build is great, the feel is great, it’s a fast 0.95 aperture lens BUT it IS SOFT wide open. It IS a challenge to shoot on the NEX and always get good results. It DOES have a dreamy creamy look, and you will either like it or you will not. YOU CAN buy a Voigtlander 50 1.1 and adapter and shoot it on the NEX but it will run you a little bit more money and it will be bigger. It will also be sharper and more correct. So it is up to you as to what you are looking for.

I guess it will come down to if you like the look of the Noktor or not. Personal preference. I mean, a Leica M9 and 50 Noctilux 0.95 will set you back $18,000. The NEX-C3 and Hyperprime will set you back well under $2000. A savings of $16,000. That is A BIG DEAL. Will you get Leica performance from this combo? NO. It MAY get you somewhat close to the look and feel of the old Leica F/1 Nocti but not quite. This combo is pretty cool though. Even with its quirks and challenges, it is indeed looking better on the NEX system that it did on Micro 4/3. Only you can decide if it is something that floats your boat! YOU be the judge!

Remember, every image in this review was shot as a JPEG as Photoshop/Lightroom does not process NEX-C3 RAW files yet. So, what you see here is not representative of the NEX-C3 and Noktor RAW performance.

Also, do not forget to enter the contest so you can WIN THIS EXACT lens! Click here to read about it and enter!

A Few Words on the Sony NEX-C3…nice but nothing groundbreaking

As you guys know, I have been a fan of the Sony NEX-5 since its release and have written many articles on it. The review, shooting it with Leica glass, comparisons, etc. The NEX-5 was never a perfect camera but the one thing it had going for it was its large APS-C sensor, nice construction, great grip, and swivel LCD. The weak link in the NEX cameras have always been the Sony lenses. Simply put, they kind of suck for any kind of critical shooting and they fail to please most “enthusiasts”.  This is why many who shoot the NEX cameras use adapters and slap on Leica glass. BUT in the past this has been slow, cumbersome, and tricky because you would have to magnify the LCD, compose, focus, then shrink the LCD and take your shot. I was never a fan of this so I always shot it with the Sony branded 16mm.

Recently Sony updated the firmware to give filters similar to Olympus’s own Art Filters as well as “Focus Peaking”. THIS is the winning feature as we can now shoot with fast 3rd party lenses and get focus MUCH quicker! No need to magnify the screen. Many of the test shots above were taken VERY quickly. I would raise the camera and quickly focus until I saw the bright red lines showing me what was in focus. BOOM! Thats it. Even with a fast 0.95 lens it was easy and do-able.

The NEX-C3 is the latest camera from Sony in the NEX lineup. It replaces the NEX-3 and what we get is now an even smaller body, a two tone black and silver trim that is very slick looking and the C3 also gets a new sensor with 2 more megapixels (went from 14 to 16). The C3 has the new “BIONZ” image processing (who thinks of these names?, lol). Everything else, in all reality is the same as the NEX-3. So new smaller and slicker body style, new sensor, and new processing. Sony also separated the SD card from the battery compartment and it now has its own little space and door. I do like  this improvement. Sony kept the same menu system and it is exactly the same as the NEX-3 and 5 with the new firmware.

I really do not see why anyone would choose a C3 over the NEX-5 right now, especially when they are about the same price, $599. I do see the NEX-5 has been discontinued as the new C5 is on the way, and then the NEX-7 which is still in the rumor phase but very likely.

The C3 is a very sweet and cool looking camera with the Sony 16mm mounted but IMO it is almost too tiny, especially if you are going to mount glass like this Noktor Hyperprime. Personally, I can’t wait for the NEX-7 as if this camera pans out as we are thinking, it is going to be a 100% winner. The NEX-C3 is sort of just here and there. Not really much of an improvement over the 3 and hard for me to get excited about. If you are looking into the NEX system, and never bought a NEX camera then I could recommend the C3 or the 5. To see the specs of the NEX-C3 and read more about it, OR TO BUY IT then click HERE. 

If you are wondering if the C3 is worth upgrading to from the NEX-3 then I would say not really. The new firmware will work just fine on your current NEX and give you the new features like Focus Peaking and the picture effects. Save your case. But if you want a new NEX then the C3 is worth considering if you want to get in to it for the least amount of money. B&H Photo usually has it in stock HERE. The NEX -C3 can indeed give you some stellar IQ with the right lenses. I’m getting fantastic results with the SLR Magic 28.28 (review coming soon).

Click image for larger – NEX-C3 with SLR Magic 28 2.8 – Out of camera JPEG!

PERSONALLY, I am still LOVING this Olympus E-P3 and can not recommend it more highly with the 12mm f/2 lens. It is just a joy to use and LIGHTNING fast (faster AF than the NEX). I shot with it a ton in Vegas and will post some shots later but here is one comparison I did with the E-P3 and 12mm at f/5.6 and the NEX-C3 and the 16mm 924) at f/5.6. You can click each image below to download the full size out of camera JPEGS from each camera. The NEX gives more megapixels and a different color signature but the Oly file is great as well, and the camera is soooo much fun to use. Love it! BUT, the Oly combo is about $1100 MORE expensive than the C3 combo and the C3 gives you a smoother IQ due to the larger sensor. Once again, it all depends on what you are looking for in a camera.

SONY NEX-C3 – CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE OOC JPEG – 16mm (24) – f/5.6

OLYMPUS  E-P3 – CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE OOC JPEG – 12mm (24) – f/5.6

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49 Comments

  1. Hi Steve, Do you think the Noktor E mount lens would work on an Sony A7 with out too much cut off? If it works on the full frame 35mm that might be interesting. BH and Adorama are selling the M mount Noktor now. Might be sweet on the A7R. Have a good weekend and hope you and your family are doing well. Ryan

    • No, it is not a full frame lens so you would have to use it in crop mode just as any other non full frame E mount. B&H does not sell this lens or any other Noktor BTW.

  2. dear steve
    I’m always reading you
    I ask for you for advice: on my nex5n is best the 50mm F1.1 nokton voigtlander or the 50mm slr noktor e mount 0.95? my budget not allow me to take the noktor m mount
    thanks

    • The 50 1.1 will be sharper, crisper and edge to edge better. The SLR Magic will have a totally different look, like you see above. The 1.1 will be a bit more flat but more sharp, less crazy bokeh, etc. Build goes to the SLR Magic IMO.

      • thanks steve
        I understand from your comment that the slr for nex is completely different from slr for leica because from your comparison is much sharper slr than nokton, but it cost!!

  3. According to someone working on that project,
    the expected retail price will be closer to $3,000

    • The all new lens for Leica M mount is a ground up design and price will not be cheap! Look for 1st samples and comparisons on this site soon with an M9.

  4. I’m now strongly hesitating between this Noktor 0.95 and the Voigtländer 1.1 + adapter. You say it’s gonna be bigger, how bigger will it be ? Based on your feeling, how does those two glasses compare ? Did you have the same feeling with the Noktor than with the SLRMagic 35mm ? (as I really like using this one already …)

    Hmm tough choice, not enough money to mistake hehe 😉

  5. This lens probably best to use with E-mount video camera such as: VG-10 and FS-100, don’t you agree Steve?

  6. Like this site for it’s fun =) New Ken Rockwell but much worse as a photographer (Ken is not a photographer but Steve is real champion)
    Show me at least one good photo from that set !
    Buy Lee Frost and begin to learn @How to shoot@

  7. Funny how people get defensive even when not attacked. Thanks for sharing. I own a Nokton 1.1 which is also soft. But 1000$ for a Lens used to be a big deal, now we talk about a gran like if it was Petty cash. Anyways now I shoot either m’y biogon 21 or m’y cron 35 on my nex5 90% of the time, either using the paeking function

  8. Thanks for the review! To me it highlights the fact that these lenses don’t come close to the look of a 50 1.4 (or 85 1.4) on full frame. When we get a NEX 9 with full frame e mount I will be truly excited. Meanwhile focus peaking is fantastic!

  9. Special lens has special value. If this lens can achieve significant improve by 2 stops, I would said it is justify. I have a 75mm f/1.4 CCTV lens that have quite good IQ for just 1 stop down but it cost me just 60 USD. The pity thing is it vignette a little bit and getting more serious if the aperture is getting smaller.

    Interestingly, from my experience, some of the CCTV lens made by Pentax has quite good image quality on m4/3 except the vignetting problem may make some people feel uncomfortable. I thing it is a new direction of the CCTV manufacturer to explorer the mirrorless world to enrich the option for both m4/3 and E mount.

  10. Hey Steve, nice review, I loved the shot with the asian girl, just beautiful.

    Sony did not advertise this, but in a side to side comparison, the C3 has much better image quality in the corners, the 16mm becomes much sharper, and when using wide angle rangefinder lenses (the Voigtlander 15mm/4.5 for example) the color shift issue has improved to much that it’s almost gone. It seems like Sony is advertising that for the NEX7, but not the C3

    • Well, I think the reason Sony is not advertising this is because it is not true. I tested the 16mm on the C3 and it is still VERY soft in the corners until about 5.6 when it sharpens up a bit. I have some shots that show this clearly. The C3 is not improving the 16mm lens at all. Same results as I got on the 5.

  11. I heard the Sony NEX makes a loud shutter noise. Is this true and does it bother you? How does the shutter sound compared to the Leica?

    • Yes it is very loud, I am hoping the NEX-7 is not as loud, but the C3 is the same so who knows. The NEX is about as loud as it gets in the shutter world.

  12. Interesting review. But I have to admit that I am one of those who would probably decide to go with Zeiss Sonnar C 50/1.5 The lens is known for focus shift, but that should not really matter when using LCD focusing and not a rangefinder. Still – it seems to make a very nice job on M9 ( just a Flickr search gives some really nice work: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=leica+m9+zeiss+50%2F1.5&ss=2&s=int).

    Concerning the comparison the E-P3 I can only say that the Olympus really did a great job with the 12mm lens. Let’s see what Sony will bring in the future as it has some serious rivals in m4/3.

  13. SO UNFAIR to compare out of camera JPEGs ! ! !

    SONY JPEGs are smeared crap compared to the great Olympus JPEGs!!!

    • If the end user is someone who’s only interested in shooting JPEG’s though, then it seems fair. Oly jpeg’s are quite good, and that in itself may be a big selling point for some users.

      To shoot both cameras in RAW mode would help the Sony its true, but not everyone wants to shoot RAW.

      A good test or review isn’t about trying to make things as fair as possible, its about trying to showcase how something performs under a given set of conditions. If those favor or hinder a certain model isn’t the point, its showing how it performs.

      If Im interested in the NEX and also like to shoot jpegs, seeing its RAW output wouldn’t matter to me, no matter how much better it may look, or how much more “fair” it makes the comparison. I want to see how its going to perform in the manner of which I myself would shoot it.

  14. Isn’t the ISO on the C3 suppose to be a stop or two better then the Nex-3? I thought the C3 had the same sensor as the D7000 and people have been ranting about the iso performance of the D7000.

    Also for 1000 bucks you could almost get the Zeiss 50 f1.5 (that is if you can find it). I love this lens on this camera. Great perfomance, 3D pop, and small enough to fit in a pant pocket (although it’s going to take up the whole pocket).

    • Not from what I have seen. I just shot it at 3200 against the E-P3 for my own testing and looks just about the same as ISO 3200 on the NEX-5 to me. Same blotchy NR too. Also, the 16mm performs the same on the C3, no improvement. As a matter of fact, I see no IQ gain in the C3 at all. Been shooting it today with the 16mm kit lens and all shots look about the same as if I shot them with the older 3 or 5.

      • Ah that makes me feel good, I bought my Nex-3 in june when prices went down and was worried that the C3 would blow it out of the water ISO/IQ wise :).

        You’re right though, the worse thing about the Nex’s are the lens. I’ve got the 16mm and it just isn’t that sharp compared to my nikkor lens. But as soon as I get some cash I’m going to get the Zeiss 50mm (although part of me is saying save for a lecia 50mm), because it and the nex-3 make a great little pair. The peeking function is awesome!

        • Yes, focus peaking is a home run from Sony. I like the companies that break the rules and offer true innovations (at least for still photography). Some years ago I disliked Sony’s cameras, thinking they were just electronic devices with no photography experience behind them. Now, that Sony make some of the best sensors and puts in the market innovative products and great image quality, I like a lot the Sony’s cameras.

        • All other sites that did side by side comparison show that c3 is milles better than e-p3. Besided it’s been stated here while ago that Pentax k5 is the best apsc slr up to date and it has identical sony’s sensor that went into c3 and also Nikon d7000. I reckon that nex doesn’t look fashionable enough as oly e-p3…

          • Ive only shot JPEG on the C3 as no software supports the RAW yet. Side by side with the NEX-5, the IQ is the same with the 16mm kit lens. It is not sharper on the C3. Not at all. The IQ looks the same, but the only difference is in the color, which appears different on the C. IN a side by side with the 16mm at 2.8 on the C3 and the 12 f/2 on the E-P3, the E-P3 and 12mm put out a better image. I chalk this up to the 16mm Sony lens, which has always been soft on the edges and corners. ISO is the same on the C3 as the 5 from what I am seeing. I have all three of these cameras in front of me now, I am not lying guys! Geez….

  15. This was a good review of an interesting lens and camera combo. Sounds like overall its a better low light video lens than for shooting stills, which isn’t surprising as I think almost all these designs were based around CCTV lenses if I’m not mistaken. Price point certainly makes one have to look at its performance a bit differently though. If this lens wasn’t $1000 then I think it would be viewed in a different manner. My 35mm f1.7 that cost me $50 for example is a fun and unique lens for the money based on its cost. Had I paid $500 for it though I’d judge it far differently. If this Noktor was $200 instead I think it could be a fun one to own but at $1000, you’ve really got to have a real need for such a thing, such as doing a lot of very low light video work, though of course the NEX is a little weak in terms of video control so I don’t know if one would really buy a high end lens for video production work and then shoot a NEX.

    Additionally regarding this review, I’m quite glad to see more weight put on handling and the shooting experience than just 100% crops of its sensor performance. I think so many times people sort of miss the boat and think the only thing that makes a camera good or bad is how it looks at 400% in PS. Yes that has its place, and can even be fun to compare, but what good is excellent IQ if you don’t like shooting the camera in the first place ? Thats what I like reading about, how does the camera work when out shooting. How easy are the controls to adjust, the ergonomics with a given lens etc.

  16. Thanks, Steve. One thing to mention is that the new C3 sensor performs much better at the edges than the NEX-5 with wide angle rangefinder lenses. Either way, the new NEX-5N with the same sensor is being announced soon…and the new NEX-7 looks to be a game changer.

  17. I think the results at 0.95 are pretty reasonable for what this lens is. It’s a f/0.95 lens for *a lot* cheaper that any other f/0.95 lens. The Nokton f/1.1 is probably a bit better, but it’s a little slower. The Zeiss f/1.5 Sonnar will be quite a lot better, but again it’s over a stop slower than the Noktor.

    f/0.95 will always be pretty specialist, and this lens provides it at a reasonable price, it’s not me, but I can see why people want every last drop of speed they can get, and that’s their choice.

    I find it odd that people hate on this lens because it’s soft wide open, I’m not sure what they expect from f/0.95 for $1000.

  18. Yet another “superfast” but ridiculously soft lens that is hard to focus correctly. Who wants that stuff? It doesnt even draw like the old Noctilux with its beautiful vignetting and “background swirl”.

    I bet the upcoming SONY 50/1.8 will be miles ahead of this lens with much more consistent results and far easier and quicker handling.

    Summing it up: No thanks, Mr. Faketor.

    • Well, you are partially rigth here. Please take into account the $9,000 of difference (or even more). Ok, it is not even a Zeiss, but it is cheaper and if stopped down to 1.4 it will get even better (than f.95), and you still have f.95 when needed. I do think it is a good option. Well, perhaps I would consider the Canon 1.2L too.

  19. Interesting…from what I have seen of Steve’s great images with the Leica Noctilux (which HAS to be challenging to manually nail the focus on when shooting wide open). I can tell that Steve REALLY has a talent with a shallow-depth-of-field-manual-focus lens in hand! No doubt. With that in mind…if Steve is saying that the Noktor/C3 combo is a challenge….I think mere mortals would be frustrated very quickly with that kind of handling. Also, with the Noktor at that price point…. the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 seems like a better bet….but I am definitely just postulating, here.

    • definitelly, it is way too exepnsive for what it is I think. Zeiss would be milles better or another very interesting lens is Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI-s. Great look at 1.2 and extremly sharp from 1.4 and especially at 2.

      Also nex c3 and forthcoming 5n has the same sensor as Pentax k5 which has been termed on this site as the best apsc slr around. I think that getting so much potential for that money is pretty amazing, I am not really big fan of nex cameras but getting that good sensor is so small package and so affordable is a great thing. In any case much better than 3+ years old micro 4/3 sensor repackaged in new fancy suit.

      • ..The thing is…who wants to use a NEX..not you…not me… The lenses and the form factor is what makes MFT so attractive. I have a GF1 (with LVF1) and a bunch of glass…and a 5DMark II and a lot of glass. Each system has its place. The NEX has no viewfinder..and to me …that is a deal breaker…I don’t care how great the sensor is…I’s rather tote the beast and do some real picture taking. 🙂

        • Thats just fine if you are looking for a “second” camera to supplement your Mk II. You can even look at a Canon S95 or Sony HX9V for that matter. The dynamic range of most of these MFT cameras are in the ballpark of point and shoots at their lowest ISO.
          Some people want to “Replace” their dslr’s. Thats when Sony NEX C3/5N/7 .. comes in. Comparing this to a MFT is exactly like comparing a Rebel with a Mk II for image quality.
          Yes it lacks enough autofocus lenses. And its just about a year old. MFT is about 3 years old so it has some headstart.

          I personally belong to the group above. Now waiting for the Nex-7 once it has all the essential lenses by November.

          • Exactly which are you implying is the Rebel and Mk II? I’m coming from a 5D mkII and have gone M43 way.

            I find that quality lenses makes a far bigger difference in quality images and I would say nearly any image from M43 out performs any NEX image in this respect. That’s what I found when researching, else I would have gone the NEX route.

            I think you are completely exagerating the comparison example there, M43 is actually becoming a prosumer choice, NEX I see as purely niche with a lot of problems that some are willing to overlook because it has a slightly bigger sensor. It’s like NEX users have bought the “red cars go faster” a lot of the time.

        • That is all changing in a week or so. The NEX-5N will have an attachable EVF, and the NEX-7 will have one built-in.

          • That will be a great improvement for the system!!!! True..now…if I could just slap some of those Limited Pentax Lenses on there and have them autofocus you;d be talkin..cause the Sony Glass is mostly clunkers.

  20. Bought a ‘spares/repair’ Nikkor f1.4 (non-AI) a few years ago for £6 (ten bucks or so) – bare lens, missing focus and aperture trim rings. Never got round to finding repair parts but it now does sterling duty on Nex-3 – with adaptor of course.

    Like Steve and the Noktor, I usually leave it fully open and it is a superb low-light option. Razor thin focus, sharper than the Noktor I’d say, creamy background effects – all for less than $15. I’m using a lot of my other Nikkors too (20mm to 200mm) with great results – just miss convenience of AF.

    Cameras come and go – but (old) lenses should always be a keeper!

    • Haha, great quote, “Cameras come and go – but (old) lenses should always be a keeper!

      ” I like it, as it is completely true. I did like the image quality, it looks it improved a lot from the m4/3 version. You can see the potential in the blue monster image. The focus was nailed and it is very sharp to me. I guess the sharpness you get from this lens will depend mostly on the user and his/her ability to focus. I hope they release a Canon version, I have a 1D series and have recently bought the split focus screen, great for manual focus. Great work Steve, Noktor and Sony. I think God willing I will get a Nex soon.

  21. I’d consider the Sigma 50mm 1.4 as an alternative. Not .95 but very sharp in the center wide open and significantly cheaper. Available on most mounts, I’m a big fan.

    Great shots as always.

  22. It doesn’t seem sensible to buy a 0.95 lens if it’s soft and needs stopping down to get sharpness. Surely it would be better to get a Zeiss 1.5/50 for approximately the same money and save a lot of bulk and weight, and get better image quality. Yes, you lose a bit of aperture but if opening the Noktor to 0.95 gives poor results then you’re not losing much.

    • If you’re shooting portraits, the softness might be an asset, as would the greater DOF control. Sure you can soften the image in Photoshop, but it won’t have the same look.

3 Trackbacks / Pingbacks

  1. sonyalpharumors | Blog | Veyr first E-mount Noktor 50mm f/0.95 test by Steve Huff
  2. Nokktor 50mm f/0.95 E-mount review
  3. SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 an Sony A7/A7R - * Beispielbilder * - Seite 4 - Systemkamera Forum

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