Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Mirrorless Cameras => Topic started by: Michael Erlewine on November 06, 2019, 11:23:17 am
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So far, so good. I very much like the 95-NOCT. It is a little like having a built-in focus rail because of the long focus throw, but we should keep in mind that the now classic Cosina Voigtlander 125mm APO Lanthar has a focus through or about 630-degrees and the Leica 100mm Elmarit R is some 720-degrees, while the new NOCT95 has only about 360-degrees. So, the focus throw is not THAT long.
For focus stackers, this new NOCT95 is (seemingly) a perfect lens for focus stacking, due to the speed (and sharpness) of the lens wide-open. It is WAY expensive, but probably replaces my need for a number of other fine lenses, if I would sell them, which I probably won’t. LOL. I might sell my NOCT f/1.2 which is a very good copy.
This is a studio lens unless you want to haul it around, which I probably will (with a clear filter) next spring, but mostly I will not. As for all the extra bells and whistles on the lens, they mean little to me. The ability to rotate the barrel from horizontal to vertical does mean a lot, a great deal.
So, here are a couple of shots (stacks) made in the very early morning light, with my eagerness to check the lens out. I believe I have got the general hang of it. I like it a lot.
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These are indeed very nice shots.
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Gorgeous! Yes it shows its quality even on a website...
I guess you did not use f0.95 to do the stacking..?
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Gorgeous! Yes it shows its quality even on a website...
I guess you did not use f0.95 to do the stacking..?
I used the NOCT95 to take the photos and Zerene Stacker to stack them.
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I used the NOCT95 to take the photos and Zerene Stacker to stack them.
I think he meant f/0.95
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I think he meant f/0.95
I did use the lens wide open, if that is the question.
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I did use the lens wide open, if that is the question.
Even more impressive.
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Hi Michael,
Thanks for posting this.
How do you rate the Noct vs the Otus in terms of color correction?
Also, are these images shot with the lens on a macro extension ring of some sort?
Cheers,
Bernard
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Hi Michael,
Thanks for posting this.
How do you rate the Noct vs the Otus in terms of color correction?
Also, are these images shot with the lens on a macro extension ring of some sort?
I like the bokeh better than any lens I have and I have a bunch. LOL.
Cheers,
Bernard
This lens will not take extension kindly. I tied. It is good for what it is.
As for color, too early for me to know. However, so far, as you can see, the color seems fine. As for comparing it to the Otus series, it is faster and probably sharper or as sharp. So, far I like the NOCT95 very much for the kind of work I do. I mostly stack focus, so the worst feature (for me) of the NOCT95 is that the helicoid is a little stiff, which makes stacking more difficult. I could put it on a rail, but I don't want to do that either. How do the images look to you. My guess is that I will use this almost exclusively in the studio from now on for my regular stacking. I just got it, we shall see in a few days and longer.
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Thanks!
The images are stunning!
Cheers,
Bernard
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Thanks!
The images are stunning!
Cheers,
Bernard
I knew when this lens was announced that it was THE lens for me. I would like it to be a little closer focusing, but as I age, I like context more and more, so a wider angle lens is OK with me. Folks, as usual, have poo-poohed this NOCT 95, but I shrug them off. Yes, it is a lot of money, but you get (in this case) what you pay for. I have a great many exotic Nikkor lenses, like four variations of the Printing Nikkor, Relay Nikkor, several kinds of CRT lens, etc. They all do well, but they lack the overall range and coatings that this lens has.
I am selling a lot of lenses, including one of my Otus lenses. This new NOCT is a HEAVY, massive lens, that is VERY well built, better than I could have dreamed. It is good Nikon made this because I am tired of their lesser lenses, aside from the exotics or the very large teles. This shows me they can do it they want to it and we pay for it. It is a bargain that this kind of lens even exists!
I almost didn't buy it because of the price. That would have been a mistake. LOL.
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Reminds me very much of my 8/500mm Reflex Nikkor...
;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa1geHcBM5c&t=
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Some more comments on the NOCT95. This is a heavy lens (4.4 lb./2000g) with a 4” wide barrel. The tripod foot that is built into the lens is just secure enough to avoid shake, but not quite as secure and stable as I wish. It’s OK.
The stiffness of the helicoid is my only complaint (so far) with this lens and I am going to install one of my focus-pulling gears on it with a lever and see it that helps. I have my doubts. The problem is with stacking 100 images and turning that helicoid which disturbs the camera a tiny bit with each shot, after which it returns (hopefully) to where it was before. LOL. Perhaps it will loosen up with use.
The build is all I could hope for and more. Optically, the colors seem fine and although some reviewers say it is not as highly corrected (APO) as we might prefer, so far, its APO quality is good enough for my work. It’s aperture collar (and whatever) works but I see no use for it so far. As for all the buttons, digital-windows, etc. on the lens, they don’t bother me, but neither do I find them helpful for my kind of work.
IMO, you will need a solid tripod for this lens, at least for focus stacking. I will use an RRS tripod, with either the Arca C1 Cube or the Burzynski “Protec” ball head on it. The unremovable tripod foot on the NOCT lens, as mentioned, is OK, not as sturdy as it could be. I mounted an Arca quick release plate on the foot and the stability of the foot is not quite as unmoving as I would like for stacking images. It is just inside of the limit that I would complain about, so I am not quite complaining.
The hood allows for a clear filter to be mounted within it but, because the lens moves, it will not allow external filter holders to be mounted except in a very limited range of motion. This will be a serious problem for some photographers.
The bokeh is probably the best I have ever used, with its 11 blades and very fast aperture, smooth and subtle.
As someone who stacks focus, this is a perfect lens because it allows me to shoot wide open and have a lovely out-of-focus background. Then, using the very narrow slice of focus at f/0.95, I can paint focus on objects in the foreground, stacking layers of focus to create whatever I want to be in perfect focus. Since it is 58mm, this additional wideness allows for subjects with considerable context surrounding them. I wish it were a macro lens since it is already quite flat, but we can’t have everything. I am glad it can do what it does.
This lens does NOT take extensions well at all, although I don’t have an extension available to me that is ultra-thin. If you know of one, let me know, but even then, it would be like painting graffiti on a Ferrari.
In summary, the lens is for me a keeper. I will use it for much of my in-studio work and when spring arrives, slap on a clear lens, and take it outside, but not too far because of its weight.
I would like to hear from other users with their experience of this lens.
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So far, so good. I very much like the 95-NOCT. It is a little like having a built-in focus rail because of the long focus throw, but we should keep in mind that the now classic Cosina Voigtlander 125mm APO Lanthar has a focus through or about 630-degrees and the Leica 100mm Elmarit R is some 720-degrees, while the new NOCT95 has only about 360-degrees. So, the focus throw is not THAT long.
For focus stackers, this new NOCT95 is (seemingly) a perfect lens for focus stacking, due to the speed (and sharpness) of the lens wide-open. It is WAY expensive, but probably replaces my need for a number of other fine lenses, if I would sell them, which I probably won’t. LOL. I might sell my NOCT f/1.2 which is a very good copy.
This is a studio lens unless you want to haul it around, which I probably will (with a clear filter) next spring, but mostly I will not. As for all the extra bells and whistles on the lens, they mean little to me. The ability to rotate the barrel from horizontal to vertical does mean a lot, a great deal.
So, here are a couple of shots (stacks) made in the very early morning light, with my eagerness to check the lens out. I believe I have got the general hang of it. I like it a lot.
I love your thoughts on the lens.
But... how do you have iris blooming now?
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The stiffness of the helicoid is my only complaint (so far) with this lens and I am going to install one of my focus-pulling gears on it with a lever and see it that helps. I have my doubts. The problem is with stacking 100 images and turning that helicoid which disturbs the camera a tiny bit with each shot, after which it returns (hopefully) to where it was before. LOL. Perhaps it will loosen up with use.
Michael, your detailed impressions of this lens are most welcome. I’ve been impressed by nearly every image I’ve seen from one, but yours are among the most impressive. It draws beautifully.
I wonder if a good lens tech, or Nikon itself could change the grease in the lens to make it less stiff. This is fairly commonly done with Cine lenses if the manufacturer’s choice doesn’t suit a DP, might it solve your issue?
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I love your thoughts on the lens.
But... how do you have iris blooming now?
Studio and florist..
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Very nice shots. Sharp, colorful, great bokeh almost dreamy.
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Studio and florist..
I suspected something like that, but your "morning light" comment made me wonder.
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I suspected something like that, but your "morning light" comment made me wonder.
I am using all natural light most of the time, south-facing windows and skylight.
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As for the NOCT95, there is not a lot of reason to use this lens for high-aperture images. The moment I lose the bokeh, there is still the sharpness, but I have many sharp lenses for high-aperture shooting. I am sure different photographers will have different ways of using this lens.
IMO, wide-open is the only way (or most usual) way I will use the NOCT95. The ability to separate a subject from a background bokeh is what this lens is made for, as far as my work goes (portraits of flowers). It would be ideal for product photography, where a more subtle tone needs to be established. In-the-studio work (products) is made for a lens like this and a certain style of portrait photography would also make sense.
Since I specialize in close-up nature photography (with very little macro), I will use this lens to provide context because of the 58mm focal length. And I will use it wide open for the bokeh, and then paint focus on foreground subjects by stacking focus. This lens seems ideal for that recipe.
Here is an image with just three stacked shots, using f/5.6, just to see how that goes. It is OK, but without the incredible bokeh wide-open, many other lenses would suffice.
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The relationship btwn amazing bokeh and sharpness clearly sets the Noct in a class of its own, but even with f5.6 image is impressive I find.
Cheers,
Bernard
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Here is another test, this time with a three-dimensional statue, in the case the great Mahasiddha Tilopa of the Mahamudra lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. This is a stacked image, but only of a few layers, highlighting specific parts of the statue, leaving the rest to be bokeh of one kind of another.
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Michael,
Just WOW!
Cheers,
Bernard
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That is amazing. And in the lineage that I follow. Love it.
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The images are spectacular, you have just shown what that lens was made for
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What's the normal f stop used when you focus stack?
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What's the normal f stop used when you focus stack?
If I want background bokeh, I use the widest aperture (provided it is sharp) and stack with that.
in this case I just shot a few images focused on key parts of the image.
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there is a comparison test here:
https://www.cameralabs.com/nikon-z-58mm-f0-95-noct-review/
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If I want background bokeh, I use the widest aperture (provided it is sharp) and stack with that.
in this case I just shot a few images focused on key parts of the image.
I think this one will benefit from further adjustment, the legs and the base are unnaturally in and out of blur.
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there is a comparison test here:
https://www.cameralabs.com/nikon-z-58mm-f0-95-noct-review/
Splendid!
It took about 5 years, but the Otus 55mm f1.4 has been dethroned!
What’s pretty remarkable also is how close to the Otus the 50mm f1.8 S also is. I personally decided to get rid of the Otus when I noticed this.
Nikon has confirmed in the best possible way their remarkable abilities as a lens designet/manufacturer!
Cheers,
Bernard
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Splendid!
It took about 5 years, but the Otus 55mm f1.4 has been dethroned!
What’s pretty remarkable also is how close to the Otus the 50mm f1.8 S also is. I personally decided to get rid of the Otus when I noticed this.
Nikon has confirmed in the best possible way their remarkable abilities as a lens designet/manufacturer!
Cheers,
Bernard
I am keeping my Otus 55mm, but I have a my Otus 85mm on Ebay now (a mint copy), which I seldom use because I am a close-up photography. My Ebay name is "Allmusic."
Here is just a fun shot with the NOCT95, for those interested.
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Let me know if you are tired of these. Here is another image of a rupa from Nepal, this one of the Mahasiddha Naropa. From the NOCT95 wide open, stacked.
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Will Marpa be next?
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Will Marpa be next?
We could. Have run a meditation center here in Michigan since the 1980s. Some details:
http://spiritgrooves.net/e-Books.aspx#Dharma
Here is one of Marpa, shot years ago with the Voigtlander 90mm Macro...and a drawing done at our center as well in pen and ink.
I will work on one with the NOCT95 as I have time.
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Thanks for the link. Lot of interesting material there. Bookmarked. I’m a trustee at a local centre. Might be moving there permanently.
I really couldn’t see a use for that lens, and still don’t for myself, but I understand a bit better now.
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Let me know if you are tired of these. Here is another image of a rupa from Nepal, this one of the Mahasiddha Naropa. From the NOCT95 wide open, stacked.
Your work is so interesting. The control — the way you sculpt sharpness is fascinating.
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Your work is so interesting. The control — the way you sculpt sharpness is fascinating.
I will post another statue and then move on to other subjects. This is a rupa (statue) of the Mahasiddha Saraha. Wide open, stacked.
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Back to flowers, please ;)
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Back to flowers, please ;)
Its winter here, so flowers are hard to come by. LOL. You can see the snow on the ground outside the window of my little studio. A shot with the NOCT95.
I am pretty much done here anyway for now.
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the flower in the window is spectacular. Good to see someone making great images with this lens.
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Its winter here, so flowers are hard to come by. LOL. You can see the snow on the ground outside the window of my little studio. A shot with the NOCT95.
I am pretty much done here anyway for now.
Michael:
Maybe it's time for you to travel to warmer climes for winter like Michael Reichman used to do? ;-)
Like your work with stacked focusing!
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Nikon NOCT95 Lens-Foot Questions
I am having problems with the permanent lens foot that interfaces with the tripod. It seems to have some give in it, but
This is hard for me to evaluate for these reasons.
My house floor has give to it.
The RRS tripod amplifies the shake in the floor.
The tripod head has its own give.
And I am trying to stack.
Quick analysis. I can wait out the floor shake. I can wait out the tripod shake. I tried using the Arca C1 Cube and its main fault as those who use it know is that the spongy knob that allows 90-degree drop is not absolutely secure. I have had three C1 Cubes (still have two) and that’s been true for all three of them.
And so, I switched to my Burzynski “Protec” ball head, which is the most stable head that I have ever seen and that helps quite a bit. However, I still wonder whether I should mess with the foot of the NOCT95. Unfortunately (for me), the lens barrel is huge and if I wanted to “wedge” some kind of brace in the ½” space between the end of the barrel and the foot, I don’t have a lot of room to wedge anything. But would it help?
So, my question is: should I try to wedge something in that short space or trust that Nikon has checked this out and probably the foot is not adding much or anything to my problem?
This only shows up because the helicoid/barrel is so stiff that to move it, even with focus-pull cog band on it, slightly moves the whole lens enough that it affects stacking with a lot of layers. Any thoughts or ideas please would be helpful.
One solution would be to mount the lens/camera on a focus rail and stack that way, but the focus rail is worse for the stacking software than using the helicoid and that process seems like a PITA to have to get used to. LOL.
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Without hands on it's tricky to say or recommend but I do know that to dampen vibration it's best to use a high and a low frequency combination, so perhaps something like a medium density piece of foam wrapped around with a layer of rubber. Both easy enough to come by in a hardware store, and easy to vary thicknesses and wraps to try different combinations.
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Without hands on it's tricky to say or recommend but I do know that to dampen vibration it's best to use a high and a low frequency combination, so perhaps something like a medium density piece of foam wrapped around with a layer of rubber. Both easy enough to come by in a hardware store, and easy to vary thicknesses and wraps to try different combinations.
My thoughts too, the rubber and something stronger. Does anyone else have the NOCT95 and evaluated their lens foot as to vibrations.
Image wide open, stacked
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Not yet.
Cheers,
Bernard
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Michael, if you are playing at this level, you might just as well use the Leica SL Summicrons and the Panasonic S1R / Leica SL2. A 187Mpx picture might whet your appetite. An f0.95 lens is never going to be as good as an f2. Laws of physics, etc.
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What if you used a video rig and a focus puller. You get various bits that support the lens barrel and so prevent any movement from the torque applied when moving the focus puller that drives, via a gear, the focus ring.
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Michael, if you are playing at this level, you might just as well use the Leica SL Summicrons and the Panasonic S1R / Leica SL2. A 187Mpx picture might whet your appetite. An f0.95 lens is never going to be as good as an f2. Laws of physics, etc.
Multishot and DoF stacking gets to be many images to capture.
Cheers,
Bernard
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Michael, if you are playing at this level, you might just as well use the Leica SL Summicrons and the Panasonic S1R / Leica SL2. A 187Mpx picture might whet your appetite. An f0.95 lens is never going to be as good as an f2. Laws of physics, etc.
That is tempting, I admit. However, I will stick with Nikon and wait for something like a 60+ MP mirrorless to come along.
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Understood. The advantage, for me at least, is the quality of the lenses, rather than the 187mpx, although if you want that I think that Nikon will provide it in a firmware update, I expect.
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Understood. The advantage, for me at least, is the quality of the lenses, rather than the 187mpx, although if you want that I think that Nikon will provide it in a firmware update, I expect.
Nikon will provide it in the successor to the Z7 with more MP. I have Leica glass converted to Nikon F, etc. And scores of other lenses, some of which are incredibly good for different purposes.
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Check out the MTFs for the SL Summicrons. They are a fairly reliable guide, in this case. No macro lenses though. I suspect that the f0.95 that you are enjoying is built to similar specs, and so there may be no point in switching if you are working indoors and have no need for portability.
https://en.leica-camera.com/Corposite/Service-Support/Support/Downloads?category
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Understood. The advantage, for me at least, is the quality of the lenses, rather than the 187mpx, although if you want that I think that Nikon will provide it in a firmware update, I expect.
I love Leica lenses, but I don't think that any of the current Leicas is at the same level of the Noct.
Cheers,
Bernard
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The tests available from the usual suspects suggest loca is not eliminated at wider apertures (although it's much better than the Noctilux, as you might expect if you relax the size constraint).
I've no idea, however, whether it is better at f2 than the Summicron 50mm wide open, however.
AllI can say is that after have acquired a good collection of M lenses (which I will always keep), they are great for their size, but the Summicrons seem flawless by comparison.
Anyway, I also have a lot of Nikon lenses that I would enjoy more, if I had more time.