credit card.‡
Rivaled in speed only by its legendary 50mm sibling, the Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH. from Leica is a high-speed portrait-length prime characterized by its ability to isolate subject matter, render subjects in a unique way, and perform admirably in low-light conditions. Beyond the wide maximum aperture, this 75mm f/1.25 is also distinguished by its sophisticated optical composition that solely utilizes anomalous partial dispersion and low chromatic dispersion glass to suppress color fringing and chromatic aberrations for high clarity. Two aspherical elements are also featured to ensure notable sharpness and low dispersion, and a floating element system is employed at the rear of the design to maintain consistent image quality throughout the focusing range from 2.8' to infinity. Additionally, this lens has an 11-blade diaphragm to produce an especially pleasing, rounded bokeh quality and a built-in lens hood helps to prevent lens flare and ghosting.
- Leica M-Mount Lens
- Aperture Range: f/1.25 to f/16
- Two Aspherical Elements
- Anomalous Partial/Low Dispersion Glass
Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH. Overview
Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH. Specs
| Focal Length | |
| Maximum Aperture | |
| Minimum Aperture | |
| Lens Mount | |
| Angle of View | |
| Minimum Focus Distance | |
| Macro Reproduction Ratio | |
| Optical Design | |
| Diaphragm Blades | |
| Focus Type | |
| Filter Size | |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | |
| Weight |
| Package Weight | |
| Box Dimensions (LxWxH) |
Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH. Reviews
ALL ABOARD!
If photography had in the hay day of Michael Angelo, this Noctilux 75 would have been his brush. I'm not here to discuss the obvious. Price: Expensive. Weight: Heavy. Ibis: No. MF only? Really? No kidding? Yes. Yes. And, No. Well given al of that, is it worth it? Subjective. Well can't another lens, a cheaper alternative perhaps; be equally effective? Probably. But these realities can be applied to nearly all of Leica's lenses. But for all of the alternatives that may exist, what they cannot duplicate, replicate, recreate is the overall Leica 'experience'. The Leica M ecosystem has mastered the philosophical perspective that it 'isn't about the destination but the journey'. I can guarantee you that if you ever decide to paint with this lens -- you will most absurdly enjoy the ride.
The Closest to Perfection
When I first saw the announcement of this new Noctilux, I crossed my fingers, f/1.25, how dare you Leica name it under “Noctilux”? But the extra 25mm in focal length really keeps me drooling. So, the only questions in my mind were, does it have that “Noctilux look”, and how better it performs over the 0.95? My doubts were all cleared. Build – same as or even slightly better than the 0.95. In hand, not as bulky or heavy as what I originally thought, apparently longer focus throw for precise focusing, the barrel extends both ways from focus ring when you turn it, however, the screw-out lens hood lacks that lock-in “tick” when fully extends. When attached on the SL, it makes a perfect balance, and the marvelous EVF on SL makes focusing a bliss. When I loaded the first shot on screen, wow, that “Noctilux look” cannot be mistaken! So I compared it to a few famed Leica standard primes, Noctilux 0.95, Summilux 50, and Summicron 50 APO. The pixel-to-pixel check results in an absolute thirst to keep it on the SL – all the time. f/1.25 – the Noctilux 75 really shines in the center, in terms of resolution, micro contrast, and color. For corners, the excellent performance continues until beyond 90% from the center, but still useable, which clearly beats all f/1.4 standard prime lenses at f/1.4 but one, the Otus 55/1.4. For comparison, the 50 Noxtilux way way behind f/1.4 – for the center, Summilux is a winner, just by a very tiny margin vs Noctilux 75. After all, the Summilux even beats the Otus at f/1.4 in the center. The Noctilux 50 is way behind. For the corners, Noctilux 75 improves a little, yet way ahead of the 50 Noxtilux and Summilux f/2.0 – for the center, Noctilux 75 shows visible improvement in contrast, very hard to tell the difference from Noctilux 75, Summilux, and Summicron 50 APO, the Nocitlux improves as well but still in the rear. For corners, though Noctilux 75 improves significantly, the Summicron 50 APO apparently leads the way, Summilux 50 and Noctilux 50 still lagging f/2.8 – for the center, Noctilux 75 continues to improve, on par with Summilux 50, ahead of Summicron 50 APO by a slight margin, and Noctilux 50 brings up the rear. For the corners, Noctilux 75 starts to catch up and exceed Summicron 50 APO, followed by the improved Noctilux 50, yet Summilux 50 is clearly the last one f/4.0 – for the center, Noctilux 75 has reached its optimal performance and continues to lead the way, followed by Summilux 50 and Summicron 50 APO, at the end there’s still Noctilux 50. For the corners, now Noctilux 75 is the absolute winner, followed by Summicron 50 APO, then Summilux 50, and then Noctilux 50 f/5.6 – for the center, all 4 lenses are excellent but still can see Noctilux 75 is leading. For the corners, no change in sequence vs f/4.0 For bokeh, very similar to the 0.95, you know, that “pop up” feel, and milky transition from in focus area to the out of focus area CA is visible under certain condition but very well controlled Overall, the Noctilux 75 actually exceeds my expectation, especially when glued to the SL – a perfect match However, if not for but one, it would be perfect - it tends to a bit soft at f/1.25 for close focus, say less than 6 feet
AMAZING
If you can afford it, get it! It's simply amazing!
My thoughts after 3 years' of use
Simply put, this is by far the ONLY perfect M lens. It's meant to shot wide open, offering ridiculous corner to corner clarity, contrast, color rendering, and most importantly, subject separation with beautiful bokeh
YOUR RECENTLY VIEWED ITEMS