Great job comparing these lense Peter. Just today I was repairing the old 50/1.2 and what a beast it is inside. In the future comparisons, please consider the Voigtlander 58/1.4. What you did not mention is the number of lens elements. Nowadays, lens makers are trying to outcompete the iPhone, so the modern lenses have twice the elements than an old 50mm AIS lens and I detest the unnecessary sharpness.
The Noct is a good investment. Sold mine for a handsome profit, the price keeps on going up. Do I miss it? Yes, every day, but the 50 1.2 is a deliciously characterful alternative and I really enjoy shooting with it. Great comparison, thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Even if money was no object I’d still pick the 1.2 (which I have) over the Noct for my use. That said, the 50mm I use the most is the 1.8 AIS pancake (Japanese version). That’s a little miracle lens. The 58mm 1.4 Nokton by Voigtlander is also superb.
At 1.2 you didn't get the focus at the same position, hence the different results. At 11:00 you can clearly verify that the 58mm was focusing at the rear fairing and the 50mm was at the front fairing - just look at the front bolts that attach the polycarbonate to the fairing. They are very well defined vs not at all on the 58.
Thanks for watching and commenting. You are right, nailing the focus at f1.2 can be challenging and therefore can influence observations and conclusions.
Thanks very much for this in-depth comparison. I have the 50 1.4 which was my first real lens ever bought with my first real camera - an early Nikon FM purchased in 1977. I'm glad to see it holds up well against the other two. I have had a lot of great pictures with it, but on my original film cameras and now on my Olympus MFT mirror-less cameras and Nikon DSLRs.
Bought my noct about three years ago for $1600. Crazy to see how much it’s appreciated. I wish I’d bought two I could have sold one for a massive chunk of cash. lol.
Thanks for your very comprehensive and painstaking review. I know you spent many hours to complete it. My first camera and lens were an FE and 50/1.4. I have wondered whether I should buy a 50/1.2, but I think I will save my money after seeing how well the 1.4 fared in these tests. Thanks!
I have the 50 f1.4, 50 f1.2, and the 50 1.2 Z lens. The 58mm lens in comparison to the other 3 was not enough to move me to purchase the 58mm. The price is not the issue, but all of the lenses are remarkable and the 58, though great, didn't seem above the other 1.2 lenses. Subjective I guess.
The 58mm is clearly an unreasonably priced collector's item. Technically, it has nothing to offer that would justify its price. But the form factor is just stunning.
The photographic value of the Nocti really starts to fall apart if you start to campare it with the Voigtländer 1.0 and 1.2 50 mm VM which in many points even beat the different Noctiluxes. And if you need something for F-mount the 1.4/58 mm and 1.2/55 mm also aren't bad choices.
Wow I had a dream of owning the NOCT one day but now? You just saved my $3000CAD. The 50 f1.2 seems better and the 50 f1.4 even better. However it doesn't surprise me that the f1.4 is better than both the f1.2's as I have noticed this with vintage f1.2 lenses, the f1.4 version of any brand is almost always better.
@@Adventure8 truly love my Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AI or AI-S experience. Paid about $600 CAD (about the same as AUD) for the 7 blade and the 9 blade. The AI-s is in mint and from 2007 (i think) so I baby that and the AI which I paid much less for is my anywhere lens. Nikkor lenses are so good I almost wish I was a nikon shooter back in the day instead of Canon.
I am late to the comments party. I wonder what we would see if the 58mm was focused in the corners rather than the center. Does it have a field curvature or a resolution fall off? These tests are at a fairly close distance, what would happen as one approaches infinity?
I think the most value of these lens comparisons is to understand the behaviour of the lens you have (or want to get) and then work out how best to use the lens to support your photography and creativity. All the lenses in this video are great. I'm a sucker for gear acquisition but if I had to choose one lens, the main criteria of choice would be, budget, size of lens, manual or auto and character of lens for my creativity. Hope that helps.
i have a thought on whether the noct has been cla'ed in a inappropriate manner. given its aspheric surface on the very first element of the lens, and according to the nikon publication, nikon themselves even had to develop a proprietary machine to check the lens( most likely given its nature of aspherical element being incorporated). so, my thought would be without this kind of proprietary machine, even an experienced technician (even if the lens being checked through general checking by using collimator after the CLA'ed) it may / might not fully recover the full charm of the noct. due to its old age, it is likely for the lens to develop fungus hence there is a need for such a cla. this probably becomes my very personal piece of explanation of why the noct would probably look softer than its counterparts.
You can make all the excuses but having used 2 different 58s this test shows exactly what i found and they were both new. Still have one and the other was a friends.
I tend to use my Nikon F-mount and Z-mount camera for my old Nikkor lenses. Don’t have Sony so can’t comment. I use small lenses on my Leica M cameras, so mainly Leica glass.
Hi, may i ask what adapter are you using to shoot the 58mm Noct Nikkor with? I have a Techart M to Z autofocus adapter which i’m looking to stack a F to M adapter with to use on my Z8
When it comes to collecting old, limited lenses, chances are it will holds its value. (if that is important). I always fall in love with my gear, so it's hard to part with stuff. You choice, not financial advice.
this is a great comparison across lenses. if you're wallet isn't screaming in pain yet...maybe adding the 58/1.4G in the comparison is in a future video? 😁 i have the 58/1.4G and i'm contemplating on getting the Noct 58/1.2...until i snap out of it, i guess..
I'm curious as well about the comparison between these 2 lenses. I probably won't swap out my 58mm/1.4G for the 1.2 though, as I generally prefer autofocus for this type of focal length and it's use. I reserve manual focus for night sky or landscapes, where my "slow" hand-eye coordination is inconsequential 😅
With great respect I do not see the point of this pixel peeping. These lenses' designs are all 40-50 years old and have been reviewed and analysed endlessly in the lab and in the field. With the 58mm f1.2 NOKT NIKKOR such analysis totally misses the point. Instead, simply read and watch Steve Huff's reviews of this unique, magical lens. In photography, as in all art forms, some things cannot be quantified.
I think, going big means it is easier to eliminate lens faults, get a high quality image. Probably explains why Leica M lenses are so expensive (small and high quality).
Great job comparing these lense Peter. Just today I was repairing the old 50/1.2 and what a beast it is inside. In the future comparisons, please consider the Voigtlander 58/1.4. What you did not mention is the number of lens elements. Nowadays, lens makers are trying to outcompete the iPhone, so the modern lenses have twice the elements than an old 50mm AIS lens and I detest the unnecessary sharpness.
The Noct is a good investment. Sold mine for a handsome profit, the price keeps on going up. Do I miss it? Yes, every day, but the 50 1.2 is a deliciously characterful alternative and I really enjoy shooting with it. Great comparison, thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Glad you liked the video and sorry for your Noct loss. As you say, the 50mm f1.2 is a good alternative.
Really good comparison and interesting results. I might have a look at purchasing a 1.4 after that. Well done.
Thanks
Even if money was no object I’d still pick the 1.2 (which I have) over the Noct for my use. That said, the 50mm I use the most is the 1.8 AIS pancake (Japanese version). That’s a little miracle lens. The 58mm 1.4 Nokton by Voigtlander is also superb.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
At 1.2 you didn't get the focus at the same position, hence the different results. At 11:00 you can clearly verify that the 58mm was focusing at the rear fairing and the 50mm was at the front fairing - just look at the front bolts that attach the polycarbonate to the fairing. They are very well defined vs not at all on the 58.
Thanks for watching and commenting. You are right, nailing the focus at f1.2 can be challenging and therefore can influence observations and conclusions.
Thanks very much for this in-depth comparison. I have the 50 1.4 which was my first real lens ever bought with my first real camera - an early Nikon FM purchased in 1977. I'm glad to see it holds up well against the other two. I have had a lot of great pictures with it, but on my original film cameras and now on my Olympus MFT mirror-less cameras and Nikon DSLRs.
Glad it was helpful!
Bought my noct about three years ago for $1600. Crazy to see how much it’s appreciated. I wish I’d bought two I could have sold one for a massive chunk of cash. lol.
Well done
Thanks for your very comprehensive and painstaking review. I know you spent many hours to complete it. My first camera and lens were an FE and 50/1.4. I have wondered whether I should buy a 50/1.2, but I think I will save my money after seeing how well the 1.4 fared in these tests. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! Yes the f1.4 50mm is outstanding value for money.
I have the 50 f1.4, 50 f1.2, and the 50 1.2 Z lens. The 58mm lens in comparison to the other 3 was not enough to move me to purchase the 58mm. The price is not the issue, but all of the lenses are remarkable and the 58, though great, didn't seem above the other 1.2 lenses. Subjective I guess.
My conclusion is the same as yours.
The 58mm is clearly an unreasonably priced collector's item. Technically, it has nothing to offer that would justify its price. But the form factor is just stunning.
Thanks for commenting. I suspect the 58mm f1.2 will hold its price because of limited supply. I'm not an expert on collection.
It compete with Leica 1.2 noctilux
Check the price 😅
The photographic value of the Nocti really starts to fall apart if you start to campare it with the Voigtländer 1.0 and 1.2 50 mm VM which in many points even beat the different Noctiluxes. And if you need something for F-mount the 1.4/58 mm and 1.2/55 mm also aren't bad choices.
I use my Nikkor's on my Sony A7iV via adapter. Love my 50mm f1.2 AIS. I have the f1.4 but never use it as I have two f1.2 (7blade and 9 blade).
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience with your 50's.
So it seems the 58mm 1.2 has by far the best center sharpness. Moving away from the center both the 50mm 1.2 and 1.4 fare better.
Yep
Wow I had a dream of owning the NOCT one day but now? You just saved my $3000CAD. The 50 f1.2 seems better and the 50 f1.4 even better. However it doesn't surprise me that the f1.4 is better than both the f1.2's as I have noticed this with vintage f1.2 lenses, the f1.4 version of any brand is almost always better.
Glad you found the video useful and saved you a bunch of cash. Thanks for sharing your experience with your 50's.
@@Adventure8 truly love my Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AI or AI-S experience. Paid about $600 CAD (about the same as AUD) for the 7 blade and the 9 blade. The AI-s is in mint and from 2007 (i think) so I baby that and the AI which I paid much less for is my anywhere lens. Nikkor lenses are so good I almost wish I was a nikon shooter back in the day instead of Canon.
@@classic.cameras Outstanding.
I am late to the comments party. I wonder what we would see if the 58mm was focused in the corners rather than the center. Does it have a field curvature or a resolution fall off? These tests are at a fairly close distance, what would happen as one approaches infinity?
I think the most value of these lens comparisons is to understand the behaviour of the lens you have (or want to get) and then work out how best to use the lens to support your photography and creativity. All the lenses in this video are great. I'm a sucker for gear acquisition but if I had to choose one lens, the main criteria of choice would be, budget, size of lens, manual or auto and character of lens for my creativity. Hope that helps.
i have a thought on whether the noct has been cla'ed in a inappropriate manner. given its aspheric surface on the very first element of the lens, and according to the nikon publication, nikon themselves even had to develop a proprietary machine to check the lens( most likely given its nature of aspherical element being incorporated). so, my thought would be without this kind of proprietary machine, even an experienced technician (even if the lens being checked through general checking by using collimator after the CLA'ed) it may / might not fully recover the full charm of the noct. due to its old age, it is likely for the lens to develop fungus hence there is a need for such a cla. this probably becomes my very personal piece of explanation of why the noct would probably look softer than its counterparts.
Thanks for your insight.
You can make all the excuses but having used 2 different 58s this test shows exactly what i found and they were both new. Still have one and the other was a friends.
I have the noct. Lens and wonder which camera will fit for this lens best …Leica , Nikon Z, or Sony Alpha (for street photography)?
I tend to use my Nikon F-mount and Z-mount camera for my old Nikkor lenses. Don’t have Sony so can’t comment. I use small lenses on my Leica M cameras, so mainly Leica glass.
D700 or Df for best results
Thank you.
RS. Canada
You are so welcome!
Hi, may i ask what adapter are you using to shoot the 58mm Noct Nikkor with? I have a Techart M to Z autofocus adapter which i’m looking to stack a F to M adapter with to use on my Z8
There are a number of manufacturers, I'm not sure what is the difference. Mine was from Gobe.
@@Adventure8 would u reckon the 58mm Noct-nikkor be worth getting today? I have a voigtlander nokton 1.0 already
When it comes to collecting old, limited lenses, chances are it will holds its value. (if that is important). I always fall in love with my gear, so it's hard to part with stuff. You choice, not financial advice.
@@bubbachua No.
this is a great comparison across lenses. if you're wallet isn't screaming in pain yet...maybe adding the 58/1.4G in the comparison is in a future video? 😁 i have the 58/1.4G and i'm contemplating on getting the Noct 58/1.2...until i snap out of it, i guess..
Very true!
I'm curious as well about the comparison between these 2 lenses.
I probably won't swap out my 58mm/1.4G for the 1.2 though, as I generally prefer autofocus for this type of focal length and it's use. I reserve manual focus for night sky or landscapes, where my "slow" hand-eye coordination is inconsequential 😅
Danke super Video
👍
With great respect I do not see the point of this pixel peeping. These lenses' designs are all 40-50 years old and have been reviewed and analysed endlessly in the lab and in the field. With the 58mm f1.2 NOKT NIKKOR such analysis totally misses the point. Instead, simply read and watch Steve Huff's reviews of this unique, magical lens. In photography, as in all art forms, some things cannot be quantified.
Good points. Thanks for watching.
Totally agree.
Remarquable travail.
Thanks
Merci
beutiful lenses why are new lenses so BIG
I think, going big means it is easier to eliminate lens faults, get a high quality image. Probably explains why Leica M lenses are so expensive (small and high quality).
The 58mm NOCT f1.2 isn’t ‘fuzzy’, it just has strong field curvature. That’s what you see off-center.
👍
man says : "So f4 now!" ( as if f2.8 never ever existed )
Thanks for watching.