Alright, let’s yak about this 50mm Noctilux f1 thingamajig. I ain’t no fancy photographer, mind you, just an old woman who’s seen a thing or two. But I hear folks talkin’, and I see them pictures, so I reckon I can tell ya a bit.
Now, this here lens, the 50mm Noctilux f1, they say it’s somethin’ special. Real special. Folks keep jabberin’ on about how much it costs. Says it’s expensive, like real expensive. More money than I’ve seen in my whole life, I betcha. They call it a “high-end” Leica lens, whatever that means. Sounds fancy, though.
- Expensive!
- High-end Leica!
- Good for low light pictures!
But here’s the thing, one fella was sayin’ it didn’t feel like a Leica. Now, I dunno what a Leica is supposed to feel like, but it got me thinkin’. If you’re payin’ all that money, shouldn’t it feel like somethin’? Shouldn’t it feel like, I dunno, gold or somethin’?
Anyway, this fella, he was torn between this 50mm f1 and some other one, a 1.2 somethin’-somethin’. Said the 1.2 was a re-release. Like they made it before and now they’re makin’ it again. Probably ’cause folks liked it the first time around. He also mentioned that both of them were smaller, which I guess is good if you don’t wanna lug around a big ol’ thing.
Then there’s this other lens, the Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.2. This one’s been around a while, they say. Came out in 1966, way back when I was just a young’un. Folks say it was the best thing since sliced bread for takin’ pictures in the dark. “State of the art,” they called it. Sounds like somethin’ out of a science fiction movie.
But see, that 1.2 one, that was expensive too. Seems like anything with the word “Noctilux” on it costs a pretty penny. I reckon it’s like buyin’ a fancy car. You pay more for the name, for the look, for the whole shebang.
Now, I ain’t never used one of these fancy lenses, but I’ve seen pictures taken with ’em. And let me tell ya, they’re somethin’ else. The pictures are all soft and dreamy, like somethin’ outta a fairy tale. The colors are real pretty, and everything’s all blurry in the background. They call it “bokeh,” I think. Sounds like some kind of sneeze.
Folks use these lenses for takin’ pictures in low light, you see. Like at night, or indoors where it’s dark. They say it lets in a lot of light, so you don’t need a flash. I always hated them flashes, they blind ya like a deer in headlights.
So, which one’s better, the f1 or the f1.2? Well, that’s like askin’ whether you like apples or oranges. They’re both good, just different. The f1, they say it’s even better in low light, and it makes that real blurry background. The f1.2, it’s a bit smaller and maybe a little cheaper, but still expensive, mind you.
If you’ve got the money to burn, and you want the best of the best, then maybe the 50mm f1 is for you. But if you’re lookin’ for somethin’ a little more manageable, and maybe a little less expensive, then the f1.2 might be a good choice. Either way, you’re gonna be gettin’ a real nice lens.
But let me tell you somethin’ important, it ain’t the lens that makes the picture, it’s the person behind it. You can have the fanciest, most expensive lens in the world, but if you don’t know how to use it, it ain’t worth a hill of beans. So, before you go spendin’ all your hard-earned money on one of these Noctilux thingamajigs, maybe you should learn a thing or two about takin’ pictures first. That’s what I always say.
And remember, a good picture tells a story. It captures a moment in time, a feeling, an emotion. It doesn’t matter if it was taken with a fancy lens or a cheap one. What matters is the story it tells. So go out there and tell your story, with whatever lens you got.
50mm noctilux f1 is a big deal for some photographers, seems like. I still think a good eye is more important, but those pictures sure are somethin’ special.
