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Angenieux vs Nokton vs Schneider 25mm f0.95

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sandhum43

Guest
Assuming all three were around the same price , that is, US$800 and in excellent condition which one would you pick and why?

Schneider and Angenieux will have some vignetting but do you think their image quality wins over the Nokton (when it becomes available)?

I plan to use one of the three on a Oly E-PL1.

Thanks!
 

seakayaker

Active member
Assuming all three were around the same price , that is, US$800 and in excellent condition which one would you pick and why?

Schneider and Angenieux will have some vignetting but do you think their image quality wins over the Nokton (when it becomes available)?

I plan to use one of the three on a Oly E-PL1.

Thanks!
The Voigtlander Nokton has been available and you may be able to find one or can put a deposit down for the next production run in December. The price is $899.00, info can be found here: http://www.cameraquest.com/voigt_m43.htm

The two Schneider 25/0.95 on ebay are listed at $1169.00 and $1600.00. http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=Schneider+25mm+f0.95&_sacat=See-All-Categories

There is one Angenieux 25/0.95 on ebay with the current bid at $500.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ANGENIEUX-Bell-Howell-1-25mm-f-0-95-RARE-MINT-/220704458423?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item336302c6b7#ht_1493wt_1141

I can not speak for the Schneider and Angenieux but I do love the Voigtlander and I am quite happy with the purchase. Samples of photographs here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/72157625258959787/

I picked the Voigtlander because of the number of there lenses that I already own and I am satisfied with the quality of the products that they produce. Buying a used lens over the internet always has some risk and I felt comfortable purchasing from a dealer that I have done business with on a number of occasions.

Good luck with your decision.
 
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sandhum43

Guest
Thanks for the detailed response, Dan.

Those pictures are stunning. I am wowed by the colours, sharpness and bokeh. Have these been post-processed or are they JPEGs straight out of the camera? Or, just WB adjusted on a computer with rest set to default?

I started with Canon film SLRs and then went to digital. As much as I loved my 5D-MkII and a few L lenses, I could no longer drag their weight around so ended up selling all my Canon gear. Bought a much smaller Pentax K-x and have been struggling to find a good lens for it. I must emphasize "a lens" because I no longer want more than one prime lens for my camera. I had been shooting with a Pentax 40mm f2.8 for the last one year but wasn't too happy with it. Just as I was debating whether to buy a Pentax 31mm f1.8 AL Limited, I came across a good deal on a E-PL1 ($399) but more importantly I saw what people have been doing with C-mount lens on m4/3 format cameras. It seems these lens have unleashed a new wave of creativity amongst hobbyists :)

Again, at this point, I am very agnostic towards brands or bodies and mostly interested in lens only as long as the end result is a light kit. Towards that goal, a 25mm f0.95 + a m4/3 body seems a solid combination. I am myself leaning towards the Nokton. A new lens geta support from the vendor and the Nokton looks to be a good performer. Only downside is the wait for stock to be available and I will have to start practising using MF :)

Have you been shooting with MF lens for a long time?
 

PeterB666

Member
The Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 is a great value lens. My sample gallery here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/23034038@N05/sets/72157625171495361/ - quite a few of them are test shots but there are some serious ones too.

I would think twice before handing over large amounts of money on c-mount lenses as very few offer full coverage of the MFT field.

With the Voigtlander, no adapter, beautiful construction and just a joy to use. Very sharp and good contrast too.
 

apicius9

New member
I have and love the Angenieux, but I think its major strength in this trio is its small size - well, and that it looks cool... That said, If I had the money and were to choose between those three, I would get the Nokton. There are moments when the vignetting on the Angenieux doesn't look good, and with big hands fast focusing doesn't always result in hitting the spot. The Nokton has support and everything I saw so far looked great.

Stefan
 
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sandhum43

Guest
Mainline Photographics Pty Ltd of Australia seems to have Nokton in stock. Will Voigtlander honour warranty in the US if I buy from Australia?
 

PeterB666

Member
Mainline Photographics Pty Ltd of Australia seems to have Nokton in stock. Will Voigtlander honour warranty in the US if I buy from Australia?
I don't know. Send them an email - Scott is very helpful.

Note that when I got mine from the first shipment, they only received 10 lenses out of an initial order of 20 and had 100 on order by the time the first lot arrived. A couple of weeks ago they were advertising pre-Christmas delivery (Australia only I would assume) for new orders. I very much doubt they have them in stock but they will be the cheapest in the World atm.

$813.64 Australian without the dreaded GST that locals have to pay, less 10% discount if you order online by 20 December 2010 so discounted price should bring the price down around $733 AUD plus shipping. Do note that shipping costs from Australia are fairly expensive so you might want to check that before ordering.

Quote 2012 when ordering online to get the discount.

Cheers

PeterB666
 

seakayaker

Active member
Thanks for the detailed response, Dan.

Those pictures are stunning. I am wowed by the colours, sharpness and bokeh. Have these been post-processed or are they JPEGs straight out of the camera? Or, just WB adjusted on a computer with rest set to default?

I started with Canon film SLRs and then went to digital. As much as I loved my 5D-MkII and a few L lenses, I could no longer drag their weight around so ended up selling all my Canon gear. Bought a much smaller Pentax K-x and have been struggling to find a good lens for it. I must emphasize "a lens" because I no longer want more than one prime lens for my camera. I had been shooting with a Pentax 40mm f2.8 for the last one year but wasn't too happy with it. Just as I was debating whether to buy a Pentax 31mm f1.8 AL Limited, I came across a good deal on a E-PL1 ($399) but more importantly I saw what people have been doing with C-mount lens on m4/3 format cameras. It seems these lens have unleashed a new wave of creativity amongst hobbyists :)

Again, at this point, I am very agnostic towards brands or bodies and mostly interested in lens only as long as the end result is a light kit. Towards that goal, a 25mm f0.95 + a m4/3 body seems a solid combination. I am myself leaning towards the Nokton. A new lens geta support from the vendor and the Nokton looks to be a good performer. Only downside is the wait for stock to be available and I will have to start practising using MF :)

Have you been shooting with MF lens for a long time?
. . . . . I capture the picture in RAW, process using Adobe Ps4. I started shooting manual lens during the spring of 2010. I have used about 23 different manual lens with my GF1 since that time and samples can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/


I do own one 'C' Mount lens a Kinoptik Paris Apochromat 25mm f2 which I do love and it looks great on the GF1. Sample photos can be found here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/72157624909624354/ With that said, and I believe someone else mentioned it in a different post, nailing focus requires a little patience at times because of the size of the 'C' mount lens in my hands. If I had the opportunity to pick up a Angenieux or Schneider 25mm f0.95 at an affordable price I would not mind having one since sample photos I have seen appear to be quite nice. My number one choice would be the Voigtlander because it is new and the support offered.

Once again, good luck with your decision.

btw, I have seen GF1 with a lens being offered at discounted prices at B&H photo.
 
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raymondluo

Guest
I think the main concern for me is the resale value. Which is why I chose the Nokton, although the Schneider is very cool. Some pieces I read have mercury bits in them that when your turn the aperture to f/11 the entire lens turns black. Interesting way to 'fade to black'.

That said I still think that a lot of c mounts actually output a lot more pleasing image to my eye, especially the Kinoptiks. But in the end it's more of a collector's toy, and I don't have the fireproof pocket.
 
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sandhum43

Guest
I called Mainline's store and was told that they are not allowed to sell outside their territory (AU and NZ) and I should contact a local dealer.

So I am on Cameraquest's wait list now :)
 
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retnull

Guest
I've been shooting with the Angenieux 25mm f0.95 as my main lens on the Panasonic G1 and GH-1 for about a year and a half now. It's really a very special lens, and I will never sell it. It vignettes heavily in 3:2, especially wide open, but I use it in square format, which leaves only the tiniest hint of darkening in the corners, at worst. It has lower contrast than modern lenses, but I enjoy the look, and it's easy to bump up contrast a hair in post-production. I prefer B+W, but the colors of the Angenieux are so lovely that I find myself shooting more color. I use the lens a lot at f2.0 or f2.8: here the in-focus areas are crisp but not crunchy, and the bokeh is like butter.

Yes, well, love is an irrational thing. I have not tried the Schneider or Voigtlander lenses. But I have used about 15 different lenses on the Panasonic -- mostly Leica glass. At the end of the day, the Angenieux and the GH-1 are the one-lens-one-camera combo that completely satisfies me, at least for digital.
 
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FlashInThePan

Guest
Hi, I have both lenses. The Nokton is far superior to the Angenieux is many respects:

* It is much sharper
* Has better ergonomics. The Angenieux' focus ring is too close to the mount.
* Has negligible distortion - the Angenieux sucks in this respect
* It covers the entire sensor.

Of course, it is much larger and heavier.
 
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