How the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f/0.95 is Made

[HeavyWinds]

You can blur the background on any camera, the question is at what focal focal length. You can achieve this on u4/3 with a equivalent focal length of about 75-100mm with a "slow" lens. This lens is so fast that you can achieve the same effect at the equivalent 50mm (25mm in u4/3).

If you try to use a f.95 lens on a full frame camera, its almost unusable. You almost have to stop it down. Works like a dream on u4/3 cameras.

[Diamonddavej]

Carl Zeiss published an interesting article, "Depth of Field and Bokeh" by H. H. Nasse, that describes how lenses achieve good bokeh. It is more complex then simply increasing the number of aperture blades.

[Lurker1979]

All my lenses but the kit lenses that came with my Pen E-PL1 are manual. I love them. I also get some great depth of field effects from them too.

[daffyzhang]

0.95 in micro 4/3 is just like f2 in FF... not very good

[AhdaAhda]

@daffyzhang how do you derive that?

[daffyzhang]

@AhdaAhda by the multiplier '2'. f0.95 will be milky bokehlicious in full frame e.g. the leica 50 0.95, which cost around 7K pounds......

[AhdaAhda]

@daffyzhang I was under the impression that purely looking at spec f0.95 25mm on a micro 4/3 should perform similar to 50mm f0.95 on FF

[jogibajr]

@daffyzhang But F2 is still F2 and the GH2 @ F0.95 shoots great video in low light without having too shallow a DOF. Get the 5D MK II and put the 50mm F1.0 lens on it and see how shallow the DOF is.

[HeavyWinds]

@daffyzhang Are you talking about brightness or bokeh? I assume bokeh, and your not correct. Its much closer to a 50mm F1.5 on full frame camera. Also, full frame camera are becoming more and more rare. There has not been a new model full frame in over two years if I remember correctly. Also, body only they cost way more than this lens and a nice u4/3 body.

What is not very good for you? The math or the results?

[daffyzhang]

@HeavyWinds i may not be correct. yes it's like a aperture stop. m4/3 are just for usual costumers. nex series outperferms them in terms of sensors and playing manual lens. If you are serious about photography of course full frame is the choice. Cheap way is to buy a 'full frame' film camera. It's not math, it's money and mind. PS: Leica m9p just released this year

[HeavyWinds]

@daffyzhang I will give you that, sony makes nice sensors but if your shot 95% of your pictures at iso 100-800 like most people, u4/3 will give you great results. Nex cameras are very small, but the lenses are huge and low quality. Sony needs to address this but so far its a no show. They do have a much better manual focus feature. Leica M9P...removing a red dot does not make it a new camera ;)

[daffyzhang]

@HeavyWinds SB. auto focus lens for m4/3 are not very good as well

[HeavyWinds]

@daffyzhang Just a guess, sound like you don't own a u4/3 camera. Must be a nex fan. Don't worry, they are going to try to make a lens like this for the nex. I hope it turns out as good.

[daffyzhang]

@HeavyWinds I m full frame and medium format film user.... m4/3 is very good system to suck money from customers for the manufacturers. it's purely a market strategy. Camera size is smaller no really other advantages. I 'd rather carry a x100 or LX5 for compact use

[mongoose000]

@daffyzhang You're right. The camera size is much smaller and you can use or adapt everything from dedicated M43 to vintage Zeiss lenses. It's an incredibly versatile format which will suck nowhere near the amount of cash out of your pockets required for the x100, which seems like a super fine camera without nowhere near the same level of compact versatility. It does remind me of my old Leica IIIF though, which is great.

[MMaxorg91]

It's very difficult to see Depth of field (on photos) on f/0.95 when object is rather close to cam.

Really big plus of this lens is ability to take pictures at the evening and low ISO w/o noise :)

How much does it cost?

[beatsiz]

As much of I love this video... I think that somebody needs to start manufacturing f/0.95 lenses for FF sensors again!