Salut à tous, J’ai un Noct 1.2, acheté neuf et souvent utilisé en photos de nuit. Depuis une dizaine d’années un insecte minuscule (moins de 2 mm de long) est mort dans les lentilles. Je pensais qu’avec le temps il disparaitrait, hélas ce n’est pas le cas. Cela n’a pas d’incidence sur les photos mais comment m’en débarasser?
Steven
July 26, 2020 2:38 am
I wonder a Noct lens review without nights cape or night sky shot with pointed light source such a star? If you take a night sky photo in a dark sky areas for astrophotography style photo with a regular Nikon 50/F1.4G vs. 58mm/F1.4G (and this Noct 58mm/F1.2 Ai) then you will understand the main reason behind this lens was built and highlighted by Nikon: Minimization of sagittal coma flare for high reproduction capability of point light sources as sharp points across the entire frame. Definitely you can use Noct as a portrait lens but a review without a pointed light source such as star is simply missing the point of Noct :-) The standard Nikon 50mmF1.4G and so many other mid-tele lens exhibited sagittal coma flare that makes a point light source look like a bird with its wings spread….or additional star :-) I wish I could rent a Nikon Noct lens during the recent Comet Neowise night sky photo shoot, every single of the following NIkon lens produce obvious sagitta coma flare where there is no way to have it corrected but I simply have to remove those bright stars from my shot :-( Nikon 50/1.5G, 85/1.8G, 85/1.4G, 20-70/2.8G, 70-200/2.8G, 105/1.8Ai at wide open aperture :-( With 85/1.4G, you got two bonus right beside the main star even int he center of the photo….LOL
BTW, good review for the lens on portrait shoot :-)
Regards, Steven
Jeremy Green
November 29, 2018 7:11 pm
Nasim Thanks for the test and comparison of both fast & pricey Nikkors. I owned the Noct back when I was an industrial/corporate photographer shooting Kodachrome and Fuji transparency films with the Nikon F3. I bought the Noct to shoot at night in industrial situations (refineries, factories, etc.) and found the CA very disappointing in those situations. I didn’t use it much as a result. I had better luck with my other Nikkors in those situations, even the lowly 35-70 Series E zoom was better. I wish now I hadn’t sold the Noct, but only for its allure as a special optical piece of high value to collectors, which I am not. I own and use the 58mm f:1.4G but never wide open. It comes into acceptable image quality at about f:2.2 or f:2.6 for this photographer. My sculptor client loves it and calls it a lens that has “presence”…he’s an eccentric, demanding artist. I surmise that it’s the 58mm focal length that he loves. So I use it when I’m working with him often. It is better with his LED lit subjects at night (large metallic light towers and fountains) than I’m sure the old Noct would have been. So IMHO the current 58mm f:1.4 is an overall better piece of glass for modern digital high resolution cameras. I use it on my Z7 + FTZ with beautiful results.
David Oppenheimer
January 26, 2018 9:17 am
I just photographed a concert in fairly dark nightclub with the Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR AI-s. The low light ability and shallow depth of field gave the photos shot with that lens a unique look: www.concertphotosmagazine.com/2018/…sound.html
Tri Hong
November 16, 2017 4:46 am
Hi Nasim,
Thanks you for very detailed review. I wish you would compare this legend with my fav lens, Voigtlander 58 1.4 SLII and a separate review of Voigtlander 58 1.4. I think this lens is so much affordable and very well-built and excellent image quality. Thanks
sceptical1
July 15, 2017 12:54 pm
Nasim, thank you so much for taking the time to find a good copy of this legendary lens. Even now, as your images show, there is nothing quite like it. These days this is not a lens I can use for business, unless I wanted to start a portrait business. For me, everything is about fast accurate AF now. Still, it’s just awesome and I would love to have it for the unique look it gives to portraits. I have been tempted many times by the 58mm 1.4 because it is such a fine portrait lens and it has AF. After seeing this, it somehow tarnishes the new lens. I am glad you are enjoying it.
Vishal Arora
April 24, 2017 12:02 pm
Nasim, nice article. Can I please ask a question – I just acquired a NOCT and though the item is absolutely visibly perfect including the aperture ring with no scratches, fungus, haze, etc. I did notice a very, very little shake/vibration/rattle when I hold the Focus Ring. If I hold both the focus ring and the outer ring of where the filter screws in, then even less. Just wondering if there should be a very small amount of rattle? I mean, very small? Could this mean that the lens elements are coming loose? Realize it’s hard to tell without seeing the lens. Thank you.
Best Regards,
Vishal
tomK
March 7, 2017 8:07 pm
Great pics. Always loved this lens, and I’ve seen some amazing images from it on 5D’s and A7’s. Through the bokeh that looks like Boulder Creek :-)
ian
November 11, 2016 8:34 pm
This lens is a collectors’ classic perhaps, but also a great user.
I have used mine at weddings and similar events with great results. With that on one body and a 85 or 105 on another you really can’t go wrong. Especially when you get into golden time and you start getting bokeh from practicals, sunset, lanterns, etc. in the BG. Yeah you have to back away a bit to avoid parallax on the faces but that often leads to more interesting pictures anyway. And you can hand-hold the thing at slower shutter speeds than with an 85 0r 105. At 1/30 or 1/15 and f 1.2 you can shoot even after the sun has gone down.
This and a DC 105 will yield pictures that make people gasp, in my experience.
john maher
November 3, 2016 9:30 pm
I have a Nikon 58mm 1.2 Noct for sale in NYC The lens is clean, I have shot with it for years. It is a beautiful lens and I have taken some of my best photographs with it But now I shoot with Fuji digital and have given my Nikon cameras to my son. I held on to this lens for a while but now it’s time to move on I can furnish photographs of the lens The price is $3000.00 firm. In New York. No shipping. I can have it left at Nippon Photo or PhotoCare
Salut à tous, J’ai un Noct 1.2, acheté neuf et souvent utilisé en photos de nuit. Depuis une dizaine d’années un insecte minuscule (moins de 2 mm de long) est mort dans les lentilles. Je pensais qu’avec le temps il disparaitrait, hélas ce n’est pas le cas. Cela n’a pas d’incidence sur les photos mais comment m’en débarasser?
I wonder a Noct lens review without nights cape or night sky shot with pointed light source such a star?
If you take a night sky photo in a dark sky areas for astrophotography style photo with a regular Nikon 50/F1.4G vs. 58mm/F1.4G (and this Noct 58mm/F1.2 Ai) then you will understand the main reason behind this lens was built and highlighted by Nikon:
Minimization of sagittal coma flare for high reproduction capability of point light sources as sharp points across the entire frame.
Definitely you can use Noct as a portrait lens but a review without a pointed light source such as star is simply missing the point of Noct :-)
The standard Nikon 50mmF1.4G and so many other mid-tele lens exhibited sagittal coma flare that makes a point light source look like a bird with its wings spread….or additional star :-)
I wish I could rent a Nikon Noct lens during the recent Comet Neowise night sky photo shoot, every single of the following NIkon lens produce obvious sagitta coma flare where there is no way to have it corrected but I simply have to remove those bright stars from my shot :-(
Nikon 50/1.5G, 85/1.8G, 85/1.4G, 20-70/2.8G, 70-200/2.8G, 105/1.8Ai at wide open aperture :-(
With 85/1.4G, you got two bonus right beside the main star even int he center of the photo….LOL
BTW, good review for the lens on portrait shoot :-)
Regards,
Steven
Nasim
Thanks for the test and comparison of both fast & pricey Nikkors. I owned the Noct back when I was an industrial/corporate photographer shooting Kodachrome and Fuji transparency films with the Nikon F3. I bought the Noct to shoot at night in industrial situations (refineries, factories, etc.) and found the CA very disappointing in those situations. I didn’t use it much as a result. I had better luck with my other Nikkors in those situations, even the lowly 35-70 Series E zoom was better. I wish now I hadn’t sold the Noct, but only for its allure as a special optical piece of high value to collectors, which I am not. I own and use the 58mm f:1.4G but never wide open. It comes into acceptable image quality at about f:2.2 or f:2.6 for this photographer. My sculptor client loves it and calls it a lens that has “presence”…he’s an eccentric, demanding artist. I surmise that it’s the 58mm focal length that he loves. So I use it when I’m working with him often. It is better with his LED lit subjects at night (large metallic light towers and fountains) than I’m sure the old Noct would have been. So IMHO the current 58mm f:1.4 is an overall better piece of glass for modern digital high resolution cameras. I use it on my Z7 + FTZ with beautiful results.
I just photographed a concert in fairly dark nightclub with the Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR AI-s. The low light ability and shallow depth of field gave the photos shot with that lens a unique look: www.concertphotosmagazine.com/2018/…sound.html
Hi Nasim,
Thanks you for very detailed review. I wish you would compare this legend with my fav lens, Voigtlander 58 1.4 SLII and a separate review of Voigtlander 58 1.4. I think this lens is so much affordable and very well-built and excellent image quality. Thanks
Nasim, thank you so much for taking the time to find a good copy of this legendary lens. Even now, as your images show, there is nothing quite like it. These days this is not a lens I can use for business, unless I wanted to start a portrait business. For me, everything is about fast accurate AF now. Still, it’s just awesome and I would love to have it for the unique look it gives to portraits.
I have been tempted many times by the 58mm 1.4 because it is such a fine portrait lens and it has AF. After seeing this, it somehow tarnishes the new lens. I am glad you are enjoying it.
Nasim, nice article. Can I please ask a question – I just acquired a NOCT and though the item is absolutely visibly perfect including the aperture ring with no scratches, fungus, haze, etc. I did notice a very, very little shake/vibration/rattle when I hold the Focus Ring. If I hold both the focus ring and the outer ring of where the filter screws in, then even less. Just wondering if there should be a very small amount of rattle? I mean, very small? Could this mean that the lens elements are coming loose? Realize it’s hard to tell without seeing the lens. Thank you.
Best Regards,
Vishal
Great pics. Always loved this lens, and I’ve seen some amazing images from it on 5D’s and A7’s. Through the bokeh that looks like Boulder Creek :-)
This lens is a collectors’ classic perhaps, but also a great user.
I have used mine at weddings and similar events with great results. With that on one body and a 85 or 105 on another you really can’t go wrong. Especially when you get into golden time and you start getting bokeh from practicals, sunset, lanterns, etc. in the BG. Yeah you have to back away a bit to avoid parallax on the faces but that often leads to more interesting pictures anyway. And you can hand-hold the thing at slower shutter speeds than with an 85 0r 105. At 1/30 or 1/15 and f 1.2 you can shoot even after the sun has gone down.
This and a DC 105 will yield pictures that make people gasp, in my experience.
I have a Nikon 58mm 1.2 Noct for sale in NYC
The lens is clean, I have shot with it for years. It is a beautiful lens and I have taken some of my best photographs with it
But now I shoot with Fuji digital and have given my Nikon cameras to my son. I held on to this lens for a while but now it’s time to move on
I can furnish photographs of the lens
The price is $3000.00 firm. In New York. No shipping. I can have it left at Nippon Photo or PhotoCare
Just saw you comment
do you still have the Noct?