Thanks for the shoutout brother. I hope we meet up again soon. We didn’t even talk about this lens! Next time… and you can show me how to throw a hanging curve - left handed ;-)
Of course! Your video is fantastic and really set the standard for how this lens should be appreciated. Yeah I wanted to ask you more about it. Next time! Yes, hanging curve and change up for the next time 👍👍
@btonelli it is so beautiful that I don't use it. I will order a second copy :-) . Btw do you still have this artra lab 50/1.2? A direct comparison would be interesting.
@@webersteve1547 I do actually. I was thinking of doing a comparison but in reality the render very differently. The Artralab is a more modern lens compared to the LLL. The LLL is really paying homage to the first Noctilux where as the Artralab renders like a summilux
nice review; I own the black brass version of it - it is one of the most distinctive lenses you can use. Light Lens Lab has done something that I think gets overlooked, which is they make the vintage look of unobtainable lenses accessible and reasonably affordable. This lens is by far their most expensive, but but it is not the unobtanium that most Leica lenses of this type are. I can attest to the build quality - it's a dense, heavy, well built lens with a wonderfully smooth focus ring. Their 8 element is my daily carry, but this is a must have as well.
It's a beauty of a lens. I bought their Elcan replica and have enjoyed it immensely! I think LLB is such a unique company. I would love to see them make a Super Angulon-M 21/4 replica. They are available on the 2nd hand market but to find one with optics in good condition is a bit of a struggle. Would also be cool to see LLB make some replicas from other companies. The Noct Nikkor 58/1.2 Asph comes to mind.
Agree the Elcan is a fantastic lens. I saw an original Angulon at a shop here two days ago in very good condition. Tempting but I’m not a big wide angle shooter. Yes the Nikkor Noct would be interesting. I think in time they will do more than Leica and Cooke, so interested to see where they go with the lineup
Dang! stop talking I cant stop drooling! Man this is a beauty. Thanks for showing and getting emotional with it, would not happen with a "perfect" modern lens :)
Hahaha yes it is a beauty. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from it but after I got it in my hand and started really understanding the lens I realised how special this is.
The respect for the craft, I guess is part of the reason we shoot Leica and not Sony ++. They all make good images, but we prefer leica for the build, feel and the attention to details.
Yes. Sony cameras definitely have a place and I see them as work horses that get the job done and more accessible. Lenses and cameras like this are just different. Unique and special
I sold my 2021 50 f1.2 noctilux........i dint like it, now i use my M11 monochrom with a canon Dream lens and MS Optics 50 F1.0 Agree with watches .......my old Breguet is less accuracy than a casio but that's not what it's about, it's something mechanical created by hand with passion and dedication. Great review, Thanks
Can’t wait to try it on my MP and M3…..suppose to arrive in May???? Nice job… hear you about the watches too…. Love my Dark Side of the Moon- craftsmanship is awesome….. cheers
I'm not sure why with portrait glass we got so obsessed with sharpness. From the samples given the LLL 1966 gives the more flattering balance between details and oof rendering. When you get to much detail and sharpness on the face with heavy oof rendering it can be quite juxtaposing and not really gel well. Only in very specific portraiture situations like high end makeup and hair fashion do we really seek out those crisp details. For day to day shooting, sharp portraits are just not really needed and in fact much of our modern processing techniques are based around dropping the sharpness, texture and clarity on the skin. It sounds like Leica and LLL understand this. The only problem is that lenses like this are found 99% of the time as manual focus only tools. I would really like to see the industry move to creating more 'Art series' lenses and start dropping the whole pin sharp obsession. Out portraits would be better, the lenses cheaper and smaller as well.
I agree. There is something more flattering with lenses like this, with a gentleness to the image. It’s not razer sharp or heavy handed. It’s painting with light and shadows. This was the beauty of this lens back then. Now many can capture this essence as I mentioned, but the history and nuances of the 1966 Noctilux make it a valuable tool beyond just monetary value
Bought the titanium one and loved it. You are so spot on about the differences between LLL and the Leica reissue. But I have to say that LLL is a better replica down to the way they constructed the lens. You will see no screws on the reissue body whereas LLL and the original screws will be appearing in places on the body. At first I was disappointed about IQ ON how “not sharp” it was but now that I am used to it I could say. My Leica reissue will be staying home a lot more 😆😆😆
Yeah they really recreated it to the utmost detail. This was also observed by the guys at Leica. It’s really a special lens and the more I used it the more I appreciated it
Great video again as usual. Unfortunately my Leica days are numbered as it’s on the market at the moment. But hopefully one day I’ll be back with Leica system again. In the mean time please have a cold one me. Aloha 🌺🤙🌺🌺
According to Erwin Puts, about the original 50mm 1.2: "The lens was rather sensitive to focus shift and often a lens had to be adjusted in the factory for specific bodies." I wonder if that is still a problem.
I bought the Astralab 50mm 1.2 (from your previous review) and I just LOVE this lens, not on the finish but on the beautiful rendering of the image from this lens. Like you said, I don't think this LLL is special enough (in terms of image quality) for me to purchase. I have many wide aperture lenses but what I love about the Astralab is it has very little vignette for such a wide aperture compared to all other f1 or f0.95 lenses I owned.
Glad you like it. Yes the finishing especially compared to this lens is not at the same level but the image quality is quite impressive especially like you said, wide open little vignetting
Curious about the lens, but still battling about the originality/repro those kind of stuffs as i see this from design point of view. I do like the term applied onto the horology, however the Omega ones should be with the Leica, this LLL doesn’t stand with the Omega but more onto the Apple ones. Great video btw!
It is a very premium lens, i think better suited on digital. I love old lenses on digital and new ones on film. The new tack sharp lenses look so good on film and give 35mm a medium format look. Conversely the old glass looks great on digital taking the edge away and giving it a more real look. I dislike it when images look so clinical and using a jupiter 8 on my S5 makes it much better looking than lumix 50 1.8
Based on the sample image side by side, the OG has a completely different color rendition than the other. The OG has a Fuji 200 filmic look whereas the LL version has a modern digital color rendition. I missed the boar in putting in an order. I hope they make more down the line. I love my LLL SP2. Great review, brother. Keep up the quality work.
Color tone is more green on the original but prefer the LLL especially for skin tones. To correct it’s a simple adjustment on tint and temperature and you are back to 1966 rendering and 28k in your pocket haha
No prob. Very very different lenses. The CV is a more modern lens. Sharp at f1 and increasingly sharp as you stop down. Also better corrected. This is an homage to the 1966 lens. As a collector I would get this one but if I want sharp images I would need to stop down from f2 and beyond
God-level video, with the original 50 f/1.2 and Bond Omega watch! Would be interested to hear your thoughts on what other lenses render similarly to the LLL version- are we talking about the Canon 50s (including the red line EF guy), or moreso something cheaper/Chinese?
Thanks! 🙏 the lens that probably comes closest to this is the original 58mm f1.2 Nikkor Noct, but the Noct is slightly sharper at 1.2. I really enjoy the 50 f1.2 EF lens and that is also sharper at 1.2 but probably equal CA. I really love how that Canon renders :) As for a Chinese lens, TT Artisans 50 .95 is close to this LLL, MS Optics 50mm f1 also close to it. Both those lenses tend to have a warmer tone to the image than this one does though
Bobby : Just secured a black paint / brass Noctilux , I hope is comes with the hood ♥ , and yes ; I have the Canon 0.95 custom rebuilt from KANTO Camera , it is an exact replica of Jamie Fox's Canon 0.95 a superb lens and I have all the Canon filters , and original hood too. Now I cannot wait for this lens ♥
This one is not for me... however I appreciate what LLL is bringing to the table... As an m mount shooter I love having as many options as possible... the lens looks beautiful.
Great video! Any idea how this lens compares to the Canon 50/1.2 LTM lens? I suspect the bokeh rendering is different but the vignetting and sharpness seems quite similar judging from your images when shot wide open.
Thanks!! I’ve never tried the Canon 50 1.2 LTM to compare but based on lens design probably more similar than not except this and the original Noctilux have double aspherical elements vs the Canon.
Check the comparison. I do it with the original, the 2021 version and the Artralab 50mm f1.2. The bokeh is more swirly and less corrected. This really is like an 50 plus year old lens. It’s also softer than the reissue
Can't deny the excellent build quality, I think it would've been near perfect if it wasn't for the "onion rings" in the bokeh. I noticed you didn't really have to many photos that showcased "bokeh ball's", not that bokeh is everything, but on lenses that are in the realm of f1.0, f1.1 and f1.2 BB cannot be ignored. Granted the Leica reissue has a slightly busy OOF areas with a busy background the BB render really nice and pleasing soft bokeh. Either way it's always nice to have options.
The imperfections of the bokeh is what makes it special. It’s almost one to one to the original. Something like this lens just draws you into the subject in a very different way to modern lenses. It’s far from perfect but that’s the beauty of it
Hi is the video at 7:15 taken wide open for both lenses? I’ve the Ti version of this lens but find it better suited for indoors as outdoors will have too much sunlight and the images I took looks washed out and dreamy but for yours it doesn’t exhibit the glowy effect
Hi. Yes these were both taken wide open. I do get some flaring depending on the angle the light hits the lens. One of the images I show in the video has that in the bottom left corner. It’s the image of the mountains in Austria. For the washed out looks I tend to use dehaze in Lightroom to compensate, but so far I’m okay with the look outdoors
Thank you for your detailed reply! So it does exhibit the glowy phenomenon and yes I also like you do have to compensate by adding clarity or contrast or deglaze. Thank you once again for doing up this review to benefit enthusiasts like us!
Boby, at 19:18 you said “this is still going to be sharper than this”. Without showing us which one. You meant the Artralab will be sharper than the LLL?
By any chance have you used the 50mm 1.1 by Mr. Ding? I was tempted by the LLL because I love what they have been making, but the price was pretty high for this one.
@@btonelliThe Ding is quite good if you are ok adding a little contrast later. The build quality of the LLL lenses is really superb though. Thanks for the video.
Are they all sold already? Yes they are. While you say that production is limited, it is strange that the article on their site refers to to signing up to the "Back to stock" notifications.
Thanks! Yeah I’ve been debating getting onto that space but more to learn in terms of being able to deliver the feeling and the essence of the watch on video. Will try though in the near future
@@btonelli A lot of people who love watches, appreciate cameras! A video on the beautiful Omega you have on would be nice :) I have the No Time to Die on the same bracelet. Thanks, Bobby!
@@Eliehbk you are right. Cameras, watches, cars all go together:) Will plan that video. I was torn between this and the NTTD. Went with this for the blue color as I wanted to dress it up. Both are fantastic. Now I’m lusting for the white speedmaster haha
@@btonelli I think you have the better one and will retain its value more. The white SM is certainly a more attractive watch than the black one, albeit less in line with the original one. Will be on the lookout for your video.
@@Eliehbk I guess it depends. This is not a screen worn one so hard to say how it will hold in terms of value but either way I really enjoy it. My first Omega. Yes the white one doesn’t have the history of the original black, but I got a chance to see it in person and the white lacquer dial with the black indexes is beautiful. It pops on the wrist. The lighting in the boutique doesn’t capture how white it actually is. I think I like it more than the panda Daytona
Which version? V1 slight difference. The V1 summilux is slightly sharper but the downside is those lenses you need to take care of due to haze and fungus. This lens is more modern in its build thus more resilient
@@btonelli Thanks. I have the Lux 1.4 v2. I truly love this lens. When shoot between 1.4 and 2.8 it gives amazing results and quite unique. I really like vintage lenses. Recently I tried the 35 steel rim and almost bought it. If I didn’t have the 35 cron I would have pulled the trigger. I was looking a the LLL 50 1966 in case the rendering if really different than the Lux and give super vintage results.
Not sure if I agree that it will become a collectors item. The big money items are always the original rare lenses. It's a nice lens, sure, but it doesn't have the history and branding attached. What if TTArtisan decides next year to make their own version? And maybe in years after that another new brand? It will be one of the clones. I could be wrong though, of course. In my opinion the 50 f/1.0 Noctilux is a nicer lens.. not as rare, but that is for me the one with the most character.
I think for a company to try and do what LLL did wouldn’t make much financial sense. The unique thing about LIght Lens Lab is they aren’t just copying at a surface level but trying to recreate the essence of what these lenses were and are. That’s not cheap to do and definitely not as profitable. Originals will always have their place and as I saw with my own eyes, the original Noctilux is a grail lens for many and will always be. This makes that lens slightly more attainable but more accurate than even Leica’s rendition in 2021. The f1 is a really nice lens, especially the E58 version. Unfortunately it’s hard to find one without front or back focusing issues at times. Needs to be calibrated.
@@btonelli A friend of mine bought the Leica 35mm f1.4 Steel Rim reissue and regretted the purchase because the lens is nothing like their original. I also bought the LLL 35mm f2 and the built quality is no different to the original Leica yet with exceptional image rendering, it is now one of the most used 35mm on my Leica rangefinder bodies, not to mention the original Leica 35mm has a lot of variance in image quality due to older manufacturing production technique and tolerances.
@@DannyChau7 yes I’ve heard mix reactions from the steel rim. I tried it at the M6 launch when they released it but never compared to the original. The 35 8 element is also a special lens
