Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

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PhotoMaximum
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p.1 #1 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

See this Craigslist ad: http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/pho/1357163267.html

What do these lenses really sell for?

Sep 03, 2009 at 10:54 PM

cogitech
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p.1 #2 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

About $2,700, give or take a few hundred.

Sep 03, 2009 at 10:56 PM

PhotoMaximum
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p.1 #3 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

WOW!!

I did not know that. I got my 58/1.2 Rokkor (with camera) for $100. I doubt that Nikkor is 27 times better...

Sep 03, 2009 at 11:05 PM

cogitech
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p.1 #4 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

PhotoMaximum wrote:
WOW!!

I did not know that. I got my 58/1.2 Rokkor (with camera) for $100. I doubt that Nikkor is 27 times better...

Exactly, sir. Exactly!

Even if the Rokkor costs someone $500, the Nikkor isn't over 5x better.

In fact, during normal usage the Rokkor is likely the better option, from the tests I've seen. The Noct's strength is in the lack of coma wide open with point light sources, as the seller has sort of mentioned. If you don't need "perfect" street lamps, the Rokkor is easily the right choice. YMMV, of course.

Sep 03, 2009 at 11:11 PM

kevintiqui
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p.1 #5 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

Where did you find a rokkor 58/1.2 for 100

Sep 03, 2009 at 11:29 PM

PhotoMaximum
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p.1 #6 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

I had heard of these lenses but had no idea as to their value. Wow indeed.

Here is a tidbit that I have never uttered on a public forum: when I first started in photography I owned a system built around the FE2 body. It was all stolen. I then got into Pentax which I enjoyed much more than the Nikon. During my newspaper days I have used a lot of company gear: all Nikon. F3's, F4's, D1, D2, D2h etc, etc. During that time I built my Canon system. I just never felt comfortable with Nikon. Not really a fan. I was one of the staff shooters who campaigned for the company to switch to the Canon digital system. In the end we had both which was a peace maker.

I do use five Nikon strobes, SB-800's and SB 80-DX's, and really prefer them as remote flash units even though I am using Canon cameras and lenses. I use the Canon ST-E to fire the Nikon strobes. I have six or so Canon strobes but they do not see as much use as the Nikon speedlights.

I do know that Nikon is offering great stuff now and even loyal Canon users have switched. But for many years of using Nikon cameras and lenses I always felt the system was overrated...

Sep 03, 2009 at 11:30 PM

cogitech
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p.1 #7 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

kevintiqui wrote:
Where did you find a rokkor 58/1.2 for 100

Not long ago, that was the going rate.

Sep 03, 2009 at 11:55 PM

PhotoMaximum
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p.1 #8 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

cogitech wrote:
kevintiqui wrote:
Where did you find a rokkor 58/1.2 for 100

Not long ago, that was the going rate.

Actually I got this lens during the height of Rokkor mania. Just lucky...

Sep 04, 2009 at 01:19 AM

Cableaddict
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p.1 #9 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

Feh.

Have you priced the new Leica 50mm .f/095 Noct?

Sep 04, 2009 at 02:17 AM

PhotoMaximum
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p.1 #10 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

Cableaddict wrote:
Feh.

Have you priced the new Leica 50mm .f/095 Noct?

No, How much?

I would be scared to have that much money into a small lens. I have purchased two 400/2.8 lenses over the years and using them does give you some anguish.

Years ago, while covering the US Open tennis tournament in New York I watched a guy drop his 400/2.8 to the ground. That crunching sound, the shocked look on his face, and the way he walked away while carrying his severely damaged kit was a sad spectacle I will never forget.

Sep 04, 2009 at 02:24 AM

thrice
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p.1 #11 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

The Leica won't fit on an SLR.

9,995 USD on B&H

Sep 04, 2009 at 03:10 AM

DocsPics
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p.1 #12 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

thrice wrote:
The Leica won't fit on an SLR.

9,995 USD on B&H

Well at least they kept it under 10 grand

Sep 04, 2009 at 10:47 AM

Jorge Torralba
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p.1 #13 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

All,

There is a BIG difference between the Nikon 1.2 and the Nikon 1.2 Noct. The Noct is a different beast with hand ground aspherical glass and CA correction which the regular 1.2 does not have. You can but a regular 1.2 brand new fro B&H for less than 700.00 but finding a good used Noct will set you back a few grand. The image results are quite stunning coming out of the Noct.

Sep 04, 2009 at 02:43 PM

sirimiri
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p.1 #14 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

I'm not related in any way to this seller...but somebody on Craigslist in LA has posted a Noct...

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/pho/1447039761.html

Get it touch with the guy if you think you can swing the price (or at least negotiate!)

The 3k asking price is just silly, in my opinion. Supply...but what's the demand??

Nov 05, 2009 at 06:58 AM

I Am Luna
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p.1 #15 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

The Noct is a special purpose lens. If you require what it was built for, then there is your demand.

Nov 05, 2009 at 08:52 AM

ovredal73
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p.1 #16 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

cogitech wrote:
PhotoMaximum wrote:
WOW!!

I did not know that. I got my 58/1.2 Rokkor (with camera) for $100. I doubt that Nikkor is 27 times better...

Exactly, sir. Exactly!

Even if the Rokkor costs someone $500, the Nikkor isn't over 5x better.

In fact, during normal usage the Rokkor is likely the better option, from the tests I've seen. The Noct's strength is in the lack of coma wide open with point light sources, as the seller has sort of mentioned. If you don't need "perfect" street lamps, the Rokkor is easily the right choice. YMMV, of course.

I got one of these for about 1200 euros earlier this year, It is absolutely not worth that much more than the Rokkor, it is quite similar in all respects, but it does not require me to mod my 5D2 mirror, and that was the reason I got one of these. And at the price point I got mine, a resale will always be a no-loss issue.

Nov 05, 2009 at 11:29 AM

Empire
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p.1 #17 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

That's one of the things i love about any quality lenses: I can almost ALWAYS sell them for the same or more than i paid.

eBay is the most ridiculous beast.. It never fails to amuse and plain bewilder me that people will bid MORE for a used lens than the same lens can be bought for NEW...

it happens allll the time too

Doesn't bother me, I always put a lot of effort into my ebay listings to catch those zealous individuals

Although, they do make it hard to get good bargains off the 'bay..

Nov 05, 2009 at 11:43 AM

mawz
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p.1 #18 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

Pricing on the Noct-Nikkor comes down to two things. Limited Supply and High Demand.

There's not many made (less than 10,000) and it's in a modern mount which means that there's a lot more demand for the Noct-Nikkor than for the Rokkor which needs to be converted and doesn't offer the level of mount compatibility the Noct does even after conversion.

Remember, AI/AI-S on Nikon shooters outnumber the rest of the 'Alt' community by a massive margin. Lots of people shooting high-end Nikon kit who would otherwise never touch an alt lens have an Ai or AI-S lens or two in their bag to handle particular circumstances that available AF kit doesn't.

Nov 05, 2009 at 01:22 PM

ulrikft2
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p.1 #19 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

I love my rokkor, but I'm considering the noct for the closer focus and the ability to do infinity easily. We'll see..

Nov 05, 2009 at 01:29 PM

wjlapier
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p.1 #20 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

ulrikft2 wrote:
I love my rokkor, but I'm considering the noct for the closer focus and the ability to do infinity easily. We'll see..

Isn't your Rokkor a Nikon mount? Did you get to infinity focus? I stopped sanding the spacer as it was getting wafer thin, and I was near 20ft or so, but the mirror of my D700 hit the rear of the lens a little past 20ft.

Nov 05, 2009 at 03:34 PM

ulrikft2
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p.1 #21 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

Yeah, nikon mount! I get infinity at f/4-5.6-ish.

Nov 05, 2009 at 06:50 PM

wjlapier
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p.1 #22 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

ulrikft2 wrote:
Yeah, nikon mount! I get infinity at f/4-5.6-ish.

Really. On a D700, or a cropped body? Any mod to the lens?

I may have to pull that lens out and look it over again.

Nov 05, 2009 at 08:43 PM

jhapeman
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p.1 #23 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

I had a Noct-Nikkor a few years back and used it on a D2H and D100. It was pretty unimpressive in my opinion, and highly overrated. I got mine for a steal--paid something like $600 and sold it for three times as much. I should have kept it--looks like prices went up since then.

It did control coma fairly well, but not nearly as well as some other modern designs, and I found it really pretty soft and dreamy wide open. If you like that look, great, but I like my lenses sharp, not soft.

Nov 05, 2009 at 09:17 PM

Yakim Peled
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p.1 #24 · Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm/f1.2 AIS - $2700???

The Nikkor 55/1.2 is great lens and sells for 250$. 2450$ for an extra 3mm? No thanks.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Nov 05, 2009 at 11:32 PM


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