Steve Spencer
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Fred Miranda wrote:
I have shot with the CV 35/1.2 Nokton (v3) for a couple of years and like it a lot. However, when shooting wide open or at f/1.4, it feels a bit soft for situations where I want a high-performing lens (especially off-axis). It is sharp enough but not as sharp as the CV 40/1.2 Nokton...
Axial chromatic aberration is another issue that bothers me with the f/1.2 Noktons, with the 35mm being the most affected and the 50mm handling it the best, though I am particularly sensitive to this aberration. I also find the focus transitions too smooth for my taste, and the highlights lack outlining, which is not my preference. That said, I can understand why many would prefer its rendering over the other lenses I mentioned. Its undercorrected SA makes it a great choice for environmental portraits, where fine detail and high contrast are often less desirable....Show more →
What I like about the CV 35 f/1.2 is that I think I get three different looks from the lens based on the aperture. I agree wide open it is a little soft, especially away from the middle, but I like that SA glow in the right context. I shoot it most often, however, at f/2 where I love the balance of sharpness and bokeh for portraits, and then stopped down to f/4 or narrower I find it plenty sharp across the 4 X 3 aspect ratio frame that I typically shoot. Unlike you I also really like the bokeh. I particularly like the smooth focus transition and I like that the highlights lack outlining as well.
That said, I totally agree with you about the axial CA. I find all the fast 35mm lenses I have tried, the ZM 35 f/1.4, the Leica M 35 f/1.4 FLE, and the CV 35 f/1.2 to have too much axial CA for my taste. Only the CV 35 f/2 APO has the reduced CA (and it still has a little at f/2) that I like to see. It has a really different character, however, and I don't find it that suitable for many of the portraits I like to take. I love it when I am shooting nature type shots, but I just don't find I like many portraits from it. So, I carry the CV 35 f/1.2 when I might be shooting portraits and for general use, but the CV 35 f/2 APO when I take a walk in the woods and know I will be shooting primary nature type shots.
I am still waiting for a 35mm lens to have the reduced CA I like to see and the type of bokeh I prefer. I have heard the Sigma 35 f/1.2 Art might do that, but it isn't even close to a size I would like and it isn't manual focus which I prefer, so that really isn't a solution for me either. For now, I find the CV 35 f/1.2 to be the best balance of what I like, although I sure wish it had less axial CA. I suppose I should try the CV 35 f/1.5. I do like the CV 75 f/1.5 a lot and I like what I have seen from the CV 28 f/1.5, but I haven't found the CV 35 f/1.5 images to be as compelling, but I won't really know until I use the lens for awhile. I find I can learn a lot from seeing other people's images, but I don't really know a lens until I shoot it for a few months.
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(But, seriously, thank you for taking the time to reply.)
