UPDATED: SLRmagic versus Leica 50mm f/0.95 battle (Seb Farges).
The Shires from Andrew Reid on Vimeo.
UPDATE: Andrew from SLRmagic told us that Seb got a very early lens prototype that very likely has an issue. This means the video on top very likely doen’t show the full potential of the Hyperprime lens! A more represenative video has been shot by EosHD (Click here).
Seb Farges (Click here) tested the two lenses on the hacked Panasonic GH2 and writes: “My opinion ? mmmm the Noctilux is an extraordinary lens, good rendering at f/0.95, smooth focus ring. This lens is a little smaller and lighter than the SLR Magic lens. It’s in M mount (Leica). The problem : the Noctilux is too expensive for me, 8000€ (10600$)!!! Please note that the SLR Magic I’ve used here is a prototype lens. It’s be available in september in M mount, it’s price is not fixed yet, but it will be around 2300€ (3000$), 3.5X less cheaper than the Leica. The SLR has more color aberration (purple fringing), mostly when the focus is not perfect.”
P.S.: The Leica Noctilux crazy price check on eBay (Click here). Speaking of our m43 0.95 lenses here are the links to:
1) Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95 on eBay (Click here).
2) Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95 on eBay (Click here).
3) SLRmagic 50mm f/0.95 on eBay (Click here).
Meinhard Ragner
2 years ago |A third of the price for a knockoff, for this price i ll get an original summilux m instead of that counterfied huge thing
iluvhatemail
2 years ago |seriously, $3k for an SLR magic lens. Not worth it, for 1/3rd that lens price you can get a nearly equal voigtlander
ZDP-189
2 years ago |I have tried the original (small image circle) Noktor, I have tried the prototype, and I have tried the current production version. I hated the original, which was overpriced at $1000; I found the prototype acceptable and I think the production model is worthy as long as you’re the sort of person that can spend $3,000 on a lens. If I had an M9 or a suitable video camera then yes, I would buy one and I’d certainly buy one long before I bought a Noctilux.
Having chatted at length with SLRMagic’s owner I understand that it’s a different lens to the Noctilux; it is optically different and it doesn’t purport to be a Leica. Andrew’s a super nice guy and treats his customers really well, even his detractors. I was a vocal critic of Noktor and separately a skeptic of SLRMagic and didn’t get why anyone’d buy the products until he reached out to me and now I get it. He’s an enthusiast lens builder and a stickler for precision and with SLR Magic, he’s putting in a great deal of effort into producing something to fill the void between generics and CV/Samyang/etc. With Noktor, he seeks to make original products that stand as excellent lenses in their own right.
I am sure many of you will just dismiss this, but I suggest you go find Andrew and talk to him.
AmandaNL
2 years ago |Would be nice to compare to the Voigtlander 50/1.1
kesztió
2 years ago |T0.95?! This does mean that the actually F-stop number is better (= even shallower DOF)!
Joe
2 years ago |It’s rated f/0.92.
Maley
2 years ago |Often times quite soft, very ugly color aberration and a bokeh that is ugly. Yeah, so why I need to play 3k if that lens sucks at 0.95 and has ugly bokeh ? Well maybe if I wanna shoot bats.
bilgy_no1
2 years ago |Deleted, double post
bilgy_no1
2 years ago |The colour difference is huge. The Leica has more clarity,and I sometimes see ghosting on the SLRMagic.
But in general, this video demonstrates the madness of the shallow DOF mania. Much of the footage is unpleasant to watch because of unnatural rendering of the DOF. This happens with both lenses, but is a bit more disturbing on the SLRMagic lens (because of less definition).
I can safely say that I’ll buy neither of the lenses…
bananacam
2 years ago |the music adds most of the unpleasantness
i’d love to have either of these lenses, although not at those prices
Vivek
2 years ago |The last time I checked the price of this version, it was ~$5,000/- on SLR magic site. Not 1/3rd the price of the Noct 0.95!
Even if it is $2,000/-, I would buy an used Canon 50/0.95 over this any time.
It is not hyper prime. It is a hyped prime.
shizzo
2 years ago |Well put.
The Leica is worldclass. The SLRmagic lacks sharpness, has a colder and desatured feeling to it, makes alot of bokehglowystuff. For that kinda money. No way, Jose.
rUY
2 years ago |Not a pleasing result of SLRMagic. the color tend to be cold and bokeh is not eye pleasing either. believe Canon F.0.95 would better than T.0.95 if SLRmagic.
rakouka
2 years ago |maybe the SLR is made to be closed down to f1.4 to be sharp
Peter Bjorvand
2 years ago |The problem is that these lenses should only be used wide open when in a low light setting with either a tripod or some sort of stabilizer…its madness to use these in a daytime shoot wide open.
Peter Bjorvand
2 years ago |admin, I went to the video on vimeo and the guy specifically says ”GH2 24P no hack”
Bob B.
2 years ago |OK…I do not know where the monetary numbers are coming from in this article.
The SLR Magic lens will be retailing in the US for $4288.00. ($3000?????).
….and as far as the video goes…If someone starts a video with a close-up of two lenses and can’t take the time to dust them off before they are shot….um…they lost me right there. Nuff said.
There is no valuable information on this page today. Avoid this.
Bob B.
2 years ago |OK…I guess someone realized how bad the video was (that I commented on above) and has now switched it out for the new one that is at the top of the page now. Whateva.
Also…in the reference to the price above: It may be referring to that actual price of the SLR magic Hyperprime which is actually $4288.00 US…or he may be referring to the difference in price from the Leica lens, which sells for $10,999, which would make the SLR Magic Lens $6711.00 less expensive than the Leica. Either way those numbers are WAY off.
…I have read nothing but great things about that lens (no I am no a Leica owner)…I will agree that the company is a little “different”. Just their name does not speak to what they sell, and the variety of products in incongruous to say the least…but I think that this 50mm Lens may be quite good. I think more people need to get their hands on it and give us a heads up. It is very interesting to say the least.
Matt H
2 years ago |It wasn’t even shot on the same day. Comparison Fail.
fgl42
2 years ago |Absolutely insane pricing.
fgl42
2 years ago |Administrator, I heard there will be a less expensive OMD camera (one without the weather sealing) later this year! But of course it will have the five axis IS and the viewfinder, etc. Are you hearing anything about this? I think it will be released around October.
Marco
2 years ago |This chip ugly multi-kulti place is in drastic dissonance with the 3000-10000$ items shooting it…
If it was a better place, SLR-magic would look performing better
.
Leica on 0.95 is not free from chromatic aberration either: look at 5:45.
Perhaps it is not possible to avoid it at present.
Cteve
2 years ago |So what going on with SLR Magic cr*p? Before they were pricing their knockoffs for a couple hundred and now they jacked up the price like they are making “L” lenses or better lol!
Another solide proof that SLR Magic lenses are a total ripoff.
Andi
2 years ago |In Germany they are still selling it for less than 1000€;)
http://www.foto-walser.biz/shop/Artikel/4466/398/SLR_Magic_Hyper_Prime_50_0_95_Objektiv_micro_4_3.htm
Bob B.
2 years ago |Different lens.
Andi
2 years ago |no:)
Joe
2 years ago |It is a different lens. I tried the lens at the shop and it is very good. The new one in M mount is heavy but very sharp. The old one is much smaller and lighter and is softer. However, you only notice it is softer if you have two to compare with. If you only try the smaller one first it is sharp as well.
Andi
2 years ago |Sorry, you are right:)
Bob B.
2 years ago |yeah…easy to make that mistake…the old lens is a converted CTV lens…it’s a junker….and it’sWAAAAAAAY overpriced in my opinion.
blastingmills
2 years ago |I honestly am not interested in this lens. What I am interested in is the SLR Magic 12mm f1.6. What ever happened to the release of 12mm lens?
How can one obtain such a lens???
andy
2 years ago |12mm f1.6…where exactly?
There was a E mount 23mm f1.7 also that dissapeared after a bit of notice.
Slrmagic are great at sending out demo copies to polpular vdslr bloggers for a bit of publicity.
Supplying to general public? Fat chance unless you want to risk putting your money on a waiting list.
Dodgy company with pumped up prices.
blastingmills
2 years ago |How can they exist as a business if they don’t manufacture/supply/sell product?
Maybe I should just get the Olympus 12mm f2 instead. I kind of wanted that mechanical focus connection, though. Not a big fan of fly by wire.
austin
2 years ago |pretty sure that the 12mm focus is both fly by wire and mechanical. if you pull the focus down, it becomes mechanical
Ethan Frank
2 years ago |The SLRmagic lens’ bokeh quite simply painful. With performance like that, the lens is obviously marketed solely to those who want to brag about their lens speed rather than take pictures. At $1000, I can see some buying it for that reason, but at $3000-$5000 (depending on RF coupling [Voigtlander does a superior 50mm f/1.1 COUPLED lens for HALF the cost of having the SLRmagic lens RF coupled]), I really can’t understand who’s buying this.
Chez Wimpy
2 years ago |With performance like…
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/03/12/shooting-wide-open-in-the-sunlight-with-fast-glass/
it smokes the Voigt 50/1.1
Jorge
2 years ago |I’m also waiting for the 12mm f1.6. I think, they have problems with the quality for the serial production in general. Steve Huff tested the E mount 23mm f1.7. It was bad compared to Zeiss. SLR-Magic has seen his results and contacted him: the lens must be defective. But obviosly they didn’t manage to send him a non defective lens…
Joe
2 years ago |They actually stopped production. It will cost them more to make it better and they did not want to alter the price point by far. Would be interesting to see what they could do with a lens if they charge $4K for it like their 50mm T0.95 Hyperprime lens. IQ comes at a cost!
sebfarges
2 years ago |I have to say again that the lens I used is a prototype and seems to have a problem, it is going to be repair. “As your lens is an earlier prototype version of the HyperPrime CINE it has a known issue where the optical alignment will be off axis after a certain period of time. We replaced the latter lenses with a stronger aircraft grade aluminum. The video sample taken by EOSHD is the later fixed version.”. I will make another test when I will have the new fixed lens. Thank you. Seb Farges.