Today’s Post by Joe Farace
I just got back from taking Mary’s 2018 Subaru Crosstrek in to Parker Imports for its 24,000 mile oil change. Since I waited for the service I sat outside looking at the cars on their parking lot and sitting there was a worse-for-wear Jaguar XK8, which got me thinking about the XK8 I almost bought (and should have) and about Jaguars in general…
Once upon a time, Panasonic loaned me a Lumix G Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 lens, a focal length that’s obviously aimed at portrait shooters but I decided to use it to photograph cars too. This an 85mm equivalent lens with a 29-degree angle-of-view and is designed for the Micro Four-thirds mirrorless cameras. I mounted it on a Lumix GX85 and used it to photograph Jaguar automobiles at a car show.
Shooting at first under overcast conditions and then later with hard sunlight was a exposure-related challenge and as expected the Nocticron is a bit long of a focal length for this kind of application but I was able to happily create the images shown.I loved using this focal length so much that ultimately I bought a used Panasonic Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 Asph. Mega OIS lens from KEH Camera.
How I Made this Photo: Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 with an exposure of 1/1250 sec at f/3.2 with plus one-third exposure compensation to compensate for Olde English White paint.
The DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 lens design uses with one aspherical element to control chromatic aberration and distortion. The f/1.7 aperture is handy for selective focus and shooting in low-light. The 42.5mm Nocticron has a fast AF motor with internal focusing producing smooth, quiet focus. The built-in optical image stabilizer aka Power O.I.S. is also helpful for hand-held, shooting compensating for any camera shake.
The lens has a 67mm filter thread and a rounded seven-blade diaphragm producing a smooth bokeh when shooting shallow depth-of-field photographs or video.
A well-made metal lens hood is included and like the lens itself, is made with an extremely high build quality befitting the Nocticron that’s designed and certified by Leica in Germany, and manufactured by Panasonic in Japan..
The lens has an all-metal lens barrel and bayonet mount and weighs in at a hefty (by mirrorless camera standards) 14.99 oz. By comparison a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L weighs 36.16 oz.
How I Made this Photo: Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 with an exposure of 1/1600 sec at f/4.0 with plus one-third exposure compensation.
All this wonderfulness is not cheap. Right now, the lens sells for $1,397.99 and to put this price in some kind of perspective, I found at least one Jaguar XJS for sale online at $1400. As the former owner of an XJS I can only add that spending $1400 for any Jaguar is just the beginning of the cost of owning it. The Nocticron 42.5mm lens, on the other hand, should give you years of trouble-free performance.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to treat Joe to a cup of Earl Grey tea ($3.50), click here.
Along with award-winning photographer Barry Staver, I’m co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photography that’s available from Amazon for $21.60 with used copies starting at giveaway prices around five bucks, as I write this.