There’s no point comparing the nocti to the 35 SRR or 50 pre asph, because they are totally different beasts.
So that only leaves comparison with the 35 APO. It is superb at night for subject separation with beautiful bokeh/oof area rendering.
So, what extra will the nocti give me over the 35 APO? Arguably even more subject separation and also what ChatGPT says is a more “creative” look - whatever the hell that means?
And finally I’m kinda put off by the nocti size/weight and lack of focus tab versus the delightfully diminutive 35 APO with a focus tab that facilitates easy focusing.
If I thought that real world use of the nocti would give me images markedly better than those of my 35 APO, I’d get it irrespective of price and negative physical differences. But I don’t think that’s the case, so right now I’m leaning away from the nocti.
I hear you, but it might be worth a quick comparison to the VM 35/1.2. No?
from what I've observed/read, the VM 35/1.2, while producing nice separation and OOF areas, lacks the center sharpness of the 35 nocti. If I was interested in the VM 35/1.2 look, I'd probably pull out my 35 SRR which has similar rendering in terms of not being the sharpest in the center, but has the added benefit of both Leica glow and more of a vintage look.
I think people going for the 35 nocti will not find the VM 35/1.2 even close in terms of rendering.
