Portraits and the LUMIX G Leica DG Nocticron 42.5/F1.2 Lens - by Bob Coates

Intro by Skip Cohen

Over and over again I've shared posts and comments about the diversity of Panasonic's LUMIX Luminaries. It's a pretty remarkable group and this week, my good buddy, Bob Coates, puts the Leica 42.5 mm Nocticron lens to the test with some beautiful results.

Interested in checking out more images and technique from this incredibly talented group of artists? You can get to know all of them by visiting the Lumix Luminary Lounge.

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by Bob Coates

I've never really been excited by a piece of glass for a camera because of its specialty, but I started playing with the 42.5mm f1.2 Nocticron Leica lens and it's pretty amazing for portraits. It's the 35mm equivalent to the 85mm 1.2 in 35 mm full frame.

At the beginning of the month while presenting a program for the Tennessee Professional Photographers Association one of the highlights was a Riverboat Cruise on the Southern Belle. I had just received the lens and hadn't had a chance to put it through any paces so I mounted it on my LUMIX GX7 and started making portraits of fellow photographers and other folks I met on deck. I didn't have any lighting equipment so I had to find nice light and the Nocticron f1.2 made it pretty easy.

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This image of fellow photographer and presenter, Pierre Stephenson, was captured right at the dinner table while we were waiting to head to the buffet.

Shooting at f 1.2 the bokeh tamed some of the highlights in the background while lots of light coming from one side of the boat with a full stack of windows on the other side gave great  dimension to his features.
 

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As I was wandering the decks looking for light and subjects I found both in this couple making a selfie at the rail.

And here's an image after chatting. Getting them relaxed and posed comfortably.

I love photographing with this lens. The background story about the capture of Blue Eyed Boy, the image above  is on Successful-Photographer, just a click away.

As a portrait lens it's certainly not cheap, but you get what you pay for and the results are amazing. I've been trying it for some other subjects too, but that's for another post.