CV 12mm M Mount

[epand56]

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Lee, it is interesting to note in your evaluation of the 12 M-mount that it is much more a lens for the outside than for the inside as it already was the old 12mm screw mount.

I have the 15mm RF coupled and the 12mm screw mount (being actually on sale in the Buy e Sell area of the Forum) and what I noticed is that the 15 is a much more versatile lens than the 12, especially when shooting people or portraits.

However, the weak point of both lenses (that I quite love) in inside shooting is the limited aperture that often prevent taking pictures when light is scarce.

On the outside, the 12 on the M8 is a great lens.

On the other hand, I wonder what performs better on the new M-mount CV 12, a UV/IR filter or a B+W 489 IR blocking filter. I'm using the second on my old CV 12 and it is the perfect combo giving me outstanding results.

[daleeman]

Lee, ........what I noticed is that the 15 is a much more versatile lens than the 12, especially when shooting people or portraits. .....

 

Points well taken. What I do wonder about is the idea that you expressed that a 15 is better for portaits or people. I guess it is just that little bit closer than the 12mm.

 

I do wonder, does the 15mm give you full frame field of view in the M8 viewfinder? I know my 21 is wider than the 24mm lines but not full field of view of the camera viewfinder. The 12mm is just a bit wider as you can see from the examples I posted in past message.

 

Lee

[epand56]

Points well taken. What I do wonder about is the idea that you expressed that a 15 is better for portaits or people. I guess it is just that little bit closer than the 12mm.

 

I do wonder, does the 15mm give you full frame field of view in the M8 viewfinder? I know my 21 is wider than the 24mm lines but not full field of view of the camera viewfinder. The 12mm is just a bit wider as you can see from the examples I posted in past message.

 

Lee

 

Lee, you need at least a 21mm viewfinder on the M8 in order to see the full field of view.

But for portraits the 15 is an outstanding lens, very, very sharp and not at all distorting.

I took this picture of me to advertise a friend's novel. The camera was on a leica small tripod at about 45 cm from me, prefocused on an object that was in my place.

I have no Hi Res on this computer but believe me, the hi res is impressive.

In the foreground you can see a very old Leica model whose pictures are dead sharp:D

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[k_g_wolf ✝]

Impressive shot, Enrico,thanks for sharing.

Is this your dealer ? ? Sorry, photo- dealer, I mean ...

 

 

Best

 

GEORG

[menos I M6]

Lee, you need at least a 21mm viewfinder on the M8 in order to see the full field of view.

But for portraits the 15 is an outstanding lens, very, very sharp and not at all distorting.

I took this picture of me to advertise a friend's novel. The camera was on a leica small tripod at about 45 cm from me, prefocused on an object that was in my place.

I have no Hi Res on this computer but believe me, the hi res is impressive.

In the foreground you can see a very old Leica model whose pictures are dead sharp:D

 

Great portrait Enrico!

[daleeman]

I agree great image. Iron Hand and a 45 to back it up.

 

Over the weekend I took this image with the 12mm of a great tree. Added the vignette and did some tonal enhancements. I also went to the Air Force Museum and did some photography of planes.

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[epand56]

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Daleeman, the picture of the tree is outstanding, great atmosphere. As I told, the 12 is a great lens for outside shooting.

[daleeman]

Daleeman, the picture of the tree is outstanding, great atmosphere. As I told, the 12 is a great lens for outside shooting.

 

Glad you liked it. The more I adjusted the image the more I got excited. I might get this one printed out on some pearl or fiber paper.

 

Lee

[tecumseh]

I have a spare version I 12mm viewfinder for the lens if you're interested.... the lens works well with both the analogue and digital Ms. the first photo is with an M6, the second with an M7 and the building and cows are with an M8.

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[ho_co]

Tecumseh--

Good sample photos!

 

Being a city boy, I must admit that I like the skinny women more than the cows.

[daleeman]

Tecumseh

 

Nice images. Love the long shadows in the field.

Sent PM on the finder.

 

I'm heading up to North East Ohio for some shooting this weekend and hope to post some images from there soon with the 12mm.

Lee

[schmolinski]

Seems I've been always lucky with this lens without any filters at all. Here are 2 samples from Rome. These are the "Spanish Steps" and the "Panteon"

 

I haven't tried it with landscapes of green leaves.

 

Seyhun

 

oh yeah, no2 is amazing! The light and the peoples size/perspective.

Chherio

[brill64]

daleeman - what a perfect example of what this lens can do..that tree pic..amazing and definitely worth the paper you want to print it on. on an m8 with an 093 infra red filter, i think the results would also be stunning! the cv12 probably brings up the 21 in the exif because of how a screw lines up on the cv's new m-mount with the 6-bit reader on your m8. i have an old uncoded 90 which always brings up 90 in the exif for this very reason.

 

enrico - is that a real gun? you look amazing~great self-portrait and totally love the styling!

 

i initially didn't like the new version of this lens because of the fixed, awkward lens hood. compared to the v.1 cv.12 where you could remove it, it makes the lens harder to pack in an already overpacked bag. i didn't use this lens often but brought it anyway and it saved my bacon a good few times in unexpectedly tight spaces. anyway, i bought v.2 cv.12 recently and it doesn't disappoint. though not as cute as the first version. the m-mount is very useful in practice and the new round viewfinder is excellent, though a bit expensive. it should really have been included with the lens as a set but there you go..if you have an m8 & m9 or just an m9, i would definitely choose the cv12 for it's super-wide angle of view because it's not an everyday lens. for me, the colour shifts, vignetting and resultant corner noise using the cv.15 are too much of a hassle but i have been told by my camera store that it is a sharper lens. i wish that lens shade would unscrew, though...

[ho_co]

brill--

I haven't shot the 15 Heliar, but some folks on the forum (Guy Mancuso for one) were of the opinion that the 12 was sharper.

 

May just be sample variation.

 

All of you--Do you use the rangefinder with the new lens or do you still often zone focus?

[brill64]

brill--

I haven't shot the 15 Heliar, but some folks on the forum (Guy Mancuso for one) were of the opinion that the 12 was sharper.

 

May just be sample variation.

 

All of you--Do you use the rangefinder with the new lens or do you still often zone focus?

 

ahh..thank you for clarifying. i've not had sharpness issue with the cv.12, i was blindly believing a sales assistant, i suppose...one born every minute

I actually find myself using the rangefinder as a convenience. it's accurate except really close up, the rangefinder does not couple

[ho_co]

brill--

We're both in the position of hearing someone else's opinion.

 

 

You heard that the 15 was sharper (maybe from someone with a 15 to sell). I heard that the 12 was sharper (and six months later learned that the person who had said so had sold it on the forum). No difference.

 

I'm also happy with the screw-mount lens, but I use it seldom enough that I may not be that demanding. Funny how we'll settle for "good enough" when it's not made by Leica, isn't it?

 

Just curious whether I'd get more use out of the bayonet-mount version. Thanks for your input.

[tecumseh]

With infinity at two metres i'm not sure that there's an enormous advantage to the m-mount beyond a little convenience. I find that the measurements are so low close-up that it's very easy to work out using scale focussing. Indeed, I think coupling might actually slow you down with this lens.

[ho_co]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm thinking the same. But since depth of focus (not depth of field) is so limited with wide angles, I'm wondering if the coupling wouldn't be a help.

 

 

I'm doing okay with the little uncoupled version, but, gosh, if it's NEW and even COUPLED, not to mention MORE EXPENSIVE, it must be better, right?

[epand56]

Tecumseh is not really right. I have both, the 12mm screw mount (on sale on the Buy & Sell section here) and the 15mm M-mount and RF coupled and must say that the 15 gives you the ability to proper focus on the chosen subject thus giving you a spot on focused area in the picture. You can really focus on the subject you want and this is great when shooting with a super wide lens.

Beside that, they are both very sharp lenses IMO

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[tecumseh]

The 15mm hits infinity at 3 metres and although only a metre more than the 12mm it still allows for greater errors in scale focussing. Coupling is an obvious advantage with the 15mm I'm still not convinced it's necessary on the 12mm...