CV 12mm M Mount

[menos I M6]

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I hope to use mine on the M2 as well as the M8, that is once its released and I I buy one. I've passed on 2 good used 12mm LTM units in favor of the new 12mm M version so hopefully the wait and my wallet will pay off.

 

Looking forward to actually having a lens as wide and my vision or my mind's vision. I may have to make a 2 stage purchase, the lens and 486 filter first and then a finder second. I have a CV 21mm finder and I wonder if I can guestimate a complete view from that ignoring the 21mm lines in it until I actually get the finder that mates to the M8. Fully certain the 21mm finder would not be close on the M2 with a 12mm lens.

 

Lee

 

L

 

This exact point (and the overall more practical use) make the 15 Heliar M + Frankenfinder a much better combination for me on a M8 / film M combo.

 

As the MSRP of the 12mm M lens has been estimated, to be around 600+ EUR, the new 12mm + any single focal length finders for M8 and full frame are likely more expensive than the superior Frankenfinder + 15mm.

 

Except the reported stronger red corner issue with the 15mm and 3mm difference for super wide wants, there are only negative points for me about the 12mm.

 

 

"M8.2 | 15 Heliar M | Leica Universal Wide Angle Finder"

 

I wrote some thoughts about the finder on my site here: Leica Universal Wide Angle Finder

[ho_co]

Lee, I'm a believer in using finders myself, but not everyone agrees.

 

When the M8 came out, Guy Mancuso posted a number of good shots with the 12mm, all made without finder. He felt it was so wide he could just estimate the coverage, and so far as I'm aware, he never bought a finder for it.

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[epand56]

Except the reported stronger red corner issue with the 15mm and 3mm difference for super wide wants, there are only negative points for me about the 12mm.

 

I have no red corner Issues with the 12 on my M8 using a Milich filter holder and a B+W 489 filter. Besides it is very different in FOW and rendition from the 15 M-mount that I also have and find an absolute winner lens.

[odyocu]

Lee,

 

I had the colors on the corners with 15mm. It was more on one side than the other. I'll try to find a sample photo for you since pictures speak better than words.

 

Seyhun

 

 

 

Seyhun,

This is very interesting the color issue between the 12mm and the 15mm. Selling your 15 because the color, is that because the shift in color was all over the frame, or out by the edges? I've seen some nice color images from other 15mm lenses, I wondered if the CV plant just spun out a bad unit.

 

Also I wonder with a 12mm do you have to be concerned with keeping your feet or tripod leg out of the picture? I've used some 10mm fish eye lenses before with those issues. This new 12 I hope is very rectilinear and not distort too much.

 

Lee

[epand56]

Lee,

 

I had the colors on the corners with 15mm. It was more on one side than the other. I'll try to find a sample photo for you since pictures speak better than words.

 

Seyhun

 

This is how my 15 M-mount works on my M8, coded as WATE and wit UV/IR filter.

Looks quite good to me and see no reds (well, except for the car... ). No Cornerfix or other PP at all.

 

 

[Just Alex]

Thanks guys for posting the pics.

 

It's always nice to see images from a lens rather than just reading about it.

 

The lens produces a great perspective on the M8, not distorted like I imagined it would be.

[Jerry_R]

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New 12mm M Mount - already present on eBay:

voigtlander 12mm II, Cameras Photo. Great deals on eBay!

[daleeman]

New 12mm M Mount - already present on eBay:

voigtlander 12mm II, Cameras Photo. Great deals on eBay!

 

Hay, first up for sale. Cameraquest says it will have items in 2 days. Looking to see how they price them.

 

Thanks for spotting them on ebay.

 

I really enjoyed seeing the images others put up from their 12 and 15mm lens

 

Lee

[Jerry_R]

I just realised, German use different spelling, check this ;-)

 

voigtländer 12mm II, Cameras Photo. Great deals on eBay!

[Jerry_R]

I can find few different 12mm viewfinders. They differ in price a lot:

- starting from Voitlander for 89 EUR (black one on green box) [rectangle]

- I found silver Voigtlander for 289 EUR too [rectangle]

- and finally new black Voigtlander for 399 EUR [round]

 

Any recommendations? Any weaknesses?

[daleeman]

Yesterday the 12mm M mount showed up. I was actually there to meet the postman and sign for the box without having to track it down in the bins at the understaffed post office.

 

When I opened it up I was pleasently suprised at the physical size of the unit, smaller than I thought it would be. My purchase came from Steve Gandy at cameraquest. Build looked OK; the built in hood looked a bit cheap for my likes was the only physical issue at first.

 

Looked at the mount and it appears it will be hard to code. There is a concentric circle milled in the mount. It is not smooth and flat. I will put the code template on it very soon and see if I can code it?

 

What do I code it is another question?

 

I did not buy a finder yet. Steve told me since I have a 21mm finger from VC, everything I see in that, ignoring the frame lines will be just about what I get from the 12mm lens. I walked out to the back porch and shot three frames and this appears to be true for the M8 with the 21mm VC finder. Really slimed out the playback monitor on the M8 with my nose shooting with the 21mm finder. I will tripod it on Thursday and do some good nose mashing tests.

 

So tonight I teach down at the college and tomorrow I take a final, so the first reat time to get out and shoot will be Thursday. Unless I swing by the house and pick up the M8 before I teach the class. It might be a good test, we will be in a very cramp video studio under all kinds of mixed lights. Might be a fun test and I am itching to shoot it even if a filter has not hit the mailbox for front protection.

 

Will post images soon.

 

Lee

[k_g_wolf ✝]

>> Lee

 

 

The recess is meant for coding. Just put the codesigns within the concentric circle, not

on the flange.

 

This way your markings won´t come off when you remove the lens.

 

 

 

Best

 

GEORG

[SJP]

<snip>There is a concentric circle milled in the mount.<snip>

Magically this groove which has no earthly purpose from a mechanics point of view is lined up exactly at the distance (radius) where you need to paint the code - no need for any milling of the mount. CV is not so stupid....

 

 

EDIT: Aaargh, Georg beat me to it:D

[ho_co]

... What do I code it is another question? ...

 

Lee, let us know if you find an answer.

 

I've been using the screw-mount 12mm uncoded on my M8 with a B+W 489 filter (IRa, not IR-Cut) in Milich adapter. I chose the IR absorptive filter to avoid the cyan drift caused by the dichroic UV/IR-Cut filter itself.

 

My experience has been that results are better from the combination when the camera's lens ID detection is disabled.

 

Before buying the Heliar, I asked on the forum how I should best approach the question of coding. Both Sean Reid and Guy Mancuso were of the opinion that since the lens is so much shorter than any Leica offering, no Leica codes would work well with it, and I should simply rely on CornerFix.

 

 

I'm interested to hear others' responses on the topic.

 

 

BTW--What framelines does the M mount version bring up?

Edited May 4, 2010 by ho_co

[daleeman]

Lee, let us know if you find an answer.

 

>>... I'm interested to hear others' responses on the topic.

 

 

BTW--What framelines does the M mount version bring up?

 

Useless Frame Lines would be my guess. They mean nothing to me as I look through the camera since it far exceeds the vision of the range finder. I'll stick my eyes back in it today and try to share with you what lines I see.

 

I took some pleminary images while teaching class last night. Failed to change the white ballance setting before shooting under the hot lights of our portable video studio set up. I ended up shooting some at iso 640 and some above that to keep my shutter speed up to match the f5.6 minimum of the lens and not let the people outside of the hot lights fall into a pit of darkness. Hope to publish Thursday. I also had 10 minutes of sunlight left when the class let out so I went to the bell tower in town and shot some outside.

 

I had no filter on the lens and no coding. When I returned I found the normal 67mm UV not UV/IR slim filter I ordered from Adorama to just protect the lens before I spent the money for the UV/IR If I want/need it. The lens cap will not go back on the slim filter that has no front threads.

 

Lee

[daleeman]

>> Lee

 

 

The recess is meant for coding. Just put the codesigns within the concentric circle, not

on the flange.

 

This way your markings won´t come off when you remove the lens.

 

 

 

Best

 

GEORG

 

George,

What a great idea. Thanks for bring that to my attention. I never thought about that but that makes real sense to me.

 

Lee

[LeicaMSeattle]

Ok, enough! Let's see some pictures taken with the lens! I'm contemplating whether or not to get one now that I already have the latest 15mm M-mount.

[ho_co]

... BTW--What framelines does the M mount version bring up?

 

Useless Frame Lines would be my guess...

 

Lee, you mentioned coding the lens. To make the camera think it has a certain Leica lens mounted, the code and frame setting must match.

 

It's not an idle question.

[daleeman]

Lee, you mentioned coding the lens. To make the camera think it has a certain Leica lens mounted, the code and frame setting must match.

 

It's not an idle question.

I checked the frame lines for you tonight. The camera brings up the 28mm frame lines when you put the lens on. The metadata reports the lens as a 21mm oddly enough and recodes the f-stop correctly what one shot. I find this very odd but that is what I see going on.

 

More in just a bit.

 

Lee

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Look here: Leica M

[daleeman]

Here are the images from the first tests of the Voigtlander 12mm M mount on the M8.2 camera.

 

• No filter
  
• No codeing
  
• Camera displays 28mm frame lines inside camera
  
• Camera reports lens as a 21mm with no codeing, odd but true
  
• Camera reported f-stop on images from uncoded lens in manual mode
  
• Used VC 21mm finder on camera "full view", everything you see in the accessory finder matches what you get on the M8. Or just real dang close, you do have to squish you eye into that finder to see the edges without glasses.
  
• Lens shows typical synthetic clothing color shift without uv/ir
  
• Focus was almost irrelevant, Zone and forget it although I did try to focus often
  
• Images were at ISO 1250 to keep my shutter speed up
  
• Images outside were at 320 ISO, the sun was 1 finger width off horizon
  

 

These may not be the most technical photographs but the first time I used the lens was in my video production class at the college where I teach as an adjunct. Great group of students. Color setting was on Auto when I shot them then I changed them to Tungsten in Capture One. Auto on the one of the stairs, and Florescent for the one that was shot in the classroom.

 

Images are at:

Voigtlander 12mm Lens Test - Lee Gephart's Photos- powered by SmugMug

 

I look forward to your feedback and I hope you enjoy the images. One shows my elbow as I whipped about to get one of the crew and I was in a slightly crooked pose. I was surprised to see myself, or my arm in the image holding the camera in both hands and pivoting at the waist and wrists. If you touch the right edge of the image in the viewer you will get a fly out that has an blue info button that shows what "Smugmug" harvested off the metadata to display.

 

More images to come from this weekend.

 

Lee