Shade Posted March 30, 2010 Share #1 Posted March 30, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hey everyone, so, my current set up is M9 + 35 lux + 50 lux. I'm thinking of getting myself a wide friend to my two lenses. The 35 lux would be great for travel shots, 50 lux for portraits, and the wide would be.. Well scenery purposes I suppose? I'm not a person who dwells that much in a wide angle lens, but sometimes I miss having one. So getting a Leica glass would be money over spent for me. I want something nice that's on a budget. Now I've read Steve Huff's review on the 15mm, but his was the older series. My dealer has the newest one, and since its brand new, he wouldn't let me test it. And plus, Steve tested it on an M8 / 8.2, so its cropped, and wouldn't show what a 15mm really look like. So I'm wondering if any of you can give me some samples or insights regarding this lens. Also - do you recommend me getting the external view finder as well along with it? Thanks guys! Ps: any other options besides the Heliar is also welcome! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 30, 2010 Posted March 30, 2010 Hi Shade, Take a look here Opinions on 15mm f4.5 heliar voigtlander.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Ecar Posted March 30, 2010 Share #2 Posted March 30, 2010 In a nutshell: - the last version is rangefinder-coupled, so you don't have to zone-focus as was the case with the previous one - definitely an improvement - a forum search will probably generate multiple hits showing both sample pictures and illustrations of the "purple edge" issue, which is something you should consider (I haven't myself used the lens since I installed the new camera firmware, but my understanding is that this didn't solve the problem and you may still need to use Cornerfix for correcting it) - you definitely need an external finder - if 21mm is wide enough for you, I find the CV 21 f/4 to be a very nice and affordable little lens Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted March 30, 2010 Share #3 Posted March 30, 2010 15mm on a full-frame camera is extreme wide angle. Unless you are sure that's what you want, you'll find a 24/25mm or 21mm lens will be much more use. If you care about what you get in your pictures, you'll need an external viewfinder too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonoslack Posted March 30, 2010 Share #4 Posted March 30, 2010 Well, I really like 15mm on the M9 . . . but the voigtlander will give you trouble with red edges, Cornerfix will fix it, but it's a bother. personally I'd steer clear of it. I loved mine on the M8 . . but since I've moved to the M9 I've given it to my son. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_R Posted March 30, 2010 Share #5 Posted March 30, 2010 I see it like you, not too much money for a niche lens. The CV 15/4.5II offers superb (really !) image quality, but red edges (also with new firmware). If you dont mind fiddling with Cornerfix or PS, you get very good value. I have the CV 15 mm finder, works fine for me. Some examples: My Heliar tag Carsten Ranke Photography Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted March 30, 2010 Share #6 Posted March 30, 2010 On the M9 - not acceptable for most color work without an unrealistic amount of post-processing, great for B&W, or on those rare occasions when the image composition or lighting minimize the impact of the red-edge problems. (On the M8, it "made" the camera for me, so I can't quite bring myself to get rid of it) The 12mm for some reason seems to be a bit cleaner re colored edges. The ONLY difference between the old and new 15mm is cosmetics and the RF focusing - no optical changes at all. So the review you mention is still valid for the new lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 30, 2010 Share #7 Posted March 30, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have one, bot for my M8, and I never really liked it (sorry, I'm *used* to Leica glass). When I posted this Sean took exception because his review rates it a buy at the price [my words, not his]. I have used it once for some interior shots. I had no alternative and they are ok. The viewfinder would be a good investment. My real problem with the lens is that the bokeh really sucks at infinity when you are close focusing. That is, when focusing on something 3-5 feet away, the stuff at inf looks *really* lousy. To me, the colors look like they're poorly registered, just like a badly printed color photo in a newspaper. At the price, it can't be beat. I have, however, moved it to bag number 2 and no longer carry it in bag number 1. P.S.: I just reread Sean's review of the M-mount version of the 15mm lens. Based on his review, I would buy the II lens over the LTM version. IAnd, if you are not a subscriber to ReidReviews, you are not making the best camera investment possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share #8 Posted March 31, 2010 C_R: Very nice pictures you got there from your Heliar, did you post process the red edges and such? Parsons: I JUST subscribed. Lets see what I'm missing these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_R Posted March 31, 2010 Share #9 Posted March 31, 2010 Shade, yes - my workflow to fix the red edges is in PS LAB color, does not touch contrast. Have a small action that does the job within PS quickly. A decision for or against the CV15/4.5 depends strongly on your attitude towards postprocessing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share #10 Posted March 31, 2010 I'm not much of a post processing person. But if its not too much work, I'd reckon I'd do it.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 31, 2010 Share #11 Posted March 31, 2010 ... Parsons: I JUST subscribed. Lets see what I'm missing these days. Way to go. It's the best money I spend on photography, every year. Great reviews, clear use of language. He makes lens characteristics both understandable and obvious. Because of this site, I could identify the character of the 24mm f2.8 lens. It's magic is readily apparent in the images in the review of this lens. It was clearly superior to the comparable lenses. It turns out that the lens is even better than one imagined. And, I'd hate to make a mistake with a kilobuck lens purchase. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
viooh Posted March 31, 2010 Share #12 Posted March 31, 2010 You have to be aware that CornerFix is not a plug-in for LR or PS, but a stand-alone program, and that it takes some initial effort to build a collection of profiles. For best results, you need a profile for every single stop, and when shooting, you have to keep in mind which stop you have used, in order to apply the right profile. The exif data may not be correct regarding the actual stop, so there may also be additional effort recording exposure data. Sounds complicated, but it isn't; once you have the profiles, it adds a single step to the workflow that doesn't take more than half a minute per image. I haven't tried CornerFix in combination with very high iso images, but in my experience there is no visible degrading of IQ with images up to ISO 400, which is perfect for me (I would expect high iso images to show increased noise in the corners, but I haven't tried). This way, the VC15 (having a focal length I hardly ever use) is usable for me without compromise. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustafasoleiman Posted March 31, 2010 Share #13 Posted March 31, 2010 ... At the price, it can't be beat. I have, however, moved it to bag number 2 and no longer carry it in bag number 1. ... I am sorry to be out of context... But Bill I love your "bag number 1 and bag number 2"... I MUST have your permission to use this system of identification for myself... Please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share #14 Posted March 31, 2010 Are the profiles downloadable or do I have to make them myself? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 31, 2010 Share #15 Posted March 31, 2010 I am sorry to be out of context... But Bill I love your "bag number 1 and bag number 2"... I MUST have your permission to use this system of identification for myself... Please? Alessandro, knock yourself out. I use the same system for grouping my LP's. All the "big guys" are downstairs (in the music room) and the "other guys are in most of the other rooms in the house. The big guys are Bach, Beethoven and Mozart (also some nice jazz). I hear about the number of LP's from time to time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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