Jollicoe Posted July 9, 2015 Share #1  Posted July 9, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration)  I know this lens is not coupled or whatever, But is it worth getting at this point or are the Leica wide angle options better? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Hi Jollicoe, Take a look here Zeiss 15mm ZM. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Mornnb Posted July 9, 2015 Share #2 Â Posted July 9, 2015 There is no Leica 15mm. The Zeiss however is an exceptional lens, it is one of Zeiss's best offerings for ZM and is made in germany because of the exotic glass and precision required in this no expense spared design, in this way it is more like a Leica lens. Â Your alternatives are the 16-18-21mm Tri-Elmar or the 18mm Super Elmar. Both are exceptional lenses, but neither are as wide or fast as the Zeiss. Another option is the Voigtlander 15mm, which is a great lens. High contrast and sharp although compared to the Zeiss it's slower and has CA noticeable in the frame edges if one is doing pixel peeping. It is Rangefinder coupled however which means one doesn't need live view to focus it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiepphotog Posted July 9, 2015 Share #3  Posted July 9, 2015 If you are willing to use the EVF, the ZM 15 is pretty much the finest 15 on any system (DSLR included). I have compared it to an exceptional Rokinon 14mm (after 5 copies), and that lens trailed behind the ZM 15 in the center at all apertures while able to match the corner at WO and f/4 but trailed behind again at f/5.6 and f/8. And to most the Rokinon is of the equal, when stopping down, with the like of ZE/ZF 15 and Nikon 14-24. As for the CV, it pretty much stomps the latest III in the centers, and better at f/8. Better yet, it has better coma control than the ZE/ZF 15 and the Rokinon 14.  It's big and heavy and it has crazy vignette with strong color cast (depend on the coding I guess). But it will be the last M-mount I'll sell (right after my 50 APO ).  One of my latest pictures with the ZM 15  River of Stars  Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornnb Posted July 9, 2015 Share #4 Â Posted July 9, 2015 The Zeiss 15mm and the Zeiss 35mm Distagon 1.4 are the two Zeiss ZM lenses which have a clear advantage over Leica's comparable offerings, and they are both possibly the best lenses in their focal length that any manufacturer makes. Zeiss is a great company. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollicoe Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share #5 Â Posted July 9, 2015 I love the F mount version for Nikon so much that now I need t get this thing for M mount. Not the same animal.... I know Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted July 9, 2015 Share #6 Â Posted July 9, 2015 Sham it's not rangefinder coupled, seems odd it isn't tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornnb Posted July 9, 2015 Share #7  Posted July 9, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Sham it's not rangefinder coupled, seems odd it isn't tbh  Yes. Although it is a lens that is easy to zone focus, even at f2.8 it has a depth of field from 1.41m to infinity went set to 3m. At f8, this goes from 0.5m to infinity. I'm guessing for this reason Zeiss decided rangefinder coupling was not essential... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted July 9, 2015 Share #8  Posted July 9, 2015 If you are willing to use the EVF, the ZM 15 is pretty much the finest 15 on any system (DSLR included). I have compared it to an exceptional Rokinon 14mm (after 5 copies), and that lens trailed behind the ZM 15 in the center at all apertures while able to match the corner at WO and f/4 but trailed behind again at f/5.6 and f/8. And to most the Rokinon is of the equal, when stopping down, with the like of ZE/ZF 15 and Nikon 14-24. As for the CV, it pretty much stomps the latest III in the centers, and better at f/8. Better yet, it has better coma control than the ZE/ZF 15 and the Rokinon 14.  It's big and heavy and it has crazy vignette with strong color cast (depend on the coding I guess). But it will be the last M-mount I'll sell (right after my 50 APO ).  One of my latest pictures with the ZM 15  River of Stars  Amazing shot! I've never seen so much 3D in a non short range wide angle shot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiepphotog Posted July 9, 2015 Share #9 Â Posted July 9, 2015 Amazing shot! I've never seen so much 3D in a non short range wide angle shot. Thank you Edward. Glad you like it. The ZM 15 is special. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuck.kenney Posted July 10, 2015 Share #10  Posted July 10, 2015 A tag-along question: for interior photography, should I go with the Zeiss 15mm or the Voigtlander 15mm? Also, I read that the new Voigtlander 15mm (verions III) has no vignetting while the Zeiss 15mm has a lot, is this true? Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiepphotog Posted July 10, 2015 Share #11  Posted July 10, 2015 A tag-along question: for interior photography, should I go with the Zeiss 15mm or the Voigtlander 15mm? Also, I read that the new Voigtlander 15mm (verions III) has no vignetting while the Zeiss 15mm has a lot, is this true? Thanks! No lens has no vignette, but being slow and relative big for its aperture, the CV definitely has much less vignette than the Zeiss. The Zeiss comes with a center filter to compensate for the vignette (the lens is effectively 1.5 stop less). However, I have never used the center filter myself cause I can fix the vignette easily in LR.  Now for interior, the ZM 15 does have noticeable optical distortion at close-distance (straight line is bent). This optical distortion would not show up at far distance. I have heard that the CV 15 III does have more distortion than its predecessor so I'm not sure how suitable it is indoor either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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