Using a Hologon

[Stevez4]

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Is anyone else using a Zeiss 16 mm Hologon adapted for the M8? Are you as happy with it as I am with mine?

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[AGeoJO]

Steve,

I have a 16mm Hologon from my Contax G collection. Yes, it can be adapted to be mounted on an M film body without any problems but it may stick out too much into the M8. The cost of having it converted is around $350 and there is a possibility it may cause some damage to your M8 (in a similar fashion as some Leica collapsible lenses do, I was told and I don't want to find that out the hard way). I skipped that option and bought a CV 15mm for around the same amount and I didn't regret that move. I just admire the Hologon from time to time by simply looking at it .

[Stevez4]

I am amazed by the image quality of the hologon on my m8. I wa curious about others experiece with it.

[carstenw]

16mm? Is this not the Zeiss 15mm Hologon?

 

eBay: LEICA LEITZ CARL ZEISS 15MM F8 HOLOGON FOR LEICA M BOX (item 130104220112 end time Apr-30-07 14:30:00 PDT)

 

There is an old discussion here. Some seem to say it is not that great:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-collectors-historica/23083-carl-zeiss-hologon-leica-m.html

[wattsy]

16mm? Is this not the Zeiss 15mm Hologon?

 

No, Steve is referring to the more recent Zeiss 16mm/F8 Hologon for the Contax G system. It's apparently possible to have the lens adapted to fit the M mount.

[luigi bertolotti]

.... BTW, the M8 manual says that the famous Hologon 15mm f8 is a FORBIDDEN lens on the M8... ( I was astonished they have pointed this... it was a lens produced in 300 or so items more than 30 years ago) : not surprising, it had a complex mount and above all a deeply convex back element that I'll think it touches the shutter blades...

[Etruscello]

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I am exceptionally happy with the pictoral results of using my Hologon 16mm G (adapted by DAG to M) on the M8. No, it does not go in too far to damage the shutter (some of you may be confusing this lens with the 15mm Hologon). It does not, however, allow automatic metering because the lens protrusion does cover about half the area of the M8 light reader. This has been no problem -- just set the shutter for the speed suggested by the old Kodak lens box inserts and monitor the results. I usually get the right exposure the first time and always by the second shot.

I have been able to use the 16mm Hologon with an IR Cut filter. I bought a 60-to-67 step-up ring and placed a strip of sticky-back felt around the inside ring. I am able to push this "filter adapter" onto and around the outside of the front built-in hood of the lens and screw a 67mm IR Cut filter into this "holder." Yes, the cyan drift is bad, but I correct it rather easily in the new Photoshop CS3. (I wrote another post describing this process.)

I plan to have John Milich mill 6 grooves onto a 28mm M flange, paint-in the Leica code for the WATE and switch flanges on my Hologon. When I do this, I look forward to having the perfect super wide-angle lens for the M8! Tom P.

[khun_k]

It is without question, to me, among the best lens available for M mount (modified from G). Sharp from corner to corner, less color fringe issue compares to other M lenses, in my point of view. Slight cyan cast on corners but I was not too bothered by it. In all, perhaps 50% of all my pictures, approx. 6,000 expores so far, were on Hologon.

[AGeoJO]

Maybe I should re-think my position here since I do have a Hologon already. I also got a quote in my early M8 days from DAG to convert the Hologon but decided not to do it at that time. Has any of you that uses this lens made a comparison with the widely popular CV15, by any chance? Any images that you can share with? I mean taken with Hologon and not from the comparison, unless you already did that, of course .

 

Thanks,

Joshua

[martinb]

I know a guy who owns one and uses it on the M8. I've seen samples from it and I've never seen a lens that wide with total lack of distortion. It really is amazing. He uses it uncoded so there's some vignetting.

[Stevez4]

Martin has hit the nail on the head. The Hologon 16 just incomparable with the CV lens. I have both and they are not in the same league.

There were not many made, and like me are extinct. The vignetting occurs less when the M8 is not used on "A". The actual vignetting is the lens signature.

Of course if you are taking carefully lit product photos or other comercial stuff. The Hologon is not for you.

The lens came with a filter to correct the vignetting. In all these years I used it very little.

Enjoy it guys. You own a very special lens with very unique capabilities.