Can you please recommend me an ultra wide-angle lens for the M10M and M10-R?

[wolan]

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Hi,

can you please recommend me an ultra wide angle lens with the following characteristics:

• Light and compact 
• any focal length between 12-16mm would be ok
• as sharp and as good as modern APO Leica lenses
• low or Laowa-like zero distortion

I do not mind if it is not range-finder coupled.

Thanks.

 

 

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[Sandokan]

Zeiss had a 15mm lens in M mount and also an 18/3.8 lens. I saw the 15mm on sale in Ricardo about a month ago. 

The Voigtländer 12 and 15mm lenses. 

I use the R 19/2.8 on both SL and M10 (it has built in filters for monochrome) with the electronic finder. 

 

[jankap]

The Elmarit R 15mm f/2.8 is very good. Of course with electronic finder or with LCD screen.

The Elmarit offers built-in filters, that were used for film (daylight and tungsten light). They cannot be modified for electronic cameras, unfortunately.

The Voigtländer 12mm f/5.6 can be mentioned too. Rangefinder coupled of course.

Edited March 31, 2023 by jankap

[jankap]

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Filters for black/white too.

Edited March 31, 2023 by jankap

[rtai]

I was going to reply but then the OP asked for modern Leica APO quality. I have used the Leica 15mm f2.8 R on film and agree it’s the closest option. Sadly I don’t have it anymore. I don’t like the rendering of the Voigtlander 15mm on the M10M but it might be great in color I’ll have to test it. I would like the try the Zeiss ZM 15mm.

Edited March 31, 2023 by rtai

[ramarren]

I have the Voigtländer HyperWide 10mm f/5.6 and it performs nicely on the M10-M, albeit the FoV is so extreme it's hard to use. I bought it for use with the CL (APS-C format) and haven't used it much with the M10-M so far. 

G

[Life By Stills]

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The Voigtländer Super Wide Heliar III 15mm f/4.5 is pretty good! Worth looking into. It makes wonderful BW shots with a Leica M Monochrom. I have used it on both the M246 and M10M and it really does not disappoint. Just shoot at f/8 and marvel at the wonderful images.

[Simone_DF]

On 3/30/2023 at 9:46 PM, wolan said:

Hi,

can you please recommend me an ultra wide angle lens with the following characteristics:

• Light and compact 
• any focal length between 12-16mm would be ok
• as sharp and as good as modern APO Leica lenses
• low or Laowa-like zero distortion

I do not mind if it is not range-finder coupled.

The Laowa 15mm f2 was recently released in M mount too

https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-15mm-f-2-zero-d-lm/

[henning]

I have the WATE right now as well as the Leica/Zeiss Hologon 15/8. The latter is useable (barely) but hardly up to modern standards. I had the 18/4 Distagon for a number of years but finally sold it as the WATE at 18mm is essentially as good, is more compact and more versatile. I've had the first Voigtlander 15/4.5 since it came out, and it was and is quite decent, and except for the vignetting very useable on a Monochrom. Likewise the first 12/5.6. I still use both my M10M. I also tried the VC 15/4.5 v.III but gave up after the 3rd try; all had serious decentering or tilt. I had the 10/5.6 for a while, but when the Laowa 9/5.6 came out I got that; it's much better than the VC 10mm in my experience.

So: hard to say what may be 'best'. None are 'APO' quality, most are bulkier than I would like and of course, if you haven't used extremely wide lenses before they do take some getting used to. If you have good 21 right now, you might consider a 15mm Voigtlander. If you don't plan to use it on a colour capable digital M, I would suggest the first version of the 15, as it's tiny, inexpensive especially on the used market and has as it's main downside on a Monochrom no rangefinder coupling. But then, it's a 15! Scale focussing a 15/4.5 is about as easy as it gets

My next wide-angle foray is likely to be Laowa's 12-24/5.6 zoom, which apparently is quite decent and not at all like the 10-18, which is definitely not worthwhile.

[Alistairm]

“as sharp and as good as modern APO Leica lenses”

What subjects are you shooting? I’m not trying to be cute, but if it’s static subjects and you’re chasing that level of quality, you may be better off shooting multiple frames and merging them, which is astounding simple these days and which I find gives better results than any UWA I’ve tried to date. Of course, that’s completely useless for some subjects.

[rpittal]

The Leica 21SEM is the best in my opinion, but not as wide as you are looking for. The Voightlander 15 (III) is very nice, but the wider Voights I found not to be useable unless crop to square format.