My Voigtlander 15 Heliar Report is up!

[Olsen]

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Bollocks.

 

.

 

Sure.

[epand56]

The Heliar 12 images are impressive, exhibit no (or very little) barrel distortion for 12mm. Are the images post corrected?.

 

Hello Albert, Images are not at all corrected. Just out of the camera, just low res and Jpeg.

I can tell that the barrel distortion is minimal for such a wide angle, in particular when the camera is on tripod and horizontally alligned. This little piece of metal and glass is an astounding lens, especially if you think of the price.

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[grober]

It's a bonehead simple decision to by the CV 15mm Heliar. And I'm so boneheaded, I bought it twice!

 

I had sold my first one 'cause it didn't see enough use on my M7 but with the 1.33 crop factor of the M8, I found myself buying one again. Thanks to JM's bronze LTM adapter, my "new" 15 is properly coded and always fun to use.

 

IMHO, the CV 15 is one of the last truly remarkable bargains left in the world today. Thanks for posting your review.

 

-g

[hunghang]

Olsen,

 

Of course the WATE will beat the CV. I know that, and in my write up I mention this. The WATE is just not financially in reach for MANY of us and the CV IS an alternative if it is all you can afford. For me, I can not afford $5000 for a wide angle lens, so a $500 solution that does a good job is attractive to me.

 

In a perfect world, we would all own a WATE for our wide angle M8 solution, but nothing is perfect. The CV may be a hamburger (or prime beef as John has stated), but its also at a hamburger price (when compared to a WATE)

 

Anyway, thanks for looking and your comments.

 

Steve

 

A very diplomatic answer.....

[Holmz]

I'm such a braggart that I even quote myself...

 

Steve, I did some test with my CV Heliar 12 with the Milich filter holder and a B+W # 489 filter for Infrared absorption on. The lens is not at all coded and it seems that the cyan drift is almost totally solved due to this nice filter. The pictures are from Raw files without any PP. I really wonder if the same would happen on the Heliar 15.

 

OK can you give me Milich' contact details - I've looked before, and couldn't find them.

But your examples have me convinced.

[flkin]

John's email is jm@milich.com. I recently ordered a 15mm hood/adapter and it's supposed to be on the way but taking quite a long time. Recently he doesn't seem to be answering his email. Might be out of town?

[tgray]

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I tend to assume nothing until I do the actual tests and so I'd need to actually find out directly. The theory is interesting but I tend to be most interested in the pragmatic results.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

Carry on then. I work with filters a lot in my lab, and interference filters are a very different from broad band filters. Very useful, but as shown in the case of the M8, they have their own problems.

 

By the way, have you ever seen cyan corners (or other color shifts) on film with filtered ultra wide angles? I'm guessing no, and I'm also guessing the UV/IR filters DO show cyan corners on film too... So in sense, the tests have been done. Interference filters are designed for normal incidence and other angles shift the 'tuning' of the filter. Different physics occurs in absorption filters.

Edited March 22, 2009 by tgray

[Holmz]

I'm such a braggart that I even quote myself...

 

Steve, I did some test with my CV Heliar 12 with the Milich filter holder and a B+W # 489 filter for Infrared absorption on. The lens is not at all coded and it seems that the cyan drift is almost totally solved due to this nice filter. The pictures are from Raw files without any PP. I really wonder if the same would happen on the Heliar 15.

 

Epand56 those look good,

 

 

But I am as confused as ever.

Do I shot the 12-mm lens as

1) uncoded.

2) Coded

3) coded with the milich filter

4) other?

[sean_reid]

John's email is jm@milich.com. I recently ordered a 15mm hood/adapter and it's supposed to be on the way but taking quite a long time. Recently he doesn't seem to be answering his email. Might be out of town?

 

Keep in mind that the adapter will cause some hard vignetting with the CV 15 (until John gets a chance to revise the design). The hood needs to be trimmed back a bit.

 

Cheers,

Edited March 24, 2009 by sean_reid

[sean_reid]

Carry on then. I work with filters a lot in my lab, and interference filters are a very different from broad band filters. Very useful, but as shown in the case of the M8, they have their own problems.

 

By the way, have you ever seen cyan corners (or other color shifts) on film with filtered ultra wide angles? I'm guessing no, and I'm also guessing the UV/IR filters DO show cyan corners on film too... So in sense, the tests have been done. Interference filters are designed for normal incidence and other angles shift the 'tuning' of the filter. Different physics occurs in absorption filters.

 

It's an interesting set of questions. I have not tested with film and won't be but I will do some M8 tests with an interference filter later this year. Thanks for the comments and ideas.

 

Cheers,

[epand56]

Epand56 those look good,

 

 

But I am as confused as ever.

Do I shot the 12-mm lens as

1) uncoded.

2) Coded

3) coded with the milich filter

4) other?

 

Holmz, I usually shoot my Heliar 12:

uncoded, with Milich filter holder and B+W 489 filter on, lens detection ON + UV/IR".

 

What I want to try as soon as I have the time, is to shot it:

1. uncoded, lens recognition off and Milich holder + B*W filter on the lens;

2. uncoded, lens recognition off and without Milich holder + B*W filter.

 

But I think the best is the way I usually use it. The 12 works very well with this IR blocking filter #489 on.

 

I would for sure know Sean Reid's opinion on this after he had the time to test this kind of filters.

[Holmz]

Holmz, I usually shoot my Heliar 12:

uncoded, with Milich filter holder and B+W 489 filter on, lens detection ON + UV/IR".

 

What I want to try as soon as I have the time, is to shot it:

1. uncoded, lens recognition off and Milich holder + B*W filter on the lens;

2. uncoded, lens recognition off and without Milich holder + B*W filter.

 

But I think the best is the way I usually use it. The 12 works very well with this IR blocking filter #489 on.

 

I would for sure know Sean Reid's opinion on this after he had the time to test this kind of filters.

 

Thanks Epand.

The few shots I have taken with the lens look horrid but I know good results are possible.

I cannot wait for Sean as I have a trip soon...

 

So where do I get this #489 filter from?

 

I am surprised that you have the lens uncoded but use the lens detection on - I guess I don't know how that works - I thought it would only detect the lens if was coded - which only a few of my lenses are.- but I use that setting too.

So is detection on with an uncoded lens the same as detection off?

[epand56]

So where do I get this #489 filter from?

 

I am surprised that you have the lens uncoded but use the lens detection on - I guess I don't know how that works - I thought it would only detect the lens if was coded - which only a few of my lenses are.- but I use that setting too.

So is detection on with an uncoded lens the same as detection off?

 

Holmz, I use detection on + UV/IR because with detection off, using that particular filter, results in pictures with a strong blue dominant. Besides, with this filter there is no need to code the lens, since the cyan shift problem is solved by the filter itself.

 

I bought the filter at Adorama, but I saw B&H have them also. Keep in mind that it is a special order so it could take a long time to get it. It took me about a couple months but I live in Italy and mail is slooooow.

If you have the Milich filter holder for the CV Heliar 12mm, the size of the filter must be 55mm.

 

B+W | 55 mm 489 Infrared Glass Filter | 65019077 | B&H Photo

 

Amazon.com: B&W 55MM IR Absorbing Blue-Green #489 Filter for Infrared Absorption (65-019077): Camera & Photo

Edited March 24, 2009 by epand56

[Guest malland]

The 489 filters are about 1/3rd the US price in Germany. For example do a search on the Michael Palme web store site, which, if you're buying three or four of them, makes quite a difference. And that is the price including VAT, which means that the price difference is even greater if they ship to the States.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Bangkok Noir©: Book Project - a set on Flickr

[Mauribix]

If someone's interested in a mint 489filter, just PM

I had it listed in the BUY&SELL section for a while, then it ended, but I still own it.

[Holmz]

For example do a search on the Michael Palme web store site, which,...

 

I can't seem to find the store to do a search.

 

 

Will the Leica 55mm filter not work the same or do I really want the #489 ?

[Holmz]

If someone's interested in a mint 489filter, just PM

I had it listed in the BUY&SELL section for a while, then it ended, but I still own it.

 

You got a PM

[Guest malland]

I can't seem to find the store to do a search...

Here is the url:

 

Foto-Palme: Willkommen

 

There are many other German web stores that you can find through a Google search, but I listed this one because it is the only one that I ever bought anything from.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Chiang Mai - a set on Flickr

[positivibes]

i just used the 15mm on my M8 as a portrait lens!! yes, right. See what came up. I just love this lens, and thanks to the close min. distance of 0.3m you can even use it for portraits.

 

rocket design  Weitwinkel Portraits

 

The pictures are uncropped!

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[exile]

Positivibes, you need to clone out your feet on those shots. They are cool though