Now I see why they made a big deal of it, CZ that is. It funnels the eye into the picture in a way I have not seen before, its almost delicate. Great rendering of low contrast subject matter but it's the OTT resolution and extraordinary definition of distant objects I am noticing. The ultra low linear distortion and AOV are quite a combination for creating a special individual look.
What are people noticing with different apertures? The MTF look great at f11, but the real special deal is the centre performance at f5.6, where you don't need close focus. It shares with the 21mm that focus fade is very well-handled and natural looking. Thanks for posting the great shots, and enjoy, but who needs to be told that..
Ah, you noticed the water drops too. I wish I had compared them on the dame day, but the Canon was shot 2 days before I had the Zeiss. And I really didn't want to carry both once the 15 came. Maybe I'll post the comparison over there. It's not extremely scientific, but the differences are so obvious I'm not sure it matters that much.
Vincent Kluwe wrote:
You should post links to your fantastic full size comparison shots at lensrentals blog, Tim.
BTW I love the water drops hanging at the naked branches in the centre of your 15 shot, seen at full size!
I wished we had a chance to compare your new 15 to my 18. I love the sharpness and the warm tone of the 18, but it is too close to my 21. And the colours of your 15 are just flabbergasting. I love these colurs. And I love the clarity of all 15 shots I have seen.
I've done several comparisons between my 18 and 21 and the mighty 14-24. Yes, the 14-24 is sharp. But sharpness isn't all to photography. I still have to see one single well composed photo, which really convinces me in every aspect. Even the better ones seemed dull to me. (Is that the right term?) But I loved most photos I've seen with the 15. Most of us have studied the 15 shots of Richard Schleuning I guess? They are convincing. But your autumn shots are stunning, Tim. Congrats!
And not to forget Bob's series. Lovely. Very well done!
carstenw wrote:
Very cool shots, Bob. You've captured that light and feeling perfectly!
Are you looking for a new office space?
Haha - My company will begin to dismantle and refurbish this building into a new technology center so I only have a few weeks to get in and photograph it. Here's a few more . . . not necessarily prize winning stuff but I figured people what to see more from this lens.
There should be a filter at the top of this forum, where you can type in how much you can afford to spend on a lens, and the relevant threads are filtered out...
carstenw wrote:
There should be a filter at the top of this forum, where you can type in how much you can afford to spend on a lens, and the relevant threads are filtered out...
That's what I say every time I wander into the Leica threads!
magiclight wrote:
What are your thoughts on the 15mm so far Bob?
The lens is simply outstanding! Having shot the Canon 14L II, the Zeiss 15 is simply far superior. I'm amazed at the lack of optical distortion. While the lens overall sharpness peaks at f/5.6, it is amazing to use this lens wide open through f/11.
The biggest 'issue' with the lens is lining up your shot. The lens is so wide that one has to get used to spending more time and care setting up the shot. However, I'm finding the more I use this lens and the more familiar I become with it, the easier it gets.
Images clearly have that Zeiss look. They pop and yet are subtle. Bokeh on such a lens is quite outstanding without harsh details although I need to try more scenes with a close foreground object. I imagine that DOF is this situation is less than one realizes (as shown by Lloyd Chambers) making the selection of the focus point critical. I'm thoroughly enjoying this lens and the different perspective it offers.
For the wrench shot below, I was only a few inches away!
Like the shot 3 above the best of the urbex shots.
Lens has nice Zeiss colors and microcontrast. As I have said before, I wish this lens had shift capability.
IMHO, very wide angle lens shots require more thought about composition and what to include and what not. Just including everything in a room or in an area rarely works or makes a strong image imho.
Glad you guys are having fun shooting with this fine lens.
I wish I had compared them on the dame day, but the Canon was shot 2 days before I had the Zeiss. And I really didn't want to carry both once the 15 came. Maybe I'll post the comparison over there. It's not extremely scientific, but the differences are so obvious I'm not sure it matters that much.
