p.62 #2 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Cowlishaw wrote:
Dang I was looking at the M-Mount Version... I knew it was too good to be true.
On the upside, if you ever think you will get a TechART Pro adapter, you would get auto-focus, which you would never get with the E-mount version of this lens.
p.62 #3 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Argh!!!
Second copy, same issue. It feels like you can't quite get to optimum sharpness when you hit the infinity stop. My VM is clearly sharper than the E-mount especially in the corners. This second copy is about as sharp as the first E-mount copy.
Do I have a magically optically superior VM version or does this batch of E-mounts need the infinity stop adjusted?
Here's 100% viewing pictures same sharpening, etc in ACR:
p.62 #4 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I like your VM lens. It's just like my Choppy.
Your E-mount lens doesn't seem to get to infinity - that should be adjustable though.
On the plus side I don't see smeared corners. They seem simply not to be in focus.
If I were in your situation, I would have the lens properly adjusted.
p.62 #5 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I'm wondering if it could be better to get the Leica M Mount version of this lens versus the Sony E Mount? I'm okay with losing some in-camera functions. It would be nice to have the lens available for future compatibility with other cameras besides the Sony A7 Series. What's your thoughts?
I read through some of your comments, so thanks for the feedback!
I wouldn't mind using an adaptor as well! Also, is there a chance that the latest M Version plays nicer with with some of the Sony E Mount version. It seems somewhere I read this!?
p.62 #6 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I would agree with the comment it looks a tad soft, but not smeared in the corners. Does it improve stopped down?
Keep trying. They do exist. I had two bad copies and third time was the charm.
Good luck.
jhinkey wrote:
Argh!!!
Second copy, same issue. It feels like you can't quite get to optimum sharpness when you hit the infinity stop. My VM is clearly sharper than the E-mount especially in the corners. This second copy is about as sharp as the first E-mount copy.
Do I have a magically optically superior VM version or does this batch of E-mounts need the infinity stop adjusted?
Here's 100% viewing pictures same sharpening, etc in ACR:
p.62 #9 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Well, I ended up going with Photo Village because they had Sony E Mount version in stock and just paid the $800. i was really trying to weigh the pros and cons of the Sony E Mount version vs Leica M. I was getting the impression that Leica M might carry with it the better chance of nailing a solid good copy. We'll see. They told me those that they currently have in stock are the latest iterations and that they are supposed to be better. I hope so...
p.62 #11 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I've ordered both an E mount and an M mount version of this lens and have returned both due to smeared corners. I'm using the lens on the original A7. Has anyone had any luck with the lens on the original A7? Wondering whether I should keep playing the lens lottery or not.
p.62 #13 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Stephen is looking into how the infinity stop is adjusted on this lens - if I have to jump through lots of hoops to get that done then it will just get returned for a refund. I'd like to test my copy on another A7RII to see if it still has infinity issues, but that's kind of a pain as well. Could my A7RII be out of spec for the flange distance to the sensor?
p.62 #14 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
jhinkey, when I had my R2 I tested my Loxia 21mm on another R2 and mounting the lens was easier on that one. Much less force required. I wanted to test it out as I had problems with lens losing connection to the body sometimes (rubber ring...?) but it turned out it was not that straightforward.
Another weird issue was with adapted Zeiss 28/2 which went totally bonkers. The field curvature was way out of place for the corners. Now the same lens with Leitax mount works perfectly on Pentax K-1 and so it did with a Nikon body as well.
p.62 #15 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
jhinkey wrote:
Stephen is looking into how the infinity stop is adjusted on this lens - if I have to jump through lots of hoops to get that done then it will just get returned for a refund. I'd like to test my copy on another A7RII to see if it still has infinity issues, but that's kind of a pain as well. Could my A7RII be out of spec for the flange distance to the sensor?
Hopefully it will be something simple to do. Please let us know when you hear back from him as I would like to adjust mine just a bit.
p.62 #17 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I got my lens but it's difficult to determine if my copy is good or not. In some shots, it looks sharper in the corners than other shots when going to the extreme corners. I have a copy from the latest batch!
p.62 #18 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
UPDATE: I'm uploading 15 full resolution images to Flickr and will post links to them here on Fred Miranda. Sorry, I don't have a premium membership here but will pay for one when I get some more money. Once I post the links to the full resolution images, I would like to get feedback on whether you all think I have a bad copy or not.
I had to send the Samyang/Rokinon 14mm F2.8 back three time and finally gave up on them because it was frustrating - and they were decentered. This is turning out to be quite the fiasco trying to find a decent super wide. :/
p.62 #19 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Okay... I've uploaded 13-15 samples shot wide open with the Sony E-Mount version of the Voigtlander Heliar 15mm F4.5 III sent to me from Photo Village in New York. Will from Photo Village, told me this lens came from the latest shipment from Cosina (Voigtlander) and it was supposed to be improved upon. I'm not totally convinced that I have a decent copy when I want to GOOD copy of this lens. I'm pretty OCD about this, and want something that I'm going to use for professional use.
I've included a link to the photo album on Flickr of all the sample images that I shot Wide Open and F4.5 and some of the edges are looking smeared and some are looking okay, especially the bricks on the building in the extreme left corner in one of the shots. My lens as a HARD stop at infinity and not sure if it needs to be adjusted or if I'm not reaching infinity and that's why corners may look smeared. Otherwise, I'm thinking I've got a bad copy of the lens!?
So I took time to edit these samples by only improving the shadows (pushing up the shadow slider in lightroom) and I tried to drop sharpness to ZERO on some of these test examples. I may have missed 1 or 2 on that!? Please let me know if I got a good or bad copy. . .because after looking through these to the point of INSANITY, I am on the verge of sending the lens back tomorrow and probably WILL NOT exchange it...
I'll just live without a 15mm or super-wide! :/
Here's the Flickr Album. I've allowed permission on all photos to be downloaded at full resolution (over 7000PX wide!) and REALLY would deeply appreciate your thorough two-cents on whether this lens is a keeper or questionable??
p.62 #20 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Okay for 4.5 they look good, don't drop the sharpness as you would not normally do that anyway. Just put a nice base sharpening. But 5.6 and f8 this lens should look okay. I'm not immediately seeing smearing. One problem is they are kind of low res. So on my iPad they fall apart when I magnify a little. Use 1200 or 1600 on your wide side as that may help. Send me 1200 wide 300 dpi jpeg at only 10 compression. I'll post it here
I knew it was too good to be true.
