p.70 #1 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Yes, to me the upper corners look weak, if shot at f/8. But I've seen worse, going through 4 copies until I had one that is really good.
Mine is actually sharper at f/4,5 into the corners by a significant margin.
p.70 #4 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
All this time spent obsessing about corners... I've decided to look past it and just enjoy my copy, corner smearing and all. Getting out and shooting some images, I found that most of the time it doesn't matter. Many of my shots are cropped or use keystone correction--enough that my final images are using the best 98% of this lens anyways. Also, shooting f8-f11 improves corners a lot.
Some things I really like about the lens vs my FE 16-35/4: small size, actual infinity stop(!), aperture ring, gorgeous sunstars ! Otherwise, the zoom has basically the same image quality, maybe a touch less vignetting. It's actually impressive how sharp the zoom is by comparison--enough that I may end up keeping both, at least for now. Anyways, here are some Voigtlander 15mm images to share:
p.70 #5 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Hello to All
Maybe is a stupid question, I understand all the advantages having a native e-mount, but due to the fact that it is very risky to receive a bad copies of Heliar 15mm for sony e-mount, is it not better to buy a leica M with a good adapter? Or we can have bad copy also with Leica M mount?
The question is because I wondering in buying this lens and I cannot decide if better:
1) Heliar 15mm f4.5 III Leica M + voigtlander VM Adapter
2) Heliar 15mm f4.5 III Sony e-mount
p.70 #6 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
aiken11 wrote:
Hello to All
Maybe is a stupid question, I understand all the advantages having a native e-mount, but due to the fact that it is very risky to receive a bad copies of Heliar 15mm for sony e-mount, is it not better to buy a leica M with a good adapter? Or we can have bad copy also with Leica M mount?
The question is because I wondering in buying this lens and I cannot decide if better:
1) Heliar 15mm f4.5 III Leica M + voigtlander VM Adapter
2) Heliar 15mm f4.5 III Sony e-mount
Thanks for any answer
I have not seen any evidence to suggest that your chances of a good copy are any better (or worse) if you go M-mount over E-mount.
p.70 #7 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
aiken11 wrote:
Hello to All
Maybe is a stupid question, I understand all the advantages having a native e-mount, but due to the fact that it is very risky to receive a bad copies of Heliar 15mm for sony e-mount, is it not better to buy a leica M with a good adapter? Or we can have bad copy also with Leica M mount?
The question is because I wondering in buying this lens and I cannot decide if better:
1) Heliar 15mm f4.5 III Leica M + voigtlander VM Adapter
2) Heliar 15mm f4.5 III Sony e-mount
Thanks for any answer
I went through two (used "good") M-mount versions from a reputable dealer recently. May be trying for a third (new) at some point in the near future.
p.70 #9 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
After six months of use, I can say this is my favorite lens. It well worth having to send two back to get a good copy. It's worth the effort. I like it better than the Loxia 21mm lens.
My only complaint is I don't like either of the lens caps. They are finicky. Front one in particular is easy to pop off. Lost mine this last weekend.
p.70 #10 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I second that. It is worth the effort to find a good copy of this lens, as it is truly one capable little gem. Really a shame that the QC in Cosina is such a mess. I've also heard (from a distributor) that they are experiencing problems with returns, as Cosina rates most of these lenses as "within specs". The distributors are therefore forced to resell those lenses, which is a shame.
On a side note, if someone was interested if the lens vignettes with a polarizer - it does not. I bought a standard Zeiss polarizer to go with the lens and it has no issues whatsoever (accepts the lens cap too).
p.70 #14 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I also agree that this is one of the best ultra wide lenses I had ever used. It is razer sharp, contrast is good and nothing to mention about distortion. The loxia 21 could be a little bit sharper but now it stayes longer in my bag since the voigtlander joined the family. The wider angle had the advantage for landscape shots most of the time.
p.70 #15 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
bluloo wrote:
I went through two (used "good") M-mount versions from a reputable dealer recently. May be trying for a third (new) at some point in the near future.
If you do, could you post your experience? I'd be interested in knowing if the M mount is substantially better than the E mount for whatever arcane reason.
p.70 #16 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
simonedf wrote:
If you do, could you post your experience? I'd be interested in knowing if the M mount is substantially better than the E mount for whatever arcane reason.
Will do, though I had to return the 16-35ZA. It was absolutely horrid in the corners at 35mm and was still very soft on the right side at 16mm.
I may just hold out for a verified good used copy of the lens on the boards. Not feeling the wide angle love in any way lately, and tired of playing bingo.
p.70 #17 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
For anyone in the UK looking to purchase this lens mine arrived today from https://www.robertwhite.co.uk and im glad to say its perfect in the corners. Zero smearing. S/N 0865xxxx in case that helps anyone
p.70 #18 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I can say the same for robertwhite store. They were even kind enough to test a few lenses for me before the actual sale took place. Real stand up guys.
I also have nothing in it for promoting them. Just passing on some positive experiences.
p.70 #19 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I finally managed to get a good copy of this lens, it seems. It took five tries to find a nice one.
I had given up on it but found a local store with a heavily discounted "open box" copy. I assumed it was open box as a return for bad corners but figured I had nothing to lose by trying it - and it seems to be a winner I picked up the 12mm at the same time for a great price.
Corners aren't quite as good as my Tamron 15-30 but they are very close, and obviously this lens is a fraction of the size. Here's a 100% crop of a corner at f9.
! Otherwise, the zoom has basically the same image quality, maybe a touch less vignetting. It's actually impressive how sharp the zoom is by comparison--enough that I may end up keeping both, at least for now. Anyways, here are some Voigtlander 15mm images to share:
I picked up the 12mm at the same time for a great price. 