p.10 #1 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Seriously I would love the E version for the functional stuff but I'm not selling this one. I honestly did not know there was any issues, I just knew I had a very good copy of it and why I have been saying I love this lens for almost a year now. Until this thread I thought it did not matter if I sold it because the E lens would be functionally better . So it's not only changed Fred's opinion it also changed mine. Sometimes I get lucky. I have a great 15,21 and 50 plus my GM 24-70 are solid great copies. Even my GM 85 was a good copy but it went back today for exchange because of the really high noise. So know my fingers are crossed I get a good one this time. But I think we are learning some hard lessons here and I learned it after 4 35mm 1.4. Test everything the day you get it and try not to sell a really good copy of a lens. It's hard to find a good one sometimes. Now this is industry wide.
p.10 #3 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
These findings above are pretty encouraging and discouraging at the same time to me.
If industry in general has such problems delivering excellent copies of their designs then an obvious question seems, are there lens designs that are more robust to assembly tolerances?
If so, which lenses are that?
p.10 #4 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
k-h.a.w wrote:
These findings above are pretty encouraging and discouraging at the same time to me.
If industry in general has such problems delivering excellent copies of their designs then an obvious question seems, are there lens designs that are more robust to assembly tolerances?
If so, which lenses are that?
K-H.
Hi K-H,
I am wondering if you should just rely on your WATE at 16mm and avoid all of the headaches of possibly having to return multiple copies of the CV 15mm VIII.
p.10 #5 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Now I'm torn. On the one hand I'm probably willing to play the lens return game to get a good one even though I hate it. On the other hand I hate supporting this kind of terrible QC by giving them money.
p.10 #6 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
naturephoto1 wrote:
Hi K-H,
I am wondering if you should just rely on your WATE at 16mm and avoid all of the headaches of possibly having to return multiple copies of the CV 15mm VIII.
Rich
Thanks Rich. I certainly rely on my WATE for many WA situations.
Too bad in Capture One Pro 9 there isn't a geometric correction for it.
I have one image where I really needed that. So I used ACR for that.
But I don't like the colors ACR typically generates for me.
I am sure it's user error on my part.
I already have the Voightlander FE 15/4.5 III on order, it shipped and should arrive this Thursday.
I jumped the gun. Let's consider it an investment in my education.
Many thanks to Guy and Fred for figuring out this lens.
I don't know what to expect and will keep an open mind when checking out my copy of the lens.
It also should be interesting to compare it to my WATE.
p.10 #8 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Actually I did think of that. What if the hood was a little to long creating sort of a soft vignette. Think about wearing glasses and your seeing the frame in part of the view, something like that. This would have to be so slight it just had a affect on the extreme crop. I know far fetched theory.
sebboh wrote:
i was thinking that too, but i bet the hood causes a subtle corner vignetting effect and you can only get good corners without the hood.
p.10 #9 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
GMPhotography wrote:
Actually I did think of that. What if the hood was a little to long creating sort of a soft vignette. Think about wearing glasses and your seeing the frame in part of the view, something like that. This would have to be so slight it just had a affect on the extreme crop. I know far fetched theory.
it's not completely impossible... do you have any pre chopping images?
p.10 #10 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I have decided to stop posting images from the new E-mount version because I certainly do not have a good copy. It's disturbing that it performs similarly to the M-mount I have at hand for review (brand new) and to another M-mount I used to have.
However, after testing a good copy of this lens today (M-mount), everything changed and I asked for a replacement. Until then, feel free to post images or tests from your new E-mount.
The only think I can do right now is to show how well a good copy can perform. Guy's "Choppy" really impressed me.
Below are 1:1 crops comparing both at the main problem area for my E-mount copy. (extreme corners)
PS: Do not get discouraged to get the new E-mount. I definitely have a defective lens.
M-mount (Choppy) on the LEFT | E-mount version on the RIGHT
I did correct for vignetting but left distortion and CA uncorrected.
At least when you get your lens, you know what to look for.
p.10 #13 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I have to look at when I got it versus when I chopped it and I actually documented over at my place a thread on what I did. Than look for files I shot in between. I will look into it, I have the sales receipt as well.
sebboh wrote:
it's not completely impossible... do you have any pre chopping images?
p.10 #15 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
BTW: Lightroom sharpening for both lenses was:
Amount: 40, Radius: 0.7, Detail: 25, Masking: 0
Both corrected for vignetting, No CA or distortion correction. (you can see CA very clearly in high contrast areas)
However LaCA is removed almost completely using LR's CA removal.
I'm hoping to get a E-mount (or even M-mount) as good as this one.
p.10 #17 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I'm still impressed how well it performs wide open center to extreme edges. Wow.
At f/5.6 there is a micro-contrast boost but I would not hesitate to shoot at f/4.5 if needed.
Perhaps coma is on the low level wide-open and this lens could even be used for nightscapes. (with higher ISO settings)
p.10 #18 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'm still impressed how well it performs wide open center to extreme edges. Wow.
At f/5.6 there is a micro-contrast boost but I would not hesitate to shoot at f/4.5 if needed.
Perhaps coma is on the low level wide open and it could be even used for nightscapes. (with higher ISO settings)
p.10 #19 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
And you thought I as joking. Lol
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'm still impressed how well it performs wide open center to extreme edges. Wow.
At f/5.6 there is a micro-contrast boost but I would not hesitate to shoot at f/4.5 if needed.
Perhaps coma is on the low level wide-open and this lens could even be used for nightscapes. (with higher ISO settings)
p.10 #20 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
GMPhotography wrote:
And you thought I as joking. Lol
When I saw your "Big Bronco" wall test, I though the lens was not optimized for infinity. Now we know it's not the case.
BTW: Your test also shows how flat field this lens is.
It will be sad to see little choppy go. I will make sure it gets home safe and sound. My quest will be to find a good copy of this lens. I don't care if it is M or E.
