Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2017 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4

  
 
keith_cooper
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


I've recently had the chance to test the Irix 15/2.4

The version I had was the Firefly, the lighter (cheaper) version. It's optically the same as the metal bodied Blackstone version - I guess the choice does come down to some extent on how roughly you treat your gear ;-)

In terms of image quality, the lens performs well from a sharpness/distortion POV, but I can imagine some astro fans finding the slight coma a bit limiting.

I've written up some notes on what the lens does at http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/irix-15mm-lens-review/

Hope it's of interest?

After having a go with this one I'm looking forward to trying the Irix 11mm, where I should get a set of the gel filters to try as well :-)



Dec 13, 2017 at 04:58 PM
mcbroomf
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


Nice review Keith. I see on your website that you tested the Rokinon SP 2.4 14mm. To my eyes (both your tests and my own copy of the Rokinon) it looks better, especially for coma, albeit more expensive.

Cheers,

Mike



Dec 14, 2017 at 09:42 AM
rdeloe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


Excellent review Keith. Thanks as always. Your site is a terrific resource.

You got me excited (briefly)... I need a strong manual focus, manual aperture full frame ultra-wide that's good across the frame and doesn't suffer from odd distortion (strong barrel, moustache, etc.). I thought that I'd found it in this Irix 15mm. Unfortunately, for all three mounts the aperture is controlled from the body. There is no ring on the lens. So yes, it comes in Nikon F and Pentax K mounts... but that doesn't mean it will work on cameras where you will control the aperture from the lens rather than electronically from the body.

Oh well, the search continues...



Dec 14, 2017 at 10:46 AM
keith_cooper
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


mcbroomf wrote:
Nice review Keith. I see on your website that you tested the Rokinon SP 2.4 14mm. To my eyes (both your tests and my own copy of the Rokinon) it looks better, especially for coma, albeit more expensive.

Cheers,

Mike


Thanks!

Yes, the Samyang f/2.4 design exhibits less coma wide open, so might be a better choice wide open for stars.

The cost of the reducing the coma is a little more barrel distortion, which albeit easily fixable would mean more work for the sorts of daytime work I do.

The Samyang is as such sharper in the corners wide open, but given I tend to shoot f6-8 the differences are less obvious.

Like any lens purchase it's important to consider what you want it for... (hence my EF11-24 F4L)



Dec 14, 2017 at 11:34 AM
Audii-Dudii
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


rdeloe wrote:
Unfortunately, for all three mounts the aperture is controlled from the body. There is no ring on the lens. So yes, it comes in Nikon F and Pentax K mounts... but that doesn't mean it will work on cameras where you will control the aperture from the lens rather than electronically from the body.


FYI, Kipon now makes a Fuji tilt/shift lens adapter for Nikon lenses that has mechanical aperture control:



It's not the most cost-effective solution, but it does open the door to using a lot of Nikon F&G-mount lenses, including the Sigma Art series, which work very, very well for shifting due to the larger-than-average-size image circles they project.




Dec 14, 2017 at 11:40 AM
keith_cooper
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


rdeloe wrote:
Excellent review Keith. Thanks as always. Your site is a terrific resource.

You got me excited (briefly)... I need a strong manual focus, manual aperture full frame ultra-wide that's good across the frame and doesn't suffer from odd distortion (strong barrel, moustache, etc.). I thought that I'd found it in this Irix 15mm. Unfortunately, for all three mounts the aperture is controlled from the body. There is no ring on the lens. So yes, it comes in Nikon F and Pentax K mounts... but that doesn't mean it will work on cameras where you will control the aperture from the lens
...Show more

Thanks!

For manual aperture, the Venus/Laowa lenses are the only (new) ones I've tested. The 15mm Macro shift lens is not that bad, but needs corrections applied.

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/venus-laowa-15mm-macro-review/



Dec 14, 2017 at 11:44 AM
rdeloe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


Good tip. Thanks Keith. I've heard good things about those Laowas. The Laowa "Zero-D" 12mm also looks very interesting. I'm currently using an APS-C sensor Fuji X-T2 to shift around within the image circle of full frame lenses (mostly Olympus OM) so it matters that there's no uncorrectable distortion. http://www.robdeloephotography.com/Pages/Tiltshift-on-APSC

Ironically, shortly after posting I saw a "New old Stock" Tamron SP 17/3.5 for sale and grabbed it. This lens isn't close to being in the same league as some of the modern ultra-wides that are coming out. But the rings turn in the same direction as Olympus OM (which matters to me), the focal length is in the range I wanted, and it's supposed to be a good performer at f/8, which is where I'd shoot it 90% of the time. It has a bit of moustache distortion, which is probably going to be bothersome, but the price was right and it was in Canada where I live so no nasty duties!


keith_cooper wrote:
Thanks!

For manual aperture, the Venus/Laowa lenses are the only (new) ones I've tested. The 15mm Macro shift lens is not that bad, but needs corrections applied.

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/venus-laowa-15mm-macro-review/





Dec 14, 2017 at 03:25 PM
rdeloe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


Interesting! How would that work though given that the lenses in question don't have a project aperture control lever that you can move around with a mechanical switch like the one on this adapter? From what I can see, this adapter can only control the Nikon G style lenses which I believe have the necessary lever.

Audii-Dudii wrote:
FYI, Kipon now makes a Fuji tilt/shift lens adapter for Nikon lenses that has mechanical aperture control:

https://www.adorama.com/images/Large/katsnkgfjx.jpg

It's not the most cost-effective solution, but it does open the door to using a lot of Nikon F&G-mount lenses, including the Sigma Art series, which work very, very well for shifting due to the larger-than-average-size image circles they project.






Dec 14, 2017 at 03:27 PM
Audii-Dudii
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


rdeloe wrote:
Interesting! How would that work though given that the lenses in question don't have a project aperture control lever that you can move around with a mechanical switch like the one on this adapter?


It won't, which is why it won't work with, say, Nikon's PC-e lenses, which have only electronic aperture control.

But it should work with every Nikon F- and G-mount lens that has an aperture control tab protruding from the rear of the lens, which includes the 15mm/f2.4 Irix lens (you can see it positioned at three o'clock in this photo):




Dec 14, 2017 at 04:07 PM
rdeloe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


Ah, missed that tab! That's good news indeed. If my Tamron option doesn't work out, then the door hasn't closed on the Irix after all. Thanks.

Audii-Dudii wrote:
It won't, which is why it won't work with, say, Nikon's PC-e lenses, which have only electronic aperture control.

But it should work with every Nikon F- and G-mount lens that has an aperture control tab protruding from the rear of the lens, which includes the 15mm/f2.4 Irix lens (you can see it positioned at three o'clock in this photo):






Dec 14, 2017 at 07:26 PM
trogdon
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Looking at the Irix 15/2.4


Thank you for a well formulated and in depth review! It's not a lens I'm particularly interested in, but I must applaud Irix for the feature set of the device. The different build levels, the exif passthrough, filter slotted hood, ability to take filters in general, very useful focus scale, adjustable hard stop, and the incredibly useful focus lock are all amazing features. As an owner of the Samyang 24 1.4, i would love for the lens to have some of these features, it would make me use it a lot more


Dec 15, 2017 at 12:16 AM





FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.