Long time reader, but first time posting
Grabbed the Voigtlander as my first lens for my Leica M11-P after reading this thread, which is really informative, as all reviews in here
Fred, keep this up and you and others here are going to repopularize film. More people might get the idea it looks like fun too. I've read people say this lens is on the cool side, but maybe it's just that it also works better with the wedding film aesthetic.
The rendering from this lens - at least on film as shot by Fred- looks fantastic! It would be interesting to see how it compares with the Thypoch Simera 28 1.4.
That's the natural inclination today, these are two very recent but quite differently oriented 28mm releases that can each be compared with Leica's venerable older design 28/1.4.
I don't want to interfere with this lens's thread, so I'll send you some links from several very different photographers who have used the VM 28/1.5 and the Simera 28/1.4 side by side. And a discussion among some folks at the l-camera-forum on the same topic.
nehemiahphoto wrote:
I have went through this same conundrum myself, doing both video and photo. I have an VM 28/1.5 but I also have a modded sensor, though not my video camera, which is a pain. Had the GM 24 since launch.
I think the 24 GM is the better lens in terms of video--better correction makes for less focusing on mid-zone or corner weakness, pulling focus, etc. However, the size is appreciably larger, and that FL of 4mm is pretty big--you're really going from a wide angle to a wide angle for a normal scene if that makes sense. For still, easier to crop that and not think much. For video, I can't/don't crop the same way. Though you might differ. Both lenses have very different draws as well, so that something to considered and a potential reason for owning both, aside from size and AF. I personally like using MF lenses with video, but sometimes, like moving dogs, the AF is just so hard to compete with even though much less engaging and pleasurable.
I have both, but I end up shooting the VM 28/1.5 more because I prefer MF, the smaller size, more personality in the rendering. But it does require more maintenance/is harder to shoot....Show more →
Thanks nehemiah. Before my now 1 year old was born, I planned to take a break from manual focus only photography because of the challenges it brings with capturing the moment and handing off the camera to someone else to take pictures of me and my family.
The 24 GM, Batis 40, and Sigma 45 have performed admirably recently, but I am noticing that I might have some time for manual focus photography otherwise: hikes, bike rides, and around the house videography. Now I am wondering if I should go wider than 28! yikes.
Has anyone received a soft copy of this lens? I got mine today (for my new-to-me M10M) and I'm not seeing anywhere near the sharpness shown in this review, to the point of suspicion.
Pindy wrote:
Has anyone received a soft copy of this lens? I got mine today (for my new-to-me M10M) and I'm not seeing anywhere near the sharpness shown in this review, to the point of suspicion.
I do not own the 28/1.5, but I have been interested in purchasing it, also to pair with my M10M. Sorry to hear that your sample is soft. The M10 Monochrom is very high resolving and, in my experience, lenses that should be sharp produce extremely sharp results. As long as the focusing on your M10M is properly calibrated, I would definitely exchange/return the lens.
One more suggestion: because the M10M has amazing image quality even at ISO above 10k (try it), you don't necessarily need a high-speed lens, unless you are seeking a shallow depth of field style of shooting. I can shoot my f2.8 lenses in light I would never have thought possible.
juanj wrote:
I do not own the 28/1.5, but I have been interested in purchasing it, also to pair with my M10M. Sorry to hear that your sample is soft. The M10 Monochrom is very high resolving and, in my experience, lenses that should be sharp produce extremely sharp results. As long as the focusing on your M10M is properly calibrated, I would definitely exchange/return the lens.
One more suggestion: because the M10M has amazing image quality even at ISO above 10k (try it), you don't necessarily need a high-speed lens, unless you are seeking a shallow depth of field style of shooting. I can shoot my f2.8 lenses in light I would never have thought possible.
Thank you. I was just comparing shots I took on my old M9 / 35 Lux ASPH that are worlds better than this. I'm still testing to see if there problem lies somewhere else, but I can LV on this camera and should therefore be able to remove RF alignment from the mix. Unfortunately I only have one other lens to test the body with and it's a very wide lens so not a huge help to me.
Pindy wrote:
Has anyone received a soft copy of this lens? I got mine today (for my new-to-me M10M) and I'm not seeing anywhere near the sharpness shown in this review, to the point of suspicion.
Have you checked your copy for centering? Could you share a sample image that shows the softness you're describing?
