In 2012 I splurged on the Leica 16-18-21mm WATE lens ($5100 used).
It was my first ultra-wide for a full-frame mirrorless camera (the M9) and I just loved the new perspectives it gave me. I didn't keep it long, because it was just too much money for the amount of use it got, plus the huge add-on viewfinder was a hassle. But it was great fun while it lasted. And it was the beginning of my long-term preference for wide lenses.
Abandoned Kmart
M9 Digital CameraLeica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH. lens16mmf/16.01/250s160 ISO0.0 EV
Riverplace Offices in Minneapolis
M9 Digital CameraLeica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH. lens16mmf/8.01/350s160 ISO0.0 EV
Fallingwater, in Mill Run, PA
M9 Digital CameraLeica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH. lens16mmf/4.01/15s1600 ISO0.0 EV
Fallingwater, in Mill Run, PA
M9 Digital CameraLeica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH. lens16mmf/4.01/25s1250 ISO0.0 EV
The lens and its add-on viewfinder (aka Frankenfinder)
Ross Martin wrote:
It’s hard to pick just one fun lens because in my 3rd year after switching to Sony I’m still have a blast with many various E-mount lenses. Currently one of them that is just plain fun for me to shoot with is the beastly Viltrox Lab 135mm f/1.8. I don’t carry it in the bag every day but it calls to me to take it out for fun on occasions. I bought it for photographing my nieces and nephews and look forward to an opportunity to do that.
A 2nd recent acquisition was a used Tamron 50-400mm and it also is very fun for me, the range suits me well and dropping down to 50mm makes a useful difference....Show more →
I think most Tamron lenses are inherently fun due to their pseudo macro like minimum focus distance. 50-400 is no exception.
Viltrox 135 is up there but weight kills it for me, I had a chance to compare arguably the best 135 ever made, Nikon Plena with my old trusty Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 and results astonished me, sharpness wise they are neck to neck to the edges. Plena ever so slightly renders background better, has no vignetting and 1st party lenses always win in focus accuracy. But at 772g, and 1/4th of the price I kept Samyang as I prefer how it renders compared to 135 GM.
MikeEvangelist wrote:
In 2012 I splurged on the Leica 16-18-21mm WATE lens ($5100 used).
It was my first ultra-wide for a full-frame mirrorless camera (the M9) and I just loved the new perspectives it gave me. I didn't keep it long, because it was just too much money for the amount of use it got, plus the huge add-on viewfinder was a hassle. But it was great fun while it lasted. And it was the beginning of my long-term preference for wide lenses.
Mike Evangelist,
Nice images of Fallingwater. I used to visit fairly regularly in the late 80's early 90's as it was halfway-ish between Columbus OH and Washington DC. While a lot of the classic shots are taken in fall and winter, it doesn't represent how the landscape was when the house would have been in use in the summer. Your images capture that nicely.
As for a $5100 used lens being a fun lens, well we have a different perspective on that I guess. Although, it must have been a cool lens to have for a while.
Laowa macro probe and periprobe lenses.
Laowa 15mm shift lens.
It looks like MF lenses are more fun to use particularly the specialty lenses even if they aren't the sharpest. The experiences with these lenses has led me to be less concern of ultimate image sharpness.
