Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar 15mm f/4.5 m39 version

[addicted2light]

This tiny lens - and I mean really tiny: I happened to loose it more than once inside the old big DSLR bag! - turned out to be one of my favorite.

 

It is pretty impressively sharp - especially considering the focal length - and has beautiful tonalities. This is the first version, so you cannot mount filters on it. With the possible exclusion of seascapes (if you want to use something like a ND1000, to be clear) I don't find this to be a big deal; with such a vast angle of view a polarizer would be out of the question; I don't use other filters anyway. And if you need a split-ND to recover the light in the sky you can always just shot two frames and blend the exposure (way better that a split ND for my taste, but YMMV).

 

My only gripe is that in some occasion - my guess at some specific focusing distance - it looks like it exhibits some kind of weird "blob" of unsharpness mid-frame. I said "it looks like" because I've not yet be able to replicate the behavior on purpose, and I have a doubt that it may have been some kind of adapter-related problem. Now I bought a new ring that looks of much better quality, so time will tell.

 

Please note that all the images in color have been processed with the Flat Field Lightroom plugin to eliminate the notorious magenta shading at the borders.

 

 

Narrow path, "Fossiata" forest, Italy

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Dark woods, "Fossiata" forest, Italy

 

Cave at "Lampetia" cape, Cetraro, Italy

 

Gorge at the "Fossiata" forest, Italy

 

Creek and crumbled old bridge, "Fossiata" forest, Italy

 

Window and night clouds

[storyteller]

I would add that creating/applying LCC profiles in Capture One also goes a long way to correcting the corners as well. 

[Vivek]

 

My only gripe is that in some occasion - my guess at some specific focusing distance - it looks like it exhibits some kind of weird "blob" of unsharpness mid-frame

 

I bought this a while ago to use with my Bessa L.  All the quirks one struggles with it on FF digital were all there on film as well.  It works superbly at very close ranges (~5cm range).  Everywhere esle it is down right crappy as an useful lens.  Of course, everyone is taken by its dimunitive size and never gets rid of it- just like me. 

 

That is my honest opinion based on years of struggle with this one.

[addicted2light]

I bought this a while ago to use with my Bessa L.  All the quirks one struggles with it on FF digital were all there on film as well.  It works superbly at very close ranges (~5cm range).  Everywhere esle it is down right crappy as an useful lens.  Of course, everyone is taken by its dimunitive size and never gets rid of it- just like me. 

 

That is my honest opinion based on years of struggle with this one.

 

Actually my sample is pretty darn sharp, into the corners as well (just a bit of ca, but basically no smearing), even on my A7r. To be absolutely sure about this in all conditions I will have to shoot more (I've had the camera since just a few days), but for now I'm really happy with the Heliar performance.

 

My guess is that, like with many lenses, especially from third-party manufacturers, there is a ton of sample variation. With the 1st version there is also the problem that you will have to use not one, but two adapters (m39 > m | m > Sony) potentially multiplying the problems.*

 

And I don't usually shot macros, but in this you're absolutely right: this lens, with an helicoid adapter, is absolutely fantastic.

 

 

*yes, you could use just a m39 > Sony adapter, but for simplicity sake and to be able to use the helicoid adapter I "converted" the lens to Leica M, and I suspect many others did the same

[addicted2light]

I would add that creating/applying LCC profiles in Capture One also goes a long way to correcting the corners as well. 

 

Thanks, good to know. I don't use much CO because its bad (in my book) habit of littering the file system with its many files, but certainly there are many "devotees" out there that will appreciate the tip.

[Vivek]

Nothing wrong with my sample at all.  I have compared it with a few.  Anyway if you are satisfied with yours, nothing else matters.

 

Long before I went digital, I was using it on a Bessa (and other) cameras. Also with extension tubes.  There is an old device that allows for focus check on ground glass.  Pretty neat set up.  The 5cm closeups were mostly made on Provia.

 

BTW, beware of the helicoid stuff for Sony.  Even the latest version of Hawk adapter will induce vignetting with the Cosina 15mm.  The cheaper knock offs (or the Cosina made one) are much worse.

 

You are better of with a Sony LTM adapter.

 

(FWIW, the Cosina 12/5.6 is a better lens.  Also best used with a LTM adapter)

[addicted2light]

From the first few pictures I've managed to take with the A7r the 15 seems to perform actually better on its less demanding (in terms of pixel pitch) sensor than on the Nex 7 one. But for a final judgement I'll have to use the setup quite a bit more.

 

Thanks for the info about the vignetting with the helicoid tube      

 

I usually give a quick test to all my lenses when I buy a new camera, before shooting "the good stuff", but I hadn't thought of testing the adapter for this.

 

Anyway I don't trust the helicoid adapter for general photography, and I use it only as a telescopic macro tube.

 

From what I've seen so far you're quite right that the 12 is a better lens, unfortunately is too large (in degrees) for my taste. Well, the 15 is too large as well, but I originally bought it because it was nice to have my preferred focal length equivalent (24mm) on the Nex 7, and now I've grown to like a lot the "large view" in the close-up shots.

[addicted2light]

Good news (for me        ): it looks like my helicoid adapter does not vignette any more than the regular ones I have. There is quite a bit of vignetting mind you, but just the usual amount that depends by the lens itself.