12mm images on R-D1 please?

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pfogle

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Hi all,

I've just ordered the famous 12mm, and would like to see how other photogs are using this lens on the R-D1. There have been a couple of people mention it, but I haven't found any images. I'm talking real-world pix here, not lens tests.

Anyone got links to pix I could see?

Also, I haven't yet ordered the D finder, and I'm interested to know how you find it (no pun intended!) - can you use the lens without the D finder, and is the D finder accurate enough to really be useful? I don't want to fork out another hundred quid if it's of marginal use.

Any advice gratefully received.

cheers
Phil
 
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Hi, thanks, they're great - just what I was looking for.

the lens arrived today 😀 I only ordered it yesterday afternoon! I've taped up the viewfinder with strips of masking tape, and it's perfect - saved 100 quid 😎

attached is a full frame about half size, and a couple of 100% crops from my first tryout at dusk. ISO 800, f8 and infinity focus.
 
Taping the viewfinder

Taping the viewfinder

I was wondering if you had more information on taping up the viewfinder for the 12mm lens.

Thanks,
Andy
 
just got a nice present yesterday.... yes, the 12mm VC I am leaving new york tomorrow for few long weeks and I am planning to take the 12mm the 21 asph elmarit, the 35 lux asph and the 75 lux. with the 12mm even with the RD-1 with it crop comes close to the best combo I have ever had. (still hoping for 35 filed of view lux to travel with one lens as I often did with my Leicas)
hope to have helpful suggestions (and pictures) after using the lens for a while,
 
Hi Andy, I was hoping to post a pic of the viewfinder, but I've hurt my back, so it'll have to be another day.

The CV 12mm viewfinder has no brighline frame, so you just use the (blurry) outline of the viewfinder to frame. So all I did was cut four narrow strips of packaging tape, and literally just stick them on the front element of the viewfinder, to match the view of the lens. This is easy to do with the camera on a tripod - take a scene, get it on the LCD and then match the viewfinder frame to the LCD image. Takes 5 minutes, and the result is surprisingly accurate. I'd say I get better framing on my homemade 12mm than I do on the CV 21D viewfinder that I bought for the 21mm Elmarit.

I know I'm a lens tart (fickle 😉 ) but the 12mm hasn't come off the camera since I got it. Just waiting on some good weather to post some images.

Saxshooter - no, I don't correct for vignetting, though I would if I needed to. The amount of vignetting is surprisingly low with this lens, and it's pretty consistent across apertures.
 
"no, I don't correct for vignetting, though I would if I needed to. The amount of vignetting is surprisingly low with this lens, and it's pretty consistent across apertures."

That's very true - I much prefer the 12 to the 15 for just this reason.

Cheers,

Sean
 
Phil, that's very impressive performance of the 12mm. I saw in Sean's wide angle lens tests it vignetted less than the 15mm (seeing the white wall tests) but in practical use you can hardly see any vignetting at all. When I use the 15mm and have skies in frame, you really see the vignetting. I'll mull over switching over to the 12mm...

Thanks, Charlie
 
Hi Charlie,

Yes, the snowy field pictures were really a torture test for vignetting. My experience was that I did certainly notice vignetting with normal subjects with the 15 but very little (again with normal subjects) with the 12. A little vignetting can work well - a lot of vignetting isn't my cup of tea.

Cheers,

Sean
 
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Sean, thanks. I also noticed when I overexposed slightly with the 15mm the vignetting wasn't as pronounced, but I guess that is one's eyes playing tricks... a brighter center but not so vignetted edges. Trying to decide between the 28 1.9 ultron (I already have an Elmarit 28) or the 12mm Super Heliar... Hmmm...

Or will keep saving my clams for that rainy day (Digital M)

Cheers, Charlie
 
falloff ?

falloff ?

hi everyone
great pix by chanyik, but i notice the (what i assume is) falloff that causes an orange band along the left edge of <http://www.fotop.net/stephenchan/People/EPSN0920>.
i have this problem with my r-d1, usually at 1600 with my zeiss 28 or voigtlander 15 but not with my leica 50.
anyone else notice a similar problem ?
btw i love my r-d1 and have barely touched my canon 5d since the epson arrived. like many others i bought the r-d1 after re-reading sean's great and through review (thank you sean).
d
 
Given that the lense is f5.6 are people predominately using these for landscape shots & daytime street shots? The lense has definitely piqued my interest, I'm just not sure if it would work with my typically poorly lit interior people shots.

-Paul
 
PaulN said:
Given that the lense is f5.6 are people predominately using these for landscape shots & daytime street shots? The lense has definitely piqued my interest, I'm just not sure if it would work with my typically poorly lit interior people shots.

-Paul
Click to expand...
here are a couple of shots at night with the 12mm - f5.6, ISO 1600. You can easily hand-hold this lens at 1/15th sec.
 
FWIW I shoot mostly people shots and often find myself shooting my 15mm 4.5 (only a smidgen faster than the 12mm) handheld at 1/15 or even down to 1/2 second. I often bump the ASA up to 800/1600 too. You miss some due to subject or operator movement, but the size of the lens can't be beat.

What click focus distances does the 12mm have?
 
Click focus at 1m and 0.5m - I would prefer one at 2m which is my main focus setting. The scale says that the DOF at 1m goes to inf, but for me it doesn't really cut it. But you quickly learn where 2m is by feel.

It's a funny lens... it gives the feeling of being a bit soft, but it does sharpen up quite well. But it's very even across the frame - surprisingly good at the corners at the cost of not being stellar at the centre.

But for me, just to have that wide angle with very little distortion is fantastic! On an SLR I'd be having to correct for distortion on most frames.
 
Yo, Taipei-metro...

Yo, Taipei-metro...

...dude, take a Valium. That kind of ranting is bad for the blood pressure.
-there's no such thing as a 24mm 2.8 'Cron. In fact there are no 2.8 'Crons at all.
-I'm glad you realized after the fact that your math is way off. It obliterated half of what you wrote in one fell swoop.
-8MP beat the crap out of 6MP sensor? Are you on something stronger than Valium? 6 vs 8 MP is not worth getting all sweaty about. Just chill.
-No R-D2. You're right there, but if Seiko-Epson has enough coin to pay for your group shows and take you out to fancy dinners then obviously they don't minding losing money. Just kidding, of course!!!
-You love to say beat the crap, don't you? That slow slow f5.6 Heliar is actually very cool on the R-D1. I guess it's just not your cup of tea.
-I take it you don't have an R-D1 because from your rant it seems apparent that you just don't "get it". This is a camera you either love or hate. It's not about the megapixels or some whiz bang tech features. It is what it is. And there's nothing else quite like it. Regardless of no R-D2 and even with the coming digital Leica M, the R-D1 fills an important niche. Kudos to Epson for having the guts to create this controversial (!) first digital rangefinder (too bad they don't have the guts to support it!). If you're more interested in the latest-and-greatest digital rat race then enjoy your neverending shopping spree.
-Carlos
 
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