15mm Super Wide Heliar for M8, New version or old?

Dingo said:
I guess not everyone agree this, but i believe to judge the distance between 1 to 1.5 m is not that difficult, isn't it?

The only situation i could get a blurred image from the 15 is that i moved my hands, and also in a very slow speed such as 1/4.
Click to expand...

The blur is not from hand shake or lower shutters. It's from:
1) me misjudging (and to be more accurate) 0.7m-1.3m; and/or
2) the DOF too shallow at f4.5 around 0.7m-1.3m.; or
3) I'm just doing something very silly.

I shoot comfortably at 1/15 and 1/8 if needed. That's not the issue.
 
Last edited:
boy_lah, when I'm shooting in people situations I just leave the focus at one meter when I'm shooting at f/4.5. Outdoors I use f/8 or f/11. The pictures are more than sharp enough for me. Not everything or everybody is the same distance from the camera anyway. I may be steady but they're not always steady. A person walking through the composition or gesturing with their hands might exhibit some blur. I'd never choose the 15 for shooting brick walls...LOL
 
Al Kaplan said:
boy_lah, when I'm shooting in people situations I just leave the focus at one meter when I'm shooting at f/4.5. Outdoors I use f/8 or f/11. The pictures are more than sharp enough for me. Not everything or everybody is the same distance from the camera anyway. I may be steady but they're not always steady. A person walking through the composition or gesturing with their hands might exhibit some blur. I'd never choose the 15 for shooting brick walls...LOL
Click to expand...

Thanks Al. On nice sunny days I easily shoot f8 focused at 2m and experience no probs whatsoever. But I live in London (f8 not always possible even outdoors) and I often like shooting up close ie. 0.7m-1.25m to distort perspective.

Will keep trying but as mentioned, i'm not worried about motion blur from moving people/low shutter. It's out of focus blur.
 
Last edited:
boy_lah, learn to differentiate between 0.7m and 1.25m - use a ruler if you have too. It's not difficult.

Or just get the new 15mm. Pretty simple choice actually.

Nice shot ferider!
 
Last edited:
I suppose if one was apprehensive about the focus thing, he might invest a day shooting without a RF with several lenses already in the stable and see how it goes.

I did shoot a roll with my Leica 1 and left the RF home, but when I first shot 35mm format I did not have a RF, light meter or interchangeable lenses. Shooting for a paper down the line a bit with SLR's I would scale focus in fast moving situations.

I know, I was also walking ten miles to school in the snow up hill both ways and I did not have an ipod..... ;-) Now, if I forget my cell I go back home to get it, and use my GPS to find places a half mile away.

I have the 12 and 15mm, figuring if I need the speed I will swap the 15 for the 12, and I use the finder from the 15 for the 12 on the M8, so far so good.

I bought the 12 first, shooting film, and found too many situations I did not feel comfortable with lower light, I think the 15 came with some other kit at a too good to pass price.

I am pretty likely to have at least one LTM - M adapter handy, I tend to leave one on both lenses. Adapters seem to come along, though I have not tried the $15 Chinese models yet, they are common enough it is hardly a concern.

I suppose it ends up possibly being a "need" and/ or "want" situation. I am guessing you really cannot go wrong, but I have not put the 12mm on my Leica Standard. ;-)

Regards, John
 
Me, I'm wanting the M-mount/Rangefinder-coupled /threaded-filter-ring one. Do I need those features ? Probably not, but I WANT 'em ! When are they gonna be available ?!?!? Yes I Know they're suppose to ship the end of April, but I'm wanting one now !!
Glenn
off to take some deep breaths or something
 
Last edited:
kin said:
boy_lah, learn to differentiate between 0.7m and 1.25m - use a ruler if you have too. It's not difficult.

Or just get the new 15mm. Pretty simple choice actually.
Click to expand...


Never said it wasn't neither did i ask for advise about buying the new lens.
 
I got mine before the M-mount was announced. I don't use it a lot. However, my intention in purchasing it was to have a lanse for those situations when I just can back-away enough to capture the scene with other lenses. For this it's great. OTOH, I have yet to learn how to use the up-close distortion of perspective to my advantage (and I'm too cheap to get an angle finder).

The only advantage I perceive for the M is the shade. On my R-D1, with the M-adapter, the hood is skewed a bit. I have yet to notice any effects on the vignetting, but then again, the R-D1 is cropped. In my experience, there is no reason other than the convenience of the existing adapter, to use a 77mm filter with my combo.
 
boy_lah said:
Never said it wasn't neither did i ask for advise about buying the new lens.
Click to expand...

Oh? Sorry, I though you were having difficulty focusing close up, wide open. It's not normally a problem for most people as 15mm is a pretty wide angle and it doesn't get any easier to focus than that.

Actually when I suggested to use the ruler, I meant that it's good to check what you think is 1m from time to time. You'll be surprised how far off you can get, perhaps the reason why you are having issues. ;)
 
The first version 15 has the advantage of fitting on either screw mount or M mount cameras via an adapter, film viewfinder included with lens, smaller size (although both versions small), and available in silver or black. For screw mount cameras, the 1st version 15 remains your only choice.

the new version 15 has the advantage of rangefinder coupling and a smaller filter size (55mm vs 77mm), nicer ergonomics and handling, but at a higher cost. black only, M mount only. Viewfinder bought separately. Same optics in both versions.

Stephen
 
When "focal length-itis" hits, I think I need the 15 to approximate a 21 on the M8, but I'm not sure I really do. But when/if I do, I'll prefer to go for the new one. The ease of filter use is key (yeah I know one can be rigged or done with a milich adapter on the LTM version, but...), but I expect the ergonomic and even occasionally the RF coupling to make a difference.
If you just use it on film, I think the LTM version would be fine.
 
I definitely went for the newer version... I like the idea of having the range coupling and the filter... I don't have plans on moving backwards to the LTM mounts so for me it was a no brainer...
 
Picked up the old version this afternoon on ebay. I don't own any screw mount cameras but who knows what I'll buy next. Gonna use this on my newly acquired RD1.
 
I like using the Milich hood on the old 15mm.

I've always found switching lenses or storing the 15mm fiddly. The front element is exposed and it seems easy to brush it against something so I find myself always using the lens cap for protection. The cap is probably the worst part of the lens being made of aluminium and rather thin. It's not something I enjoy using at all.

With the Milich hood, I don't bother with the cap and I feel confident to store the lens in my camera bag without the cap - something I do with all my other hooded lenses. So far it's working out fine.

Simplifies the shooting process.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom