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

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eleskin

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Well, this super wide 15mm Voigtlander lens has my attention for the reasonable price it sells for. My question : should I wait for the new one that is M mount that you can focus with the rangefinder or should I get the older version that you scale focus? Any input from M8 owners that have this lens would be welcome.
 
I use the lens on the R-D1. I can fit a 39mm filter within the tiny fixed hood, with a little tape around the filter. I don't know if this may lead to vignetting on the M8, it doesn't on the R-D1.
 
laptoprob said:
I use the lens on the R-D1. I can fit a 39mm filter within the tiny fixed hood, with a little tape around the filter. I don't know if this may lead to vignetting on the M8, it doesn't on the R-D1.
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No vignetting on the M8. Great little walk-around lens!
 
With an M8, if you wedge a 39mm UV/IR filter into the hood, make sure it's centered and level with the lens, otherwise you may have problems with uneven cyan vignetting. Even cyan vignetting can be corrected with Cornerfix, uneven vignetting is a headache to correct.
 
eleskin said:
My question : should I wait for the new one that is M mount that you can focus with the rangefinder or should I get the older version that you scale focus?
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I am not a digital type person, but I can assure that DOF is not an issue with a 15mm lens. In fact it is not with the 21mm or 24mm either. I always scale focus. Would do so even if the lens was RF coupled. It just saves time and hassle. You only need the RF if you cannot discern the difference between one meter and 10 meters.
 
I have the early one for my M8 and would find it hard to justify spending the extra for the new lens considering it's supposedly optically the same. The only time the focusing ability is advantageous is at very short range right down near the lenses minimum focusing distance.

Also being able to put it on a screwmount body occasionally is a bonus ... it works a treat on my 1936 Leica II and makes for a very small combination. LTM to M mount adapters are cheap ... fifty dollars or so!
 
I was petrified to buy the thread-mount version when I did because I had no experience with zone focusing or guessing distance. I assure you, you'll get the hang of it quick. Plus, something this wide you can usually just set for hyperfocal distance and be fine (I do that a great majority of the time with this lens).

BTW... where can you buy 39mm filters... I've been looking all over for one...
 
i recently bought a used ltm 15 to use on my rd1. works great!

i was going to wait for the new one but then one became available at a price that was too tempting for me.

joe
 
I also fall on the side of thinking about waiting then pulled the trigger on a used one. So far I'm pleased with the lens and deal. My reasoning was knowing I wouldn't be using it all that much plus I never really read a bad thing about image quality.
 
I don't know. Still undecided.

When you hold the LTM 15 next to the 28/3.5, 21/4 P, 35/2.5 PII, there really is a difference in built quality. Plus, a decent filter mount and bigger hood (avoiding my fingers) is added value, IMO.

Roland.
 
On the one hand my 15/4.5 Heliar is built like a piece of crap. On the other hand it's been riding around with me day in and day out since 2005 when I bought it. I carry it with no cap, no case. On a rare occasion I'll "clean" the front element if I get some serious gloop on it. Dust is OK. The lens has a really hard coating anyway. I just leave the focus set at 1 meter. Like Bob, I rarely use the rangerfinder with a 21mm lens as well. It just slows you down.
 
The new one is a lot bigger, heaver and more expensive. And in black paint, I like the size and a chrome lens. No brainier , the old model for me
 
Wow, thanks for the input. I think after I pay my taxes tomorrow, and after I get a refund, I may look for a used 15mm Heliar. Now what is a fair price for one in decent shape? I bought a 40mm Nokton form Adorama mint for $299 2 years ago. Can I get one for that price?
 
Let's be honest. There is only one reason to buy a 15mm lens. That is the field of view. You either want it or you don't.

And if you want a 15mm lens, there is only one made.

If you want that FOV, buy a 15mm Heliar. If you don't want that FOV, then do not buy it. It is really a simple yes or no choice. There are no other realistic options.
 
Bob Michaels and Ricko and myself all live in Florida. I wonder if that has anything to do with our wanting the 15mm field of view? Too much sun perhaps? You should be able to find a used 15mmHeliar for around $300 but you'll need an M adapter unless you have a screw mount camera. I like my Bessa L (sadly discontinued) because it's lightweight and has a metal shutter. With ultra-wides you have to be really careful with cloth shuttered cameras because when you put it down there's such a big chance that the sun will burn a hole in the shutter.
 
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I'll probably eventually buy the new one because I sometimes shoot subjects at close distance and f/4.5 doesn't have enough DOF for me.

According to one of the online calculators with f/4.5 and subject distance of 3 ft on my M8 I should get:

Depth of field
Near limit 2.12 ft
Far limit 5.11 ft
Total 2.99 ft

In front of subject 0.88 ft (29%)
Behind subject 2.11 ft (71%)

But I still have problems with estimating distance at this range.
 
nksyoon said:
I'll probably eventually buy the new one because I sometimes shoot subjects at close distance and f/4.5 doesn't have enough DOF for me.

But I still have problems with estimating distance at this range.
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Like you Nick I particularly enjoy shooting the 15mm up-close and with available light. I often get OOF pix @ f4.5 when focusing between 1-1.5m.

I get much more success when I shoot f5.6-f8 focused at 1.5-2m.

So like you...I may eventually get a RF coupled version. Anyone with tips to better scale focus @ f4.5 please help!!
 
boy_lah said:
Like you Nick I particularly enjoy shooting the 15mm up-close and with available light. I often get OOF pix @ f4.5 when focusing between 1-1.5m.

I get much more success when I shoot f5.6-f8 focused at 1.5-2m.

So like you...I may eventually get a RF coupled version. Anyone with tips to better scale focus @ f4.5 please help!!
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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.

No need to upgrade your 15 unless you really need a better built one.
 
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