CV wides: cornerfix, colorshift and vignetting

[MIkhail]

I own all of the lenses I test with. No renting or borrowing.

The reason I mention photoshop is because out of camera, my Nex (and hundreds of others I evaluated images from prior to buying) did not have issues with 21 and up like your images do, with your photoshop use.

I do have slightly visible corner issues with the CV 15, but again, not to your extent. And never the issues you've shown with your CV 21.

So, assuming your NEX is working fine, and your lens sample is good. Then why not try posting some non 'shopped photos, and still see if they need some 3rd party corner fixing.

Color shift.

 

[kossi008]

Maybe I missed something, but what software do you use to convert from ARW to DNG? I can't seem to find anything quickly on the net...

 

[uhoh7]

Read this:
http://www.digitalhapeman.com/Digit...tra-Wides_on_the_Leica_Digital_M_Cameras.html

 

[kossi008]

Yes, thanks for the link, but it covers mostly the work flow within cornerfix, which wasn't my question.
In the meantime, I have found the obvious solution (Adobe DNG converter), now I am looking for a way to process the cornerfixed DNG files...

 

[Lord Fluff]

To many of us, and the camera buying public at large, the focusing mechanism has always been the least attractive thing about them.

The Leica M system is not for the "buying public at large". It was state-of-the-art fifty years ago but is very compromised in many ways for how most people choose to shoot today. Some people like the restrictions it places on your working method. I think you'll find it's the lack of zooms that will always put the majority off rangefinders (price notwithstanding) - 99% of people want a superzoom, not primes, which is what you get with rangefinders.

Why did the SLR take over?

Put simply, it offers fewer compromises (body size aside) for all round shooting. RF's cannot realistically offer telephoto, struggle with close-focus and require external viewfinders for ultra-wide shooting. As a one-camera-for-all-uses solution, the SLR still has no real competition.

Frameline focusing is something, it seems to me, that many buy the M9 in spite of, not because of--like the price.

It seems odd to you, but RF focussing, being able to see beyond your framing, not to mention not having to use the modern way of having to shoot at arms length, are in fact *the very reasons why* we'd want to buy an M9.

The nex is not a rangefinder, of that there is no doubt. But in terms of field application--it's size and the glass it uses, it's as close as you get without the framelines. So for me, it's "RF like".

It's a small camera which can accept RF glass, on this much we agree. But it is not "RF like" any more than a very small car is "motorcycle like". The fact that some RF users, myself included, are looking at it as an exciting supplement to an M8 / M9 system does not change that.

 

[uhoh7]

Put simply, it offers fewer compromises (body size aside) for all round shooting. RF's cannot realistically offer telephoto, struggle with close-focus and require external viewfinders for ultra-wide shooting. As a one-camera-for-all-uses solution, the SLR still has no real competition.

What you say is true, but having grownup during the rise of the SLR in the 60s and 70s, the attraction to most people was through the lens focusing and nothing else. 80% of SLR owners never bought a second lens. Zooms had a big impact but came in quality only in 1974, long long after the demise of RFs in the mass market

It seems odd to you, but RF focussing, being able to see beyond your framing, not to mention not having to use the modern way of having to shoot at arms length, are in fact *the very reasons why* we'd want to buy an M9.

I do have an m6 to play with now, and I like the RF focus and framing. Would be great on a nex, hehe.

It's a small camera which can accept RF glass, on this much we agree. But it is not "RF like" any more than a very small car is "motorcycle like". The fact that some RF users, myself included, are looking at it as an exciting supplement to an M8 / M9 system does not change that.

I would say the M6 is the small car, and the nex is the motorcycle. Or maybe:

bigger
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/5796649371_a60c0a6d5b_b.jpg

 

[Lord Fluff]

Well.....slim, light, quick, quirky, limited for many tasks, useless for some, yet superior for others and very pleasurable to use....I'm sticking with my Leica = motorcycle analogy.

 

[Field]

Does cornerfix work in Wine for Ubuntu? I noticed it is not in the download section of the Software Center.

The more I look into M4/3, NEX, GXR, CV M4/3 lenses, etc, the more useless they all become...

 

[douglasf13]

The good news is that the new NEX-C3 seems to have fixed many of the corner issues with non-retrofocus wides, and the upcoming NEX cameras are rumored to do the same.

 

[Field]

Sooo any word on Ubuntu?

 

[rxmd]

Sooo any word on Ubuntu?

There is no native Linux version. It does not work in WINE. It will not work in WINE in the near future. It will not work in Linux at all until someone specifically ports it. It will not be ported in the near future because there is not enough demand. It is difficult to port.

The most likely chance is that some good programmer wants it badly enough to write a GUI for a Linux version (to complement the existing Windows .NET and Mac Cocoa GUIs).

If you really want it, install Windows or MacOS in a virtual machine and use it from there.

 

[flyalf]

Corner fix is for sure a great piece of software. That said, I'm not keen on having to fix every single image coming from a lens, not even with a semi automated batched process. For one thing, there's no Exif telling you which lens was used on which picture, so you have to know-remember-write down somewhere the information. Also, apart of wasting time in the process, the fixed image is not, by any means, like a picture coming from a retrofocus-telecentric design of a SLR wideangle.

Its a personal choice if one see the benefit of running this extra process. Here is what I do with M9, and I assume will work on NEX. I create a folder on camera per lens. This allows me to collect all photos for a given lens to run CF on all photoes in one batch, and to import these in LR and adding EXIF in one batch.

The fixed image is not like a picture coming from SLR, in mots cases its IMO better 😛

 

[umcelinho]

I've got a R-D1 and my favorite lens is Ultra-wide Heliar 12mm (LTM version).
Never had issues with corners or colors or something else.

Maybe the issue is the NEX sensor?

same here, but on the m9 i know both the 12 and the 15 have really strong vignetting and color shifts

 

[rogue_designer]

Here is what I am doing with teh Nex 7 - and my CV 21mm.

I took a shot of an evenly lit white wall. Sampled the center color, and made a new layer in that color - used the divide function to get a mask of the vignette and color shift. This I made into a smart object, which I can drop onto any shot taken with the 21mm. Use the divide blending method again, and vary the percentage (~50% is usually pretty good).

 

[MIkhail]

Here is what I am doing with teh Nex 7 - and my CV 21mm.

I took a shot of an evenly lit white wall. Sampled the center color, and made a new layer in that color - used the divide function to get a mask of the vignette and color shift. This I made into a smart object, which I can drop onto any shot taken with the 21mm. Use the divide blending method again, and vary the percentage (~50% is usually pretty good).

That does seem to work. Thank you.

 

[Thatspec]

Nice ready made Voigtlander 12mm on Nex-7 Cornerfix profile here;
http://www.panotwins.de/technical/c...-voigtlaender-lenses-on-sony-nex-5-and-nex-7/
Also one for the 15
I'm seeing very little colorshift for most shots anyway but works great for the vignetting.

 

[Lightshow]

There has been an alternative to Cornerfix for a while now, it's the Flat Field plugin for Lightroom.
It's available here:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroomplugins/

 

[rjschell]

An "Expodisc" makes it easy to generate the target. Just stick it in front of the lens & adjust exposure.
It's fun to use legacy lenses, but I have found the Sigma 19, 30, & 60 and even the Sony 16 give much better edge sharpness, especially wide open.