New Voigtlander 12/5.6 VM and Metal VF Arrived!

[Bill Blackwell]

Bill. I find that the 15 sees a bit more use, could also be because of the 52mm size. The 15 is wide - the 12 is REALLY wide. With the 15 you can work as if it was a wide 21. The 12 is a speciality lens - but when you need it - there is no substitute!

Thanks, Tom.

Anyone have any thoughts on coding the CV 12/5.6 for use on the M8 or M9? ...

I would think the best you can do is code the 12 as a WATE.

As to the 15 coming up as an 18, I used to have that happen all the time when shooting my M8. If I happened to remember I switched it to properly indicate the 15, but there never seemed to be any effect on my pictures (other than the exif data).

 

[Nikkor AIS]

Very nice shots Joohander: I wish the photo where a little bigger. What f stop where you using, and how do you like the Viewfinder? Have you got any shots with the lens on a M body? . I show you mine it's only a 15 mm 4.5 ASPH on M3 with finder. Im curious to the size difference between that and the 12 mm. Thanks again for showing some sample images.



Gregory

 

[CameraQuest]

Anyone have any thoughts on coding the CV 12/5.6 for use on the M8 or M9?

I code the CV 15/4.5 as the WATE and select the 16mm option although sometimes if I'm in a rush the 18mm default gets chosen.

An article is being prepared by an expert M9 shooter (not me) about the best use of the 12 and 15 on the M9. ETA about 2 weeks away.

Stephen

 

[joohander]

Very nice shots Joohander: I wish the photo where a little bigger. What f stop where you using, and how do you like the Viewfinder? Have you got any shots with the lens on a M body? . I show you mine it's only a 15 mm 4.5 ASPH on M3 with finder. Im curious to the size difference between that and the 12 mm. Thanks again for showing some sample images.

Gregory

aside from the photo of the firetruck, which was taken indoors @f/5.6 & 1s, the rest were taken at about f/8. i don't own a leica M, but i do have a (rather bad) photo of it on my R2A from my iPhone as i was only bringing it out for a test. (am a poor college student, i just migrated over from digital and this is only my 2nd rf body after using a gsn for about a year!)

sorry for bad photo, was too excited using it to bother! haha

 

[Nikkor AIS]

Brilliant photo from phone. Thank you very much.

Gregory

 

[joohander]

Brilliant photo from phone. Thank you very much.

Gregory

no worries greg, the lens definitely looks bigger from that angle but it is rather short (about 3-4cm long?), with the built in hood taking up most of the real estate at the front. was asking about the center-grad filter and the dealer told me that if i was able to find one, he'd buy it from me! haha. i think they're a rare commodity though i have seen one on sale before. can't say i noticed any intrusive falloff on my photos though!

 

[dbledsoe]

New Voigtlander 12/5.6... Got One!

New Voigtlander 12/5.6... Got One!

Ordered from Stephen Thursday night and received it today (Monday). Stephen is a great guy who ships quickly.

As to the lens, I bought it to use on an Olympus EPL1, as well as my M6, but the EPL1 obviously produced the first images.

It is sharp in the center but quite soft at the edges, but then I expected that, and that because of pixel peeping, which often shows the worst or best of a lens. Wide open at f/5.6 it is soft in the corners, sharpening up a bit at f/6.3 and a bit more at f/8 but starts to degrade at f/11. Seems to be a narrow range of best optical quality but then again best optical quality might be very subjective with this lens. Do not expect Leica apo quality images but then it isn't Leica priced nor does Leica make anything this wide. Should be very good for 24mm street images on m4/3rds cameras. Obviously I need to do a lot more shooting with the VC 12 but for now I am happy with it. Be that as it may, I will take a wait and see on the M6 because I need to order the 12mm viewfinder but I am now broke.