New Voigtlander M 15/4.5 Heliar in Transit $549

[CameraQuest]

The new rangefinder coupled Voigtlander Leica M mount 15/4.5 lens is in transit and will start shipping next week. $549 A viewfinder is not included. 15 VF for film cameras $128, 21 VF for M8 $128, Epson RD 15 VF $175

Free shipping world wide if you mention your RFF id with the order. Add 9.25% sales tax only for shipments within California.

Paypal to Stephen@CameraQuest.com

Thanks for Looking,

Stephen

 

[Tom A]

I have one of these. Very comfortable to work with - less chance of knuckles and fingers showing up to!
The coupled rangefinder is great - particularly at f4.5 and in close as that is where the older LTM would fault your distance judgement.
The 52 mm filter thread is a bonus. No more 39mm filters stuck in the hood like the LTM version, using "blue-Tac" or tape to hold them in place! Of course, now I have to find my "stack" of Nikon filters. I know it is somewhere - but not exactly where that somewhere is!

 

[noimmunity]

sweet!
Tom, how was the aperture ring/focus ring in use? Looks like the focus ring is recessed and tabbed...

 

[Al Kaplan]

Compared to my four year old beat-to-crap 15 it sure do be lookin' purty, Stephen! Monkette says she'll be happy to write up a review complete with photos in exchange for a new 15mm lens, a Bessa body, and a couple of stalks of decent bananas.

 

[Krosya]

I dont get why Viewfinder for Rd1 is $175, while others are only $128? Isnt it the same vf basically? I suppose same reason same basically lens in M-Mount and without VF can cost double of the LTM version WITH VF.

 

[CameraQuest]

I dont get why Viewfinder for Rd1 is $175, while others are only $128? Isnt it the same vf basically? .

All of the RD VF have been discontinued about two years and are now hard to find. The RD 21 and 25 VF are sold out. Only the 12 and 15 are still in stock. The RD VF have more exact brightlines for the RD's 1.5 mutiplier. You can save the $ if you want a 21 film VF instead. 15*1.5 = 22.5

Stephen

 

[Tom A]

sweet!
Tom, how was the aperture ring/focus ring in use? Looks like the focus ring is recessed and tabbed...

The aperture ring is better to use. On the LTM it is quite small and occasionally tricky to grip. The lens has a focussing tab, which I like.
Tom

 

[carlito]

can you explain to me what rangefinder coupled means, please? for example, how would this lens be focused using a bessa r3a and how does a viewfinder figure into the equation?

 

[noimmunity]

The aperture ring is better to use. On the LTM it is quite small and occasionally tricky to grip. The lens has a focussing tab, which I like.
Tom

Thanks, Tom.
I think in the end I will appreciate waiting and saving up for this one!

 

[chrishayton]

can you explain to me what rangefinder coupled means, please? for example, how would this lens be focused using a bessa r3a and how does a viewfinder figure into the equation?

Rangefinder coupled mean that you can focus this lens in the viewfinder of your camera just like you would focus a 50 or 35mm lens etc. The old version is not coupled and you had to estimate focus using the distance scale on the lens.

You will still need a seperate viewfinder to view the framing.

 

[Tom A]

can you explain to me what rangefinder coupled means, please? for example, how would this lens be focused using a bessa r3a and how does a viewfinder figure into the equation?

The rangefinder coupling simply means that when you focus the lens, the "patch" in the cameras finder will show when you are in focus! With ultra wides it is not critical, except when you are working at the closer focussing distances and close to wide open. Guessing focus below 1 meter is tricky - and, yes it does make a difference. "Scale focus" is fine, but at close up it will show if you are off even slightly.
With any rangefinder camera, you will need a top-mounted finder for field of view as nobody makes a body with a built in 15 finder (the R4 "only" goes down to 21mm). You simply focus with the cameras rangefinder, shift your eye to the aux. finder and "compose" and shoot (or the other way around, depending on your preferences). The M-mount 15 also has the advantage that it can take screw in filters, albeit large ones, 52mm diameter.
The focussing ability is more important with cameras like M8 and RD1 as the "crop factor" turns the lens into a 21 or 25 mm lens - and that is getting close to where "scale" focussing gets tricky.

 

[veraikon]

Are there any news (price , shipping...) about the vario finder ?

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

The rangefinder coupling simply means that when you focus the lens, the "patch" in the cameras finder will show when you are in focus! With ultra wides it is not critical, except when you are working at the closer focussing distances and close to wide open. Guessing focus below 1 meter is tricky - and, yes it does make a difference. "Scale focus" is fine, but at close up it will show if you are off even slightly.
With any rangefinder camera, you will need a top-mounted finder for field of view as nobody makes a body with a built in 15 finder (the R4 "only" goes down to 21mm). You simply focus with the cameras rangefinder, shift your eye to the aux. finder and "compose" and shoot (or the other way around, depending on your preferences). The M-mount 15 also has the advantage that it can take screw in filters, albeit large ones, 52mm diameter.
The focussing ability is more important with cameras like M8 and RD1 as the "crop factor" turns the lens into a 21 or 25 mm lens - and that is getting close to where "scale" focussing gets tricky.

...and with this extra -close focussing ability - is the top mounted finder able to tilt for parallax adjustment - similarly to the Retina ones?
Dave.

 

[CameraQuest]

15M Starts shipping 4/23/09

15M Starts shipping 4/23/09

The new M mount 15 has arrived. It starts shipping tomorrow.

I thought it would be bigger. It is only slightly larger than the screw mount version.

Stephen

 

[nksyoon]

Received mine today - thanks Stephen for the quick dispatch!

A quick test for coding on an M8 shows that coding for a WATE (simplest) and set for 21mm gives the best results (with a B&W 486 filter). The 16 and 18 settings give red corners.

Some pics attached:

 

[David Murphy]

It's a beautiful lens and not unreasonably priced, but I just hope Voigtlander does not abandon all the LTM users out here! They almost single-handedly revitalized rangefinder photography with their quality LTM lenses and bodies sold at modest prices starting about ten years or so ago.

 

[boy_lah]

Received mine today - thanks Stephen for the quick dispatch!

A quick test for coding on an M8 shows that coding for a WATE (simplest) and set for 21mm gives the best results (with a B&W 486 filter). The 16 and 18 settings give red corners.

Some pics attached:

Nick - keep us posted on your progress. I've got the old one and as per previous post..i like shooting up close portraits and struggling to guessimate the distance accurately. RF coupling interest me!

 

[GlennB]

Recieved mine this past Saturday. These are Just My Initial Impressions. YMMV !

First shots I jumped right into some IR images. Maybe jumped too quick as this is the first time I've tried IR with a digital camera (M8) and when stopped down to around 11 or 16 got a bad hot spot in the center of the images. Thinking maybe this has to do with me using my old 52 mm B+W IR filter (marked 091, and was nice to be able to screw the 52 mm filter right in, no fuss, no muss) which maybe isn't the best choice for the M8. Hot spot softened up and became fainter when opened up to 5.6.

Also shot a roll of film thru my M6 and was impressed with sharpness and lack of distortion. There was a soft fall-off /darkening at edges but not bad.

The only thing that was puzzling was the lens focuses past infinity on both cameras.
I shot some test of objects at around 3 feet and wide open (4.5) & they seemed to be in focus. The lens also focuses closer than the M6/M8 rangefinder, but I guess one will be able to guesstimate the distance and use the lens' scale.

Overall I'm impressed with this lens. I just need to figure out the IR hotspot thing. I read somewhere to pull out the blue channel in image processing software. I'll have to give that a try if I can figure out how to do that!

I really like this lens so far and am happy to have it!
Glenn

 

[Al Kaplan]

I'm still not enthusiastic about a rangefinder coupled 15/4.5 lens. The "old" 15 on the lightweight and sadly discontinued Bessa L is such a perfect match-up. I use the lens on an M body on occasion, mostly just to finish off a roll of film, but the weight of a Leica M body means that I can't use the casual one hand hold and operation of the camera that defines my 15mm shooting style. Whether it' s hyperfocal, zone, or guestimate focusing the photos certainly seem sharp enough. For just a few bucks more than a LTM to M adapter I'd like to see a reissue of the Bessa L before my second one goes kaput.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com (mostly 15mm Heliar shots)

 

[Krosya]

Does anyone have a good photo of the new and old ltm versions side by side? On those pics above it almost looks like its size of Kobalux 21mm/2.8, which is larger than old 15mm ltm.