Voigtlander 15 4.5 or Zeiss 18 4?

[kyler.]

Hi everyone,
I am in a search for a ultrawide angle lens for my M8.2 and also M6. Mainly I will be using the M8.
I had a chance to rent the voigtlander 15 the other day and am quite pleased with it. I liked it's quality, compactness, and the very wide angle.
I am also considering the Zm 18 which I have not had the chance to try.
What does the Zm offer that the voigtlander doesn't?
Are 15 and 18 interchangeable focal lengths or are they very different?
Which one do you like better and why?

Thank you,
Kyle

 

[Ronchnam]

Voigt 15 or Zeiss 18

Voigt 15 or Zeiss 18

I only get a Voigt 15 4.5 but one of my friend had both of them and says the Zeiss is by far more solid and of greater optical quality.

Regards

 

[presspass]

Are you just going to use the lens on an M8? I have the ltm 15 with an adapter and it works well on the M8 as well as film rangefinders. It's a lot smaller than the Zeiss 18, but the Zeiss has a focus cam and connects with the rangefinder; the 15 does not. The Zeiss also takes filters easily, as does the new M 15; the ltm, not so easily. If size and price isn't a concern, the Zeiss seems to give better resolution across the frame (with film, with M8, the crop factor handles some of the 15's fringe issues). The 15 is cheaper and smaller, the 18 focuses with the rangefinder.

 

[kbg32]

I would choose the 18mm Zeiss. Fantastic image quality. I found the CV 15 to be marginal at best.

 

[whitecat]

I have had the 15 and it is a great lens, however, the 18 is in a different class. Just Superb! Fantastic viewfinder from which Leica can learn from. Almost 3D in quality.

 

[MCTuomey]

overall, just what whitecat said. a few comments:

if i wanted an ultra-wide for occasional use and valued compactness, i'd get the CV. otherwise, i'd ante up for the zm 18.

if i were going to use the lens on full frame and crop cameras, i'd get the 18 because i frame better with the narrower FOV.

 

[flyalf]

CV 15mm for travel. Its a good lens. The Zeiss is a tad bit better optical, but larger. Both needs Cornerfix when used on M9.

 

[Paul Roark]

Based on what I'd seen with the 15 cv, the opinions here and on the Leica forum, and the Zeiss MTF curves, I bought the 18 mm Zeiss. I believe the MTF curves may be accurate at long focus distances, but if you like sweeping landscapes with the foreground very close, the Zeiss shows the typical poor performance of a retro-focus design. It's not what I'd call a top quality optic at all for that type of photography if large display prints are your goal. Very disappointing.

With the M9, I've backed off to the Leica 24 f/3.8. That is a top quality optic. Some minor panoramic, 3-frame shots with it can make a 20x50 print that are in a totally different league than that Zeiss 18.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

 

[Roger Hicks]

Put it this way: I've never had editors reject pics from either on technical grounds. I tend to use the 18mm more because my wife carries it more, and technically it's probably a better lens, but if your pics are at all interesting, it shouldn't matter much which you use. The two focal lengths are more different than you might expect, so base your choice on focal length, not image quality.

Cheers,

R.

 

[kyler.]

Thanks for all the suggestions,
just to clarify I would be considering the new rangefinder coupled m mount voigtlander 15.

Whitecat, excellent shot!, what camera were you using?

I would mainly use this lens on my M8 but it also will see some use on my M6.
It seems like the zeiss is a better option, but is it massive?
I wish I could test out an 18 focal length but there is no service that rents one out...

Which focal length do you guys like better for the M8, 15(21 on M8) or 18(24)?

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[MCTuomey]

I prefer the 18 on my M8. I find it more forgiving in terms of composition (down to my lack of skill in the end) than the 15. Is it "massive"? It's about the width and length of a nokton 50/1.5 - with a 58mm filter. Big, not massive. Maybe massive compared to the CV 15 though. From a handling point of view, the VC 15 is really nice on the M8. Very light too.

 

[kyler.]

Thanks,
I think I am leaning towards the Zm 18.
Which VF do you recommend?
I would probably go Zeiss as people rave about them, but on the Zeiss site it says with the M8 it is a 23mm focal length. Should I get the 25/28 Viewfinder or the 21 viewfinder? Or is there another option?

THanks,
Kyle

 

[Doug]

I'd suggest the Zeiss 25/28 finder with the 18 on M8; I use one and it's great. Having the 28 field is versatile should you get a 21mm lens too. Less expensive though to find a Voigtlander 25 finder. Leica used to make a very nice 24mm finder, if you can find one.

 

[efix]

I just love the 15 on the M8. It's wide, but not terribly so. You get much into the frame, but you don't get lost. For me, personally, I think 24mm would be a bit too narrow. I'd rather crop than not getting the whole subject (building, landscape or whatever) into the frame. The 15 is really small and light, which makes it an excellent companion for the M8. I also find it is very sharp already at f/4.5. Stopping down to f/5.6 increases performance slightly. I use it coded as WATE, but don't forget to tell the M8 that to choose 16mm focal length on switching it on, or otherwise the cyan drift won't be corrected completely. Coded as WATE 16mm with UV/IR-lens-detection on, I have not yet had to use Corner Fix.
All in all a very pleasing experience. I'm sure the Zeiss is that Zeiss tad better, but then again it has a narrower field-of-view (24mm-equivalent compared to 20mm-equivalent, that's a huge deal!) which some may like and others may not. The decision rests entirely with you, of course.

 

[efix]

Just found this article with pictures of the M9 + Zeiss 18/4 combination. Look here: http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2011/02/leica-m9-zeiss-18mm-f4-distagon-zhou.html

 

[richfx]

The Zeiss pretty much blows the doors off the CV in my opinion. I've had both, and the differences are many and important - IQ, vignetting, sharpness, contrast, barrel distortion, etc.
Rich

 

[hiromu]

Probably decide based on the focal length.
18mm and 15mm are very different.

With that said, I have had both and liked both. IQ are good enough to me, and both lenses are small enough.

You can also decide based on your next widest lens. If it is 21mm, I would choose 15mm. If it is 24/25mm, then either one should work fine.

Hiromu

 

[flyalf]

I would say that the CV 15mm is much better value for money if your on a budget. Is the Z massive? I would say yes (as most Z lenses), but I'm very focused on weight/volume. The CV 15mm is as compact as they come.

 

[kyler.]

Thanks guys,
I have decided mainly based on the focal length that I will be going with the Voigtlander.
I will have to get a 21 finder for it.
I can't decide between the new viogtlander metal finders and the zeiss ones.
has anybody used one or both of these and can tell me about there experience with them?

THanks
Kyle

 

[MCTuomey]

Kyle, glad to hear you've made your choice.

Re finders, I have used the plastic leitz 21mm and the CV 21/25 mini metal finders with a CV 15. I haven't used any zeiss finders due to the expense. I prefer the leitz version because it provides "nose relief" while the CV is flush with the back of the camera.