Which wide angle voigtlander?

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EXksporry

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I got my eye on 3 wide angle lenses from voigtlander.
12mm, 15mm, and 21mm.
I'm using an M8.2 and an epson R-D1s. Both have cropped sensors. In the near future ill get myself a fuji x-pro1, also a crop sensor.
So, the wide angle becomes less wide with either if those cameras.
The 12mm is interesting as its truly v wide angle, but does it outperform the 15mm skopar that is supposed to beat Leica in performance?
The 21 is more mainstream on the cameras I use it on, making it 28-32mm at that angle I could choose to bring my fuji x100, so I'm not convinced on that one. But then 12 and 15 are awfully close in focal length, making it a little hard to justify one in addition to the other. The 12 should have less problems with colour shift on the m8.2 than on the m9, let alone on the epson. But he 15 appears to have better performance from what I read so far.

Anyone care to provide his/her opinion?
 
I suggest you borrow the lenses from someone and try them. Just looking through the viewfinder and at some prints will tell you more about it than any discussion of technical parameters like colour shift, ... The fact that you consider the 12 and 15 "awfully close" makes me suspect that you haven't tried shooting ultrawideangles so far - the 3mm focal length difference makes the 12 and the 15 much closer than they actually are. The 12 is to the 15 like a 35 is to a 50! The 12 is an absolutely extreme lens on full frame and remains an extreme wideangle even on a 50% crop camera. If you absolutely need the ultrawideangle, it's the only option, but it's a limited-purpose lens and you have to see what you really want it for.

If you plan on getting an X-Pro 1, instead of buying a Voigtländer now, I would wait to see what you get in native lenses. Fuji has been promising a 14/f2.8, which would be a stop or two faster than the two wide Voigtländers, while being fully compatible with the system. Also there is the promise of a 12-14/f4 zoom, which would replace all three lenses, while being as fast as any of them while being image-stabilized.

So if it's the X-Pro1 you're aiming at, better get no lens at all now and wait for a year. Or ignore the X-Pro1 for the time being, buy any lens that fits you now, and get ready to sell it in a year or so.
 
Hi
I've got both the 15 and the 21, I shoot mainly landscapes with the M8, I find the 15 a bit wide for most of what I do so the 21 gets a lot more use, if you buy these lenses just now secondhand I can't see you losing much money if you don't like them and decide to sell in a years time.
Ron
 
You may want to find out how wide you want this wide really to be. There is a big difference between 12 and 21 mm, even if you multiply them by 1.33. I believe that it is much more important for you to find out your needs and be satisfied with what you buy from that point of view than to buy the one that's sharpest corner to corner or outresolves other lenses.
 
Could not resist and bought the 12mm for the S2 & F2. Ya cant get any wider, exept with an fisheye :D. I dont know if the 15mm outperforms the 12mm in Lensquality but 12mm is 12mm and 15mm is only 15mm.
 
no 15 skopar, it's a heliar.

i've already used for quite some time both the 12mm and the 15mm.

the 12 is a wild beast, it takes time to tame but once you learn how to frame with it can be very rewarding in extreme situations. the f5.6 max aperture is not so good for low light, though.

The (almost) extra stop on the 15 is helpful for low light, the lens is also easier to work with, being less wide. it won't distort as much as the 12 too. I think it's the best compromise between cost/size/availability/wideness. used 15s are easier to find than 12s.

i've never had a voigtlander 21, but tried it a few times on shops. they feel nice, almost the same size as the 15 (LTM, i mean), and 21s have less distortion, making themselves more friendly and it's faster to get used to it. i personally find that since i'm going wide, it's better to go ultrawide, so i'd go for the 15 between the three.
 
Hmm, I'd be inclined not to go for the 21. It's too 28 on the m8.2 and even 32 on my epson (and later the Fuji x-pro1). From what I hear the 15 is more usable (less specialized). One question on the 12 though, does it come with a viewfinder these days? I believe it used to, but that could have been the screw mount (i want m mount assuming that includes range finder coupling)
 
As digital I used the 15mm only on the Nex-5N with fine results. Actually in the corners it was sharper than the Nikkor 20/2.8 which impressed me as the rear element was much closer to the sensor. It complements the 25mm Biogon for all wide angle shooting. However for film it's too wide for my taste, stretches the corners too much.
 
ksporry said:
Hmm, I'd be inclined not to go for the 21. It's too 28 on the m8.2 and even 32 on my epson (and later the Fuji x-pro1). From what I hear the 15 is more usable (less specialized). One question on the 12 though, does it come with a viewfinder these days? I believe it used to, but that could have been the screw mount (i want m mount assuming that includes range finder coupling)
Click to expand...

The screw mount 21 did include the viewfinder, the M-mount version doesn't.

The screw mount version also includes range finder coupling, too, and the optics are identical. It's a much better deal overall.
 
I think the best bang for buck is the uncoupled 15mm Heliar, with a clip on finder it's < £300 in the UK, and it's a fantastic lens. Unless you're desperate for a filter thread, I would not bother with the new 15mm Heliar. The 21mm is also good value, it's coupled if you want that, but on a crop sensor, is not *that* wide.
 
rxmd said:
The screw mount 21 did include the viewfinder, the M-mount version doesn't.

The screw mount version also includes range finder coupling, too, and the optics are identical. It's a much better deal overall.
Click to expand...

As I mentioned, I'm not too interested in the 21 as it's not that wide on any of my cameras. I'm more concerned about the 12 and 15...
 
You're not gonna believe it... I saw the 15mm in several shops for weeks on end. Then when i finally went out to buy it, ALL shops we all sold out, all the sudden! Whats up with that??? I think i can get a second hand 15mm (or maybe it was 12mm, cant remember) with viewfinder. didnt ask for the price because i was checking for a new version at the time. Ill keep my eye out on the shops to see if one comes in, then snap it up. Might do a trip to hong kong end of the month, just a weekend. I might buy one there, though im not sure hk is much cheaper than sh these days...
 
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