Why everyone needs the 15mm Super Wide Heliar

You need to lose your fear of shooting with the 15 from only a few feet away and stop worrying about "distortion". Get good composition, interesting subjects, good lighting. Only other photographers notice "distortion". When you're only a couple of feet from your subjects they don't think that you're photographing them unless they're dead center in the frame.
 
Fear is not an issue, in my case at least, and I am not too fond of those "I look like I am not taking your picture but I am" shots. I try to get candids and when I am spotted, no big deal. IMO taking good 15mm pictures in street photography when most shots are about speed is not easy. You will have noticed that all examples on this thread are either landscapes or portraits, must be for some reason.
 
mich8261 said:
mabelsound, that's a stunning image. Good for you for stopping take the picture. I have too many images floating in my head where I just kept on driving. Did you have to adjust that horizon line in PS or LR? I would expect a lens that wide to need adjustment unless you place the horizon dead center.
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Believe it or not, it was dead on! But 19 times out of 20, I do indeed adjust the horizon in Lightroom, unless I like it better crooked.

It's pretty OK for street on the R-D1, since it's up over 20mm, though the ideal crop-sensor street lens for me lately has been the 25mm snapshot skopar.
 
mabelsound said:
A couple of others from that roll...a strange square woods near my house, and a self-portrait on the lake...

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Okay. I need one of these lenses.
 
Today I received my Voigtlander 15mm Heliar complete with adapter for my M4-P. I wandered up a lovely creek bed with it just 2 hrs ago (as I write this). I'll process the 10 pics tomorrow and see.

Just a little excited.
 
It is a favourite lens but slightly tricky to use (and it doesn't help I have to take my glasses off to use the viewfinder).


(Kodachrome 64)


(Some colour print film - forget which!)

Sure, it vignettes like a demon, but that's just part of its charm!
 
Thanks for the mention, Kieth, Raid, and Sherm. Yes, some of the P-net folk weren't too happy with me shooting and posting all of those "self portraits" using the 15mm lens, yet my portfolio is still over there with over a hundred of those pictures. I guess it's because my name if you google things, that brings traffic to P-net's site, and P-net has ads that want traffic. I've been "locked out" though, for several years now. I can't post anything there. By the same token I can't remove what's already there...LOL

I fell in love with that 15mm from day one! I've used in on numerous paid shoots and it had paid for itself within a matter of days. It's become an addiction for me!
 
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pumpkin pic

pumpkin pic

speaking of pumpkin pictures, here's one from half moon bay, ca, shot on a 25mm skopar, a little less wide:

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han
 
back alley said:
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These look great. The 15mm works effectively as a a 21 or 25 mm on the Rd-1, right? I've been thinking about getting a 25mm lens, but seeing these I wonder if I could just get a 25mm viewfinder to use with my 15mm and crop, since I'm shooting film. Is that a bad idea?
 
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