Wide VM Lenses on FF Cameras

[Spluff]

Hello,

Apologies if this question has been asked before, but can anyone recommend a FF camera that works with wide angle L-Mount lenses please? When I say wide, I start at 15mm, use 21mm and 25mm (both VM and Zeiss ZM - and some L39 mount too) and soon to get the 17mm Atoll.

I was looking at the Sony A7 series, but reading some of the threads here seemed to suggest that with these lenses, the images are quite "smeary" at the corners. Based in the UK, I'm not sure I can get the sensor on the A7 changed (as some have suggested) - and I'm not sure I want to go through the expense.

So are there any other brands, or equally, am I chasing a forlorn hope and should simply get another set of wides that better suit FF cameras?

Thanks

 

[keytarjunkie]

Leica digital M cameras have a thinner sensor stack than other full frame cameras. This allows them to generally perform significantly better with lenses that haven’t been optimized for modern digital sensors, though exact results depend on the lens. A camera like the M(240) isn’t astronomically expensive if bought used.

The first generation A7 was particularly bad with color casts and smearing on wide angle M-mount lenses, as far as I know the more recent cameras from Sony, Canon, and Nikon are noticeably better. Besides the Kolari sensor mod I think there are also some filters that can be used to improve corner performance.

 

[Nitroplait]

Nikon Z works much better than Sony, on par w Leica SL.

 

[Archiver]

Panasonic S5 isn't bad with the original Voigtlander 15mm f4.5 Heliar, although I haven't tested it properly to see what the corners are like. There's no colour shift, though. I will try the 12mm f5.6 v2 on the S5 soon.


Not a Voigtlander, but the Zeiss 21mm f2.8 also works nicely with the S5 with no colour shift and only a bit of smearing on the far edges. Very sharp in the centre, too. I was quite surprised by this. I have yet to test the Zeiss 25mm f2.8, though. Once I get mine fixed, I'll use it a lot more.


As for whether more wides will do better on other full frame cameras, that's up to what you find acceptable. I don't mind smeary far edges and corners because my photographic style is mostly atmospheric and involves wide apertures and subject separation. Any full frame system is going to have some good wides to go with it. Sony has the great 20mm f1.8 and 24mm f1.4. Panasonic has the well regarded 16-35mm f4 and Sigma makes a 14-28 in L mount. Canon doesn't have any R mount wide angle primes, but you can adapt existing Canon EF glass with practically no penalty to an EOS R body.

 

[f.hayek]

Hello,

...am I chasing a forlorn hope and should simply get another set of wides that better suit FF cameras?

Thanks

Yes.

Innumerable threads out there with examples of mixed results. For wides, & UW's getting whatever is optimized for the particulalr mount saves you grief and effort experimenting. Time better spent elsewhere.

 

[Doug]

Agree... Wide lenses intended specifically for digital sensors will perform better. They'll usually be larger due to optical reasons. Digital sensors typically have the sensitive spots at the bottom of pits, and it's the light entering at steep angles in the peripheral areas that causes the smearing and color shifts. So wide lenses should ideally be designed to maintain incoming ray angles as nearly perpendicular to the sensor as possible. Adapting SLR lenses is worth considering too, as these must be made to accommodate a greater sensor-to-lens flange distance, which aids that light-ray angle.

 

[Archiver]

Yes.

Innumerable threads out there with examples of mixed results. For wides, & UW's getting whatever is optimized for the particulalr mount saves you grief and effort experimenting. Time better spent elsewhere.

As much as I don't want to agree with you, I agree with you. 😀 There's only so much that lenses intended for film rangefinders will do with digital sensors intended for much longer/more telecentric lenses. If you want the best wide angle performance, get lenses suited to the camera.

I think the recent Voigtlander Noktons do pretty well on mirrorless bodies, but they are optimized for Leica M rangefinders, probably even to the level of the M series thin cover glass. There are a few photographers using the f1.2 Noktons with cameras like the Panasonic S and Nikon Z cameras, but there aren't many.