Zeiss Hologon 16/8 on M240

[robert blu]

Great!
rob

 

[raid]

Now I feel much better about having bought this lens, Robert. It was just as easy like taking snapshots with a small digital camera. There is ONE error that I made for sure; I focused on a very close subject (0.4m) and then I may sometimes forget to set the distance to 1.5m or even midway 1.5m-infinity. I hope that the sensor in the M9 will behave better with the Hologon than what the M240 has done.

 

[raid]

I asked Peter Karbe about the color smear when I use the 16/8 on the M240, and his response was that This should be expected since the cover glass of the sensor causes this purple smear. The incident angles of the lens affect the color aberrations.

There is no magical way to just get back from a FF sensor clean color images. It could be that some software must be used.

 

[raid]

I have many excellent lenses that I can choose to use, so the Hologon may become a special lens for situations when I want no distortion with a wide angle lens. In such a case, I can use the lens on the M3 or M6 on film, or on the M9 for B&W or color on the M8 for a 21mm view.

 

[raid]

Using the M9 (new sensor) with the Hologon gives me additional vignetting and purple smear as compared with the M240. This lens may push me back to using film cameras.

 

[raid]

I used this morning again the M9 with the Hologon and my main finding is that the vignetting is much darker than what I observed with the M240. This dark vignetting is with the special ND filter in place. I tried bracketing the exposure, but this is not the solution to this issue.

 

[sepiareverb]

Nice work with a challenging lens. The thing I had the hardest time with was keeping my fingers out of the shot. And keeping the lens level in some situations can be challenging. I found the Frankenfinder much easier in this regard. Much better color results on the M8 than I would have guessed. Keep at it!

 

[raid]

I tried again with the new sensor in the M9 and with "B&W".


link: https://raid.smugmug.com/New-M9-Hologon/i-Vx6F4qt

 

[raid]

I tried overexposing by 1 f stop. I tried taking the ND filter off. I tried what was possible to do. Color images need special treatment, it seems. I start with B&W.

 

[raid]

Nice work with a challenging lens. The thing I had the hardest time with was keeping my fingers out of the shot. And keeping the lens level in some situations can be challenging. I found the Frankenfinder much easier in this regard. Much better color results on the M8 than I would have guessed. Keep at it!

Thanks. It seems that not only the crop in the M8 helped but the sensor too or the lack of a thick glass coverage helped.

 

[raid]

Here is another two images from that shoot. Here, I used CS2 where I changed (in MODE) color to B&W. I added a tiny bit of contrast too.

 

[raid]

I spent around $1800 for the Hologon plus M modification by DAG. The lens is like new, being a new-old-stock lens. It is not best suited for a digital FF camera due to a purple smearing at the edges and vignetting even when using the special ND filter, I bought this lens for being a distortion free lens. No other lens is like it. When used with a film M, there are no problems seen in images.

So, did I do well and should I have bought instead a CV 15mm III (or similar)? Leica wide angle lenses cost more than $1800.

I forgot to mention "the enjoyment factor" for the extra challenges to be overcome with this lens! It would otherwise be a boring experience to me. I want to use the Hologon for street photography, and I must then get very close to the people.

I have no regrets, and it is a thrill to be able to use this lens.

 

[jkcampbell]

CornerFix or Adobe Flat Field will be your friend.

CornerFix or Adobe Flat Field will be your friend.

Hi Raid, the Hologon has always been a dream lens for me but never had one come up when the I had the money so, maybe some day! My Zeiss 21mm f4.5 Biogon shows the same vignetting and red edges on both the M9 and the M10. B&W is much more forgiving but color really shows the red cast. I use Adobe Flat Field plugin with Lightroom and it works great. I hear a lot about CornerFix so I think this is probably a good solution too. The secret is to take the time to make good profiles for the software to reference. Ultra wide angles can be a challenge but that's the fun right! Enjoy the journey! Cheers, jc

 

[rfaspen]

Yes. I have been using both Cornerfix and Adobe Flat Field with my older CV 21/4 and CV 15/4.5. Those software both work well. For me, Cornerfix works a little better -- I think it has something to do with the calibration images I'm using.

Personally, I wouldn't mind having a Hologon. Like you say Raid, it is pretty unique. But, I would probably pick up a vIII CV 15/4.5 first. Its just because I appreciate the lens handling characteristics along with the attention to using it on digital sensors. And, I think it costs less. 😉

However, I completely understand the attraction of the Hologon!😎 I think our brains are wired similarly when it comes to "interesting" lenses. Lucky for me, I have a limiting budget and an observant wife. 🙁

So, if I were Raid I would keep and enjoy the Hologon.....and eventually find myself a CV 15/4.5 vIII as well. One nice thing about already having a lens of a particular focal length is that I adopt a very casual and patient approach to pursuing other lenses in the same FL range.

 

[raid]

JC: Thanks for reminding me to explore using Cornerfix or the Adobe Flat Field plugin. How would you go about getting either one?

 

[raid]

Yes. I have been using both Cornerfix and Adobe Flat Field with my older CV 21/4 and CV 15/4.5. Those software both work well. For me, Cornerfix works a little better -- I think it has something to do with the calibration images I'm using.

Personally, I wouldn't mind having a Hologon. Like you say Raid, it is pretty unique. But, I would probably pick up a vIII CV 15/4.5 first. Its just because I appreciate the lens handling characteristics along with the attention to using it on digital sensors. And, I think it costs less. 😉

However, I completely understand the attraction of the Hologon!😎 I think our brains are wired similarly when it comes to "interesting" lenses. Lucky for me, I have a limiting budget and an observant wife. 🙁

So, if I were Raid I would keep and enjoy the Hologon.....and eventually find myself a CV 15/4.5 vIII as well. One nice thing about already having a lens of a particular focal length is that I adopt a very casual and patient approach to pursuing other lenses in the same FL range.

Thanks. How did you go about getting cornerfix (just downloading?) and how did you arrive at your calibration images? Do you need multiple calibration images? Can these be shoehow shared? Does anyone sell them? I am curious about it.

I am getting weary of buying additional lenses if they don't bring something new to the table in my case. I have plenty of lenses, but I stayed away from buying wide angle RF lenses other than a used 25/4 ltm and I have a Rokkor 28/2.8 M and a Kobalux 28/3.5 too.

 

[jkcampbell]

Adobe Flat Field Download

Adobe Flat Field Download

JC: Thanks for reminding me to explore using Cornerfix or the Adobe Flat Field plugin. How would you go about getting either one?

Adobe Flat Field download and directions can be found here:

https://labs.adobe.com/downloads/lightroomplugins.html

I've seen directions for creating multiple reference files, different apertures and different focusing distances. I tried that but found that for my Zeiss 21 the reference file for f8 at infinity pretty much works for any image shot with this lens. You create the reference files by shooting a blank gray or white wall. FYI, you will need at least two identical reference files, one for horizontal shots and one for vertical shots.

If you are using Lightroom just put a copy of the reference file in the same folder as the image file you want to correct. In Library or Develop view select both files (command click) and select "Apply interleaved correction" under "File/Plug-in Extras" and you are done.

CornerFix can be found here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/cornerfix/
I have not used it but I believe it works the same way but as a stand alone app instead of a Lightroom Plug-in. Good Luck! jc

 

[raid]

Thanks a lot for the step by step tips here. I will definitely try this out. I do very minimal LR adjustments, and this time Ibetter do more.

 

[rfaspen]

Yes, jkcampbell has the download sites.

I have used both software. They are quite similar. Adobe Flat Field can be used while in Lightroom. Cornerfix is used outside Lightroom (at least that's how my system is configured).

For both Flat Field and Cornerfix you make your own calibration images. The number of images you need is up to you and how "particular" you are. I made 4 to 6 calibration images for each lens: They are determined by focus distance and aperture -- I used 3m wide open, 3m mid-aperture, 3m fully stopped down, near infinity wide open, near infinity mid-aperture, near infinity closed down. You simply take a photo of a blank evenly illuminated white or gray surface to make a calibration image. I used a big gray card (I think 18x24 inches) taped to the wall opposite a large window in my living room during a bright overcast day. The Cornerfix website has some alternative approaches to getting calibration images. Sounds difficult, but really quite easy. Hardest part is ensuring even illumination. I've heard of people simply photographing a fully overcast British sky (common condition?). Some people make an image through a transluscent plastic sheet against an overcast sky.

Once you have calibration images, you simply open your uncorrected image in Cornerfix, select the appropriate calibration image from a list, and click to correct. Works well. You'll find that if you choose a calibration image that doesn't really match the conditions of your target image, it still works quite well. So, don't get too hung up on getting a calibration image for every combination of focus distance and aperture.

I'll just say that I strongly recommend giving one of these softwares a try (try Cornerfix first?). You will be very, very happy with the corrections. I would be very unhappy with my older CV wides without Cornerfix or Flat Field. I could dig up examples if you're interested...

 

[raid]

Yes, jkcampbell has the download sites.

I have used both software. They are quite similar. Adobe Flat Field can be used while in Lightroom. Cornerfix is used outside Lightroom (at least that's how my system is configured).

For both Flat Field and Cornerfix you make your own calibration images. The number of images you need is up to you and how "particular" you are. I made 4 to 6 calibration images for each lens: They are determined by focus distance and aperture -- I used 3m wide open, 3m mid-aperture, 3m fully stopped down, near infinity wide open, near infinity mid-aperture, near infinity closed down. You simply take a photo of a blank evenly illuminated white or gray surface to make a calibration image. I used a big gray card (I think 18x24 inches) taped to the wall opposite a large window in my living room during a bright overcast day. The Cornerfix website has some alternative approaches to getting calibration images. Sounds difficult, but really quite easy. Hardest part is ensuring even illumination. I've heard of people simply photographing a fully overcast British sky (common condition?). Some people make an image through a transluscent plastic sheet against an overcast sky.

Once you have calibration images, you simply open your uncorrected image in Cornerfix, select the appropriate calibration image from a list, and click to correct. Works well. You'll find that if you choose a calibration image that doesn't really match the conditions of your target image, it still works quite well. So, don't get too hung up on getting a calibration image for every combination of focus distance and aperture.

I'll just say that I strongly recommend giving one of these softwares a try (try Cornerfix first?). You will be very, very happy with the corrections. I would be very unhappy with my older CV wides without Cornerfix or Flat Field. I could dig up examples if you're interested...

Thanks for the support! Having another person advise on this issue is reassuring. My 16/8 has a fixed aperture, but I could use the lens with the ND filter or not, giving me different levels of vignetting and color smear.
Yes, I am interested in seeing some examples.