p.21 #1 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
I just got mine in super fast from CameraQuest (ordered Thursday night).
Very overcast today but a quickie test. Looks like I have some smearing in the corners. It actually looks like it maybe clears up a bit at F11 surprisingly but I will leave that open to interpretation from better eyes than mine. Infinity appears to be right on the infinity hard stop which is nice.
p.21 #3 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
A good copy looks good even wide-open towards the corners (sweet spot f/5.6). It took me 2 copies to find a keeper E-mount version. I have Guy's M-mount version as reference and they match.
I think this lens will require some patience (same it true for the M-mount). Perhaps the chances are 50/50 to get a keeper. (1 out of 2)
p.21 #4 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Yeah mine is still a total disaster at 5.6. I'm just surprised it clears up at all. If I recall your bad copies never got better even when stopped down.
p.21 #5 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
No they never clear when stopping down. It should actually look pretty darn good even wide open like Fred says F5.6 is pretty much right on target. I would not test these past F8 either as diffraction kicks in
Vcize wrote:
Yeah mine is still a total disaster at 5.6. I'm just surprised it clears up at all. If I recall your bad copies never got better even when stopped down.
p.21 #6 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
1) My copy of the Sony 16-35mm FE is going directly into the Sony Hall of Fame
2) My Copy of CV 15mm FE is going directly back to Camera Quest.
Used a tripod and carefully focused both manually.
The 16-35 at 16mm is wildly sharper than the CV15mm over the outer 20% of the frame and crushes the CV in the corners.
Either my 16-35 goes wider than 16mm or there is no way the CV 15mm is really 15mm. While the CV is ever so slightly wider, it does not look like as large a difference as I would expect.
Vignette and color on CV look bad compared to 16-35.
I guess the good news for me is my bag keeps getting lighter and lighter.
The bad news is I am spending a fortune on shipping returning bad lenses.
I think all future purchases will be from local Best Buy.
Well at least the C/Y 35-70mm and 85mm f2.8 I received were great copies and it only took two Loxia 21mm's to get a centered copy. The Loxia hood will be going back to Zeiss however, and it fell off 3 times during a relatively small amount of hiking.
My recommendation is don't waste your time on the CV 15, but you may get lucky
p.21 #7 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
billsnature wrote:
1) My copy of the Sony 16-35mm FE is going directly into the Sony Hall of Fame
2) My Copy of CV 15mm FE is going directly back to Camera Quest.
Used a tripod and carefully focused both manually.
The 16-35 at 16mm is wildly sharper than the CV15mm over the outer 20% of the frame and crushes the CV in the corners.
Either my 16-35 goes wider than 16mm or there is no way the CV 15mm is really 15mm. While the CV is ever so slightly wider, it does not look like as large a difference as I would expect.
Vignette and color on CV look bad compared to 16-35.
I guess the good news for me is my bag keeps getting lighter and lighter.
The bad news is I am spending a fortune on shipping returning bad lenses.
I think all future purchases will be from local Best Buy.
Well at least the C/Y 35-70mm and 85mm f2.8 I received were great copies and it only took two Loxia 21mm's to get a centered copy. The Loxia hood will be going back to Zeiss however, and it fell off 3 times during a relatively small amount of hiking.
My recommendation is don't waste your time on the CV 15, but you may get lucky
p.21 #8 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Vcize wrote:
Yeah mine is still a total disaster at 5.6. I'm just surprised it clears up at all. If I recall your bad copies never got better even when stopped down.
Yes but my bad copies were really awful to notice any difference. With a good copy, f/11 looks diffracted when compared to f/5.6 or f/8.
p.21 #9 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Fred Miranda wrote:
Bill, can you post a 1:1 crop showing the extreme corners of your 16-35/4? I had a very good copy of this lens and regret selling it.
Hi Fred,
per your request here are crops from both the Sony 16-35mm FE at 16mm and from the CV 15mm FE. I used you technique, so the camera is on tripod at an angle so there is detail in the upper left and lower right corners. All 4 images are at f8 and these are 100% crops.
p.21 #10 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
@billsnature
Thanks for the crops!
A few months back I saw similar performance from my own copies.
My 16-35/4 performed way better than my 15/4.5III M-mount. I would read people saying the CV15 has good corners but I just could not see it.
Today, I know I had a good copy of the 16-35/4 and a bad copy of the CV 15. Just like you.
p.21 #11 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Hi Fred,
At one point I was thinking of selling my 16-35mm FE. Now they will need to pry it from my cold dead hand. It is not good from 26-35, but quite a performer from 16-24mm.
p.21 #12 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
billsnature wrote:
Either my 16-35 goes wider than 16mm or there is no way the CV 15mm is really 15mm. While the CV is ever so slightly wider, it does not look like as large a difference as I would expect.
FWIW, the 15III is slightly narrower angle of view than the 15II, but it has better out of the box distortion correction. I'm not familiar with the Sony system, so wondering, does the 16-35 need a lot of distortion correction at 16mm and if so, is it automatically baked-in by the camera, or something you apply in post? If it's not baked-in, then once you apply the correction you'll end up with a narrower angle of view. But I guess if you process images in LR, the embedded lens profile will be automatically applied?
p.21 #13 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
rscheffler wrote:
FWIW, the 15III is slightly narrower angle of view than the 15II, but it has better out of the box distortion correction. I'm not familiar with the Sony system, so wondering, does the 16-35 need a lot of distortion correction at 16mm and if so, is it automatically baked-in by the camera, or something you apply in post? If it's not baked, in, then once you apply the correction you'll end up with a narrower angle of view. But I guess if you process your images in LR, then the embedded lens profile will be automatically applied.
The 16-35 is 16mm after distortion correction, a fraction wider before.
Distortion correction by profile in LR is optional: CA is non-optional, but not distortion or vignetting.
So you can use it as a slightly wider lens in situations where you don't care about distortion.
p.21 #14 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
billsnature wrote:
Either my 16-35 goes wider than 16mm or there is no way the CV 15mm is really 15mm. While the CV is ever so slightly wider, it does not look like as large a difference as I would expect.
Bill
The 16-35 is a little wider than 16 if you don't correct distortion
p.21 #15 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Fred Miranda wrote:
A good copy looks good even wide-open towards the corners (sweet spot f/5.6). It took me 2 copies to find a keeper E-mount version. I have Guy's M-mount version as reference and they match.
I think this lens will require some patience (same it true for the M-mount). Perhaps the chances are 50/50 to get a keeper. (1 out of 2)
Thanks Fred. I am afraid (1 out of 2) might be a bit optimistic, no?
If you count in your previous M-mount versions then it's what, (1 out of 4 or 5)?
My question is where does one draw the line without wearing out a vendor's welcome?
After my first copy that is a lemon I am a little gun shy. Maybe I shouldn't be?
p.21 #16 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
k-h.a.w wrote:
Thanks Fred. I am afraid (1 out of 2) might be a bit optimistic, no?
If you count in your previous M-mount versions then it's what, (1 out of 4 or 5)?
My question is where does one draw the line without wearing out a vendor's welcome?
After my first copy that is a lemon I am a little gun shy. Maybe I shouldn't be?
Thanks again, K-H.
If I counted all the CV 15/4.5III lenses I've tried regardless of the mount version, there were 5, including Guy's copy.
I saw 2 excellent vs 3 bad or 2 out of 5...still close to 50/50.
However, I agree with you. It's discouraging having to return bad copies of a lens. Perhaps testing it out at a local store may be a good idea.
p.21 #17 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Fred Miranda wrote:
A good copy looks good even wide-open towards the corners (sweet spot f/5.6). It took me 2 copies to find a keeper E-mount version. I have Guy's M-mount version as reference and they match.
I think this lens will require some patience (same it true for the M-mount). Perhaps the chances are 50/50 to get a keeper. (1 out of 2)
k-h.a.w wrote:
Thanks Fred. I am afraid (1 out of 2) might be a bit optimistic, no?
If you count in your previous M-mount versions then it's what, (1 out of 4 or 5)?
My question is where does one draw the line without wearing out a vendor's welcome?
After my first copy that is a lemon I am a little gun shy. Maybe I shouldn't be?
Thanks again, K-H.
I agree, but maybe one with a generous return policy? Problem with trying in-store is these are fairly niche lenses and not a lot of places probably stock them. I wonder though, when ordering online, or even trying in-store, what's to keep you from getting a lens already rejected by someone else?
p.21 #18 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Im honestly a little soured by the latest trends in the last few years. Just seems to be more problematic . I mean i went through 4 FE 35mm 1.4 and i don't have the guts to buy it again. My GM 85 was exchanged this week, have a better one now, Issues with the Loxia 21mm folks have been having and this 15mm. I been lucky on those two and every Loxia 50 i bought I think I'm on my 3rd was good. I have had good and bad. Im not sure what the real answer is anymore. Im at the stage of buy from a friend or rent and test it first. I know i would NOT buy a FE 35mm again without testing it first. No way in hell. To me thats sad we have to deal with this, think about it and worry about your purchases.
p.21 #19 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
GMPhotography wrote:
To me thats sad we have to deal with this, think about it and worry about your purchases.
Yes, it isn't a good place to be. It's an even more concerning issue in countries where the camera stores have less liberal return policies than the US retailers, making the copy-lottery a dangerous game to play.
p.21 #20 · Official: Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 III E-mount
Aztatlan wrote:
Yes, it isn't a good place to be. It's an even more concerning issue in countries where the camera stores have less liberal return policies than the US retailers, making the copy-lottery a dangerous game to play.
Agree here in the states its pretty good but honestly after one return on a product , I would be hard pressed to the hit dealer again on a second time. Its not there fault and these returns cost money. Case in point , I overnighted my GM 85 to my dealer last week and it cost me 125 dollars, Im not getting reimbursed for that and that money would certainly take my family out to a decent meal.
