FIRST LOOK! Voigtlander 15 f/4.5 III for Sony E-Mount! Awesome!

April 25, 2016 Featured, First Looks, Voigtlander 20

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FIRST LOOK! Voigtlander 15 f/4.5 III for Sony E-Mount! Awesome!

Lets face it, 15mm is WIDE. Ultra wide in my book, but sometimes it is just what you may need in tight quarters. Ever since the very 1st version of the Voigtlander 15mm, which was TINY, I have bene smitten with this lens. In the early days, the first two versions were not perfect when used on digital cameras. Even though the version 1 and 2 were Leica M mount, there was vignetting and color shifts when used on a Leica M9 or M 240. Same thing when adapted to be used on the Sony full frame A7 system.

It was not until Version III that things started looking very good for this lens as it did away with the color shifts and gave us a super wide with barely any distortion, no color shifts and great sharpness. The ONLY issue with Version III was using it on a Sony, the extreme corners were not as sharp as they should have been. This is an ongoing issue with some Leica M glass and the Sony A7 series of cameras. But overall, the M version III worked great on the Sony. EVen so, they made it even better now..

HAVE NO FEAR, VOIGTLANDER IS HERE! They have now released the 15mm in Sony E Mount, which means they are optimized for E mount which should mean NO ISSUES AT ALL. I am happy to say after having the lens in hand for a day, it is one hell of a lens for the Sony system. Coming in at $799, this lens which was sent to me from CameraQuest to review is just about the same size as the M version. It is small, light and focusing it is a breeze. When you turn the focus barrel it instantly goes into magnify mode so you can get a good view of what you are focusing on. With its huge depth of field, focusing is quick and easy and even zone focus is usable if you so desire to venture into that area.

Now, I have only had it for a day and have not been out too much to use it but the 1st snaps I shot with it are just what I had expected and hoped for. The IQ is fantastic. Sharp and WIDE! I will be using it over the next 2-3 weeks and will eventually have a full review up, but for now, a few casual test snaps.

In my review I will compare it side by side with the Sony/Zeiss 16-35 at 16mm which I own. 

As always, click on them for better view! Full review soon!

…and some detail..click it!

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20 Comments

  1. Steve, this site you linked offers the information, that glass of the 15mm E mount version is the same as the M mount version.

    How are your findings possible then that the E mount performs better?

    • The E mount does perform better, as the Leica M has slight issues with lenses like this (used to be pretty bad, but much better these days), which is why Leica codes their lenses, to fix issues with their wides. This is not coded. Same glass, sure, but different mount, system, etc.

  2. Can u tell me please what is better to take voigtlander 15mm with e-mount? Or voigtlander 15mm m-mount ang close focus voigtlander adapter ?)

  3. Hi Steve, thanks for your Pictures. I got my 15/4.5 Heliar with eMount a few days ago and i have to say, that the corners are very unsharp / smeared. If i would crop the problems out, i would lose 10-15% of my picture. Your Test-Pictures are not cropped?

    Greetings from Germany,

    Olli

    • No crops here..and I have no complaints on sharpness. Its slightly better than the M version and adapter for me on the A7RII. But what camera are you using? If an old A7 or A7R that could be the issue.

      • Steve, why would it be an issue with a standard A7? Just curious as this is the only full frame camera I own right now and am considering buying this lens for it. Thanks.

  4. I’ve ordered the Voigtlander 15mm with Cameraquest. All went fine, my Paypal account was debited with 799USD and suddenly I received a payback through paypal and the order was cancelled. They said they have made a mistake and don’t ship outside the US. How cool is that ?

  5. I know 16 mm and 21mm are very different, but I am in the market for a wide and was considering the Loxia 21. The Voigtlander being half the price of course has piqued my interest. Just curious, in your mind would you choose one over the other? Or are they just too different to compare?

  6. Hi!
    In Sweden the M-version is half the price from the Sony-version. I hope the Leica M version is okay on the Sony body since I can´t afford the more expensive one.

    • ONLY Version III will be good on a Sony, with Adapter of course. Version 1 is not good, and VII still has color issues. VIII works best on Sony and Leica but your corners will be a tad soft with the M version, most of which you would never even notice.

    • You can order it from uk or possibly germany once its released. I also live in Sweden and plan to order it from uk because the inflated price in Sweden. There should be no custom charges as its within EU.

  7. It looks like CameraQuest is getting this lens in a week earlier then B&H too! Nice!

  9. Looks nice Steve.
    Would like to see some comparison with the 18mm Zeiss Batis.
    Please do it Steve.

    • I have both lenses and the Batis blows the Voightlander away. 15mm is going. Both used on A7Rii.

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