Canon IXUS 240 HS
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS
Nikon D800
Samsung DV300F
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Nikon Coolpix P510
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Nikon Coolpix S9300
Voigtländer Ultra-Wide Heliar 12mm f5.6 Aspherical II
Cosina has just released a new, Voigtländer branded ultra-wide lens for the M mount. The Heliar 12mm f5.6 Aspherical II is a rectilinear lens that has an angle of view of 121° when mounted on an M series Leica - except for the cropped-sensor M8 and M8.2 - or any other rangefinder camera that uses the M mount (except for the Epson R-D1xG and its predecessors sporting APS-C sized imagers). The new version offers more precise focusing and accepts filters without a filter adapter. Consturcted of 10 elements in 8 groups, the Heliar 12mm f5.6 Aspherical II will retail for 85,000 yen without taxes. The separately sold 12mm auxiliary viewfinder will set you back another 34,500 yen. There is no word on international availability just yet.
Update: Photoscala reports that the new lens shall be available in the German market in the early summer, for about €1,000. The external finder will cost approximately €450.
Canon IXUS 240 HS Review
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS Review
Nikon D800 Review
Samsung DV300F Review
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Review
Nikon Coolpix P510
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Fujifilm X-Pro1
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V
#1 buy r4 card
I have to admit that I am besotted with wide-angle lenses. In the early 70s I had to have a 28mm, by 1985 I was hooked on a 20mm on a Pentax - I even had a 15mm, but it was so unwieldy that I had to give it up.
But the Voigtlander 12mm is a gem. Sure, there is some vignetting, by about a stop, but that's why we have fingers - to dodge the printing.
It does take time to adapt to seeing the way such a lens works - I have used the 12mm very happily within buildings, and you become aware not so much of lines of composition as the sheer volume of the space which you hope to record. I can't help thinking that past habits - of keeping my verticals vertical, for instance - were helpful.
If there is a single test if how well the lens is working for you it is probably to take note of whether in your final print you are still using the full frame - if you find yourself cropping, taking only the middle bits, then a little more practice may be needed.
All in all, an absolute treat. I give it four stars only because it isn't f:1.2 - my other obsession is low-light photography, and the Voigtlander 35mm f:1.2 is my other favourite lens. Extremes are not just fun - there is a discipline which is a joy to work with.
7:53 am - Monday, January 25, 2010