Stunning results at a low cost.
Easy to focus even though you have to guess.

At 4.5 it is a slower lens than I am use to.
Can not easily put filters on it.

I currently use this lens on my Bessa R and Leica M6. It produces stunning wide pictures with only slight distortions. The finder that comes with it is large and easy to compose shots in. It does not connect to the RF system so focusing is done by guessing or hyperfocal focusing. But even with guessing I almost never miss focus. The DOF is so great it is very easy to do. I feel it is a inexpensive alternative to aa wide lens on a DSLR that would cost a whole lot more. I haven't had any problems with flaring either. With the design of the front the use of filters is not easy. Even though I have not tried to put any filters on it. But with the shape of the front of the lens it is almost as if it has a built in hood for protection.

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Voightlander Nokton 40mm 1.4
Voigtlander 35mm Color Skopar

It's sharp, contrasty and best of all wide! It's also quite small and the distance setting stays put. I mostly just leave it focussed at 1 meter.

The finder does have a lot of distortion and since I rarely change the focus setting it's become quite stiff after three years or so. The black finish on the mount scuffs easily revealing the aluminum underneath

I was extremely pleased with this lens. I don't find the light fall-off to be a problem even shooting wide open. It's become my favorite lens. I usually use it on a Bessa L but I often mount it on a Leica M2 with a bayonet adapter. If you enjoy ultra wide angle lenses this is a great bargain and a fantastic lens.

Customer Service

I never needed to have the lens serviced.

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For years I had a 19mm f/3.5 Canon until it was stolen. I currently have a 21mm f/3.4 Super Angulon. I also had a Pentax mount Carl Zeiss Jena 20mm Flektagon 30 years ago.

Weight, optical quality, ease of use, beautifully wide depth of field.

None that I have noticed.

I love this lens for the effects that can be created. I am very pleased with image quality. Ease of use is excellent. LIghtweight that complements my Voigtlander R2a. Having used a Rollei 35 for 20 years (with some stupendous results), I am completely at home with a non-RF coupled lens system. I am happy to make this my standard lens, although I have just bought a 25mm lens to give me a little more flexibility as a 'standard use' lens. IThis may not be as extreme as the 15mm, but it may be of more general use - I'll see.

Customer Service

Excellent

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15mm lens

Compact and wonderful color rendition

Due to light fall off, add 2 stops. Iso 100 is now 25 Iso 400 is now 100 Iso 800 is now 200 No cam for focusing

I love this lens. It is sharp, cheap for a 15mm lens, and takes stunning pictures at all apertures. I use it primarily with the V- Bessa-L due to it not having any focusing cams for Leica or Voigtlander cameras. This makes it difficult for close ups @ 4.5 app. Instead, I use mine for landscapes and vacation shots. It has not let me down. The Aspherical elements can not be beat for comparable prices.

Customer Service

none needed

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none this wide angle

Wide view. Good quality for this length.

Need to be careful that it is held at the right angle, to avoid ridiculous distortion (a characteristic of the focal length, not just this lens). Viewfinder is rubbish. Only f4.5 maximum aperture - but at this focal length anything wider owuld be expensive.

I wouldn't be without this lens. Oh, it's not as good as my 24mm Leica (but costs a fraction of that), but it has its uses, and is astonishingly cheap for such a focal length. Not a general purpose lens.

Customer Service

No experience

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24mm Leica Asph

Extremely sharp. Why did they bother with a focussing mount? Tiny (no bigger than an enlarger lens) and very light. Very good value for money

Distorting finder. Bodies overpriced, oversized and underfeatured

I have used my 15mm for a couple of years now. It is surely an amazingly sharp lens. How useful? Well my overseas trips have resulted in about one shot in five being with the Bessa and 15mm - the rest by an EOS outfit. Used with care it can take stunning shots, particularly landscapes. It is unparalleled for interiors of course - only problem is getting a flash to cover the same angle! A pity the Cosina Voigtlander bodies (I have an L and an R)are such overpriced items. For architectural work I find I can often take a multistorey building from across the road - make sure the camera lens axis is horizontal, and still get the top in. The bottom half of the print is discarded, and there are no converging verticals. Much cheaper than a shift lens! The 15mm viewfinder is bright and clear but has awful barrel distortion which make levelling hard. Illumination at the corners of the negative does fall off which accentuates that interior flash problem. I have not noticed any real distortion with my lens BUT you have to remember that the lens takes what it sees - what you see in life is modifed by the perspective control software behind your eyes and under your hat.

Customer Service

Nothing needed, even the cameras have given no trouble

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Phoenix 19-35mm for EOS, less said the better

Light, compact, very good performance at all apertures, best at around f8. There is some reduction in contrast and sharpness in the corners, most obvious wide open as you would expect but overall this lens gives very pleasing image definition. There is surprisingly little light fall off in the corners. Distortion is very well controlled. It is possible to use 77 mm filters with an adapter. Flare is well controlled.

The viewfinder slips into the accessory shoe on top of the camera and is bright and clear. However there is very heavy barrel distortion in the viewfinder ( not the lens ) and there is no way to judge the centre of the frame. This makes aligning vertical and horizontal lines in the photo a matter of guesswork and considerable frustration when the negs or trannies are processed and it becomes very obvious that WYS is not WYG. If the maker Cosina could produce a more sophisticated viewfinder with built in spirit level and accurate cross lines the appeal of the lens would be greatly enhanced.

I borrowed this lens for a weekend to test its capabilities on a Voigtlander Bessa R2. It is remarkably compact and light for an ultrawide with excellent performance at any price and a great bargain at the asking price. The lens has a Leica 39 mm screw thread mount and can be fitted to cameras with a Leica M bayonet mount with an adapter. There is also a version to fit SLR cameras but the mirror has to be flipped up so viewing is only possible via the supplied external viewfinder.

Customer Service

Good from Mainline Photo in Australia

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Canon 20 f2.8

Extremly sharp, almost distortion free, extremely useful

Just what others have mentioned. No excuse for not getting this lens.

I am writing this review because I think getting this lens with a Bessa L while the latter are still available is a bargain that should not be missed. I mainly shoot with my DSLR, but I missed and needed a superwide option. I use the Heliar and the Bessa L with the spirit level accessory and scan the results with a Nikon Coolscan IV. The details captured and the absence of distortion are amazing with this lens. I have cropped to one third of the film area and still produced very high quality 8" by 10" prints. I don't think you can get comparable quality for a digital camera in a superwide lens anywhere near the price.

Customer Service

Not needed

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Zenitar fisheye, Zeiss 25mm F2.8

Sharpness and contrast are both very good Little distortion Very competitive pricing

Flare can be a problem , so need to be careful with direct sun light, or from the side. Hard to mount a filter, there is a kit design for the 12mm and can mount a 62mm filter, but very expensive!

Great wide angle lens! As some already said on the previous reviews, corners are always slightly under-exposed. But this ultra-wide angle lens beats those 19-35mm zooms by miles !!! for the same price you can't buy much but the Vivitar 17mm f3.5, and that is not up to the quality of Voigtlander. For this lens you do not require focusing, at f4.5 DOF already covers 2m to infinity. So without the coupling focusing/framing is still a breeze, very easy. (be careful with your fingers getting into your image, when holding onto the aperture ring at exposure ....)

Customer Service

none

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Nikkor 20mm

small, lightweight, perfect construction, good finder

little distortion, big light falloff -1 EV in the corners

A wonderful little lens. Well built, with half clicks on the aperture ring, tiny and lightweight, along with a Bessa L it is not heavier than a Nikon or Canon lens alone... The diaphragm blades are superb, resulting in good rendition of lights (bulbs at night, sun...). Just get one fixed on a Bessa, it will do a fantastic job as a landscape and panoramic tool.

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voigtlander 21/4