Comments on: Voigtlander Ultra Wide-Heliar 12mm f/5.6 Aspherical III M Mount Lens Review

By: Doug Chadwick

Doug Chadwick — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:44:27 +0000

I liked your review, and maybe it will give me ideas for things to do with this lens. RIght now is a terrific time to buy one of these, prices are way down. I just snagged a mint used one for less than $400, MPB. You do want the viewfinder if you are using an M Leica, it’s a fun device and the first generation ones are really funky cute, they went well with the first gen 12mm lenses which had design and function advantages, (focus lever and click stops made focus super easy)

The version III is quite a bit better on digital sensors, I have both and just finished shooting the test photos. The first two were great on film but I decided to go for the new one designed to deal with the cover glass over the sensors. I use it on a Nikon Z6, so I will not be using the nice finder, but the EV view is quite compelling. Scale focus of course, but I am accustomed to that.

I am sure modern large expensive lenses in this range “perform better” but these are so crisp and snappy that I cannot image ever wanting more resolution, and the vignetting, when it’s not an advantage can be adjusted. And the size means it will be in my camera bag.

Thanks again.

By: James Tocchio

James Tocchio — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 20:53:17 +0000

In reply to DK. I'm going to admit that we probably have a bit of a blind spot here when it comes to the relatively new bunches of lenses coming out of China. As I think about it, there's no good reason for this. I'll send a message to our partners and get some loaner lenses from Laowa and the other brands who are producing optics out of China and we'll get with the times. Thanks very much for your nudge.

By: DK

DK — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 17:10:03 +0000

I like how Laowa lenses are being omitted on purpose like they don’t exist, the 9mm, the 11mm, 12mm etc. And they are quite good lenses.

By: Arthur Gottschalk

Arthur Gottschalk — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 20:24:08 +0000

Columbia? Lucky you. Great place to study, and what a library. I did my Journalism degree there some years ago. I’m after the CV 28mm lens myself.

By: chris feola

chris feola — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 16:17:02 +0000

I love ultrawides. I bought the original screw mount version and a Bessa R to use it on decades ago. Sold the Bessa, but I still have the Voightlander. Now I use it on my Sony a7rii. Wonderful lens and spectacular results!

By: JL Williams

JL Williams — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 05:09:27 +0000

If you’re going to try to pass off a literary exercise as a lens review, you need to be careful not to let the marks catch on too early. Branding a thin aperture ring as a mark of poor construction quality, followed by judging the typeface used for the engravings as less aesthetically pleasing than Leica’s, came much too early. I twigged. Glad you’re liking Columbia; I’m sure you’ll do well there.