Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Friends, I now have the first roll of slides taken with the M6+15mm Heliar combination. As I wrote earlier, this lens is great fun to use. Looking at the slides, I did not know what to expect. I am spoiled by my 24mm Elmarit; the Heliar certainly does not come up to that standard. But then again, it is really not fair to compare a 15mm lens with a 24mm lens. Perhaps the more relevant comparison is with my Tokina 17mm lens for Pentax SLR, and this comparison is won by the Heliar. Here are some examples of Heliar pictures. These are selected not so much for their "artistic merit" if any but rather to illustrate the use of this lens. For that reason, there is no manipulation such as sharpening, colour correction or cropping. All four pictures were taken on E100VS and scanned with the Nikon LS-2000. My first test subject was of course my famous backyard: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/downs/1704/bkyrd.JPG I think that the focal length works well here. I then went to a baseball closing ceremony at the International School of Brussels and photographed these teammates signing each other's shirts: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/downs/1704/bsball1.JPG This one shows why this is not the most flattering lens for people photography especially if they are at the edges of the frame! http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/downs/1704/bsball2.JPG Notice the flare/colour fringing in the upper right hand corner of the image. And in the evening I strolled around Grand' Place in Brussels: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/downs/1704/grplace.JPG In summary, I think that the Heliar is a great addition to my Leica outfit, although it is so extreme that it will clearly see little use except in special situations. But for less than $500 it is a good buy, especially when you consider that the only other wide angle of this type available for Leica rangefinder, the 16mm Hologon, costs about 8 times as much. I hope Erwin will have a chance and the inclination to subject the Heliar to his rigorous test regimen some time. Nathan - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium General photo site: http://members.tripod.com/belgiangator/ Belgium photo site: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/ Motorcycle site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1704/