Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 07:09 AM 16/6/99 +0200, you wrote: >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 Nathan Nice pics with the Heliar...... I think the Grand Place pic reminds us to be careful with buildings taken with WA lenses. They look like they are falling against each other. Dan K.