Let's discuss MANUAL-FOCUS ONLY, THIRD PARTY ONLY, Super-Wide-Angle Lenses

[ic-racer]

In its day this was Super WIde for SLRs being wider than the Angenieux and Enna 28mm lense. It was one of the first 24mm Retrofocus lenses made. It is an Enna Lithagon 24mm f4 (M42) attached to a restored Edixa. Both the camera and lens are West German origin.

It is not as wide as the well-known East German 20mm Flectagon, but when this Enna Lithagon 24mm came out the Flectagon 20mm did not exist!

 

[Moose22]

Well, this thread did it to me.

I went with the screw mount 15mm super wide heliar. I can already see that the finder with the framelines will be needed, though I still haven't killed a roll yet to see results.

 

[GRHazelton]

I had a Tokina 17mm (FD) that was an absolute joy to use. When I switched to the EOS system, I grabbed the EF version, which IMHO, is not as good. I offloaded it when I purchased a 17mm TSE, but always wanted a 17mm Tamron.

I found myself missing the smaller lightweight version (the TSE is far too bulky to carry around when shooting landscapes and late last year, I landed my "dream" non-OEM ultra-wide, the Tamron 17mm SP. This is the early version (1979 build), with in-built filters, no plastic covering on the f-stops and the rubber grip matches the early 28mm I also own.

This 17mm is outstanding and I highly recommend it to anyone who is after a cheaper alternative to OEM wides. When first released, it was more expensive than the Tokina and Vivitar, and after using both the Tokina and Tamron, I can definitely see why. The specs for this amazing lens are here:

Tamron 17mm SP Adaptall Lens

I've been a fan of the Tamron Adaptall lens system since I purchased their outstanding 180mm f2.5 Anniversary Edition lens, when it was first released in 1988. The hardest part of leaving the FD world for EOS, was offloading my Tamrons: 300mm f2.8, 90mm f2.5, 180mm f2.5 and the 28mm f2.5. In fact, I missed them so much, I ended up buying a 28mm only a few years after selling mine.

I now run both with original OEM Tamron EF mounts - they actually cost me more than the lenses they're mounted on . . .

I can feel your pain about giving up your Tamron 300mm f2.8. I have that lens with mounts for both Pentax (my major system) and for Nikon, which is becoming a secondary system. The Tammy is fabulous! Talking with some fellow shooters at a bird preserve in South Carolina I mentioned the Tammy and one asked if I wanted to sell it. I replied with a small smile, "No."

 

[Moose22]

@Huss Does the metal Voigtlander finder clear the speed knob on your III ?

Took this rig out to give it a try and the plastic finder has to be removed to change the speeds. Quite annoying.

I can definitely see where the framelines would make a difference, too.

 

[Roseha]

Does anyone know if the lens hood for the older 17mm f3.5 Tamron will fit the newer version?

 

[xkaes]

You need to be more specific because Tamron made 17mm lenses with two differnt front diameters -- 67mm & 82mm -- some with filters built-in, some not. And what do you mean by "older"?

 

[Roseha]

I meant the Tamron 51B and the 151B, the 2 versions of the 17mm with 82mm filter size.


I was just wondering because there appear to be two versions of the lens hood but I think both are marked for 82mm.

Thanks

 

[Huss]

My two 15mm lenses. Replaced that crappy finder with Voigtlander’s much better metal version which has frame lines.

@Moose22 you can see my 1F has no issues w the shutter speed dial. And that is with the miserable bloaty plastic finder. The much nicer metal finder is smaller.

 

[Moose22]

I didn't realize the If was different... but yeah. The IIIf is blocked by the fat finder. And it's a PITA.

Still haven't gotten one, but I'll trade it out for a metal one. I went out and burned a roll this week and 15mm is enough more than my 18 and 20 Nikons to be a keeper.

 

[ozphoto]

I can feel your pain about giving up your Tamron 300mm f2.8. I have that lens with mounts for both Pentax (my major system) and for Nikon, which is becoming a secondary system. The Tammy is fabulous! Talking with some fellow shooters at a bird preserve in South Carolina I mentioned the Tammy and one asked if I wanted to sell it. I replied with a small smile, "No."

I agree - if I had to do it all over again, it would still be mine.

 

[Moose22]

So, should I just go ahead and admit here that this isn't the only shot I ruined by getting my fingers in the way?

In my defense, it's 1/15th and it was very dark, I was trying to stabilize against the wall, and... well, I don't have any excuses for the others where I did it.

The 15m Heliar is a pretty nice lens for the buck, though! I'm definitely going to get a metal finder for it and use it more.

 

[halfaman]

It is curious that nobody has mentioned Samyang, in particular 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMS (latest model). Manual focus and aperture selection, good building quality, neither big nor heavy (550 gr or 1.2 lb), really nice image quality, affordable on second-hand market (mine for 200€), and available for Nikon F, Canon EOS, Pentax K and Minolta/Sony A mounts. It accepts no filters but there are some third-party solutions if you really need it (but cost almost the same as the lens ).

Below an example with a Nikon FM2n and Lomochrome Metropolis film.

 

[Sirius Glass]

So, should I just go ahead and admit here that this isn't the only shot I ruined by getting my fingers in the way?

In my defense, it's 1/15th and it was very dark, I was trying to stabilize against the wall, and... well, I don't have any excuses for the others where I did it.

The 15m Heliar is a pretty nice lens for the buck, though! I'm definitely going to get a metal finder for it and use it more.

I use a post handle screwed into the tripod mount to keep my hands and fingers out of my WideLux F7 photographs.

 

[Moose22]

Sounds like a good way to keep an extra grip. I should cut a stick of the end of a boom and screw the camera to that. Like Chuck Yeager when he couldn't close the door to the X-1.

I kid about this, but I've only used ultrawides through an SLR to date. And this Leica is new to me, so I'm still a little ham-fisted in using it. With the diminutive size of the lens it it just a tiny little baby camera and I simply need to hold it "properly". I shot two rolls of that catlabs stuff and have a few fingers in there on each roll.

I have a roll of HP5 in the camera now, and it still wears the 15mm, so I'll pay better attention as I finish off the roll. The results themselves are sharp enough and surprisingly low distortion.

 

[Moose22]

Just to follow up, in case anyone tries this lens on a IIIf, the metal Voigtlander 15mm viewfinder doesn't obscure the speed knob on a IIIf at all. I just got one and tried it out.

The plastic one is squat and wide, and you have to remove it to change speed on that camera. The framelines are nice on the metal one, but the problem of blocking the speed setting alone is enough reason not to use the plastic finder.

 

[ph]

I presume the Zeiss 18/3,5 qualifies. Reasonably sharp & contrasty-

p.