Sorry, Richard, to hear of your troubles. Do I presume, correctly, that the
lens works fine in visible light? I've heard many good things about it. Does
the 12 do any better, in IR?
As for needing one... sorry, but I've already got the focal length covered.
Good luck!
David.
I like to shoot intentional Infrared images with my Leica M8. I've had my
mobility impaired and it's gotten difficult to get in the dramatic positions
or get to the dramatic spots like I used to. So I decided to shake things up
and get a more dramatic lens! A 15mm Voigtlander Ultra Wide seemed to fit the
bill so I went and found a used one at reasonable price. Gathered the needed
bits and bobs across the interwebs and everything arrives and Jane and I go
to the beach for breakfast and some lens experiments.
Some of you may know what I soon encountered sitting there parked along
gorgeous shores of lake michigan. Anyway the sun is shining, it's 70° out,
with faint whispers of clouds around, in short perfect summer day. So I've
put the 77mm filter adapter on the lens, the 77mm IR filter on it, I've
futzed out my scale focus goals, and I take a picture. [click] Odd filter
glare plus flare in middle of the image. Hmmm I cover the VF vent in the
filter holder and [click] the raking glare is gone, but the central flare is
still there. This is when all my research from back before I bought my M8
6yrs ago comes flooding back to me.
I'd just discovered the hard way that the 15mm Heliar has a Hot Spot. Some
lenses by virtue of a combination of lens coating choices, glass choices, and
their optical formulations, let infrared light shine straight thru in the
middle portion of the lens causing a Hot Spot in the IR spectrum. I'd clean
forgot to check the lists of known lenses with IR Hotspots before buying my
lens. Oops.
Just to make it more of an object lesson for myself: I had multiple options
of getting the 12mm Heliar or the 15mm heliar at reasonable prices at KEH
when I made my purchase. 7days later when I've discovered my error are there
*any* 12mm Heliars around? Of course not. I've gone and banged my shin then
spilled salt in the wound at the same time just to well and truly learn to do
my due diligence! :D
In unrelated news: ;
Anyone wanna buy a beautiful 15mm Heliar at a good price?
[Just email me off list]
😎
Sincerely
Richard Ward
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What would men be without women?
Scarce, sir, mighty scarce.
- Mark Twain
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