Voigtlander 10mm/1:5.6 Hyper Wide Heliar E Review - Review 2022

There are wide lenses and ultra-wide lenses, and so there's the Voigtlander 10mm/1:5.vi Hyper Wide Heliar E ($one,099), which is wider than any other rectilinear lens with full-frame coverage. Nosotros're reviewing the version for Sony cameras—there's also 1 for Leica rangefinders, but it's non quite the same verbal lens. You tin can go pretty similar results with Sony's FE 12-24mm F4 Yard or Canon's EF 11-24mm f/4L, but both are bulkier and more than expensive. The Heliar is of those lenses that you lot may but use for an occasional shot, but null else out there will get you the same look.

Design: Nigh Purely Mechanical

The Due east in the Hyper Wide Heliar Due east's name refers to Sony'due south East-mount, used in both its APS-C and full-frame mirrorless cameras. The version of the lens we reviewed can be used with either, although yous won't benefit from its extreme angle of view with the smaller APS-C sensor size. Voigtlander also sells it for Leica 1000 cameras, although that version of the lens doesn't focus quite equally close as the Heliar E.

The Heliar is black, with a finish that is not quite glossy and not quite matte, and an integrated lens hood. The barrel is metallic, equally is the included sideslip-on lens cap, which features the Voigtlander logo in a cursive script at its middle. The lens itself measures 2.3 by 2.7 inches (HD) and weighs 13.one ounces, quite compact when you consider its angle of view. To compare, the Sony Fe 12-24mm, already considered small for an ultra-wide zoom, is four.six by 3.v inches and 1.2 pounds. Canon's EF xi-24mm f/4L, which can be used on Sony cameras with an adapter similar Sigma'southward MC-11, is 5.2 by 4.3 inches and 2.6 pounds.

There is no filter thread, which is a bit of a downer. The most commonly used type of filter for such a wide lens, the graduated neutral density filter that landscape photographers employ to balance brightness of state and sky, typically requires the use of an add-on filter holder. NiSi makes a holder for the Heliar, priced around $170.

The lens is most purely mechanical. Information technology has a physical discontinuity ring, adjustable in third-stop increments from f/5.6 through f/22. In that location are electric contacts on the East-mount version of the lens—they're not included with the Leica M edition. Their inclusion ways that your Sony camera will tape focal length and aperture data in images, correctly enable in-body image stabilization (the lens does not have its own stabilization arrangement), and activate transmission focus magnification automatically.

The manual focus ring is similar to those found on some other Voigtlander lenses. Information technology alternates between shallow areas, natural depressions to rest for your fingers, and raised sections with metal ridges. I found it as comfortable to turn the band when gripping either, though I recommend using ii fingers to turn information technology. It requires about a 90-degree turn to motion from the minimum focus distance to infinity. In that location is a corresponding depth of field scale, with markings down to f/sixteen, and with such a wide bending and aperture the depth of field is quite deep—you won't get much background blur, aside from shots captured virtually the minimum focus distance.

The E version of the lens focuses as close as xi.eight inches (0.3-meter), then you can work adequately close, merely you're never going to get macro results from the lens—it's just likewise wide. The Leica M version doesn't focus as close. It's limited to 19.2 inches (0.6-meter) and information technology's non rangefinder coupled, so you'll accept to focus using the distance calibration or a digital Leica's rear LCD or improver EVF. If you employ a unlike mirrorless photographic camera brand, you should exist able to observe an adapter to use the Leica version of the lens with your system.

Image Quality: Very Little Distortion, only Not the Sharpest Lens

I tested the Hyper Wide Heliar Due east with the 42MP Sony a7R Three and Imatest software. Typically I frame our lens resolution examination nautical chart so it fills the frame, only the Heliar is and so wide that I wasn't able to practise and then and properly focus on the chart.

The following results are the composites of ii batches of testing. The outset with the chart centered, but only taking up almost half of the frame, and the second with the chart framed at the corner. This gives usa information on both fundamental and peripheral resolution.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

At f/5.6 the Heliar E resolves virtually ii,500 lines on boilerplate. That'southward on the soft side—we want to see at least 2,750 lines from a 42MP sensor. Fundamental resolution is acceptable, simply not exceptional, at 3,084 lines. But information technology drops off as you move away, showing simply 1,937 lines at the edges of the frame.

You'll become better results as you narrow the discontinuity. At f/8 nosotros see 3,101 lines on boilerplate, and a much better 2,509 lines at the edges of the frame. That's still a bit soft, but given the farthermost angle of coverage it's almost to be expected.

Resolution reaches nigh excellent levels at f/11, where nosotros come across 3,751 lines on boilerplate—the sharpest the lens can manage. Edge quality drops off a bit here, to 2,258 lines. At f/xvi diffraction cuts the boilerplate to 3,429 lines and edges to a mere 1,718. Finally at f/22 we see only 2,489 lines on boilerplate with blurred, 1,079-line edges.

The Sony FE 12-24mm is a lot sharper. At f/4 information technology averages just shy of 3,400 lines, with edges that prove a strong 3,057 lines. Corners are blurred when shot broad open, just sharpen significantly at f/8. But we must remember that it's more expensive, not as wide, and bulkier.

The Atomic number 26 12-24mm shows a potent 3.seven-percent barrel baloney at its widest angle, typical of a broad zoom. The Voigtlander is a prime number lens, and shows 2.1 per centum. Given the angle of coverage, it'due south a small-scale amount. It didn't backbite from the images I shot in the field, and it's very easily compensated for using image processing software. I recommend Adobe Lightroom Archetype CC. Even though butt distortion is well controlled, objects at the extreme right and left edges of the frame tend to appear a bit wider than in real life.

Lightroom can besides compensate for darkened corners, but the Heliar East casts a heavy vignette. Even the in-camera correction offered by Sony cameras only cuts it to -2EV at the corners, which is all the same noticeable in most images. It'south not as heavy equally you lot get when shooting in Raw format or with JPG corrections turned off, we see about -iii.5EV at the corners, regardless of f-stop. You tin certainly brighten them with software, but if you're shooting at a loftier ISO you'll find that doing and then will introduce some image noise. I didn't correct the vignette in any of the images in this review.

A Unique Perspective

I adore shooting with ultra-wide lenses, peculiarly when traveling. They provide a view of the globe that'south very different than what we can run across with our eyes solitary, perfect for capturing images of vast landscapes, working in clangorous urban environments, or moving in closer to a mundane subject area to capture it from a more than dramatic perspective.

The Voigtlander 10mm/1:five.6 Hyper Wide Heliar E checks all of those boxes. It'southward wider than anything else out there—I used information technology side-by-side with a 14mm lens and was shocked to see how much more of the earth the 10mm could run into. It's the lens for photographers who think their current ultra-broad simply isn't broad enough.

Just information technology has its drawbacks. It doesn't offer the convenience of a zoom, and the heavy vignette and just-okay edges are likely to detract from some images. Just it'south such a unique tool that I can't resist recommending information technology. It costs less than the two closest zoom lenses in function—the Sony FE 12-24mm and Canon EF 11-24mm—and takes up a lot less room in your bag. Most Sony shooters should probably opt for the FE 12-24mm, which I consider to be one of my favorite lenses for the Fe arrangement. But if yous aren't happy with what 12mm gets y'all, the Hyper Wide Heliar E is worth adding to your kit.

Thanks to Lensrentals for providing the camera and lens for this review.

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Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/cameras/28946/voigtlander-10mm156-hyper-wide-heliar-e-review

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