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18mm Zeiss questions...

mjm6

Member
kmalik,

That could be... If the M8 firmware doesn't know about the existence of the 18mm SE, then this would make perfect sense.

I'm looking forward to trying out the lens tomorrow...

Regardless of Leica's implementation of the lens coding system (which I think could have been done better), there may be a little red edge, but I think that is fairly easily corrected in the RAW software or in CornerFix, so I think it'll be a great lens to work with.

---Michael
---Michael
 

thrice

Active member
I still cornerfix my 18mm files if they have shades of grey in the scene. For landscapes I would often just use a cyan graduated filter in lightroom if the shift was noticeable in a particular shot.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Very interested in this lens myself ... I've been shooting with 28/50/85 ZM glass again with my M9 and I'm very very pleased with the results. The 18 or 21/2.8 are calling me at the moment.

Btw, have any of you tried using the LCC feature of C1 Pro with this lens? It should also remove the colour cast along the edge if you correct using an LCC capture.
 

mjm6

Member
Graham,

I haven't tried C1, so I cannot help you with that. I know that LR can create profiles as well, so I am going to go after that approach once the lens arrives. Hopefully today!


---Michael
 

mjm6

Member
Hmmm,

OK, so I got the lens, and it has the modern mount with the groove for coding, but it brings up the 28/90 framelines. It is brand new, from a large dealer, so I suspect that it is what Zeiss is currently delivering. So, I think that I have misspoken somewhere.

I had said that Zeiss changed to 50/75 when the 18SE came out but that may not be the case.

Regardless, the lens works with coding for the WATE and the 21mm. It looks like the 21mm setting works better on my camera. I'll test the 18mm SE setting tonight by fooling the camera with a manual framelines setting to read the 18SE code. If it works better than the 21mm setting, I'll consider adjusting the mount to bring up the 50/75 framelines and code it as the 18SE.


---Michael
 

kmallick

Member
Michael, you may be better off leaving the 28/90 framelines as is and coding the lens as Elmarit 21mm pre-ASPH. At least thats what everyone says produces the least amount of red edge. But experiment it out.
 

D&A

Well-known member
I've posted here on getdpi and elsewhere, that I too have found with the M9 multiple samples of this lens, that the coding for the Leica 21mm f2.8 pre asph was superior to the coding for the WATE. Interestinly, probably due to the M8.2 crop factor, coding as a 18mm WATE was suffient on that camera, but not the M9.

Regarding choosing between the Zeiss 21 f2.8 and Zeiss 18mm f4 probably depends on which focal length fits one style of shooting more than anything else. Both are exceptionally good performers, the 21mm being impecable while the Zeiss may give up a sligtlu in resolution in resolution and exhibit more distortion, but has the advantage of going wider.

Dave (D&A)
 

mjm6

Member
Dave,

I think you are right about the 21mm pre-ASPH working best, so that's probably how I'll use it. I'll need to test it out a little more this weekend to be sure. It may be over correcting a little into the corners for falloff, so that makes me a little concerned.

I'd rather slightly undercorrect a little and then correct more in Post if needed. I often end up burning into the corners/edges, so over correcting and then burning back down could start to cause problems with the file information blocking up a little here and there.

---Michael
 

D&A

Well-known member
Dave,

I think you are right about the 21mm pre-ASPH working best, so that's probably how I'll use it. I'll need to test it out a little more this weekend to be sure. It may be over correcting a little into the corners for falloff, so that makes me a little concerned.

I'd rather slightly undercorrect a little and then correct more in Post if needed. I often end up burning into the corners/edges, so over correcting and then burning back down could start to cause problems with the file information blocking up a little here and there.

---Michael
Hi Michael,

I completely agree with what you expressed about the desirability of under vs over correction. Keep in mind it all depends on the individual sample of the Zeiss 18mm being used and also occasionally even the specific M9 body combined with that specific 18mm. This will all determine which way to eventually go when coding. In most circumstances, the 21mm pre asph coding did turn out to be best. Let us know.

Dave (D&A)
 
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