The Zeiss 15mm F2.8 Distagon T* ZM is a one-of-a-kind lens, it is truly a monster when mounted on a Leica M body that offers Exquisite image rendering. In Short, this is not a lens for everyone but it offers insanely sharp, highly contrasty and richly saturated images. So if you are looking for an exotic ultra-wide angle lens that generates a unique rendering then look no further.

Jerry Bei All Rights Reserved © — *Jerry Bei* All Rights Reserved ©

This lens is not your typical “Made in Japan” Zeiss lens, it is handcrafted in Germany and Zeiss went all out with this design. The Zeiss 15mm F2.8 ZM used all sorts of exotic types of glass and incorporated aspheric lens elements, which is uncommon for Zeiss designs.All those factors contribute to making this lens the most expensive lens in the ZM lineup and it is what separates it from all others.

Build Quality & Ergonomics

The build quality of the Zeiss 15mm Distagon ZM lens is exceptional. It matches the German made Leica standards and the ergonomics of this lens is excellent. The lens is relatively large when compared to other M mount lenses but it still feels great in the hands of the photographer. The lens comes in at 13 oz or around 370 grams, which is not light for a typical Leica M lens but it is well balanced on either the Leica M9 or the new Leica M240.

Practical use

The Zeiss 15mm F2.8 Distagon ZM lens is not rangefinder coupled when using on the Leica M9 but this is overcame by the liveview function on the new Leica M240. Although this lens is not rangefinder coupled, it has the minimum focusing distance advantage down to 0.3m,which is around a person’s forearm length thus allows the photographer to shoot with close objects.

In terms of Image rendering, there is strong vignetting visible at all apertures and if you a fan of Vignetting effects then this would be the ideal lens for you. Otherwise, this is easily reduced by applying the Central Density Filter (CDF) provided by Zeiss, which is specifically manufactured and designed for this lens.The CDF is a unique density filter that only densifies the central part of the glass which minimises the vignetting overall. (Just a kind reminder, Do not lose the CDF filter, as it does not come cheap to buy it separately at approximately $600 US Dollars. The colour casts can also be noticeable around the corners when taking photos with certain backgrounds, which produces magenta on the left along with cyan on the right but this can be easily fixed by using the CornerFix Software.

When shooting with the Zeiss 15mm Distagon ZM lens, It is recommended to purchase a Zeiss 15mm Viewfinder or a cheaper alternative Voigtlander 15mm viewfinder for functional use on the Leica M9 and other rangefinder bodies. As for the lens profile, I tend to mount the lens and leave it to automatic detection mode but you are free to experimenting or try different lens profile which suits you.

Zeiss Hologon 15mm F8 for Leica M

Zeiss 15mm F2.8 Distagon ZM vs

Leica Wide Angle Tri-Elmar (WATE) 16-18-21mm F4 Lens

· The Zeiss 15mm Distagon ZM lens has a one.stop advantage over the Leica WATE, with a faster aperture of f2.8 compares to f4.

· The Zeiss 15mm ZM is sharper in the centre and the WATE is sharper around the corners.

· The Zeiss 15mm ZM is more contrasty than the WATE and has richer colours, which offers a different rendering in comparison to Leica lenses.

· The WATE lens is more expensive but more flexible than the Zeiss 15 ZM as it consists three different focal lengths at 16mm, 18mm and 21mm. At the Focal Length of 21mm, the distortion is minimised to none on the WATE.

· The WATE is rangefinder coupled that is an advantage over the uncoupled Zeiss lens. However, the Zeiss 15mm ZM offers a much closer focusing distance down to 1 feet (0.3m), which is very handy when using on the new Leica M240.

Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 Specifications

Lens Type: Prime Lens

Focal Length: 15mm

Mount Type: Leica M

Format: Full Frame / FX

Compatible Format(s): 35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor APS-C

Compatible with Teleconverters: No

Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 1:18

Vibration Reduction / Image Stabilization: No

Aperture Information

Aperture Ring: Yes

Maximum Aperture: f/2.8

Minimum Aperture: f/22

Maximum Angle of View (Full Frame format): 110°

Minimum Angle of View (Full Frame format): N/A

Optical Information

Lens Elements: 11

Lens Groups: 9

Aspherical Elements: 1

Super Integrated / Super Spectra Coating: No

Focus Information

Focus: Manual Focus

Built-in Focus Motor: No

Silent Wave / Ultrasonic Motor: No

Internal Focusing: No

Rear Focusing: No

Minimum Focus Distance: 0.30m

Distance Information: Yes

Filter Information

Filter Size: 72mm

Accepts Filter Type: Screw-on

Physical Characteristics

Weather / Dust Sealing: Yes

Mount Material: Metal

Tripod Collar: No

Dimensions: 78 x 92mm

Weight: 550g

Other Information

Available in Colors: Black

I remember the anticipation was building up for the Leica announcement at September of last year, no one was certain what improvements can be done on the already excellent Leica M9. The tension was there until I saw the video of John Dooley from the Leica Academe demonstrates the new Leica M. Immediately I was attracted by the camera, it offers so much more than the M9 as a camera but it was until I read online debates all around forums regarding to CMOS vs CCD brought doubts in mind too. Until now, when I finally received the new Leica M typ 240 camera that all my doubts have vanished.

There still are not too many Leica M typ240 cameras out around the world as of June, 2013 and this is due to supply issues from Leica (See public statement from Leica). Other than waiting on the long list of Leica dealers, the only alternative would be paying for a big premium to cut the queue. Nevertheless, it is well worth the wait and there is no-going back to the Leica M9 after using the new M substantially.

"Survival of Strongest" - Leica M + 50 F1.4 Summilux ASPH

Improvements Compared to the Leica M9

The new Leica M typ240 improved all the short-comings of that Leica M9 users have asked for: higher resolution screen, quicker camera processor, faster buffer, quieter shutter sound, better ISO performance and overall much improved functionality.

Build Quality

The build quality of the Leica M is simply amazing. It is build even better than the Leica M9 but maintained similar weight. The camera feels impeccably solid and the body is carved out of a single piece of brass. As a proud Leica MP owner myself, the Leica MP is undoubtably the best build film M camera until the present. The engineering standard matches the pinnacle of Leica film era, if the Leica MP stands for "Mechanical Perfection" then the new Leica M can be labelled "Digital Perfection." The build quality is equally as solid as the Leica MP.

Image Quality (CMOS vs CCD)

"Queen Victoria Building" - Leica M + 21mm F1.4 Summilux ASPH — **"Queen Victoria Building"** - Leica M + 21mm F1.4 Summilux ASPH

Prior to obtaining the Leica M that I have seen enough online images from the camera to conclude the rendering is different with the new sensor. However, the sensor inside the Leica M is no ordinary CMOS sensor, it is specifically made for Leica by an Italian manufacturer named "CMOSIS." After shooting the Leica M, the rendering is smooth, sharp with rich colours whereas the Leica M9 files are crisp with vibrant colours.

The Leica M offers about two stop better than the M9 in terms of ISO performance, I would state the files are usable even at ISO 6400 with noise reduction in post-processing. The CMOS sensor is not better or worse than the CCD sensor, each has its own characteristics and produces an unique image rendering.

Functionality

The Leica M typ240 improves greatly in overall functionality compared to the Leica M9, it feels like a complete camera. There is no question that the Leica M9 outputs amazing images but the Leica M makes the M9 feels like incomplete in the functionality department. The Leica M is the perfect digital camera, it feels like a "real" camera with the new LCD, new design and fast processor. The LCD screen has improved significantly on the Leica M, the screen size and resolution increased from 2.5" and 230,000 pixels on the M9 to 3" and 920,000 pixels on the Leica M. The new Menu on the Leica M appears to be modernly designed yet maintained the navigation simplicity of the Leica M9, all the features are in one clean and simple menu list. The in-camera processor has been updated to a much faster processing electronics and this combined with the new LCD provides users with immediate feedbacks. The shutter sound on the Leica M is different to the Leica M9, it is much quieter yet solid without the re-cocking sound on the M9. The new shutter produces more pleasant sound to the ears and increases discreetness when shooting at quite locations. The transition of the electronic frame lines from the Leica M9 titanium onto the new Leica M is a great addition, the electronic frame lines will adjust its brightness according to the light source thus offers better visibility through the viewfinder.

The battery life of the Leica M improved significantly over the Leica M9, the voltages increased from 3.7v on the M9 to almost double with 7.4v for batteries on the M. The real-life battery usage increases from around 400 to about 1,000+ shots. This prolonged battery life offers extended period of camera use and fewer batteries to carry.

The Leica M9 is prone to issues such as camera freezes regularly and SD card compatibility issues. I have not observed or yet encounter any of these issues after using the Leica M extensively and this reduces the burden on the user during shooting process.

"Opera Sunset" - Leica M + 50mm F1.4 Lux ASPH — **"Opera Sunset" -** Leica M + 50mm F1.4 Lux ASPH

Camera Use/Settings Tips

Format your SD with external software "SDformatter" rather than in-camera format, as this will cut down start-up time from 4/5 down to about 2 seconds to avoid missing the "moment."

Set your metering to centre-weighted and exposure to classic just like the good old Leica M9, this will avoid camera lag when out shooting.

Use the live-view function combined with rangefinder mechanism will significantly increase your hit rate when the streets, it is the perfect tool for street photography. The new features do not remove good-old fashion rangefinder shooting but only add to the versatility.

For image settings, I tend to use original image settings rather than new film filters offered as I found them to look "different". It is recommend to set Sharpness and Saturation to Standard whilst contrast to High to offer the closest look to M9 files, post-processing is definitely also important but luckily the new M comes with the powerful Lightroom 5.

See my Flickr set made with the Leica M240:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerrybay/sets/72157634176790384/with/9274329844/