Updated January 2023

Introduction

Sometimes I buy lenses even though I know I won’t keep them long-term, because I enjoy the learning experience that a new lens brings. The Voigtlander 15/4.5 III is one of those. I love wide angle photography but 21mm has always felt like the perfect ultra-wide focal length for me. I bought this 15mm to force myself out of my comfort zone and take pictures with a truly extreme perspective, with the plan to go back to a 21mm eventually. This was an especially easy decision to make because a used copy of this lens is a relative bargain (mine was about $450). My time with it hasn’t changed my mind about preferring 21mm, but I really enjoyed trying out 15mm for a few months.

About this lens

I actually used the version II of this lens back in 2014-2015 when I was still shooting film, and had a blast with it before I swapped it out for a 21mm. Versions II and III have similar optical performance but the version III has an updated optical design to be compatible with digital cameras. Version II works great on film and is extra compact, but has major problems with color shifting on digital. Version I is even tinier but requires an adapter (Leica thread mount to M mount) and isn’t rangefinder coupled.

Voigtlander 15/4.5 II, Leica M6, Kodak Portra

Voigtlander 15/4.5 II, Leica M2, Ilford HP5 (I think)

Build quality and mechanics

All-metal and feels as nicely built as a Leica. The focus ring and aperture rings feel perfect. The hood is permanently attached and also all-metal.

Size and handling

Even though the version III of this lens is larger than its predecessor, it’s still remarkably light and compact for what it is. It balances perfectly on my M10-R and is a joy to shoot with.

Minimum focus distance

This lens focuses to 0.5m which makes it awesome for selfies that capture the entire scene:

Voigtlander 15/4.5 III @f/4.5, Leica M10-R

Image quality

Vignetting:

Vignetting is very strong, which is normal for a lens this wide. There’s basically no discernible change in vignetting as the lens is stopped down. I found myself frequently using Lightroom’s lens profile for vignetting correction.

Distortion:
I never noticed any. Lightroom’s profile appears to correct for slight barrel distortion but I left this correction off.

Lateral chromatic aberration and purple fringing:
Both of these can be pretty strong in the corners. The following photo is a worst-case scenario: there’s extremely high contrast in the corner, plus my Lightroom edits boost both the saturation and contrast.

Fortunately, Lightroom automatically removes lateral CA and can also remove purple fringing with a few clicks.

Sharpness:

Analysis: Sharpness is already extreme in the center and mid-frame at f/4.5. There’s slight softness in the corners wide-open which improves by f/8. For landscapes, I would recommend stopping to f/8 when possible. Stopping down further to f/11 doesn’t increase image quality.

Summary and recommendations

I really have no complaints about this lens. Image quality, build quality, and size/handling are all excellent. The price is very reasonable. If Leica sold this lens instead of Voigtlander and priced it at >$2000, I don’t think anyone would question it.

My opinion of the 15mm focal length is another story. Although I enjoyed temporarily shooting this extreme focal length, it confirmed that I personally prefer 21mm. Both 21mm and 15mm look dramatic and awesome for things like landscapes and architecture (and both are great for selfies), but the 15mm perspective looks so extreme and distorted that I would only use it on rare occasions. 15mm also looks so different from other focal lengths that it can make a collection of photos look discordant. 21mm, on the other hand, looks only slightly wider than natural. When I had a 21mm lens it stayed on my camera almost as much as my 35mm.

Although not everyone will benefit from having a 15mm permanently in their bag, I do recommend that every photographer at least try it for the learning experience. It was refreshing to take photos with a fundamentally different perspective from what I’m used to. Another thing I wasn’t expecting is that 15mm made me practice metering more carefully, since a lens this wide tends to capture all extremes of exposure and push the limits of the sensor’s dynamic range.

One side note is that I regret not using this lens with a 15mm optical viewfinder or EVF. I had to use liveview to compose accurately, which prevented me from stabilizing the camera against my face. Combined with the narrow f/4.5 maximum aperture, this made motion blur a frequent issue and detracted from the shooting experience. I’d strongly suggest pairing this lens with Voigtlander’s 15mm hot shoe finder for maximum enjoyment.

In conclusion, I highly recommend the Voigtlander 15/4.5 III to anyone who wants to try out the 15mm focal length. There’s only a few other 15mm options to consider. Versions I and II of this lens are acceptable alternatives for people who shoot exclusively film, but don’t bother with these on digital. The version III isn’t that much larger or more expensive anyways. The only similar lens from Leica is the unique 16-18-21mm. I’ve never used this lens and I see the value of having multiple focal lengths, but keep in mind that it’s larger and way more expensive than the Voigtlander. There’s also the large, rare, and expensive Zeiss 15mm f/2.8. I haven’t used this lens either but it’s probably awesome for the tiny population of M-mount astrophotographers.

Voigtlander 15/4.5 III @f/8, Leica M10-R

Good
Image quality
Build quality and mechanics
Size and handling
Price

Bad
Strong chromatic aberration in corners

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