There are two types of wide lenses: ultra-wide and wide. The Voigtlander10mm/1.5.6 Hyper Wide Heliar E ($1,099) is the latter. It's wider than any other full-frame rectilinear lens. We're reviewing the version for Sony cameras—there's also one for Leica rangefinders, but it's not quite the same exact lens. Although you can achieve similar results using the Sony FE 12-24mm F4G or Canon's EF11-24mm f/4L lenses, they are heavier and more costly. You may use the Heliar for occasional shots, but it is one of those lenses you will never forget.
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Design: Nearly Purely Mechanical
Sony's E-mount is used in its full-frame and APS-C mirrorless cameras. The E in Hyper Wide Heliar E's title refers to Sony. You can use the version we tested with both, but you will not benefit from the extreme angle of the view provided by the smaller APS-C sensors. Voigtlander sells the same lens for Leica M cameras. However, it doesn't focus as closely as the Heliar E.
Black Heliar with an integrated lens hood and a gloss finish, the Heliar has a matte and glossy finish. Both the barrel and the slip-on lens cover are made of metal. It features the Voigtlander logo at the center. It measures in at 2.3x2.7inches (HD), and is 13.1 ounces. This lens is quite small considering its angle of vision. The Sony FE12-24mm is 1.2 pounds and measures 4.6 inches by 3.5 inches. Canon's EF11-24mm f/4L can be used with Sony cameras using an adapter such as Sigma's MC-11. It measures 5.2x4.3x2.6 inches and 2.3 pounds.
The lack of a filter thread is somewhat disappointing. For wide-angle lenses, the most popular type of filter is the graduated neutral density filter. This filter helps to balance the brightness of sky and land. It usually requires an additional filter holder. The Heliar holder is available from NiSi for $170
It is nearly entirely mechanical. The lens has an aperture ring that can be adjusted in increments of three stops from f/5.6 to f/22. There are electrical contacts on the E-mount version of the lens—they're not included with the Leica M edition. These contacts enable your Sony camera to record focal length, aperture and other data. They also allow you to correctly activate in-body stabilization (the lens doesn't have an internal stabilization system) and manual focus magnification.
Similar to the manual focus rings on other Voigtlander lenses, this ring can also be used for manual focus. There are two types of areas: shallow, raised, metal ridged sections, or natural depressions. It was equally easy to grip the ring and turn it, although I would recommend two hands. To move from minimum focal distance to infinite, it takes about a 90 degree turn.
There is a corresponding depth of field scale, with markings down to f/16, and with such a wide angle and aperture the depth of field is quite deep—you won't get much background blur, aside from shots captured near the minimum focus distance.
The E version of the lens focuses as close as 11.8 inches (0.3-meter), so you can work fairly close, but you're never going to get macro results from the lens—it's just too wide. Leica M versions don't focus quite as closely. The distance range is limited to 19.2 inches (0.66-meter).
It also has no rangefinder coupling. You will need to use the distance scale, digital Leica rear LCDs or an add-on EVF to focus. You should find an adapter for your mirrorless camera to allow you to use it with any other brand.
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Images Quality: There is very little distortion, however the sharpest lenses are not.
I used the 42MP Sony A7R III with Imatest software to test the Hyper Wide Heliar. The lens resolution test chart is usually framed so that it fits in the frame. But the Heliar was so large, I couldn't do this and focus properly on the chart.
These composites are the results of two batches. First, with the chart center, taking up only half the frame; second, with the chart in the corner. We can get information about both the central and peripheral resolution.
The Heliar E can resolve approximately 2,500 lines at f/5.6. That's on the soft side—we want to see at least 2,750 lines from a 42MP sensor. At 3,084 lines, central resolution is acceptable but not extraordinary. It drops as you go away and shows only 1,937 lines around the edge of the frame.
The aperture will be smaller to get better results. We see an average of 3,101 lines with f/8, but a better 2,509 line at the corners. It's slightly soft but it is almost expected given the extremely wide coverage angle.
Resolution reaches near excellent levels at f/11, where we see 3,751 lines on average—the sharpest the lens can manage. The edge quality is a little lower at f/11, where we see 2,258 lines. Average f/16 lines are 3,429 and average edges 1,718 respectively. At f/22, we only see 2,489 lines with 1,079-line blurred edges.
Sharper is the Sony FE 12--24mm. It averages less than 3,400 lines at f/4, while the edges show 3,057 lines. The corners are blurred when the camera is wide open. However, they sharpen at f/8. It's also more costly, bulkier, and not as wide.
At its broadest angle the FE 12-24mm exhibits a strong 3.7 percent barrel distortion, which is typical for a large zoom. Voigtlander prime lenses have a 2.1 percent coverage. It's quite small considering the coverage angle. The effect didn't affect the quality of the photographs I took in the field. It can be easily corrected by using image processing software. Adobe Lightroom Classic CC is my favorite. Barrel distortion can be controlled but objects near the edges tend to look wider in the frames than they do in real life.
Although Lightroom has the ability to correct darkened corners using in-camera corrections, Heliar E creates an unpleasant vignette. Sony cameras offer a correction in camera that reduces it to around -2EV in the corners. This is noticeable on most images. You can see about -3.5EV around the corners, no matter what f-stop you use. Although you can brighten the images with software, if your ISO is high you will notice some noise. The vignette was not corrected in any images I reviewed.
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A Unique Perspective
Ultra-wide lenses are a favorite of mine, particularly when I'm traveling. These lenses offer a different view than we see through our eyes. They are great for photographing vast areas of land, urban spaces, and mundane subjects to get a dramatic angle.
Voigtlander 10mm/1.5.6 Hyper Wide HeliarE checks all those boxes. It's wider than anything else out there—I used it side-by-side with a 14mm lens and was shocked to see how much more of the world the 10mm could see. This lens is for those photographers who feel their ultra-wide lenses are not wide enough.
It does have its limitations. The lack of zoom convenience and heavy vignette can detract from images. It's a truly unique tool, and I cannot resist it being recommended. 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. The FE 12-24mm is the best lens for Sony photographers. The Hyper Wide Heliar E can be an option if 12mm is not enough.
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