Voigtlander Super Wide-Heliar 15mm F4.5 Aspherical III

Reviewers rate the centre and most of the frame as very good from f/4.5, with a small gain at f/5.6 and the extreme corners reaching their best around f/8 to f/11. Distortion is negligible, colour casts are absent, and corner performance is a clear improvement over version II.

Vignetting is the main criticism and stays visible through much of the aperture range, though in-camera or Lightroom profiles handle it well. Some lateral colour shows on edge detail, and flare control is generally described as good.

Owners describe it as a small, well-made ultra-wide that lives in the bag for travel, hiking and architecture, and many prefer it to heavier zooms. Filter support is a big reason to choose it over the 10mm and 12mm.

Complaints focus on vignetting, the small focus and aperture rings for gloved hands, and an f/4.5 aperture that is slow for astrophotography. Some users wish the hood were removable.