Originally posted by bpv_UW Again, thanks all for the great input.
@Digitalis: that Sig 8-16 sure produces some nice images. Unfortunately, I'm fairly addicted to using a CPL on wide landscape shots, so I'm not sure I could go that direction given the inability of it to take a filter.
@lytrytyr: any idea where I could hunt down one of those Zeiss 15's in m42 mount?
Thanks all,
Brandon
On the lenses you can pickup a Contax Carl Zeiss 15mm Distagon in the C/Y mount and then use the Leitax.com to modify it to the M42. Be aware that you want the MM version of the C/Y mount (f22 in green) and not the AE version (f22 in white). I have done this successfully (28mm and 85mm) using the K mount. The M42 is not much different. You can acquire the lenses through ebay, B&H and Arondoma used, KEH.com, mflenses.com, fredmiranda.com. There is also a zeiss lens site for enthusiasts, that also has a buy/sell board and can help on sources (sorry, I have the link on my other computer, that I am not in front of - zeissimages.com/). The lens is not inexpensive...
Even if the Sigma accepted filters, you would probably not want to use a CPL on a lens wider than about the mid 20's mm. That has to do with the inability to uniformly apply the polarization across the face of the lens. It's just a matter of pure physics.
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The Zeiss database at pebbleplace does not show a MM version of the 15mm. I would contact Leitax.com and see if they could advise on the ability of converting an AE mount, as they have been successful lately on a number of lenses. It's probably going to be difficult in finding a new M42 mounted lens - other than going through the factory. There use to be a zeiss dealer in Westlake Village in CA that carried a pretty wide line of Zeiss. You could try to ask if he could custom order. The other avenue is to post a question at zeissimages.com about availability. They have excellent sources.
According to their website, they only make the 15 in the F and EF mounts, with the ZS (M42) in only the 50 and 35mm focal lengths.