The Irix 15mm f/2.4 is specially designed for better usability
TH Swiss has just launched a new ultra wide-angle, rectilinear manual lens for full-frame DSLR cameras at The Photography Show in Birmingham.
Landscape photographers now have new options for their ultrawide-angle needs as TH Swiss has just announced the launch of their Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens for Canon EF, Nikon F, and Pentax K mounts. The lens will be available in two versions – the Irix Blackstone and the Irix Firefly – with each version said to be specially created to match your personality and taste.
The Irix 15mm f/2.4 in Firefly (left) and Blackstone (right) versions.
Irix Blackstone: Built with a more premium feel in mind, this version uses a durable aluminum and magnesium body to ensure your lens is protected in even the most extreme conditions. The markings on the lens are engraved and coated with fluorescent to ensure easy visibility in all lighting conditions, and the lens is built with a classic design to perfectly match the innovative technologies within.
Irix Firefly: Built with size and weight as priorities, this version puts quality mechanisms in a handy design, with an ergonomic focusing ring that features an elongated tab to allow you a better grip. Dubbed the “most lightweight lens in its class”, the Firefly version certainly looks to be a good fit for photographers constantly on the go.
Added features for better usability
Both versions of the lens will bring new features that allow the lens to offer a greater degree of manual focus functionality: focus lock, infinity click and hyperfocal scale.
- Focus lock allows you to lock the focus ring at any time, ensuring that the specific focal point is held once you’ve obtained it.
- Hyperfocal distance scale gives information about the accessible range for depth of field for a given aperture simply and intuitively.
- Meanwhile, infinity click produces a noticeable “click” when the focus ring reaches the infinity position, so you can easily find the spot even without looking.
Sophisticated lens design
No less than 15 elements are used in this lens to keep dispersion down to a minimum.
The Irix 15mm f/2.4 was built with the super-high resolution 50+ megapixel sensors of today’s latest cameras in mind, and uses sophisticated optical construction and special neutrino coating to reduce color aberration, ghosting and flare effects to an absolute minimum.
The optical system consists of 15 elements in 11 groups, with three high refractive index lens elements, and two elements made from extra-low dispersion glass. Two glass aspherical lenses have also been employed to allow for extremely high image quality and to improve image brightness at the edges, while minimizing distortions and aberrations at the same time.
Weather sealing has been designed into the lens so you can use it anywhere.
With a minimum focusing distance of 0.28m and 9 rounded shaped aperture blades, the Irix 15mm f/2.4 allows you to fully employ the bokeh effect for a narrow depth of field for smooth, out-of-focus areas. Each lens is also equipped with a weather-sealed construction that protects the interior against dust and moisture, with inner seals to protect from accidental water splashes.
Rear gelatin filters can also be used with this lens if you so choose.
In terms of filters, the Irix 15mm f/2.4 allows for 95mm screw-in filters at the front of the lens, but also offers the option of gelatin filters via a slot at the back of the lens.
Official pricing has yet to be announced, but availability is said to be Spring 2016. Nikon Rumors has listed the EU pricing to be about €549 (about S$840) for the Firefly version and €699 (about S$ 1,070) for the Blackstone version though, so we’ll wait to see how accurate they are.
Sources: Irix, Nikon Rumors
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