# Irix Announces 15mm f/2.4 Lenses for Canon EF



## Canon Rumors Guy (Mar 19, 2016)

```
<p><em>Meet the Irix 15mm f/2.4. The photographers dream. Built by engineers and perfected by designers.</em></p>
<p><strong>The new ultra wide-angle, rectilinear manual lens designed for DSLR cameras guarantees exceptional optical performance.</strong></p>
<p>The Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens is designed to deliver the best optical performance and match full frame DSLR cameras demands. Providing a focal length of 15mm, this new lens model is ideal for outdoor and indoor photography whether it is photojournalism, landscapes or architecture.</p>
<p>From 19 to 22 March, during The Photography Show in Birmingham, TH Swiss will be premiering new family of lenses. Visit Irix at Stand No F121.</p>
<p><strong>Innovative technology

</strong>Combining capabilities specific to analogue photography with ingenious technology and solutions, the Irix 15mm f/2.4 is the perfect tool for both professionals and hobbyists. The new special features such as focus lock, infinity click and hyperfocal scale set a new level of manual lens functionality. Focus lock enables to lock the focus ring at any time ensuring the chosen settings. Hyperfocal distance scale gives information about the accessible range for depth of field for a given aperture simply and intuitively. When the focusing ring is set in the “infinity” position, there is a noticeable “click” (infinity click), making it easier to find the value without looking.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p><strong>Extraordinary optical performance

</strong>The Irix 15mm f/2.4 meets the most demanding requirements of modern cameras. Thanks to sophisticated optical construction and special neutrino coating, colour aberration, ghosting and flare effects have been reduced to the absolute minimum, so the lens is ready to meet the requirements of the 50+ megapixel sensors of the newest cameras.</p>
<p>The complex optical system consist of 15 elements in 11 groups. Three of the lens elements have a high refractive index and two others have been made from extra-low dispersion glass. The construction also contains two glass aspherical lenses that are responsible for extremely high image quality and improving image brightness at edges, while minimizing distortions and aberrations at the same time.</p>
<p>With a minimum focusing distance of 0.28 meter and 9 rounded shaped aperture blades, the lens stands for supremely smooth out-of-focus areas. Working with a narrow depth of field it allows the user to fully enjoy the bokeh effect.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hzaBoZASJwk" width="728" height="409" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Resistant to extreme conditions

</strong>Irix 15mm f/2.4 lenses are made with extreme precision, allowing them to be used in even the harshest weather conditions. Each lens is equipped with a weather sealed construction that protects the interior against dust and moisture. Thanks to inner seals they are also protected from accidental water splashes.</p>
<p><strong>Prepare for more and create

</strong>Despite its short focal length and large aperture, the Irix 15mm f/2.4 is equipped with not only a front filter mount, but also has a rear gelatin filter slot. The design of the lens allows the use of 95 mm screw-in filters at the front in the petal-shape lens hood and gelatin filters at the back of the lens. This ensures unlimited possibilities for image creation.</p>
<p><strong>Personalize your view

</strong>For the comfort of our customers Irix has created two versions of the Irix 15mm f/2.4 to meet their personality and individual taste.</p>
<p><strong>Irix Blackstone:</strong> classic design meets maximum functionality, achieving the perfect match of innovative technology. The durable aluminium and magnesium body ensures foolproof protection of your lens, even in extreme conditions. Engraved fluorescent markings that reflect the light enable easy operation in all lighting conditions.</p>
<p><strong>Irix Firefly:</strong> high quality mechanism in a handy design. Ergonomic focusing ring offers the freedom to capture the most ideal moment, whether it is big city architecture or wildlife scenery. The most lightweight lens in its class. Challenge accepted.</p>
<p><strong>Irix Swiss Design

</strong>Irix Swiss Design stands for minimalism in style while maintaining maximum functionality. It is a perfect mixture of European design combined with Korean precision. The same look and feel of all products in the Irix family. The same consistency, product packaging and complementary elements, all perfectly shaped and fitting one another.</p>
<p><strong>Ultimate precision

</strong>Each Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens leaving the factory has been properly calibrated. However, the focus calibration function provides the unique opportunity to adjust the focusing scale for a particular model of camera.</p>
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## Cali Capture (Mar 19, 2016)

Coma anyone? Could this be the long lost astro lens for canon mount? f/2.4 Nice! 9 Ap Blades Nice, Apperance & build quality "looks" Nice. Question will be price and Glass quality!


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## trulandphoto (Mar 19, 2016)

Cali Capture said:


> Coma anyone? Could this be the long lost astro lens for canon mount? f/2.4 Nice! 9 Ap Blades Nice, Apperance & build quality "looks" Nice. Question will be price and Glass quality!



Right. When you see something like this rolled out without pricing it's almost like "if you have to ask you can't afford it."


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## 9VIII (Mar 19, 2016)

Is this Samyang?


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## fox40phil (Mar 19, 2016)

damn... this lense looks awesome!! "rear gelatin filter slot" :O... why there isn't a Canon lense with it (e.g. the 11-24?!)

Yeah, the price would be interesting..but if its stellar and under Canons average wide angle price or little bit higher I think that would be ok.



9VIII said:


> Is this Samyang?


It's a new Swiss brand. 

€dit: okay the two wide angle lenses of Canon (11-24 & 14 2.8) have rear filter mounts.


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## Groundhog (Mar 19, 2016)

fox40phil said:


> damn... this lense looks awesome!! "rear gelatin filter slot" :O... why there isn't a Canon lense with it (e.g. the 11-24?!)



The 11-24 has it:
http://media.the-digital-picture.com/Images/Other/Canon-EF-11-24mm-f-4L-USM-Lens/Canon-EF-11-24mm-f-4L-USM-Lens-Rear.jpg


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## tron (Mar 19, 2016)

Groundhog said:


> fox40phil said:
> 
> 
> > damn... this lense looks awesome!! "rear gelatin filter slot" :O... why there isn't a Canon lense with it (e.g. the 11-24?!)
> ...


And the 14 2.8 II 

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-14mm-f-2.8-L-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/519474-USA/Canon_2045B002_Super_Wide_Angle_EF.html

http://www.lenstip.com/upload2/54497_can14_obu2.jpg


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## fox40phil (Mar 19, 2016)

Oh sorry. Thanks for the infos and links! Nice to know!


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## [email protected] (Mar 19, 2016)

I have just returned from the Photography Show. Final price is not decided, but estimated as 680 Euros (I home that I remembered it correctly).

Also they had 11mm f/4 behind a glass, but soon to be announced. - See the CR facebook page - there is a photo of the 11mm.


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## The Flasher (Mar 19, 2016)

Looks esspensive.

Id actually like to know where to get/brand name of the rear filter in the video. Anyone?


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## nicksotgiu (Mar 19, 2016)

It looks a little bit like the Carl Zeiss ZE Distagon T* 15mm.
I rarely come across a lens that does F/2.4, interesting


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 19, 2016)

€680 ??? That's sounding good, autofocus or not ?


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## Viggo (Mar 19, 2016)

Groundhog said:


> fox40phil said:
> 
> 
> > damn... this lense looks awesome!! "rear gelatin filter slot" :O... why there isn't a Canon lense with it (e.g. the 11-24?!)
> ...



And also the 14 f2.8 L II.


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 19, 2016)

Just realised there's two versions - a lightweight version and a heavy duty with floresent etched text


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## trulandphoto (Mar 19, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> I have just returned from the Photography Show. Final price is not decided, but estimated as 680 Euros (I home that I remembered it correctly).
> 
> Also they had 11mm f/4 behind a glass, but soon to be announced. - See the CR facebook page - there is a photo of the 11mm.




680 Euros would be about $770 today. Very interesting if that's correct. I expected higher.


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## Cali Capture (Mar 19, 2016)

Hayden1971; It's Manual Focus! Could this be an upscale brand for Samy from Korea?


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## AvTvM (Mar 19, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> ... Final price is not decided, but estimated as 680 Euros
> ..
> Also they had 11mm f/4 behind a glass, but soon to be announced ...



Thanks for both pieces of information! 15/2.4 sure *looks more expensive* than 680 Euro  

Anyways personally I'd still rather get the excellent and more universal Canon 16-35/4 L at the next cashback opportunity for about € 800 .


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## Cali Capture (Mar 19, 2016)

Nice build Quality for $770. Intresting marketing approach for a Swiss label to produce (or have Samyang make It) to lower costs. Seams like Sigma's choice to upscale their Art series is a more honest approach than Samy trying to sell via a Swiss Name (if that is the case). Zeiss plays in that general arena also! 
With these specs, 15mm-f/2.4 ( seams like one-ups-manship on all the f/2.8 lenses) it would be targeted for Astro as the speed increase of 2.4 would not carry as much weight w/ daylight Landscape photographers. So I think it's succsess will come down to "coma" and CA. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Canon upgrade the 14mm with what they learned from the 11-24mm f/4, 16-35mm f/4 and 35mm f/1.4 ii.


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## Cali Capture (Mar 19, 2016)

Looks like they will offer in "two" build qualitys, and perhaps the $770 is the Lightweight/plastic/cheaper one!


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## RGF (Mar 19, 2016)

If the price is $770 what will the image quality be?


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## infared (Mar 20, 2016)

These lenses are intriguing. Would like more information on the construction of both lenses. The specs on the Irix website say that both lenses are waterproof....but there is no discussion of the materials of the lightweight lens. Also we would all like to see some reviews on IQ etc. This is really interesting.


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## 9VIII (Mar 20, 2016)

fox40phil said:


> 9VIII said:
> 
> 
> > Is this Samyang?
> ...



Korean made swiss brand.



> Irix Swiss Design Irix Swiss Design stands for minimalism in style while maintaining maximum functionality. It is a perfect mixture of European design combined with Korean precision. The same look and feel of all products in the Irix family. The same consistency, product packaging and complementary elements, all perfectly shaped and fitting one another.



Samyang has been trying hard to hit higher end markets recently, and the Swiss are masters at reselling things for a premium. If it is Samyang, I have to wonder if this wasn't their idea in the first place.


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## tron (Mar 20, 2016)

Everything depends on coma. Right now I use 14 2.8 L II. It has coma but not huge. If this lens has no coma (and at the same time is 1/2 faster) maybe it's a good choice. But I bet it will have...


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## StoneColdCoffee (Mar 20, 2016)

Very interesting indeed. But I got excited last time when the new Sigma 20mm came out.only to find out about the Coma. 
Also , if the price point is 800usd. makes me think it wont be good for astro. since it will probably have coma.
I really hope this will be a good one!
I really love my Tamron 15-30.It is much better than my old canon 16-35II. The only problem is the huge size and weight. plus no filters. 
I was holding out and hoping that the new Canon 16-35 III would be out soon. this could make things interesting. 
might be looking very nice on the front end of a 5D mk IV or 6D II


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## quiquae (Mar 20, 2016)

My BS detector went into overdrive at "special neutrino coating"....


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## Ozarker (Mar 20, 2016)

StoneColdCoffee said:


> Very interesting indeed. But I got excited last time when the new Sigma 20mm came out.only to find out about the Coma.
> Also , if the price point is 800usd. makes me think it wont be good for astro. since it will probably have coma.
> I really hope this will be a good one!
> I really love my Tamron 15-30.It is much better than my old canon 16-35II. The only problem is the huge size and weight. plus no filters.
> ...



There are several filter kits available for the Tamron. I'm very happy with mine too.


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## StoneColdCoffee (Mar 20, 2016)

which filter kit are you using? Does it have hard and soft grads? and polarizing filters?


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## Hillsilly (Mar 20, 2016)

quiquae said:


> My BS detector went into overdrive at "special neutrino coating"....


It's no worse sounding than Canon's "Sub Wavelength Structure coating". (Which does work.)


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## Mr Majestyk (Mar 20, 2016)

trulandphoto said:


> 680 Euros would be about $770 today. Very interesting if that's correct. I expected higher.



At that price I will be selling my Samyang 14 f/2.8 very quickly if it performs as good as it looks.


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## deleteme (Mar 20, 2016)

Cute lens.

I am sure I would not pay 680 Euros just because it has cool styling but that's just me.


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## Diltiazem (Mar 20, 2016)

Looks sexy, but MTF doesn't look that impressive.


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## GuyF (Mar 20, 2016)

quiquae said:


> My BS detector went into overdrive at "special neutrino coating"....



Yup mine too. Mind you, since billions of neutrinos pass through us every second, it's probably fair to say even my socks are coated in the stuff. :

Then again, they probably go round the back of CERN, do the "secret knock" on the door then ask for Big Dave and get handed a bucket of special sticky neutrinos to paste onto their lenses. Could happen.....


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## Antono Refa (Mar 20, 2016)

fox40phil said:


> damn... this lense looks awesome!! "rear gelatin filter slot" :O... why there isn't a Canon lense with it (e.g. the 11-24?!)
> 
> Yeah, the price would be interesting..but if its stellar and under Canons average wide angle price or little bit higher I think that would be ok.
> 
> ...



As do the 15mm f/2.8 fisheye, 8-15mm f/4 fisheye, 16-35mm f/2.8, and 17-40mm f/4.


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## nhz (Mar 20, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> I have just returned from the Photography Show. Final price is not decided, but estimated as 680 Euros (I home that I remembered it correctly).
> 
> Also they had 11mm f/4 behind a glass, but soon to be announced. - See the CR facebook page - there is a photo of the 11mm.



There is also a Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 in the pipeline ... interesting how there suddenly is a flurry of interest in somewhat affordable SWA primes.


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## Maximilian (Mar 20, 2016)

Viggo said:


> Groundhog said:
> 
> 
> > fox40phil said:
> ...


As well as the 17-40/4.0 L.
https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/lenses/ef/ultra-wide-zoom/ef-17-40mm-f-4l-usm


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## mb66energy (Mar 20, 2016)

dilbert said:


> Diltiazem said:
> 
> 
> > Looks sexy, but MTF doesn't look that impressive.
> ...



You have to read the coordinates: curve colors stand for distance from lens axis in image plane.
Than you have to look the MTF value depending on the desired Lines/mm value. Canon uses 10 or 30 Lines/mm.

As a physicist and physics/mathematics teacher I have some understanding about reading graphs but just for me it is easier to type the data into openoffice and make a simple plot - see attached image. (y-Axis: MTF value, x-axis: distance from center, values are approximate values read from irix' graph)

edit: values taken from the following graph of the irix web page: http://irixlens.com/dist/img/mtf.jpg


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## NorbR (Mar 20, 2016)

Normalnorm said:


> I am sure I would not pay 680 Euros just because it has cool styling but that's just me.



For me it has a bit more that cool styling. As a lens that I'd use primarily for astro/night sky pictures, it has two very useful features:
- focus lock ring (focus once, lock it in place, no more "oops I bumped it I have to do it again")
- fluorescent markings on the lens (that one might be more gimmicky, but could also be genuinely useful)

So I'm intrigued ... and my Samyang 14mm is starting to feel insecure ... 

By the way, where does the price estimate of 680 euros come from? I couldn't find it anywhere other than here, did someone hear it directly from Irix?


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 20, 2016)

Blurb is talking about being designed for he new generation of 50mpx+ sensors, I'm not expecting this to be a bad lens, something balanced between Samyang value and Zeiss quality, with pricing inbetween - I'd expect to see a series of primes over the next few years at standard focal lengths - given Canons lacklustre drive to fill the 50mm & 85mm markets with new fast primes, I'd hope they would offer up a good target for Irix next, followed up with 24, 35 and 135 maybe... Bingo, new boy in town, move over Zeiss !


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## clicstudio (Mar 20, 2016)

This lens is beautiful. I don't know if it's any good but it sure looks good. 
I like the fact that Tamron and others are also stepping up their designs in lenses.
This one looks more expensive than it is and that is part of its appeal.


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## lholmes549 (Mar 20, 2016)

This look like a well built lens and I like the idea of the infinity click if it works as expected.
If the IQ is the same as the Samyang 14, has less coma (some copies are very bad), better QC and less distortion this would be a must have if it was around £500.
The Samyang is a great lens but only if you get a copy that hasn't got misaligned elements or shifted focus ring.


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## PhotographyFirst (Mar 20, 2016)

I like how this lens seems to have been designed by people who use lenses, which is evident by the removable hood, hood filter window, front filter threads, rear filter, focus lock, weather sealing, etc.


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 20, 2016)

11mm f4.0 on its way too...


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## seaquay (Mar 20, 2016)

Not only was my BS detector triggered by the neutrino coating, but also by looking at the company's home page. In fact, they do not even give a postal address which is quite suspective. This led me to do some research:

The company is registered under a mailbox address of "Launchoffice GmbH" (https://www.easymonitoring.ch/handelsregister/th-swiss-ag-1214566 , German). So they probably just have a swiss address for having the "Swiss" in their name, I assume all the work on the lenses is done exclusively in Korea. Head of the company is Hubert Grzegorz Adamczyk, a Polish guy who appears to own a Forex Trading company (http://uk.data.directory/company/08300345/FX+TRADING+LTD) and something which appears to be a trading company in Poland (http://krs-pobierz.pl/next77-i93405 , Polish), no idea if they actually sell anything ...

In conclusion, I am not sure on how serious to take this company. In any case, if these lenses will eventually be sold, do not expect wide technical support by the manufacturer.


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## rs (Mar 20, 2016)

This image was taken with the metal bodied (blackstone) Canon mount lens, wide open. CR2, using DPP, output quality of jpg 4 (to keep it under the 5MB limit). Apparently this lens is 70% to 80% production ready, so I'm surprised they let me shoot with it.

My 5D2 reported f2.5 when wide open. This is apparently an issue with Canon bodies - Nikon will reportedly show f2.4. 

For this shot, focusing was set to infinity, where it clicks. You can turn the focus ring beyond the click to focus beyond infinity, to cope with thermal expansion.


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## AvTvM (Mar 20, 2016)

Confirmed. The guy is exclusive distributor for Samyang lenses in Poland. Just google it. The company shell used for that Business is called Delta.

This is Samyang sheep in swiss wolves' coat, nothing else. 




seaquay said:


> Not only was my BS detector triggered by the neutrino coating, but also by looking at the company's home page. In fact, they do not even give a postal address which is quite suspective. This led me to do some research:
> 
> The company is registered under a mailbox address of "Launchoffice GmbH" (https://www.easymonitoring.ch/handelsregister/th-swiss-ag-1214566 , German). So they probably just have a swiss address for having the "Swiss" in their name, I assume all the work on the lenses is done exclusively in Korea. Head of the company is Hubert Grzegorz Adamczyk, a Polish guy who appears to own a Forex Trading company (http://uk.data.directory/company/08300345/FX+TRADING+LTD) and something which appears to be a trading company in Poland (http://krs-pobierz.pl/next77-i93405 , Polish), no idea if they actually sell anything ...
> 
> In conclusion, I am not sure on how serious to take this company. In any case, if these lenses will eventually be sold, do not expect wide technical support by the manufacturer.


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## seaquay (Mar 20, 2016)

AvTvM said:


> Confirmed. The guy is exclusive distributor for Samyang lenses in Poland. Just google it. The company shell used for that Business is called Delta.
> 
> This is Samyang sherp in swiss wolves' coat, nothing else.



Indeed. First thing I was thinking of when I read the Polish name was foto-tip (http://foto-tip.pl/en/onas), no idea why I missed to look there. Well, then at least there is some knowhow in the background and experience in making decent lenses for reasonable prices.


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## [email protected] (Mar 20, 2016)

NorbR said:


> Normalnorm said:
> 
> 
> > I am sure I would not pay 680 Euros just because it has cool styling but that's just me.
> ...



from dpreview forum:
"According to the Dutch distributor for Irix (Disnet.nl) the price of the Blackstone version will be 650 euro, while the Firefly will be cost 500 euro."

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57469883


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## Ozarker (Mar 20, 2016)

StoneColdCoffee said:


> which filter kit are you using? Does it have hard and soft grads? and polarizing filters?



The answer is none. I can't afford one right now. Photodiox and I believe Lee make kits as well as others. Once I can afford it I will get one.


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## slclick (Mar 21, 2016)

CanonFanBoy said:


> StoneColdCoffee said:
> 
> 
> > which filter kit are you using? Does it have hard and soft grads? and polarizing filters?
> ...



I highly suggest getting a cheapo frame such as a Cokin Z Pro knock off and then using good filters like Formatt 100 x 100.


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## Busted Knuckles (Mar 21, 2016)

As far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be a native Samyang that looks similar or than the 16 f2.0 that could be reworked into a 15 2.4. 

They don't hide the Korean connection... I thought I saw Zeiss isn't making all of its own lenses.... I would be interested in seeing this once it gets to the market.


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## mclaren777 (Mar 21, 2016)

As sexy as this lens is, the existence of the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 kills any interest I might have otherwise had.


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## sanj (Mar 21, 2016)

Wonder how it will compare, if at all, with my Zeiss 15mm.


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## Ozarker (Mar 21, 2016)

slclick said:


> CanonFanBoy said:
> 
> 
> > StoneColdCoffee said:
> ...



Thanks for the advice. I think I might have my 70D and 400 f/5.6L sold. I'll know by the eighth of next month. Until then, I can't even afford a McDouble at the Golden Arches. haha! 

I'll register the car... then a filter kit for the Tamron and maybe a Lomography Petzval lens too. Then, maybe a six pack of beer.


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## 9VIII (Mar 21, 2016)

I wish Samyang would just go ahead and market their own lenses under their own name. Having all these sub-brands does them no good at all when they actually do make a few decent products.


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## photonius (Mar 21, 2016)

Hillsilly said:


> quiquae said:
> 
> 
> > My BS detector went into overdrive at "special neutrino coating"....
> ...



Yes, neutrino coatings sounds strange. Sure the coating is not made from neutrinos, and it seems unlikely that neutrinos are used in the manufacturing process. So, it maybe simply means a "neutral" coating...
Anyway, the term was registered as trademark 1 year ago by TH Swiss.
http://www.wirtschaft.ch/trademarks/neutrino+coating/TH+SWISS+AG+6341+Baar/53747/2015/


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## photonius (Mar 21, 2016)

seaquay said:


> Not only was my BS detector triggered by the neutrino coating, but also by looking at the company's home page. In fact, they do not even give a postal address which is quite suspective. This led me to do some research:
> 
> The company is registered under a mailbox address of "Launchoffice GmbH" (https://www.easymonitoring.ch/handelsregister/th-swiss-ag-1214566 , German). So they probably just have a swiss address for having the "Swiss" in their name, I assume all the work on the lenses is done exclusively in Korea. Head of the company is Hubert Grzegorz Adamczyk, a Polish guy who appears to own a Forex Trading company (http://uk.data.directory/company/08300345/FX+TRADING+LTD) and something which appears to be a trading company in Poland (http://krs-pobierz.pl/next77-i93405 , Polish), no idea if they actually sell anything ...
> 
> In conclusion, I am not sure on how serious to take this company. In any case, if these lenses will eventually be sold, do not expect wide technical support by the manufacturer.



Well, there is also a Frank Lukas registered, from Switzerland.
He is involved in a couple of companies:
http://www.moneyhouse.ch/p/lukas-frank
These companies are all located in the same place - Launchoffice - which is probably a business park. Some he seems to be just giving the address, as shareholders are foreign. So, probably just a small office there. It's located in Baar, Schwyz, the Kanton with the lowest taxes, so a haven for these types of companies to lower taxes. For example "Gencore" is also located in Baar - it's one of the largest traders in mineral resources, and mine operators - yes, all these big mines in Switzerland... ;-)


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## Dutchy (Mar 21, 2016)

Cali Capture said:


> Looks like they will offer in "two" build qualitys, and perhaps the $770 is the Lightweight/plastic/cheaper one!



On a Dutch photography website the Dutch distributor is quoted on pricing:

_"De Irix Blackstone 15mm f/2,4 gaat 650 euro kosten, terwijl de adviesprijs van het goedkopere broertje 500 euro bedraagt."_

So 650 EUR for the Blackstone version, 500 EUR for the Firefly version. These prices include Dutch VAT (21%).

Link: http://www.digifotopro.nl/content/irix-kondigt-15mm-f-24-ultragroothoek-voor-fullframe-aan


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## seaquay (Mar 21, 2016)

photonius said:


> Well, there is also a Frank Lukas registered, from Switzerland.
> He is involved in a couple of companies:
> http://www.moneyhouse.ch/p/lukas-frank
> These companies are all located in the same place - Launchoffice - which is probably a business park. Some he seems to be just giving the address, as shareholders are foreign. So, probably just a small office there. It's located in Baar, Schwyz, the Kanton with the lowest taxes, so a haven for these types of companies to lower taxes. For example "Gencore" is also located in Baar - it's one of the largest traders in mineral resources, and mine operators - yes, all these big mines in Switzerland... ;-)



Launchoffice is no business park, it is just a company which rents out mail adresses (and telephone numbers). That means, TH Swiss just has a mail box there but no office at all. Launchoffice forwards any mail to the registered address which may be in Switzerland, Poland or whereever (https://www.launchswiss.ch/fileadmin/pdf_files/preisliste_geschaftsadresse.pdf, German). Tax optimization (as you nicely explained) and the possibility to somehow put "Swiss" into the company's name are probably the main motivations for this mail box address.

Edit: I just realized that Lukas Frank is member of the administrative board of launchswiss.


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## Alexiumz (Mar 21, 2016)

Having spoken to Irix in depth at the Photography Show yesterday I am quite impressed by this lens.

Whilst it is made in Korea, I do not believe there is any connection to Samyang. From what I was told, they are a brand new company and are not owned by any larger corporation. They're designed from the ground up the way they wanted to make them.

I was told the price is (roughly) ~£550 for the 'Blackstone' model and ~£450 for the 'Firefly'. The optics are identical. The Blackstone is in a magnesium and aluminium alloy body and is weather sealed. The Firefly is not. The Blackstone also has the fluorescent markings.

It is manual focus, electronic aperture. It's available in Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts. On a Canon DSLR the maximum aperture reads f/2.5; this is a software 'issue'; the lens is actually wide open at f/2.4.

The 11mm f/4 should be available at the end of Spring/early summer, with more (unannounced) lenses still to come. Expect other regular focal lengths. When questioned about Sony E mount, the answer is that they will likely be making some, though not necessarily this lens. Different line for E mount perhaps? Also, they may produce some manual aperture lenses in the future too.

Now, on to actual performance. As I said, I was impressed, particularly given the price. Distortion was, according to them (and their chart), less than 2%. I couldn't see any bending of straight lines whatsoever (through the viewfinder) when tested on a full frame Canon DSLR.

Furthermore, they had a catalogue of prints all taken with the lens in Patagonia. The photographer who took all of them was one of the guys manning the booth. I quizzed him about coma performance and he said it is very good; it appears they have actually designed the lens with astro in mind and considered those needs! There were a number of astrophotography prints and whilst relatively small (<12" wide), coma was almost non-existent, from what I could see. Only in one of the prints did I see one star only starting to grow wings. None of the prints were cropped either.

I would replace my Samyang 14mm with this in a heartbeat.

I hope this clears up some speculation.


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## jeffa4444 (Mar 21, 2016)

Alexiumz said:


> Having spoken to Irix in depth at the Photography Show yesterday I am quite impressed by this lens.
> 
> Whilst it is made in Korea, I do not believe there is any connection to Samyang. From what I was told, they are a brand new company and are not owned by any larger corporation. They're designed from the ground up the way they wanted to make them.
> 
> ...


To add to the above the guy that took the photos was Dutch (didnt get his name) and the marketing guy was Polish, Piotr Madura. I also looked at this lens in detail (Blackstone verision) it was well made and showed very little distortion through the viewfinder of the Canon it was mounted to. They didnt quote pricing but they did say during questioning that they will be developing a complete set of primes and that they would be making cine versions later this year. 
If the optical standard is as good as the mechanical then at the prices quoted elsewhere they have a hit on their hands.


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## Alexiumz (Mar 21, 2016)

jeffa4444 said:


> To add to the above the guy that took the photos was Dutch (didnt get his name) and the marketing guy was Polish, Piotr Madura. I also looked at this lens in detail (Blackstone verision) it was well made and showed very little distortion through the viewfinder of the Canon it was mounted to. They didnt quote pricing but they did say during questioning that they will be developing a complete set of primes and that they would be making cine versions later this year.
> If the optical standard is as good as the mechanical then at the prices quoted elsewhere they have a hit on their hands.


The Polish guy Piotr was the photographer. Joost (didn't get his last name) was the Dutchman and was marketing.


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## grainier (Mar 21, 2016)

Alexiumz said:


> It is ... electronic aperture.



Nice if true, I am not a fan of stop-down metering.


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## FramerMCB (Mar 21, 2016)

Busted Knuckles said:


> As far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be a native Samyang that looks similar or than the 16 f2.0 that could be reworked into a 15 2.4.
> 
> They don't hide the Korean connection... I thought I saw Zeiss isn't making all of its own lenses.... I would be interested in seeing this once it gets to the market.



Many Zeiss lenses are now manufactured in Japan (and have been for a while). In fact, all of them might be. But much, if not all of their R&D and design is still done in Germany. I think this may make it cheaper for them to source glass this way as there is so much lens manufacturing done in Japan/Korea/China. So the market might be better. As well as finding/retaining well trained technicians/employees for the actual manufacturing...


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## FramerMCB (Mar 21, 2016)

Just guessing here, but I'm thinking the "neutrino coating" may be something to combat/minimize Coma and to help with light transmission out on the periphery. Now, if they just put a Fluorine coating on the front and rear elements... 8)


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## StoneColdCoffee (Mar 21, 2016)

More thoughts I have on this lens. 

The website is impressive. very interactive. classic and simple. I like the design and the way they show the features when you scroll or click on them. That being said, I try not to get caught up in the WOW factor of advertising. But for a new company Its very interesting they can sell a lens at that price point and have so many features. strictly from and astro perspective, I hope it is as good in the corners as the page one picture shows. Any further analysis will have to be done through reviews.but I think its enough to make me order one and see for myself. 
probably one of my favorite lens' is the canon 10-22 on and old T1i. I loved how sharp my copy was. and it was great for buildings and daytime. The Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 is also a nice lens. unfortunately both copies I had of that had some issue with focus left to right sides of frame. The Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye is fine for just what it is, I will keep this one. The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8II was great. The coma at the corners wasn't so great for astro, but having a zoom was handy. I could move to 18-20mm and get a nicer image (plus the filter housing would be out of the way at 21mm) nothing is perfect. Now the Tamron 15-30 is better, although (for me) no filters( screw on) that I want to carry extra. And I didn't want to go the Nikon 14-24/adapter route. So I have patiently been waiting with others for the Canon 16-35L III to arrive. 

Now that this Lens looks promising I would pre-order it. I do still have questions. But I think I have found out how they plan to market this and make money. You buy the basic lens. Then, options. In the form of accessories. 2 bags. A few different ND density filter options. A UV filter and a CPL. IT will be interesting the price of these. Also, what kind of quality are these filters when compared against the top of the line B+W or Heliopan? which range from $150 to $700. will you be able to buy another manufacturers filter and use it with the lens hood? I would imagine so but have to ask that. Are the kit filters really good? We wont know and I don't know how you could find out. Maybe someone will test them against others? I'm sure if you don't purchase them in the order they will cost a lot more to purchase later. An extra thing I noticed was infinity click. I thought the exact spot on a lens for infinity changed with temperature and atmospheric conditions. I notice mine changes ever so slightly with temperature. I set it up each time. 
Of course Ill get it and have a 15mm lens about the time there is a new and better 16-35 III Zoom. Wonderful thing to have options.


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## snowleo (Mar 21, 2016)

Hi there

What a interesting lens. Manual focussing and a lock switch! I love polar lights and I have dreamt many times of a lens offering a focus lock! In a poll (run by Canon) I asked them to create a wide angle zoom lens with a focus lock (e.g. the 11-24 mm lens - you just lock the lens for a selected distance. You zoom from 11-24 mm and the lens always focusses at the same distance). Wouldn't that be nice for star- and polar light-photography?

About the price: well, I am Swiss and Switzerland is only beaten by Norway when it comes to high prices. If this lens were manufactured in Switzerland it would cost $2000.--!  But designed in Switzerland and manufactured in Korea - sounds more like $ 700.--. Guess I have to plan my next polar light trip (I will post some polar light shots in a separate topic!) with an Irix 15 mm lens.

;D


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## Ozarker (Mar 22, 2016)

Does anyone else like the idea that there is a "click" or stop at infinity? If it is accurate, that would be great.  I really like that idea. Nice looking lens too.

It will be nice to see what coma is like.

I wish the company well.

Since I got my Tamron I've become very open to 3rd party if the product meets or beats Canon.


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## Malm (Mar 22, 2016)

Hi!



CanonFanBoy said:


> ...
> Since I got my Tamron I've become very open to 3rd party if the product meets or beats Canon.



Well, concerning coma it's not that difficult to beat the Canon 16-35/2.8 II or the Canon 14/2.8 II at the moment. The rumored Canon 16-35/2.8 III might be a more serious competitor to the Irix.

Concerning the denied relation with Samyang: There are two similarities with the Samyang 15/2.8.
The camera mount of the Irix is hold by only three screws as it was the case for the older Samyang 15/2.8. The recent Samyang version has four screws similar to my Canon lenses.
The lens composition is also similar. The Irix has 15 lenses in 11 groups with 3 x HR, 2 x ED and 2 x ASP and the Samyang has 14 lenses in 12 groups with 3 x HR, 2 x ED and 2 x ASP.
As both lenses are more rivals, it's probably more a new company founded by unhappy ex-Samyang engineers than a spin-off.


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## 3kramd5 (Mar 22, 2016)

FramerMCB said:


> Busted Knuckles said:
> 
> 
> > As far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be a native Samyang that looks similar or than the 16 f2.0 that could be reworked into a 15 2.4.
> ...



As far as I know, all of the consumer stills Zeiss lenses are manufactured by Cosina and Kyocera. The lenses they manufacture in house are for their cinema line, and are for scientific or industrial uses.


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## 9VIII (Mar 23, 2016)

Alexiumz said:


> Having spoken to Irix in depth at the Photography Show yesterday I am quite impressed by this lens.
> 
> Whilst it is made in Korea, I do not believe there is any connection to Samyang.



If it isn't Samyang then who is making it?


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## Tugela (Mar 23, 2016)

9VIII said:


> Alexiumz said:
> 
> 
> > Having spoken to Irix in depth at the Photography Show yesterday I am quite impressed by this lens.
> ...



The Samsung lens group presumably was looking for work after the NX line was dropped, so these lenses possibly come from them. My guess is that the lens elements and aperture control were parts originally intended for the NX2 system, and the optical group adapted them to work with Canon cameras.


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## keithcooper (Mar 24, 2016)

I took a few photos at f/2.5 with the lens on my 5Ds.

As they were hand-held with a pre-release lens, it's not fair to publish them, but my first impressions are that it's a good quality lens. It shows low CA, and a bit of purple fringing - both cleaned up well in ACR. Straight edges along the edges of the frame are not obviously curved, but at f/2.5 vignetting is quite noticeable (smooth gradation). Light sources in the corners of the frame show no obvious coma.

Hardly a comprehensive review, but enough to put it on my definitely to review list 

Compared to the Samyang 14 mm I looked at a while ago, it's vastly better on distortion and the build quality is in a different league for either version of the lens - much closer to my old EF14 2.8L II


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi Keith, was there any indication of UK prices and also, what about further lenses ? They have been posting about a 11mm f4, is there anything more ?


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## keithcooper (Mar 24, 2016)

Haydn1971 said:


> Hi Keith, was there any indication of UK prices and also, what about further lenses ? They have been posting about a 11mm f4, is there anything more ?



No details as yet - the 11mm was firmly in a glass box - looked slightly bigger.

I'm on their mailing list so should get info as soon as it appears.

The only clue was 'we're looking at interesting lenses' - could be anything I suppose ;-)


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## StoneColdCoffee (Mar 24, 2016)

keithcooper said:


> I took a few photos at f/2.5 with the lens on my 5Ds.
> 
> As they were hand-held with a pre-release lens, it's not fair to publish them, but my first impressions are that it's a good quality lens. It shows low CA, and a bit of purple fringing - both cleaned up well in ACR. Straight edges along the edges of the frame are not obviously curved, but at f/2.5 vignetting is quite noticeable (smooth gradation). Light sources in the corners of the frame show no obvious coma.
> 
> ...



Thanks Keith for posting this. So at least we get a view of what they said it being capable with a high Mp Body.
Just as a guess, would you say it is sharper and less CA in the corners as a Tamron 1-30 or Nikon 14-24? maybe you've only had canon WA Lenses? Either way thanks for your post...And also thank you for all the work you put out on your website.


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## keithcooper (Mar 24, 2016)

StoneColdCoffee said:


> Thanks Keith for posting this. So at least we get a view of what they said it being capable with a high Mp Body.
> Just as a guess, would you say it is sharper and less CA in the corners as a Tamron 1-30 or Nikon 14-24? maybe you've only had canon WA Lenses? Either way thanks for your post...And also thank you for all the work you put out on your website.


No idea about those lenses I'm afraid - without a direct comparison, I'm disinclined to match it against others.

OK, noticeably better than the Samyang 14mm I tested (which wasn't bad on my 1Ds3) ;-)

The centre of the field wide-open looks sharp enough to show good detail from the 5Ds - but it was not the best of lighting...

When I get a chance I'll see how it compares with the ef11-24 - a lot lighter for one thing!


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 24, 2016)

Cheers... I'm connected via the Facebook page now, nice to have a new player in town and looking forward to reviews from you and also Dustin


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## GMCPhotographics (Mar 25, 2016)

keithcooper said:


> Haydn1971 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Keith, was there any indication of UK prices and also, what about further lenses ? They have been posting about a 11mm f4, is there anything more ?
> ...


NR have a leak on the pricing for the 15mm, between $600 and $780 depending on which version is purchased. There's a polycarbonate body called the fire fly and a metal bodied version called the Blackstone.


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## AvTvM (Mar 25, 2016)

Blackstone, Firefly, all the same Samyang sh*t. Nothing Swiss about it.


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## keithcooper (Mar 25, 2016)

AvTvM said:


> Blackstone, Firefly, all the same Samyang sh*t. Nothing Swiss about it.


Now there's an informed comment from someone who obviously has taken more shots with one of them than I have...


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## Haydn1971 (Mar 25, 2016)

GMCPhotographics said:


> NR have a leak on the pricing for the 15mm, between $600 and $780 depending on which version is purchased. There's a polycarbonate body called the fire fly and a metal bodied version called the Blackstone.



Aware of that thanks... Dollar and Euro prices are meaningless - UK prices are not directly linked to exchange rates


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## sdsr (Mar 26, 2016)

AvTvM said:


> Blackstone, Firefly, all the same Samyang sh*t. Nothing Swiss about it.



Even if true, some of that sh*t is rather good - as every review I've seen agrees, the fairly recent Samyang 135mm f2 is stunningly good, better than the 135L (leaving aside the lack of AF).


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## tron (Mar 26, 2016)

sdsr said:


> AvTvM said:
> 
> 
> > Blackstone, Firefly, all the same Samyang sh*t. Nothing Swiss about it.
> ...


Then feel free to get it and focus manually fully open... especially when shooting portraits... :


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## keithcooper (Mar 26, 2016)

tron said:


> sdsr said:
> 
> 
> > AvTvM said:
> ...


Just get a better focusing screen... ;-)

Seriously though, that's one feature I really miss when going from my 1Ds3 to 5Ds


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## pedro (Mar 26, 2016)

keithcooper said:


> Haydn1971 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Keith, was there any indication of UK prices and also, what about further lenses ? They have been posting about a 11mm f4, is there anything more ?
> ...



Keith, just got back to your original post on the IRIX and saw the 11 F/4.0 mentioned... as I always use WA zoom lenses at their lowest end, this could be a great addition to the few ones I own...;-) Hope the asking price is not too high. As prices of the 15 mm lens recently leaked http://nikonrumors.com/2016/03/21/price-of-the-irix-15mm-f2-4-full-frame-lens-leaked.aspx/ I hope the 11 mm lens won't be far beyond 850-900...BTW my "cr*ppy Samyang 14 F/2.8" lens is tack sharp. A full left turn to the stop and you are there...just make sure once you move from one place to another while on location, to check back before shooting your next frame ;-)

Here's a sample 


Bearbeitet_MilkyWay-0424 by Peter Hauri, on Flickr


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## bjd (Sep 13, 2016)

A friend has now got his Irix copy and posted the following picture. He likes to shoot into the Sun and has terrible problems with Lens Flare if he does that, and has found no way to get rid of it while shooting. 
Anyone else have the same problems?

Cheers Brian


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## keithcooper (Sep 13, 2016)

bjd said:


> A friend has now got his Irix copy and posted the following picture. He likes to shoot into the Sun and has terrible problems with Lens Flare if he does that, and has found no way to get rid of it while shooting.
> Anyone else have the same problems?
> 
> Cheers Brian



Looking at how much the image shown has been forced in processing I'd expect this, or a variation, with almost any complex WA lens.

I found the Canon 15mm FE showed this far less than many lenses - of course, you'll need to 'correct' the distortion and ideally have a lot of MP to start with (lessens the impact of the geometry change) The newer 8-15 is also good with flare, but if you want to process images that look like this, it's going to be a problem with almost any lens

Update - Looked through the archives and found some dual shot experiments (TS-E17) with the sun in shot (not the centre, but away from the edge). Using my hand as a sunshade to get a second shot without the flare, and blending the two images. Takes a bit of care in editing (in PS with masked layers) to get it smooth. Rarely a satisfactory solution, not because of the flare, but the resultant lighting of the rest of the shot (I don't get much call for silhouettes...)


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## d (Sep 13, 2016)

bjd said:


> A friend has now got his Irix copy and posted the following picture. He likes to shoot into the Sun and has terrible problems with Lens Flare if he does that, and has found no way to get rid of it while shooting.
> Anyone else have the same problems?
> 
> Cheers Brian



I can't say I notice any lens flare, but why is he shooting through a hula hoop? ;D


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## chrysoberyl (Sep 13, 2016)

I can't say I notice any lens flare, but why is he shooting through a hula hoop? ;D
[/quote]

Ha - hula hoop! The flare reminds me of my Tokina 16-28. Lenstip has two astro shots in which the Irix coma looks pretty pronounced. That pretty much eliminates the Irix for me. I'm hoping Tamron has improved the coma substantially with their new 14mm. If so, that will be my next lens.


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## chrysoberyl (Sep 29, 2016)

Szymon Starczewski (LensTip) has completed his evaluation of the Irix 15mm. An interesting lens, but not for me, as I am looking for a good astro lens. Also, QA is unknown at this point. And repairs? Hmm...

John


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## Viggo (Mar 8, 2017)

Anyone that has any more user experience with the Irix 15 yet? I read some tests that say it's nearly free of flare even when the sun is in the frame, like it often would be, and the example above here shows it simmilar to the Zeiss 21 which was hopeless.

I'm in the market for the Irix 15, so appreciate any user experiences.


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## timmy_650 (Jun 19, 2017)

I finally got time to take this lens into some dark skies. This was taken with a 6D 25 sec at 2.8. iso 4000. These have no editing, I just made the image smaller in PS


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## timmy_650 (Jun 19, 2017)

Here is one at f/2.5, 25 sec, iso 4000 and a crop of the top right corner from that image.


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## tron (Jun 19, 2017)

Viggo said:


> Anyone that has any more user experience with the Irix 15 yet? I read some tests that say it's nearly free of flare even when the sun is in the frame, like it often would be, and the example above here shows it simmilar to the Zeiss 21 which was hopeless.
> 
> I'm in the market for the Irix 15, so appreciate any user experiences.


See:

http://www.lenstip.com/486.9-Lens_review-Irix_15_mm_f_2.4_Blackstone_Ghosting_and_flares.html

In my opinion the lens does not ... shine (pun intended!)


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## Viggo (Jun 19, 2017)

tron said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone that has any more user experience with the Irix 15 yet? I read some tests that say it's nearly free of flare even when the sun is in the frame, like it often would be, and the example above here shows it simmilar to the Zeiss 21 which was hopeless.
> ...



Thanks! Yeah, that doesn't look good. I had a hard time with the Zeiss 21 and this looks worse.


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