Queen Victoria Building with the Voigtländer Heliar Classic 50mm/1:1.5 and Leica M10

This is part of a series of articles showcasing pictures taken on the Voigtländer Heliar Classic 50mm/1:1.5. These pictures were taken around Queen Victoria Building with the lens at f1.5 (maximum aperture).

The Voigtländer Heliar Classic 50mm F1.5 VM is a unique lens that is designed to show a shaping-classic image at open aperture by intentionally leaving aberration. In particular, at the F1.5 aperture, a bokeh effect is apparent, creating spherical and chromatic aberrations at the edges of the image that would be difficult to create through digital processing.

Here are various photos taken around the Queen Victoria Building showing the aberration and “look” at wide open aperture. At the end of the day, whether this is pleasing or jarring will depend on your personal perspective. I find some of the photos have a dreamy look that I like, others I can live without.

For more information on the Heliar Classic 50mm lens, check out my initial impressions article and other articles in the series.