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According provided by Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly lens (Canon camera version) many thanks To Cheslav Lozovsky.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Navigation

1. In short
2. All IRIX Lenses
3. Main Specifications
4. Appearance
5. Assembly
6. Differences between Firefly and Blackstone versions
7. Focusing
8. Image quality
9. Sample Photos
10. My experience
11. Price
12. Original autofocus ultra-wide angle lenses
13. Results
14. User Comments
15. Add your review or question on the lens

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

In short

The IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly is a manual ultra-wide-angle lens for Canon EOS full-frame DSLRs with automatic iris control.

IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly is a very good solution with a relatively low price. The lens deserves due attention and I can safely recommend it for its intended use.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

All IRIX Lenses

IRIX for photos:

1. IRIX 11 f/4 Firefly + IRIX 11 f/4 Blackstone (EF, F, K)
2. IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly + IRIX 15 f/2.4 Blackstone (EF, F, K + E) [overview]
3. IRIX 21 f / 1.4 Dragonfly (EF, F, K)
4. IRIX 30 f / 1.4 Dragonfly (EF, F, K)
5. IRIX 45 f / 1.4 Dragonfly (EF, F, K + G)
6. IRIX 150 f / 2.8 Macro 1: 1 Dragonfly (EF, F, K + E) [overview]

IRIX for video:

1. IRIX Cine 11mm T4.3 (E, EF, MFT, PL [* meters / feet], Z, RF, L)
2. IRIX Cine 15mm T2.6 Lens (E, EF, MFT, PL [* meters / feet], Z, RF, L)
3. IRIX Cine 21mm T1.5 Lens (E, EF, MFT, PL [* meters / feet], Z, RF, L)
4. IRIX Cine 30mm T1.5 Lens (E, EF, MFT, PL [* meters / feet], Z, RF, L)
5. IRIX Cine 45mm T1.5 Lens (E, EF, MFT, PL [* meters / feet], Z, RF, L)
6. IRIX Cine 150mm T3.0 Macro 1: 1 (E, EF, MFT, PL [* meters / feet], Z, RF, L)

All IRIX lenses are full-frame.

• G - for FujiFilm GFX Medium Format
• EF - for Canon EOS EF / EFS
• RF - for Canon EOS R
• Z - for Nikon Z
• L - for Leica L
• F - for Nikon F
• K - for Pentax K
• MFT - for Micro 4/3
• E - for Sony E / FE
• PL - for Arri PL
• There are two types of Cine with different layouts of focusing distances (in meters or feet)

The first lens from Irix was precisely the 15 / 2.4 model. Most likely the lens was made really as high-quality as possible both optically and mechanically (especially Blackstone) in order to immediately recommend itself well.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Main IRIR 15 f / 2.4 Firefly Specifications

The Irix 15mm f/2.4 Firefly is available in versions for Nikon, Canon, and Pentax SLR systems. Many photographers use the Irix 15mm f/2.4 Firefly on mirrorless cameras through the appropriate adapters. June 7, 2023 Irix 15mm f/2.4 DragonFly version for mount mirrorless cameras released Sony E.

Appearance

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Assembly

The lens comes in a stylish box, in the middle of which is another metal box (similar to metal square boxes for tea). Complete with a lens comes a hood, front and back covers, soft carrying case, warranty card and instructions in different languages. In a metal box, the lens itself is firmly fixed with soft seals.

IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly assembled well. The lens has metal mount mount. The focus ring is wide and rubberized, tactilely pleasing. The main body is made of plastic. The thread for the filters is also plastic.

Separately, it is worth noting the fact that the IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly supports the installation of conventional light filters, which are screwed into the thread of the front light filter. The vast majority of these ultra-wide angle lenses do not have the ability to use conventional front filters. Unfortunately, the thread diameter is as much as 95 mm and it is not always easy to find such filters. The company recommends using the thinnest possible light filters; also, Irix produces a line of its own light filters, especially for this lens (models ND, UV and CPL by 95 mm).

The bayonet side is holder for gelatin filters 30 * 30 mm. The instructions have a template for cutting such a filter.

The lens is dustproof and waterproof, its body has a number of internal seals, as well as an O-shaped elastic band-mount seal.

Weight IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly is about 600 grams. In the hands of the lens feels like a good thing. The lens weighs a little less than the original similar Canon EF 14 mm 1:2.8 L II USM.

Design IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly your own, as well as your own design of the back and front covers.

Diaphragm consists of 9 rounded petals and form a hole in the shape of a regular hexagon.

The package comes with a small plastic lens hood labeled [irix] ILH-15A Made in Korea. The hood is installed in special grooves near the front lens of the lens (bayonet type hood), it can also be installed in the opposite direction for transportation. There are white strip marks for installation. The hood locks securely, but very tight... At first, I was sure that the hood did not snap into place at all until I applied enough force and heard the characteristic click of the hood securely in place. Also, removing the hood is not always an easy task - if you grab it in the wrong way, it cannot be removed.

The hood has special windowwhich can be closed and opened and which serves for easy access to the filter. With this window, you can easily rotate, for example, a polarizing filter and use a lens hood mounted on the lens. In the closed position, the shutter of the hood window may rattle with little shaking.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Difference between Firefly and Blackstone Versions

The lens is available in two versions: Firefly and Blackstone. We can say that Firefly is a lite version of Blackstone. The main differences:

1. Blackstone case made of aluminum-magnesium alloy. Firefly housing made of lighter materials (most likely ABS plastic)
2. Firefly 12% lighter (just something?) than Blackstone
3. Blackstone uses a special 'premium' coating on the body, scratch resistant. Firefly uses the usual plastic finish.
4. Blackstone uses metallic anodized focus ring. Firefly has a plastic, rubberized, anti-slip focus ring.
5. Blackstone has engraved marksFirefly - simple, painted with paint
6. Blackstone for tags uses fluorescent paint (responsive to ultraviolet light in the dark). For marks on Firefly use plain white paint
7. Additionally Blackstone has front lens protection from bad weather conditions (additional seal near the front lens)
8. The versions differ from the supplied wardrobe trunks. Blackstone comes with hard caseand Firefly with soft case
9. Blackstone approximately one third more expensivethan Firefly ($ 575 vs $ 425)

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Focusing

The IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly only has manual focus. The focus ring rotates 135 degrees. The rotation is quite tight. There is a small rubbing sound during focusing.

Focus ring has special ledge, which sometimes makes focusing easier.

Passing the 'infinity' mark, the focusing ring clicks (something like a hard stop). The focusing ring has a small infinity flight, and this click, which was called hard click, similar to Infinity Hard Stop, allows you to quickly and accurately focus on infinity.

There is a special connector on the lens, which, using small manipulations with a screwdriver allows you to calibrate the focus to infinity. In fact, this function allows you to fine-tune the correspondence of the marks on the focus ring and the actual behavior of the lens on each individual camera. I did not check this function, since the instructions indicate a certain danger of dropping a screw in the inside of the lens. Important: before using this function, be sure to read the instructions.

In addition to the focus distance scale, the depth of field scale and the tag for working in the infrared spectrum there is hyperfocal marking for aperture F / 8, F / 11 and F / 16. This is a pleasant trifle, this scale allows you to create the largest depth of field with the selected aperture. Hyperfocal Details here. True, I still have a question, why there are no tags for F / 22?

IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly has another extra ring Lock / Unlock, which allows you to fix (clamp) the focus ring in a certain position. It is not recommended to rotate the focus ring when it is pressed by the locking ring. To fully lock the focus ring, you need to hold it tightly enough with the Lock / Unlock ring. After tightly clamping it, the Lock / Unlock ring can be difficult to turn the other way, as it is quite narrow. There is an arrow on the ring that indicates which direction you need to rotate in order to lock the focus ring.

Focusing internal type. During focusing, the front lens and its frame remain stationary. During focusing, only the rear lens group (on the bayonet side) moves.

Focus Acknowledgment via JVI carried out due to the sound signal and / or highlighting of the point / focus points. However, despite the presence of microprocessor contacts, the lens does not allow the use of a focusing trap, i.e. Keep the shutter button locked until the focus is accurate.

Other features:

• Focus shift (shift-focus) is missing.
• the 'Focus Breathing' effect (changing the viewing angle during focusing) is small.
• Adapter compatibility unknown Canon mount adapter EF-EOS M for using optics with a bayonet mount Canon EF/Ef-s on cameras with a bayonet mount Canon EOS M
• Unknown compatibility with Canon Mount Adapters EF-EOS R for use with mount optics Canon EF/Ef-s on cameras with a bayonet mount Canon EOS RF

Important: The Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly is a third-party lens. It may happen that it will not work correctly with some Canon cameras.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Image quality

Important: on modern Canon EOS cameras, you cannot set the aperture value F / 2.4 in the menu. The maximum aperture with the Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly is 1: 2.5. This does not mean that the lens F / 2.5 instead of F / 2.4, just the Canon EOS cameras in the set of standard values ​​do not have F / 2.4. Step changes exposure from 1/3 to 1/2 or 1 step does not solve the problem. The F / 2.4 aperture itself is only a third step lighter than the classic F / 2.8. It is considered simple: (2.8 * 2.8) / (2.4 * 2.4) = 1.361.

Optically given lens turned out to be very successful. It is very sharp in the center of the frame already at F / 2.4, the drawdown in sharpness to the edges of the image is negligible. Only in the corners can deterioration be noted. When aperture, the entire frame is aligned in sharpness. There is a certain curvature of the depth of field that inexperienced users can take for blur in different areas of the frame.

For such lenses, distortion is a very critical parameter. The distortion of the Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly is slight and visually pleasing to the eye. For RAW converters, there is a lens profile that allows you to get rid of it almost 100%.

The lens confidently holds backlight, only in very rare cases you can get tangible glare (example) In most cases, the Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly is practically insensitive to the sun in the frame.

Chromatic aberrations even in the corners of the frame are at a low or acceptable level. There is vignetting at F / 2.4, which almost completely disappears to the F / 5.6 aperture.

I found information from other users who claim that the Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly can easily match the quality of a picture with a native like Canon EF 14 mm 1:2.8 L II USM..

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Sample Photos

All sample photos in the gallery below were shot using a camera Canon EOS 5D and Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly lens. Photos taken using RAW ('.CR2') file conversion with Canon original utility Digital Photo Pprofessional 4 (Canon DPP) without any changes.

Original RAW ('.CR2') photos can be download from this link.

More examples from the owner of the lens to the camera Sony A7 III:

Many pictures on IRIX 15 / 2.4 can be found on the official IRIX page at 500pxin the galleries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

My experience

My experience with the lens is very positive. True, in order to fully understand it, you need to seriously shoot the tasks for which it is designed - landscapes, architecture, astro photography, and so on. Irix 15mm f / 2.4 users please unsubscribe in the comments for the features that were found while working with the lens.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment.

Irix 15mm f / 2.4 Firefly

Prices

The new IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly costs around $ 430. The lens can be found on sale only at large venues such as BHphoto or Amzon.

Original autofocus ultra-wide angle lenses

The range of zoom lenses:

1. Canon EF 8-15mm 1:4 L Fisheye USM
2. Canon EF 11-24mm 1:4 L USM
3. Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM
4. Canon EF 16-35mm 1:2.8 L USM
5. Canon EF 16-35mm 1:2.8 L II USM
6. Canon EF 16-35mm 1:2.8 L III USM
7. Canon EF 16-35mm 1:4 L IS USM
8. Canon EF 17-35mm 1:2.8 L USM
9. Canon EF 17-40mm 1:4 L USM
10. Canon EF 20-35mm 1:2.8 L
11. Canon EF 20-35mm 1: 3.5-4.5 USM
12. Canon EF 22-55mm 1: 4-5.6 USM

Line of fixed lenses:

1. Canon EF 14 mm 1:2.8 L USM
2. Canon EF 14 mm 1:2.8 L II USM
3. Canon EF 15 mm 1:2.8 Fisheye
4. Canon EF 20 mm 1: 2.8 USM

Results

The IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly is an optically and mechanically good lens. The disadvantages are small, and the functionality is huge. The price of the IRIX 15 f / 2.4 Firefly is quite affordable and I recommend it to all amateur and professional photographers.

Advantages

1. automatic iris control and correct operation with EXIF
2. the ability to use threaded filters
3. the ability to use filters on the bayonet side
4. high aperture (one third higher than F / 2.8 for many other similar lenses)
5. quite convenient and thoughtful manual focusing with an auxiliary click for quick and accurate focusing to infinity and an additional protrusion on the focus ring
6. confirmation of focusing (by sound and / or highlighting of focus points in JVI)
7. optional focus lock ring
8. the ability to calibrate the focus yourself
9. depth of field scale, hyperfocal distance scale, label for working in the infrared spectrum
10. dust and moisture resistance of the lens
11. a window on one of the lens hoods for convenient work with filters
12. the ability to use gelatin filters on the bayonet side
13. a large number of special optical elements in the optical scheme, special enlightenment of optics
14. nine aperture blades
15. stylish and pleasant design of shipping boxes
16. included hood
17. two choices: Firefly or Blackstone
18. swiss design
19. good, and sometimes high optical performance, especially for a lens of this class
20. there is a lens profile for RAR converters ACR / Lightroom
21. nice little things, for example, on the official website you can easily download the lens in high resolution, extended MTF graphics, etc.

Disadvantages

1. the lens hood is installed very tight, sometimes it is very difficult to remove
2. large diameter filters
3. tight focus ring (is it possible only on a copy from the review?)
4. the ability to damage the lens by the function of fixing the focus ring, the focus ring can be rotated even with the lock ring pressed tightly, which cannot be done
5. the locking ring is narrow enough; when tightened tightly, it is difficult to turn back
6. focus calibration can be difficult and dangerous for inexperienced users
7. there is no way to set the focus trap (rather a Canon EOS system problem)
8. focal length of 15 mm instead of the wider and more familiar 14 mm in similar lenses, for example Canon 14mm /2.8 L II.
9. Incorrect display of the maximum open aperture on Canon EOS cameras. The maximum aperture can only be set to F / 2.5 (more a problem with Canon EOS cameras)
10. no tags for f / 22
11. vignetting at F / 2.4, angles at F / 2.4 still sag in sharpness
12. little information on certified IRIX lens service centers
13. lack of data about the lens in modern cameras, which makes it difficult to automatically correct some types of optical distortion (distortion, vignetting etc.)

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval.