Sony NEX 16mm f2.8 vs Voigtlander 15mm f4.5 LTM mount

Last summer I started doing a full blown comparison between the  Sony NEX 16mm f2.8 vs Voigtlander 15mm f4.5 LTM mount on the Sony NEX3.  As I got further into it I realised how time consuming it was going to be to write a full review, so here's the 'Cole's Notes' version of the results:

I was wanting a sharp wide angle for the NEX, and the Sony 16mm f2.8 lens that I bought with the camera didn't seem that impressive.  A Voigtlander15mm f4.5 in LTM mount popped up and I had read this was a very good lens, so I decided to give it a go.

While these two lenses are very different (APS-C vs Fill Frame, AF vs MF, metal vs plastic), given they were a similar focal length, a test was in order. 

I decided to compare from f4.5 and smaller, give that this is wide open for the Voigtlander.  From these apertures when pixel peeping, I could see that the Voigtlander was very marginally better in the corners, but for all intents and purposes they performed the same.  There is a big drop off in quality from f4.5 to f2.8 on the Sony (which the Voigtlander can't reach), with the corners and borders looking very smeary.

Having said that, when ever I use the Voigtlander I am always happy with the pictures.  They have a snap and crispness about them that I like; something that is not readily repeatable on the Sony.

The results of this test surprised me - I suspected the Voigtlander would run away with this test, but it was not to be.

Sony NEX-5n with Voigtlander 15mm f4.5