Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone review

The Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone is the more up-market of a pair of wide-angle primes for Canon and Nikon cameras

Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone
(Image: © Irix)

Digital Camera World Verdict

This full-frame compatible manual-focus lens has excellent build quality, putting it ahead of the more inexpensive ‘Firefly’ version. The combination of a 15mm focal length and fairly fast f/2.4 aperture make it ideal for everything for shooting architectural interiors to sweeping landscape vistas and the night sky. Image quality and handling are very good, despite the lack of autofocus, making it a good buy at the price for Canon, Nikon and Pentax full-frame DSLRs.

Pros

  • +

    Very good image quality overall

  • +

    Refined handling

  • +

    Excellent build quality

Cons

  • -

    No autofocus

  • -

    Coma and astigmatism noticeable at f/2.4

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The Irix 15mm f/2.4 is designed in Switzerland and built in Korea, and is available in Firefly and Blackstone options. They’re optically identical but the Blackstone has a magnesium alloy rather than plastic casing, four weather-seals instead of three, and fluorescent engraved markings for easy reading under very dull lighting. It’s also supplied in a hard case instead of a soft pouch.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.