21/4.5 or 25/2.8 - more useful focal length?

Sorry to resurrect this thread.

Zen-Shooter, you seem quite experienced with the two lenses! I am also struggling with this decision. I currently have a 35lux asph, a 50/1.1 nokton and a 90elmarit.

The two primary deciding factors for me have boiled down to size and of course, focal length.

I use my SLR for landscape at the moment but want to use a single camera system, I have used 24mm extensively but recently have been using the 19mm elmarit-R extensively and love the lens - but I do find I have to get too close sometimes for successful composition (wet feet at the seaside)

Any chance you can post a picture of either lens on a camera body for comparison? It would be VERY helpful and I would be in your debt!
 
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Tom A said:
Juan. sometimes I think we are to preoccupied with various focal lengths. Often we can get away with the "1 camera/1 lens" to no detriment to the pictures.
However, having only a 20mm would be a bit of a challenge - though not an impossible one. Would be nice if you posted some stuff from that trip as a teaching aid for the rest of us!
I once lived with a M4 and a 90f2.8 for 6 month as my only camera/lens. Taught me how to walk backwards a lot!
Every month I start out with the idea of 1 lens/1 camera but it usually takes about 3-4 days for that idea to die. I should really lock the camera cabinets and hide the keys and start it for one month. Now, which camera, which lens? Too many choices - though a M2 and a 40f1.4 would be a good candidate! Hmm, 50 rolls of XX and that kit - no meter, no shoulder bag, just big pockets with film and some change for coffee breaks.
Oh, wait, the Nokton 50 f1.1 maybe - well you see what I mean about choices!
Click to expand...


Tom, sorry I didn't see your post four weeks ago... I'll scan some shots of course. Color, I'm afraid... If I remember well, I just used slide film for that trip. Only 20mm and slide was interesting... I'll post again, with some of those...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Interesting post, on D-SLR I've been shooting with a 24-50-135 combo, so I'm trying to replicate the same on my newly acquired M6. I am a 50mm shooter but i definely need a wide lens for some different perspective.
I was thinking about the 21mm vs 25mm. I think I'll stick with the 25/2.8 solution, BTW, and maybe adding a CV 12 or 15mm lens, some day.
 
I think the 21 is a lot more useful if you already have a normal 35-40-50, because it allows to play with volumes in the foreground better than the 25.

Cheers,

Juan
 
I ordered the 25. With the justification that I have a 35/1.4 for fast moderate wide, and the 25 will allow less "violent" wide angle scenes than a 21, the low distortion will allow me to stitch static scenes that require a wider FOV, which I imagine to be few.
 
Last Friday I spent much of the day in Point Reyes with an Olympus E-P1 and rented 7-14mm lens and Zeiss Ikon with C Biogon 21/4.5 lens. The pictures with the Ikon/C Biogon are by far my favorite pictures. The 21mm focal length is new to me, but boy did I love it. The vistas were expansive and the 21mm length really showed them off. I absolutely love this lens. The 21mm is very wide, but not too wide, IME. I also have the 35mm Biogon and 50mm C Sonnar. I had the 50mm with me that day but never used it.

From using my Ricoh GRDs I also like the 28mm focal length. Based on my experience with an Olympus 12-60mm lens the 24/25mm focal length isn't my cup of tea.

Here are my Point Reyes 09 pictures for 21mm samples. The first color pictures are from the Olympus, then starting with the B&W shots are the Ikon/21mm shots (Tmax 100 and Ektar for the color pictures). As I said, the 21mm really fit my vision of that day. As you will see, the super wide angle being new to me, I need to remember to keep my finger out of the picture : )
 
I struggled to find pictures of the 25mm biogon to gauge the size, but I'm happy to report it smaller than I imagined, almost identical in size (length/diameter/tapering) to the 35mm summilux-m ASPH.

The lens looks great on my chrome M6, I'll take some pictures of the combination when I put it down long enough to fetch another camera :p
I'll share the results of my first roll, but I have new lens syndrome so look forward to pet/plant shots (I'll try and take some more meaningful stuff as well).
 
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