35mm aquiv. lens for r-d1s

[Fligor]

Hi everyody,

as some of you know I'm new to the Epson and I'm wondering which lens is a good deal for a 35mm aquiv.?
The Leica 24mm is way too expensive. Any alternatives? What about the VC 21 F4? Any experience with that? 😕
I want tot use it for street and landscape...

Thanks for your upcoming answers. 🙂

 

[sevres_babylone]

Although I use it infrequently for two reasons -- 1. as an eyeglass wearer I can't see the whole viewfinder in the camera, 2. I prefer a 50mm equivalent anyway -- I bought the older, non-RF coupled VC 25 F4, and zone-focus with it. An added advantage, and part of the reason I bought it, is that I find that it's external viewfinder works well enough for me when I use the Heliar 15mm.

 

[kxl]

Consider the ZM lenses, especially the 25/2.8.

 

[LCT]

...What about the VC 21 F4? Any experience with that?...

Yes i own one. Very little lens that i always bring in my bag. A bit soft at f/4 but plenty sharp at f/5.6 and up. Its main flaw on the Epsons is vignetting though. No problem if you like it, otherwise you'll have to fight against light fall offs in PP. Also 21mm lenses do not behave like 35mm on FF bodies because the DoF is so wide. And you'll have to use an external finder if you're not used to guestimate the 21mm frame as the latter is wider than the whole in-camera finder.
For a first lens, or to complement a 50mm, my advice would be to choose a 28mm lens instead. FWIW.
Edit: for a sample at f/5.6 you might wish to download this file. Raw developped with Capture One v 4, de-vignetting with Silkypix, no cropping at all:
http://tinyurl.com/dcmexy

 

[Fligor]

@ LCT nice picture. thanks for your opinion. other preferings in the 35mm range?

 

[laptoprob]

I will post a comparison of the 21/2,8 Avenon/Pasoptik with the 21/4 CV shortly. The first is quite a bit bigger, the CV is a little gem. 21mm equals about 32mm fov. on the R-D1. The 25mm Canon is in the same comparison. That equals 37,5mm. Doesn't really require a separate viewfinder, because it is about the full frame of the viewfinder. Using the 28mm framelines as aid to estimate the parallax compensation.
The 25mm is the pancakiest of the lot. Only as big as the separate rings require.

Shooting raw, I find the Epson software works wonderful to correct unwanted vignetting to any degree you want.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

The CV25 is a sweet little lens, I must say.

 

[LCT]

...other preferings in the 35mm range?

I only use Leicas: latest Summilux-M 35/1.4 pre-asph and Summicron-M 35/2 IV.
For a more affordable choice my favourite ever is the Summicron-C 40/2. Its fingerprint is similar to that of the 'king of bokeh' 35/2 IV and it is a very little lens, probably the smallest Leica with the (very rare) Elmarit-C 40/2.8. You cannot go wrong with a great little lens like that.
The Minolta M-Rokkor 40/2 is very close but i've got some focusing issues with my copy so i don't use it any more with the Epsons.
The 35mm frame of the R-D1's (and Leica Ms) viewfinder is more accurate with 40mm than 35mm lenses if you don't shoot closeups BTW.
Here a Summicron 40/2 pic, raw developped with Capture One 4.1: http://tinyurl.com/cznhdb

 

[Philip Whiteman]

For a price still south of the Zeiss 25, I bought both the Voigtlander 25/4 and 28/1.9 – and can never make my mind up which to carry. The tiny 25 is closest to 35mm equivalent and is both sharp and contrasty. However, f4 is slow and the vignetting can be a pain, especially when you are shooting landscapey stuff. The 28 is a big brute of a lens but doesn't vignette and gives a fantastic tonal range very well suited to the R-D1, as many have observed. If you can put up with the weight and the slightly too narrow field of view, its the the one to have – but at Voigtlander money, you can easily afford to experiment…

 

[Fligor]

i think it'll be the VC 21mm F4 or the 15mm F4,5 with viewfinder. Every Biogon would be out of my financial limits.

I already have the Leica C 40mm. And I'm happy that I got to know that this lens is perfect for the RD1, otherwise I'd have sold it. Anyone interested in a Leica CL? Gave it to adjustment and repair about 18 month ago. It work pretty fine.
More will come at the classifields...

 

[Al Kaplan]

Keep the CL. It seems that everytime I get invited to a party people expect Good Ol' Al to shoot a few pictures. For myself I shoot B&W and I don't own a digital. I buy 4 packs of Walgreens film on sale (it's made by Fuji). When I leave the party I give my host the exposed roll, saying what a great time I had, and "here, this is for you!"

 

[kermaier]

Keep the CL. It seems that everytime I get invited to a party people expect Good Ol' Al to shoot a few pictures. For myself I shoot B&W and I don't own a digital. I buy 4 packs of Walgreens film on sale (it's made by Fuji). When I leave the party I give my host the exposed roll, saying what a great time I had, and "here, this is for you!"

Nice! At my wedding 8 years ago I put a couple of Fuji B&W single use cameras on each table at the dinner. Mostly ended up with junk, of course, but a few nice shots.

These days, when I'm invited to a party/event and asked if I'd take a few pix, I use my R-D1 and email the host a URL for a Sumgmug gallery. The times they are a-changin'.

::Ari

 

[kermaier]

I have both the CV 25/4 P and the Canon 25/3.5. While the CV is by far the "better" lens in terms of sharpness and color rendering, I'm planning to sell it and keep the Canon. I just prefer the vintage look in B&W, I guess.

::Ari

 

[andreas.pichler]

I am the proud owner of a voigtlander Color Skopar 4/21.
Find some example shots attached.

It is quite easy to produce your own anti-vignetting filter, even in older Photoshop versions; the last pic in the little walk below is with untouched vignette, the other shots are filtered.

As said before, its a very nice travel lens because its so compact.

Chers,

Andreas

 

[Fligor]

Thank you Andreas. I think it'll be the 21 Color Skopar.

 

[__hh]

There's always the 25mm Canon Serenar...