Mister E
Well-known
Has any one ever tried this combo? How bad is the cuttoff of the 21mm framelines with the 21 'Lux?
sper
Well-known
I would assume that if you can't see it in the finder, it doesn't exist.
Mister E
Well-known
What? I want to know how practical it is to use the R4A/M with the 21/1.4.
Krosya
Konicaze
Hmmm. I dont have either, but from what I read somewhere (here, I think), even ZM 21/2.8 blocks VF a good bit on Bessa R4A/M (correct me if I'm wrong). So based on that I'd guess 21 Lux being larger than ZM is going to be even worse.
sper
Well-known
My idea of a joke... 
Why would it not be practical? The two were made for each other. But yeah that finder is going to be blocked, just use an external. I recommend the CV finder, especially because after you waste all your money on a new Leica lens I doubt you could afford the Zeiss.
Honestly just get the ZM 21. I get headaches just looking at those price tags. There isn't much the Leica can do that the Zeiss can't.
Why would it not be practical? The two were made for each other. But yeah that finder is going to be blocked, just use an external. I recommend the CV finder, especially because after you waste all your money on a new Leica lens I doubt you could afford the Zeiss.
Honestly just get the ZM 21. I get headaches just looking at those price tags. There isn't much the Leica can do that the Zeiss can't.
Mister E
Well-known
Well for me there is a whole lot I can do with the Leica that the Zeiss just cannot do. I already have had the Zeiss 21mm and I still have a 21mm finder. I don't want to own a f/1.4 lens that I cannot frame in the finder. On the Leica M's the 21 Lux blocks just under half of the finder. The focus patch is just outside of the area blocked by the lens. If this is the case with the R4A I would be fine with that, but I'm worried the finder might be blocked beyond the patch.
My local camera store no longer has a 21/1.4 for me to try on my R4A. I thought Tom might have tried this.
My local camera store no longer has a 21/1.4 for me to try on my R4A. I thought Tom might have tried this.
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
I shot 1/2 dozen rolls with the 21f1.4 - R4M combination. It work quite well, but yes, the hood intrudes quite a bit in the lower right hand quadrant. You quickly learn how to "sweep" the camera a bit to check what's hiding behind the hood though. With the M2 I used the top-mount finder - obviously not the same blockage, though the lens is clearly visible in the lower edge of the finder. I did prefer it with the R4M - in spite of the blockage.
Mister E
Well-known
Cool, thanks for the information Tom. I saw in a thread earlier that you mentioned the R4 couples to .5 with the recent VM/ZM lenses that do the same, but Voigtlander's specs show the camera just couples from .7m-Infinity. Is that just a typo?
It's good to know that while I expected finder cutoff that the R4 + 21/1.4 is a nice combo.
Tom, have you tried using the ZM 18/4 with the R4A and framing using the 21mm lines?
It's good to know that while I expected finder cutoff that the R4 + 21/1.4 is a nice combo.
Tom, have you tried using the ZM 18/4 with the R4A and framing using the 21mm lines?
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
If you use the outside lines of the R4's 21 frame lines you are pretty close to the 18mm framelines.
The 0.5 coupling works with the VC 21/25 on the R4 - it does shift the frame-lines significantly though!
The 0.5 coupling works with the VC 21/25 on the R4 - it does shift the frame-lines significantly though!