CV 21/4 Color-Skopar Opinions

Nice shots, all! Ralph I'm again admiring your double-stroller lady. BMOC, on that last one with the RR tracks... I detect a slight barrel distortion in the lower rails, and now that I look back there might be a hint of that in the vertical conduits near your guy between the walls. Funny how the eye can pick up just a trace of this when there's the straight photo edge parallel to it for comparison.
 
My first C/V lens was the 15mm, back in 1999. Later I've got the 1.7/35 for my Bessa-R, and need a lense in between. My first choice was excellent sharp 4/25 but I was annoyed by the fact that this was my only RF lens which was non-coupled. You automatically "search" for the correct focussing until you remember using the 4/25. I also found out that a 25mm isn't "in the middle" between 15 and 35mm but a lot closer to 35mm than to 15mm. Although 25mm is excellent for architecture work, I sold it to gain the 4/21mm, and not miss it. It is very sharp and contrasty like the 25mm. The perspective is a bit more "extreme". With architecture, you need to look out for falling lines.
It has significant light-falloff at f/4, so best use it at f/8. It has a great finder without sharp edges. Contrast and flare behavior isn't as great as with the 4.5/15mm but nearby. IMHO it flares less than the (otherwise great) Kobalux 21mm (one step slower too!)

My smallest everyday/travel kit consists of a Bessa-R with attached Pancake 2.5-35, with addition of a small short-telephoto (i.e. the 2.5-75) and the 21mm together in a very small Lowe bag.

cheers Frank
 
I don't shoot with a 21mm very much, but there are times when I'm glad to have it. Here's one:
http://users.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/20DankaFilePileBW.htm

(by the way, that's bright sunlight streaming in the window, so I guess the flare performance is more than adequate).

Quite usable wide open. Stopped down a little, it's a great lens. Very affordable, and very compact. I'm sure the Leica is sharper, but I couldn't justify the Leica for the amount I shoot it.

I probably would have the VC 25 if it was rangefinder coupled, though. 24/25 mm is a more practical length, 21 is more of a specialty. I owned the 25mm a few years back, but I couldn't get used to it being non-coupled, and I hated the old-style viewfinder with no bright lines.

These are the opinions of someone who doesn't see "wide" as a general rule, and who prefers 50mm lenses to 35mm given the choice. Your mileage may vary. Batteries not included. So there.

--Peter
 
It´s a brilliant lens! I don´t know about the sharpness of the Leica 21 but I find the CV lens more than good for what I shoot. As other people said you have to stop down a little for perfect corner sharpness but vignetting and overall apearence is fine enuf for me at f4. (my only other WA was a Orion so I´m very tolerant against vignetting and corner sharpness and the Skopar works wonderfull )

I like the ergonomics and the focusing tab, also that it goes down to 0,5m! (without coupling of course)

The contrast is on the high side and maybe you don´t see it in the b/w pictures I´ve attached (sloppy processing) but when enlarged in my V35 i´ve mainly used grade 2 and the Prints have beautifull contrast. (you can see the high contrast in the shot of Zürich lake, shot on Agfa U100 neg Film)

Flare is ok, alltho I´ve shot a thunderstorm last wheek and noticed some "UFO"s caused by bright street lamps standing on the side of the camera...I guess a good hood would help a lot and I will get one for sure.

I love the lens and can´t recomend it enough, I´m using a 50mm as my primary lens and never cared for 35mm lenses. The difference in View from 50mm to 21mm is allways refreshing ;)

Heres some exsamples:
 

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back alley said:
do ya think a 21 is different enough from a 25 to warrant having one?

joe
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Yes, they are different enough to warrant having one of each. Just as a 24/25 is different enough from a 28 IMO. A particular great deal since the CV 21 costs next to nothing when you factor in the fantastic viewfinder.

You didn't really want to hear that, did you :p
 
Hey Nachkebia,
I´m intersted too if someone has experience with both lenses but I seriously doubt that the Biogon (or the Leitz couterpart) performs better at the same relation as the relation of price betwen Biogon and Skopar ;)
At 2,8 or 4 there is no discussion but say at 5,6 or 8?

Also I doubt that anyone who is considering buying a Skopar 21/4 and struggling with the decission (for alot of people, incuding me, 350€ is alot of donuts (or Krapfen) for a lens) is even slightly considering a Biogon. Also if I had money for the Zeiss i´d rather get a 15, 21, 28 Kit from Cosina ;)

Don´t understand me wrong, You have one of the nicest Kits there is! (maybe THE nicest) I just want to say that some compairsons are absolutely pointless for real world use as people who can afford such lenses don´t tend to go the cheaper route anyways cuz of Trademark.

ok ok...I admit I´m just envious, show us some Biogon Pics!

One last word, there are situations where it doesn´t matter if Biogon/Angulon/Skopar/Lomo ;)
 

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I wish I could have taken some pictures to show you samples! give me some time until this weekend, it is very hot here but I will try to shot something :)
 
I bought a CV 21/4 here for 220 EUR from AlexC (thafred: and this was the largest amount of money I ever spent on photographic equipment, followed by 150 USD in Tashkent for my Kiev-88, so I guess we're in the same league). I have never regretted it since. Since the widest lens I had at that point was a 35 (not counting the 50mm Flektogon in medium format), it did make quite a difference, and I'm still struggling with the perspective at times. But it's a great lens at an affordable price. I'll post pictures as soon as I get my scanner working again, I've just moved to a different apartment and am still living out of cardboard boxes.

Philipp
 
Thanks for the great images Bmoc and thafred. And thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. I think that you guys have confirmed my choice for me.

I have never purchased CV gear before. Is Cameraquest the best place to purchase the lens (even if I live in Canada)?
 
back alley said:
do ya think a 21 is different enough from a 25 to warrant having one?

joe
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I wonder the same thing having the 21 and 28. So far I have said no, but what do I know?
 
I've just moved to a different apartment and am still living out of cardboard boxes
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Me Too! I moved last weekend and the apartment is still a mess! Also I had to spend the amount of a nice Biogon 21 for a not so nice Kitchen/Fridge/Washing machine...damn priorities ..that did hurt :eek:

One other thing.....220€?!?! holy krapfen good buy!
My most expensive purchase was the Bessa+Nokton, new from Germany for 600€ (I sold some Tube Amps on Ebay for it)

I have never purchased CV gear before. Is Cameraquest the best place to purchase the lens (even if I live in Canada)?
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Everyone recomends Steven and If I weren´t in Europe I would have bought from him for sure.
Good decission, make sure you tell us how you like it!
 
Hi thafred,

Also I had to spend the amount of a nice Biogon 21 for a not so nice Kitchen/Fridge/Washing machine
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Ah, I know how that feels. I economized by building most of the kitchen myself and buying the electric stuff from a good second-hand dealer. The disadvantage was that it was lots of work cutting, treating, polishing and installing wooden countertops.

holy krapfen good buy!
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The USD price was actually fair, but not exorbitantly low. It's mainly the result of the strong Euro and weak dollar. Currently this even outweighs the extra 16% that customs tacks onto postal shipments, so it makes sense to buy stuff overseas. I'm going to the US in two weeks, so maybe I'll order a few things over there and bring them to Germany with me.

Philipp
 
As said, this is a pretty excellent lens, but vignettes quite a lot at f 4.

Mine is equipped with the square hood and definetely suffers from flare (compared to the other lenses I own). No direct sun or bulb in it! I ruined some photos at The Louvre just because a lot of light went from the left thru a window (not directly in the frame) and hit the statue I tried to shoot. I use it some times but take in considerations perspectives, edges, and potential flare.
 
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