CV 21/4 opinions & samples?

[BrianPhotog]

I'm considering plunking down my Christmas cash and getting the CV 21/4...it seems like an awesome deal, price-wise.

Any users out there with opinion, good and bad? Also, any sample pics I can look at so I can get an idea of distortion?

Thanks!

 

[rover]

I like the 21 Skopar quite a bit. It is a small very sharp lens. Here are some comments I had about it. The galleries have been changed so the link probably doens't work any more. Let me go see if I still have a 21mm gallery.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1010&highlight=21mm+skopar

 

[rover]

Here are some pictures

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=4788

 

[dcsang]

It's my fave wide angle (next to the CV 15mm) - excellent lens imho - and unless you really really need an extra stop AND you have oodles of coin to throw away 😉 there's no need to look any further because the Leica 21mm is priced through the roof in comparison 😀

http://www.chang-sang.com/photo/120505/crop0005.jpg is a sample

Cheers
Dave

 

[ray_g]

It is a great performer and a bargain, considering the price of a Leica or Zeiss 21mm. I have no experience with the Kobalux, which still costs considerably more than the Skopar.

Here are a couple of samples:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=9625&cat=4876

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=10664&cat=4955

 

[JoeFriday]

here's an example taken by an RF photographer on flickr that really impressed me

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=73803254&size=l

 

[ray_g]

here's an example taken by an RF photographer on flickr that really impressed me

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=73803254&size=l

Interesting, Brett. I thought flickr only gave you 'downsized' images.

 

[photogdave]

LOVE this lens! Sharper than my Nikkor 20mm 2.8 edge-to-edge, no real vignetting or distortion. The shots in my gallery from the 21 are labelled.

 

[rbiemer]

Brian,
I love mine! Ihave one photo in my gallery that I like pretty well.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=17370&cat=3563
I own three CV lenses(the 35mm that came with my R, the 50/f2.5, and the 21) and I use the 21 slighlty more often than either of the other two. My usual "kit" is: CV 21, Jupiter 8, and Elmar 90/f4.
Rob

 

[BrianPhotog]

LOVE this lens! Sharper than my Nikkor 20mm 2.8 edge-to-edge, no real vignetting or distortion. The shots in my gallery from the 21 are labelled.

I've got the Nikkor 20 & 24/2.8 AF-D lenses...if it's sharper and has less distortion then them, then I'm sold since I already love them 😀

Is the 21mm a retrofocus design? From the pics it looks like if the film plane is parallel to whatever you are shooting the lines stay strait.

 

[BrianPhotog]

Here's another question: I have the 15/4.5 Heliar already (which I love and can't wait until I get the Bessa L from Gandy so that I can dedicate a roll of film to it 😉 ). Is the FOV different enough to make the lens worth it?

 

[Taipei-metro]

I've got the Nikkor 20 & 24/2.8 AF-D lenses...if it's sharper and has less distortion then them, then I'm sold since I already love them 😀

Is the 21mm a retrofocus design? From the pics it looks like if the film plane is parallel to whatever you are shooting the lines stay strait.

Brian, CV 21 f4 probably will cost $350 in Taipei. Check if you can find Feb. 2001 Asahi camera magazine, some test photos there, all very good images. Difficult to judge from TV monitor images.
You're right, very minimum distortion if shoot same object angle w film plane. A 6-group 8-element lens this is a very good performer.
What I don't like, For $350(or NT$11,375) is that it should be a f3.5. and With added viewfinder, problem for flash photography. Nikkor Ai 20 3.5 is a great performer, I also have the 20mm 2.8, both lenses are on the shelf now..
In my opinion, I do not like or use anything wider than 20mm, a Nikon 24mm 2.8 is my favorite for a while maybe 10 years ago. I don't know if you own that Nikon 28mm 2.8 Ai-S( an 8-element design vs. 6-element in 28 2.8 AF-D) or 28ti lens, these two lenses are the BEST. If you think Voigtlander L is pretty, go back to a shineing smallish FG-20 plus 28mm 2.8 Ai-S, two words; Killer compo.

 

[BrianPhotog]

Brian, CV 21 f4 probably will cost $350 in Taipei. Check if you can find Feb. 2001 Asahi camera magazine, some test photos there, all very good images. Difficult to judge from TV monitor images.
You're right, very minimum distortion if shoot same object angle w film plane. A 6-group 8-element lens this is a very good performer.
What I don't like, For $350(or NT$11,375) is that it should be a f3.5. and With added viewfinder, problem for flash photography. Nikkor Ai 20 3.5 is a great performer, I also have the 20mm 2.8, both lenses are on the shelf now..
In my opinion, I do not like or use anything wider than 20mm, a Nikon 24mm 2.8 is my favorite for a while maybe 10 years ago. I don't know if you own that Nikon 28mm 2.8 Ai-S( an 8-element design vs. 6-element in 28 2.8 AF-D) or 28ti lens, these two lenses are the BEST. If you think Voigtlander L is pretty, go back to a shineing smallish FG-20 plus 28mm 2.8 Ai-S, two words; Killer compo.

My old daybag combo used to be an FG+35/2 Ai-S 😛 . It was thrown into the seat of my scooter one time too many and eventually vibrations killed it. Now my Nikon stuff is an F80 & FM3a...but they don't get out too much. I also have a MF 28/2.8, but it is Sigma, not Nikkor.

I've dealt the 21/4 down to NT$10,600 (US$322) at JS Photo through email and can probably get a little more when I walk into the store (last time I got a free B+W YG filter), so price is about equal to the U.S. street cost. 🙂

 

[Taipei-metro]

NT$10,600 is a very good price, go to the store, give them $10,000 cash and tell them you need the $600 to paid the taxi home. F80 have some shutter lag problem, best Nikon body is the F100, or the ultra beautiful F6.
Keep that Sigma Mini-wide II 28mm 2.8, this is an excellent excellent outstanding lens.
I am surprised, almost no one under 30 in Taipei is doing film.
Somehow I was drawn into P & S digitals, I have Minolta S414(4MP 1/1.8 in.sensor), Fuji F10 (6 MP 1/1.7 in. sensor)and Lumix FX-9(6 MP 1/2.5 in. sensor), Fuji E510 and Kodak Z730 is next for me.
I met Mr.Gandy a few years ago in an Orange County camera show, while shooting story of sweatshop Asian workers in southern California at that time. He is selling Voigtlander R2s, I picked up an olive one and chat with him, he is a very respectable person, I am hornered to talk to him, because I like his web site a lot and had the chance to talk to him in person.
Good luck to you on Voigtlander L body and VC 21mm.

 

[BrianPhotog]

NT$10,600 is a very good price, go to the store, give them $10,000 cash and tell them you need the $600 to paid the taxi home. F80 have some shutter lag problem, best Nikon body is the F100, or the ultra beautiful F6.
Keep that Sigma Mini-wide II 28mm 2.8, this is an excellent excellent outstanding lens.
I am surprised, almost no one under 30 in Taipei is doing film.
Somehow I was drawn into P & S digitals, I have Minolta S414(4MP 1/1.8 in.sensor), Fuji F10 (6 MP 1/1.7 in. sensor)and Lumix FX-9(6 MP 1/2.5 in. sensor), Fuji E510 and Kodak Z730 is next for me.
I met Mr.Gandy a few years ago in an Orange County camera show, while shooting story of sweatshop Asian workers in southern California at that time. He is selling Voigtlander R2s, I picked up an olive one and chat with him, he is a very respectable person, I am hornered to talk to him, because I like his web site a lot and had the chance to talk to him in person.
Good luck to you on Voigtlander L body and VC 21mm.

I was born and raised in the L.A. area (Rancho Palos Verdes) and have been living in Taiwan for about 7 years now. I'm 32, so I barely escaped that digital cutoff 😉. When I went to H.S. there was still a photo class with a darkroom 😉

As long as I can still by chems for B&W and Jazz still develops slides then I'll still shoot film. The really funny thing is that for the past couple of years Jazz has been discounting slide development and Cibachrome printing...last time I paied NT$20/roll for 120 and NT$70/roll for 35 (mounted). 🙂

 

[BrianPhotog]

You know Brian,
That F6 is really something, F4, F5 are two ugly monster, 8 years we have to wait for the F6, and it's a beautiful beautiful camera.
You know, F6 is going to be the LAST Nikon autofocus film camera, pretty sad.
Damned, I have made up my mind, I am going to get one!

That's why I got the FM3a a couple years ago. I's going to be the last regular production mechanical slr Nikon makes 🙂

 

[KEH]

Here is an example shot with the CV21 - small, light, sharp. It vignettes a bit, but not too much, on the R-D1. One of my favorite lenses.

Cheers,
Kir

 

[Aurelius]

Go for it! My favourite

Go for it! My favourite

Some examples:

click on the pic to enlarge it

http://www.fotosidan.se/gallery/viewpic.htm/558479.htm

http://www.fotosidan.se/gallery/viewpic.htm/562625.htm

 

[biomed]

The Cv 21 is my favorite lens. I use it more than any other on my R3A. I have a few examples on Flickr. I often use the CV spirit level with it to avoid slanted vertical lines. I just ordered a CV15 today and am really looking forward to using it.

 

[nksyoon]

Some samples from my gallery here:

Photo 1

Photo 2