Got a Skopar 25/4!

taffy

taffy

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Hi!

Just wanted to share my joy! I bought a new Black Color-Skopar 25/4 LTM! I bought this from Chiif Cameras in Singapore. Chii Fei, the owner is very helpful seller. I'm happy that there's an official Voigtlander dealer closer to Manila where I live.

The lens is tiny and I feel its even smaller than my 35mm PII (with hood). I also bought the the case that fits both the lens and the finder. Looks really nice on my R2A!

I'm taking this out for a trip this weekend and I'll post photos ASAP!

Taffy

I'll try this out next on my M4-2 and see how it works out with the camera finder bec I need the hot shoe for my VC meter :)
 
Congrats on the CV25! It may be tiny, but it's a gem indeed.

One thing about the finder; I've found the brightlines on the CV25 finder to be very conservative. They look more like 28mm to me; a long while back when I still had a HexarRF, its 28mm framelines corresponded to what the CV finder showed as 25.. Also when I get prints back, there's always more on film than I framed for..
 
The CV 25/4 is indeed a gem. And I agree about the VF framelines - they are quite conservative and the real field of view is a bit wider.
 
Congrats to your new lens. I bought mine just a few weeks ago with a Bessa L.

pvdhaar, oscroft: You can't imagine how I hate you now ;) I've got a 28/3.5 and recently also the 25/4. Actually I bought the 25 because I couldn't find a finder for the 28. And you just told me the 25 finder is fine with 28 - now I can't make up my mind which to sell :bang: the 28 is so well built and is RF coupled, but the 25 has the clicks in the focussing range and I can scale focus without looking at the scale :confused:
 
Spyderman said:
Congrats to your new lens. I bought mine just a few weeks ago with a Bessa L.

pvdhaar, oscroft: You can't imagine how I hate you now ;) I've got a 28/3.5 and recently also the 25/4. Actually I bought the 25 because I couldn't find a finder for the 28. And you just told me the 25 finder is fine with 28 - now I can't make up my mind which to sell :bang:
Click to expand...
Well, if you just sell the finder, there's nothing to agonize over anymore... :p

But if I were in your shoes, I'd keep them both.. It's probably not very easy to sell a somewhat unconventional focal length like the 25 without a finder, and unlike the 25, the rf-coupled 28 offers more accurate focus wide open at closer distances (e.g. indoors)..
 
I really can't afford to keep them both... The 28 will probably have to go :( It's gonna be really hard to part with such beautiful lens - real brass, not aluminium and it's so tiny - but it will bring me more money back - to fund the L + 25.
 
pvdhaar said:
Congrats on the CV25! It may be tiny, but it's a gem indeed.

One thing about the finder; I've found the brightlines on the CV25 finder to be very conservative. They look more like 28mm to me; a long while back when I still had a HexarRF, its 28mm framelines corresponded to what the CV finder showed as 25.. Also when I get prints back, there's always more on film than I framed for..
Click to expand...

After reading your posts I took a photo with my Nikon DSLR at 18mm and compared it to what I saw in the viewfinder of the Skopar 25. It was really practically the same as a 28mm view! I mounted it on my M4-2 and tried to compare what the full viewfinder showed and it was narrower than the 25mm viewfinder and the photo taken with the Nikon.

Any framing tips from the skopar 25 users? Should i place subjects meant for the edges, partially out of the frame?

Cheers!
Taffy
 
I have one of the early version finders with my 25/4. No framelines at all. I frame with the whole finder & find it pretty close. Any one who has this lense I highly recommend a Bessa L. What a great combo.
 
I love the 25/4, I usually pair it with a 50mm as the two lenses I carry. On my M6 I can just about get away with using the main viewfinder total area instead of the clip on CV finder. It's not as good and rather conservative (that is the final picture is more than the viewfinder shows) but with time you get to allow for that.
 
Hi Taffy. Congrats on your new Skopar 25/4. Isn't the LTM mount lens called the Snapshot Skopar? I've got a Color Skopar 25/4 myself (M mount) and I love it. I too live in Manila and bought my lens in Hong Kong from Joseph Yao/New Cameron Photo. Hong Kong is closer to us than Singapore, so if you're ever there you should check out some of the well stocked shops.
 
chut said:
Hi Taffy. Congrats on your new Skopar 25/4. Isn't the LTM mount lens called the Snapshot Skopar? I've got a Color Skopar 25/4 myself (M mount) and I love it. I too live in Manila and bought my lens in Hong Kong from Joseph Yao/New Cameron Photo. Hong Kong is closer to us than Singapore, so if you're ever there you should check out some of the well stocked shops.
Click to expand...

You're right, the proper name is the Snapshot Skopar :) I shot about 4 rolls with it over the weekend so now i have to process. It takes a little getting used to to:

1. The external finder goes blurred to clear as your eye moves closer or farther away from it.

2. The focusing is also something new since its not coupled. So what I ended up doing was keeping the tab at infinity and pulling it closer thinking "10-5-3 feet" in my head.

Some adhesive was sticking out of the edges of the felt from the inside of the cap and some got on the built in shade of the lens but not biggie, i just wiped it off. Overall it was an interesting lens to shoot with. I'll be out of town this weekend to try it out some more.

Thanks for the HK tip. Where is New Cameron in HK? Is this one of the shops by Central?
 
Yes, that's why I opted for the rangefinder coupled Color Skopar. But if you've got LTM Leicas, the Snapshot Skopar is more versatile.

New Cameron is down Mody Road, from Nathan Road in TST, Kowloon.

New Cameron Photo Co.
Address:
Shop No. G7, Mirror Tower, 61 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon.
Phone: 2369 1063

Although they don't stock the Voigtlander products in the store. You usually have to email Joseph Yao at joseph@yao.com so he can drop off the items at the store. Joseph is very knowledgeable and is excellent to deal with.

Another alternative if you want to see a whole range of Voigtlander products, is Tin Cheung, which is also in the TST area.

Tin Cheung Camera Company
Address:
Shop 5, Friends House, 6B Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Phone: 2722 1265
 
I really can't afford to keep them both... The 28 will probably have to go It's gonna be really hard to part with such beautiful lens - real brass, not aluminium and it's so tiny - but it will bring me more money back - to fund the L + 25.
Click to expand...
It's a shame that the 28 will have to go - I think it's the best of the CV lenses that I have (but then, the 25 is excellent too - I sympathise with you having to make such a tough choice)
 
I just got one from Kohscamera.com brand new for $199 mail order. Can't beat that price! Jimmy Koh is a great guy.
 
Skopar 25/4 is a gem. I have both LTM and SC-mount version.
Here are two recent shots with SC-Skopar 25/4 on Tri-X film.

@ f/11:


@ f/4:
 
Oh crap, am I nervous! I just found an incredible deal on one of these and placed an order immediately, but I'm affraid someone might have beat me to the punch. It dissappeared from their website as soon as I placed the order.

Fingers crossed.

Paul
 
Today I bought it for my Bessa-r I paid 170 pounds for lens+hood+viewfinder. I would like to have 28 1.9 instead, but couldnt find any in resonable price.
 
Another excuse to show of one of my Skopar shots ;-)

Image1196.jpg


Shot from a tripod, 3s exposure. Lovely little lens.
 
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