Leica M mount 21mm for landscapes

[mrtoml]

I am in the market for a 21mm M mount for my M10 and M10 Monochrom. It will be mainly for landscapes and seascapes plus a little architecture.

I am thinking of the Zeiss 21mm Biogon or a Leica Elmarit pre aspherical. They seem to be about the same price on the used market for the Leica and new for the Zeiss.

Any thoughts on alternatives?

I am also going to get a 35mm but I will start another thread for that.

 

[jaredangle]

I am in the market for a 21mm M mount for my M10 and M10 Monochrom. It will be mainly for landscapes and seascapes plus a little architecture.

I am thinking of the Zeiss 21mm Biogon or a Leica Elmarit pre aspherical. They seem to be about the same price on the used market for the Leica and new for the Zeiss.

Any thoughts on alternatives?

I am also going to get a 35mm but I will start another thread for that.

I’ve heard that the Zeiss is excellent. Personally, I have the Voigtlander 21mm f/4 in M mount, and while it’s not the optical formula you’re looking for, it is excellent in terms of build quality and handling, which should carry over to the Zeiss as they are both made by Cosina.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

I am in the market for a 21mm M mount for my M10 and M10 Monochrom. ... I am thinking of the Zeiss 21mm Biogon or a Leica Elmarit pre aspherical. They seem to be about the same price on the used market for the Leica and new for the Zeiss. ... Any thoughts on alternatives? ...

Speaking of 21mm lenses – lots of good choises: I've owned and used both the Zeiss and pre-asph Elmarit extensively, although it's been many years. They're both excellent lenses, but the color rendition will be different between them. Personally, I prefer the cooler blue-cast produced by the Leica over the Zeiss' warmer magenta-cast, but that’s just a personal preference. There is the Asph Elmarit, which I’ve also shot with extensively on both film and digital. There is additionally (although I’ve never used this one) the CV f/1.4 Nokton, which is within reach in this price range.

The 21mm lens I am currently shooting is the CV f/1.8 Ultron which has been an excellent performer.

IMHO, you can't go wrong with any of these options.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Leica M2, 21mm Pre-Asph Elmarit, Kodachrome


Leica M11-P, CV 21mm f/1.8 Ultron

 

[Peter_S]

The 21mm lens I am currently shooting is the CV f/1.8 Ultron which has been an excellent performer.

This

 

[Rayt]

I deleted my comment because I didn’t read carefully enough that your question was about a 21mm for landscapes.

 

[trix4ever]

Highly recommended.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

If it is only on far distance, everything gets lost in the sea of 21.

21 is to tell story about something close.
Or massive while you are close. And not just flat, up to horizon🙂

 

[AveryWagg]

I have the CV-21 Color-Skopar f3.5 and really enjoy it. A 21mm really encourages you to layer the picture elements in your photo though. Given some landscapes, that can be easier said than done..

..Avery

 

[Godfrey]

View attachment 4886325Highly recommended.

Yes!

I had the older CV Color-Skopar 21mm f/4, sold it, later bought the new Color-Skopar 21mm f/3.5 version. A world of difference! It's quite a bargain at, what, $600-$700 new. Do get and use the lens hood for it: it improves the contrast nicely, which I imagine is useful for landscape work. (I don't do much landscape photography...)

Flowers - Santa Clara 2022
Leica CL + Color-Skopar 21mm f/3.5 v1​

G

 

[neal3k]

If it is only on far distance, everything gets lost in the sea of 21.

21 is to tell story about something close.
Or massive while you are close. And not just flat, up to horizon🙂

Good point and description. The great photos posted here show 21mm at it's best. It is notable that none are landscapes. I use my 21 much like the images above.

 

[Richard G]

Th C Biogon 4.5 is fantastic on the Monochrom. There is some purple fringing in colour. Very often not noticeable. I believe this is less with the 2.8. There is some program called corner fix. Never bothered to look into it.

Colour (the purple here is meant to be there....)



Jacarandas by Richard, on Flickr

Film:



La Déesse by Richard, on Flickr

No distortrion



East Melbourne by Richard, on Flickr

 

[Coldkennels]

I'm with @Ko.Fe.; 21mm is just too wide for landscapes. It doesn't really work unless you find something to be the subject closer to the camera and "stack" objects of interest a bit:


(This was with the original LTM 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar, for what it's worth)

@mrtoml, I'm about to move to your neck of the woods (albeit at the other end of the Snake Pass), and honestly, you're looking at the wrong end of the focal length spectrum for landscapes in that neck of the woods. This was with a 50mm Summar on the Longdendale Chain, for instance:



A 21mm would have totally lost everything in the back. I'd probably have been even better off swapping to a 135mm lens if I had one and moving further back, though.

 

[Coldkennels]

Another quick contrast-and-compare, this time in the same location (some hills near Ticehurst in East Sussex):




I wouldn't say either of them are particularly great landscapes, but they make a good illustration of what I'm saying, considering they're in the same field. The 21mm Color Skopar "pushes" the background so far away that it looks empty. The 135mm Hektor flattens it out and gives you more to play with, despite its tighter field of view.

I wish I'd realised years back that "getting more in the frame" isn't always the answer!

 

[David Murphy]

Well there's the Leica Super-Angulon 21mm, a classic wide really. I have the more modern and common F3.4 version and it's just fantastic. For a wide-angle Leica lens the cost of these is fairly reasonable (but not particuarly reasonable by most standards however!). It's beautfully made too, as one would expect.

 

[mrtoml]

Thanks for all your replies. I think I will definitely check out that Skopar 3.5 and other CV options.

Actually I shoot a lot of landscapes and seascapes wider than 21mm. This lens would be to complement my other focal lengths when needed - i.e. not be my main lens.

 

[mrtoml]

I have ordered the 21mm f3.5 Skopar. Thanks for all your friendly advice.

 

[38Deardorff]

The VC color-skopar 21mm f4 also punches way above it's class