Looking for a wider lens for R-D1, 21mm?

bayerische

bayerische

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So, been hunting for a 21mm lens for a couple of weeks now.

Haven't found anything but a 21mm elmarit for 2000euros. No, I'm not going to spend that amount now.

But on monday I called my Leica dealer, and ofcourse everything is available new, but a Snapshot skopar 21mm lens was available. It's cheap at 190euro + adapter, but still well under 300e.

I would like rangefinder coupling, but I can imagine myself living without.
From what I've seen in pictures the SS seems to have a DOF @ F4 from about 2m to ~~. This probably makes this lens very usable even without the RFC?

I vill also use it with my M6.
 
I had this problem with my R-D1, for the WA choice is quite limited. The VC 21mm DOES have RF coupling, but it's not the best VC lens (perhaps it shouldn't be, for the money). I used the 25mm with my film cameras and ultimately sold it. there was something about the quality I didn't like. Both lenses vignette on the R-D1.

For me, one of the best prospects is the Zeiss 21mm; the 21/2.8 or 25/2.8 if you don't mind a bulky lens, or the forthcoming 21/4.5, which is compact and reputed a real classic. I'm trying to find one of the original versions of this, in Contax mount - however much the new one costs, it can't possibly be more than the old ones fetch on the s/h market!
 
there are some examples from the 21mm CV lens in my gallery. I was impressed with it - I now have moved up to an Elmarit, but the CV was very good.
 
My recommendation is a CV 21mm Color Skopar (RF-coupled) with a 28/35 minifinder. Voigtlander has also announced new, slim, M-mount, rf-coupled versions of the 21mm and the 25mm lenses. Spending more for a Elmarit or a Zeiss makes sense if you need the one stop of speed more, and don't mind the size- & price-increase.
Didier
 
I ave been using the CV 21/4 on the R-D1s for several months now with the 28mm external finder and really like it a great deal. It is a really good focal length on digital. But I would like a faster lens, and have been thinking of either the Zeiss 21 or 25. Since I already have the CV, I guess I am leaning more toward the 25.

But does anyone have any thoughts on this? Experience with either or both lenses? Feelings about field of view both offer on an R-D1 sensor? Use of an external finder? General impression of relative image quality between the two?

Right now I find the lenses I use are the CV 21, the 35 Ultron 1.7 and the 50 Nokton 1.5. I have the 28 and don't use it much, even though it is a great lens. Focal length just doesn't appeal to me on this camera. Will the 25 be more like the 21 or the 28?

David
 
David Noble said:
I ave been using the CV 21/4 on the R-D1s for several months now with the 28mm external finder and really like it a great deal. It is a really good focal length on digital. But I would like a faster lens, and have been thinking of either the Zeiss 21 or 25. Since I already have the CV, I guess I am leaning more toward the 25.

But does anyone have any thoughts on this? Experience with either or both lenses? Feelings about field of view both offer on an R-D1 sensor? Use of an external finder? General impression of relative image quality between the two?

Right now I find the lenses I use are the CV 21, the 35 Ultron 1.7 and the 50 Nokton 1.5. I have the 28 and don't use it much, even though it is a great lens. Focal length just doesn't appeal to me on this camera. Will the 25 be more like the 21 or the 28?

David
Click to expand...
for my taste, the 21 is the perfect semi-wideangle on this camera. 28 isn't really wide at all, and 25 seems a bit pointless to me...

In your position I went for a s/h non-asph Elmarit 21, it wasn't too expensive and it's very good.
 
Phil,

Thanks. I think you may have helped talk me out of a costly error. I think you may be right about the pointlessness of a 25. I really like the 21mm FOV on the R-D1, and the CV 21 I have no complaints about for now.

The fact that you seem to like the CV 28 so much makes me think I should get out with it again a bit more before selling it. My problem with it has been not being able to see the 28mm framelines with glasses and getting fed up with the hit 'em and hope framing....

And I will check out the Elmarit next time I see one here used.

Thanks.

D.
 
David Noble said:
Phil,

Thanks. I think you may have helped talk me out of a costly error. I think you may be right about the pointlessness of a 25. I really like the 21mm FOV on the R-D1, and the CV 21 I have no complaints about for now.

The fact that you seem to like the CV 28 so much makes me think I should get out with it again a bit more before selling it. My problem with it has been not being able to see the 28mm framelines with glasses and getting fed up with the hit 'em and hope framing....

And I will check out the Elmarit next time I see one here used.

Thanks.

D.
Click to expand...
I go hot and cold over the 28 - I agree the framelines for the 28 on the Epson are the worst of the set - the 35's are great using my Rokkor 40mm, and the 50's, though rather too tight, are perfectly useable. But the 28's are pretty awful...

Also, the 28/1.9 is rather large for an under-the-jacket lens. So, I've just bought a 28/3.5 CV which I'm going to try out as a walk-around lens. My thinking is that it will be so small and light that I'll take it for daylight work, where I can easily shoot at f4 and smaller, and its speed of use compared to the larger f1.9 will encourage a more point-and-shoot technique, so the framelines won't be so critical. Anyway, that's what I'm thinking, whether it actually works out that way, I'll report back next week after I've had a chance to try it.

Oh, I forgot to say - my main motivation in all this is to find a lens I can live with that doesn't need the accessory viewfinder - 28 is not as wide as I'd like, but at least I can use the camera's VF and RF.
 
I'm using the ZM 21/2.8... yes, a bit bulky but I'm very happy about it and I also manage to use it without external viewfinder... just glue your eye to the camera finder and you have (pretty much) 21 frameline on the very border.

my 2c.

ste.
 
Well got tired of being "without" so bought a Snapshot skopar.

It's true, on the R-D1 it's not a wide lens. But @ 38mm it's a decent 35mm substitute.

I really enjoy using my 35mm sum on the R-D1, and 50mm is the focal lenght I use the most.

I'm seeing a 15mm VC in the near future. I will need to get a Externat VF for that one!

As of now, I'm not using an externat VF with the Snapshot. Using the 28mm lines works just fine!

My 10th picture with the lens 😀
 

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that's nice, and that really does look rather like grainy film through a scanner! Nice effect.

BTW, I found, even with the 12mm, that at least guessing the distance and setting the focusing ring gives sharper pix than just leaving it set at some theoretical 'hyperfocal' distance, IMO.
 
Nice shot - and it really does like rather like grainy film through a scanner! I like the effect.

BTW, I found that, even with the 12mm lens, guessing the distance and setting the focus ring does give noticeable sharper results than just leaving it set at some theoretical 'hyperfocal' distance...
 
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