super angulon nervous

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Fraser

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My super Angulon 21 3.4 arrived today, tried it on the M8 its a bit nerve racking attaching it on the camera for the first time with that back element!
 
It's probably my sharpest lens and it's definitely one of my favorite lenses aside from the DR 'Cron.
I used to use it on the M8, now I use it on the M9 and love it. Red edges be damned, I either shoot for black and white or use an inverted mask for correction.

Phil Forrest
 
The lens has a rather extreme vignetting on sensors, the M9 obviously a lot more than the M8, but still the M8 is pronounced enough. However, it is quite easy to correct if you shoot a second shot through a piece of white paper and use it to create an LCC lens profile in C1.
 
Good to know that the SA can be used on digital Leicas.

I've heard of software called Cornerfix that's able to fix the vignetting, anyone have experience with it? Am assuming that metering has to be set manually as the rear element may block the cell???

The Super Angulon is one of my favorite Leica lenses, so much so that I even bought a 90mm version for my 4x5" Technika. Just think Leica on steroids... ;-)

Glenn

jaapv said:
The lens has a rather extreme vignetting on sensors, the M9 obviously a lot more than the M8, but still the M8 is pronounced enough. However, it is quite easy to correct if you shoot a second shot through a piece of white paper and use it to create an LCC lens profile in C1.
Click to expand...
 
My seems fine on the M8 but not the M9, I think its too much work. I bought it to have the equivalent of a 28 on the M8. It does feel nice to use, maybe I will keep it for film or it may make it into the classifieds!
 
I've found that metering with the SA on either the M8 or M9 is a crapshoot. I have dialed in -2 2/3 exposure compensation and while I can get decent results often, sometimes the meter just doesn't cut it. I find myself focusing the lens to close focus and metering off my hand for a more accurate measurement since close focusing pulls the rear element significantly farther away from the shutter curtain allowing the meter to see some of the metering pattern. If the light is dim, even around dusk, the meter simply doesn't work. It only gives a flashing underexposure indication no matter what speed the camera is set to.
Regardless it's still one of the finest lenses to shoot with on any body as long as the photographer puts their share of work in. I'm still learning this lens and will be for some time to come.

Phil Forrest
 
Metering is not possible with this lens - just go to manual and use an exposure meter. Dialling in some EV comp and using A is always a bad idea in difficult situations. The M8/M9 is basically a manual camera with some exposure automation thrown in for convenience in easy circumstances (and marketing purposes), but it works best and most precisely when used on manual - that is what it is designed for.
 
Glenn2 said:
Good to know that the SA can be used on digital Leicas.

I've heard of software called Cornerfix that's able to fix the vignetting, anyone have experience with it? Am assuming that metering has to be set manually as the rear element may block the cell???

The Super Angulon is one of my favorite Leica lenses, so much so that I even bought a 90mm version for my 4x5" Technika. Just think Leica on steroids... ;-)

Glenn
Click to expand...
Cornerfix works too, but C1 is so quick and easy for this type of problem (including red edge and cyan drift) that I never bother to switch to using it.
 
Fraser said:
I bought it to have the equivalent of a 28 on the M8. It does feel nice to use, maybe I will keep it for film or it may make it into the classifieds!
Click to expand...

Isn't something like the CV 21mm f/4 a much more practical option to have a 28 on the M8? I'm very happy of mine - sharp, tiny and responds well to hand coding...
 
jaapv said:
The M8/M9 is basically a manual camera with some exposure automation thrown in for convenience in easy circumstances (and marketing purposes), but it works best and most precisely when used on manual - that is what it is designed for.
Click to expand...

That's maybe a bit extreme a statement. The M8/M9 metering is almost spot so should be used vey carefully in scenes with big contrast. Most problematic situation is a dark scene with some bright spots (indoor with light bulbs or windows...) which will usually result in massive underexposure. The rear screen is hopeless for exposure checking but a quick check at the histogram will confirm whether you need to switch to M and start experimenting. No need for handheld meter if you don't want to.
 
You will need the handheld meter for that 21... And incident light reading in a few situations. The histogram is fine, but if you need to reshoot the opportunity may have vanished
As for A versus manual, I find EV comp a fiddly kludge compared to turning the shutterspeed dial - but no Auto-ISO then...
 
Yes, the meter of the M9 is very accurate. It will faithfully render a medium gray card exactly as seen but the lighting situation can't be contrasty. Enter a random highlight or a deep shadow and all bets are off.
I hate the metering pattern of the M9. I actually like the metering of the M8 better and I dislike that one too. Regardless, both are way to easy to fool. I wish they really acted like an M6 meter in both pattern and sensitivity.
I'd be happy if the in-camera meter were not visible to me at all and I could use it more like my M4. Until I can get those red display LED's turned off, I'm distracted by the glow...

Phil Forrest
 
fiatlux said:
Isn't something like the CV 21mm f/4 a much more practical option to have a 28 on the M8?
Click to expand...

Yes, more practical in all regards - smaller, no metering issues, cheaper, perhaps sharper....but if you want that "look", you won't get it from CV glass.

I've only just got the SA bug, but it's already one of my favourite lenses on the M8 - will be great to see what it can do on an M9 in due course (or even M9-P subject to its existence.....)
 
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