Voigtlander 21/4 Color-Skopar Photos

I like this lens--I need to use it more often. Here are some old ones (all film, of course):

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Side question:

Does anybody ever have problems exposing for side-lit scenes, or otherwise unevenly lit, with this lens (it's the widest I own)?
I'm not sure if the lens has a tremendous amount of contrast (correct terminology?), or the problem is it covers a wider area, and hence, a wider range of possible light values in a given scene--especially if the scene is unevenly lit (I somewhat assume the latter to be the case).
However, I don't notice this issue with my 28. Doesn't happen all the time--but I'm in the habit of giving the 21 more light than the other lenses to compensate.
Anybody? Anything?
 
CrisR said:
Thinking about getting a Bessa R4A just to make use of it's built-in 21mm viewfinder with this lens...
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I thought the same thing once.

I've messed around with one. Let me say, it's much different from shooting with a viewfinder.

Simply, I find the viewfinder (I've got the Voigt plastic one) to be so much better: the view is bigger by an enormous margin, and the distortion is more true to the lens (presents a more accurate representation of the recorded product).

Hence, I feel like my money would be better spent on a dedicated wide body--ideally a Bessa T with a metal viewfinder.

Comes out cheaper, smaller package, and I would wager greater durability due to decreased complexity of the overall mechanism.

Alas, no Auto Exposure.

My two cents--to take or leave.
 
Hey Wil, thanks for the info!

I'm going to pop down to my local shop and have a play with one soon to see what the viewfinder experience really is like.

I have 2 21mm VFs, the VC plastic one and the 21/24/28 Leica, both do a great job of framing and the VC isn't really that big.

However the benefit to me would be the ability to focus closely with the RF, the parallax correction that therefore brings and the exposure meter/shutter speed info in the VF itself. The AE would be a bonus really.

I'm also interested in possibly getting the upcoming VC 21/1.8 Ultron, and close focusing, wide open would be the primary use-case for me, something i just don't think would be as easy on my M2 or M6.

I'll look into the Bessa T tho 🙂
 
CrisR said:
Hey Wil, thanks for the info!

I'm going to pop down to my local shop and have a play with one soon to see what the viewfinder experience really is like.

I have 2 21mm VFs, the VC plastic one and the 21/24/28 Leica, both do a great job of framing and the VC isn't really that big.

However the benefit to me would be the ability to focus closely with the RF, the parallax correction that therefore brings and the exposure meter/shutter speed info in the VF itself. The AE would be a bonus really.

I'm also interested in possibly getting the upcoming VC 21/1.8 Ultron, and close focusing, wide open would be the primary use-case for me, something i just don't think would be as easy on my M2 or M6.

I'll look into the Bessa T tho 🙂
Click to expand...

Oh yea man, check it out for yourself--the R4A that I used belonged to a guy who used it exclusively with a 28, and he was fine with it.

If you're contemplating the new 21/1.8 (which looks positively dreamy, by the way), then close and accurate focus is surely an issue.

The whole thing is give and take. You may find that it works fine for you.

I suppose I was thinking about the 21/4 for the Bessa T--focus accuracy isn't a huge issue at f4.

Either way, I'm sure you'll fine something that works.
 
Oh i totally know what you mean with regards the 21/4 having a very deep DOF for most things i use it for, but i've found that at f4 you can get down to 0.7/0.5m which gives you some pleasant bokeh. However framing that closely is pure guesswork - fine on my M8, but not so easily checked on the M6.

DOF Master says that at 0.5m and f4, you're looking at a DOF of 13cm - by no means razor thin, but noticeable. At f1.8 it's 6cm.

I'm not sure how to go about working how off the parallax would be tho.

Aaaaanyways, numbers are just numbers - what matters are the photos and the real-world handing. I'll give the R4A a look in the shop and see if the exposure/shutter info and AE will make it worth having a dedicated wide body to pair up with my M8 or M6 rocking 35-50mm normals.

Thanks for the input sir!
 
I checked out the Voigtlander R4A today, mainly to see the 21mm built in viewfinder and I gotta say it was quite wonderful. Paired with the CV 21/4, and later, the 21/1.8, I can see how great a pairing that would be.

I'm looking that the Zeiss 28/2.8 or 25/2.8 Biogons ATM too, mainly for my M8, but both framelines are on the R4A too, increasing its usefulness.
 
I really like your aircraft shot Silverbullet. All those converging lines !!!

I'm inspired to think more about my own 21/4. It is a great lens when used well as your shots show

Chris
 
Hi Chris,

I really appreciate your comment.

The flight with the JU52 was a birthday gift for my 60th and my plan was to use this lens inside the plane.

But the morning light from the side was phantastic so this new (for me) lens
brought much more than I expected.....

cheers
Bernd
 
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