Voigtlander 21mm f4 Color Skopar

[JayS]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking at purchasing the CV 21mm f4 Color Skopar for my Bessa R2, which I plan to use mainly for landscapes. I've read many posts in other forums about the quality of this lens but none have mentioned ease/difficulty of using the viewfinder.

I'm still very much an RF newbie and have never used a viewfinder mounted on the hotshoe before, does anyone on this forum own the CV 21mm and what is your experience good or bad with it and the viewfinder.

Any information would be very much appreciated, thank you.

Jay

 

[RML]

CV's viewfinders are very, very bright and a joy to use. I use the 25mm on my Bessa L.
With the R2 you might want to do the focussing using the rangefinder but it's very simple to just use the viewfinder for aiming and the DOF markings on the lens for focussing. Just guestimate the distance and set the lens to it, set your prefered f-stop and shutter speed, and check whether the indicated DOF is what you want. If so, shoot; if not, adjust.

 

[jdos2]

I've the 21mm in the Nikon mount. The finder is indeed bright, and simple to use. The DoF is so great on that lens that at f/8 infinity to a meter is in focus.

I like it.

 

[That Guy]

I, too, was a little wierd on the whole idea of viewfinder shooting. But I found that shooting with my 25mm on the L was easy. Framing looks pretty accurate for what I was shooting. Like RML said, just set the DOF scale to "about" what you think it is. I've been way off on the scale before (forgot that I had to set it and shot half a roll that way) and still had everything come out in focus and sharp.

Like the others said, the scale is so good that past f/8 it's really just a matter of metering and framing.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I'm sorry to Hi-Jack Jays's thread, but I have a question about using 21mm lens. What do you use them for mainly? People, landscapes, street shooting? How do you use them?

I have 21mm Biogon for my Contax and I am having a hard time "seeing " this wide of a view. I am used to 50mm and 35mm mainly.

Thanks Guys,
Wayne

 

[JayS]

Wayne,

Hi-jack away, it's fine with me! I'd be interested to find out what photographic subjects others use a 21mm lens for as well. The widest angle I've used to this date is 28mm on my EOS system.

Jay

 

[RML]

All depends on what you shoot normally. I happen to have a liking for 50mm and wider so I have little trouble "seeing" wide.
I do have trouble using longer than 50mm. I just got a J-8, which 85mm, and I find it difficult to see subjects.

I mainly shoot the streets, not just street photography but anything that tickles my fancy, from people to street scenes to views and vistas to "macro" selections, etc. For many of those subjects a wide angle lens works fine.
But yes, not all subjects are equally suited for a wide angle. I usually "feel" what will work and what won't (and still try to shoot it. I can crop later if necessary).

 

[Doug]

Hi -- As to use of 21mm lens, here's an excellent series shot in Istanbul, all with 21mm Skopar. It makes me want one too!:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=322503

Also in our recent thread here in RF Forum about favorite street photos, the two I first submitted were both taken with the 21mm lens equivalent in the 6x7 format (a 45mm f/4)

 

[Doug]

Make that RF Forum thread here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=585&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

 

[rover]

I will be adding the 21/4 to my kit very soon. The I have seen the gallery that Doug pointed to above and just love the intimacy of the people images taken with this lens. I think that is something that cannot be avoided in those images, the photographer is so close with such a wide lens. I just read the responses to your similar post on the CVUG. I think they are very similar to those here, and combined they make me want to just order the lens right now.

 

[JayS]

Thank you 🙂

From reading your replies to my question I'll now be getting the 21mm within the next few months.

Thanks Doug for the link to the photo's of Istanbul, they also made me want this lens more! I'm looking forward to getting out and experimenting with it!

Thanks again

Jay

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Doug,

Thanks for the link to the 21mm portfoilio.

The good news is that I got to see a lot of 21mm shots. The bad news is that my two favorite shots from this portfolio were shot with a Skopar 50mm f2.5. They are Waiting Room, Sirkeci Train Station and the Ortakoy Beads Maker.

I think it must just be my preference. I have been toying with the idea of selling my 21mm Biogon and buying a Bronica 645RF with 65mm lens. I really like the 645 format, but my ETR cameras are very noisy.

Wayne

 

[Doug]

The Istanbul shots do show a lot of talent with the 21mm; he's certainly learned how to handle it well. I'm occasionally tempted to get one myself, though I'd sure like the extra stop of the Leica 21. On the other hand, I do have the CV 15 and 25mm lenses on either side (as to view angle), so do I really "need" it. Impossible question.

Sure as can be, after you sell your Biogon you'll find a burning need for it!

But the Bronica is a great camera. It's a little awkward with the 45mm since the viewfinder has no 45mm framelines, and there's an external finder. You can get by without, but it's like using a 25mm on a Minolta CLE... the whole viewfinder area can serve as an approximation. Partly as a result, I got a Fuji 645 with the dedicated 45mm, and have used that a lot recently.

It would be fun if Bronica offered a 30 or 35mm for the RF645, but it seems unlikely to happen. The camera is still very versatile and easy to use, plus being virtually silent.

 

[le vrai rdu]

no more news about this 21 mm ?

I am on my way to buy one 😀

 

[rumbliegeos]

I will mention one alternative view of the lens, and it may well not be representative. I owned one for a couple of years, and I thought it had quite significant light fall-off on the short edges of the frames. However, I was also shooting it exclusively on a 50 year old Leica IIIf black dial, and after I sold the lens I wondered if the problem came from the camera's old horizontal shutter. The problem did not exist with the camera when a 35mm Jupiter 12 was used. If you use the 21mm with the modern vertical shutter on a Bessa it would probably not happen. In any case, I liked the strong wide angle look of the lens, it had great resolution and contrast, and the viewfinder was great. Just could not get past the light fall-off, so I sold it.

 

[le vrai rdu]

okay

I plan to use it on my bessa R

 

[le vrai rdu]

I looked around about this fallof

It is noticeable , but it doesn' t bother me too much 🙂

 

[Bob Michaels]

I use the 21mm CV lens / finder combination and very happy with it.

But if you really like the 21mm focal length and want the very best in a 35mm camera, consider the Zeiss 21mm Biogon 2.8 in ContaxG mount with a matching body. That lens which comes with an excellent finder matched with a G1 body should be around US $850 these days. I keep my ContaxG system just to use this lens. It is that good.

 

[le vrai rdu]

yes but............

....................I'am a student, I can't spend 850$ for a lens 🙁 😀

I am given a proposition : 190€ the lens + LTM to M adaptater + finder + little bag
(i will have to sell the adaptater for I have a bessa R 😀)

 

[Becoming]

That's a bargain if you ask me! You'll love the lens even more at that price.