Zeiss Ikon 21mm vs 25 mm

[Grego]

Can I get some input on which lens would be the better choice for my system - 21mm or 25mm. I also want to get the 35mm and 50mm, along with the 85mm when it is available.

 

[back alley]

better? how, in what way?

what criteria are we using?

inquiring minds want to know...

welcome to the forum.

joe

 

[tfelton]

I had to make the same decision; 21 or 25. I chose the 25mm because I could use it without a seperate viewer (which reduced the cost). I have never been sorry. The 25mm is a superb lens. I have the 25, 35, and 50. I use the 50mm 10% of the time, the 35mm 40%, and the 25mm 50%.

Ted

 

[mervynyan]

I had to make the same decision; 21 or 25. I chose the 25mm because I could use it without a seperate viewer (which reduced the cost). I have never been sorry. The 25mm is a superb lens. I have the 25, 35, and 50. I use the 50mm 10% of the time, the 35mm 40%, and the 25mm 50%.

Ted

I thougt 25 needs a viewfinder, is it not?

 

[back alley]

i use the 25 on the zi w/o a finder.
i just 'expand' the view around the 28 fl.

joe

 

[tfelton]

Right, you just use the whole camera viewfinder beyond the 28mm frame lines. It's close enough and handier.

Ted

 

[Grego]

Thanks for the Input

Thanks for the Input

Thanks all. I'll probably get the 25mm, unless someone can tell me if there is a resolution difference.
Thanks again,
Grego

 

[back alley]

the 25 is said to have the highest res of the zm lenses.

 

[Turtle]

Go for whichever focal length you want as both are superb. I would say teh 25 is a better natural pairing with a 35 and is likely to get more use than the more extreme 21.

 

[Grober]

I bought the ZM 25mm as soon as it was available in the USA and have used the lens a lot. (Previously my 25mm was an older, slower but tiny LTM Canon 25/3.5) The ZM 25 handles very well, focuses smoothly and produces very reliable images at all apertures.

My 21mm is the first design Leica 21 Elmarit (non-ASPH.)

Here's my thinking about both focal lengths: The 21mm loudly procliams in every shot, "Hey, I'm a really wide angle lens. Look at me!" One needs to be careful in using it.

OTOH, the 25mm can sometimes cheat and look like a 28mm in many shots. The 25 is a more sedate wide wide angle. One could say the 25mm almost could be the universal wide wide angle with the next one up the line being your 35mm which every RF shooter must have.

If you select the 21mm (CV, Zeiss or Leica) that leaves a mighty big hole until you get to 35mm.

-g

 

[peter_n]

What others have said. The 25 will go nicely with your 35, 50 and 85. I have a similar base kit; 24, 35, 50, 90. The 24/25 provides an excellent FOV, I was never comfortable with my 21 and eventually traded it.

 

[summilux]

the 24/25mm also makes it a nice standard lens on the epson and M8.

 

[StuartR]

I could not decide on which lens to get, so when I was in Japan and found a really good deal on ZM lenses, I bought both. They are both excellent lenses, but overall I think the 25 is the better choice. It is very wide without looking unnatural, and it has less vignetting than the 21mm. Had the 18mm been out when I bought my lenses, I think the 25mm 18mm pairing would have been a better spread.