21mm Pre-asph Elmarit

[Nick De Marco]

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I've had this lens for a while now, but not used it for too long.

I put it on the voigtlander R4A (which has dedicated 21mm framelines) and shot a roll of film the other day.

 

Have to say I was very pleased with the results, which looked better to my eye than the more modern, smaller and slower CV 21mm f4, which I also have

 

Here is one from today's Rangefinder Chronicles:

 

 

Please check my blog for more information, and a link to the other photos taken with the 21.

 

Rangefinder Chronicles: Tuesday 16 November 2010

 

I would be interested to hear what other users think of the pre-asph 21, and how it compares to the Voigtlander or Zeiss alternatives for them

 

Nick

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[adan]

Did you by any chance leave a Leica UV-IR filter on your 21? That picture is showing far more "cyan drift" on the sides than I get with my 21 Elmarit pre-ASPH.

 

The 21 pre-ASPH was the lens that dragged me kicking and screaming into the M system. I shot a test against the Contax-G (NOT ZM) 21 Biogon, and while the Biogon is probably the "best" 20/21 f/2.8 ever made (for resolution, especially in the corners; flare resistance; and distortion) I preferred the color and contrast rendering of the Elmarit.

 

If you follow the ColoradoSeen link in my signature, practically every picture in every issue that has the "21mm" look is with the pre-ASPH.

 

I've never felt a need to look at any other 21 since getting it. And it was the driving force behind my switch from M8 to M9. You could say that it is the core of my photography, even more than a specific camera body. I build everything else in my system(s) around that lens.

[Nick De Marco]

Andy, thanks for the link to your impressive photos

And the tip - I think you may be right. I thought the problem was my scanning, but I did have the Leica IR filter on, a hangover from my M8 days. I thought it would not make any difference, but obviously it does with colour. I shall take it off next time.

 

Nick

[rickp13]

hello nick

 

i originally had the 21 f3.4 super angulon, thought highly of it, but was never happy with the lens on an m8. even coded and with uv/ir filter, the color results were invariably 'variable' .

 

in part based on adan's article on mandler lenses, i changed to the 21 elmarit and was very pleased with the move. it will certainly be the same for you.

 

yes, my first time out with a new old M5 and the 21 elmarit, i also left the uv/ir filter on and captured lots of cyan edges. oops.

 

greetings from hamburg

 

rick

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