menos I M6 Posted November 14, 2011 Share #41  Posted November 14, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) It takes a long time to count out 185 ¥100 notes. Perhaps someday China will realize that in a society based so heavily on cash transactions that it would be advantageous to have larger value notes. In China, for members who have not been, the largest denomination bill is the ¥100, which is worth about $15.75 USD or €11.50. It takes a long time to buy Leica cameras and lenses at that rate. For an M9 and lens you need a briefcase to carry the cash!!!! As for viewfinders I love my Leica 12025, silver-chrome 21mm.  Haha - this might probably the reason, why man bags got so popular recently with the better off male locals  Regarding the finder, I am pretty happy with the Konica 21/35 finder, which has very low distortion (much less than the Universal Frankenfinder), is very bright and has a higher magnification than the FF, but a very nice eye point.  I am curious, if the Leica 21mm would be an improvement even over the FF and the Konica (the Konica is not usable in the older film camera accessory shoes, like the M3 - it will slip off and get lost).  I am really liking the 21mm focal length. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 14, 2011 Posted November 14, 2011 Hi menos I M6, Take a look here The new 21mm Elmar 3.4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
StephenPatterson Posted November 14, 2011 Share #42 Â Posted November 14, 2011 I just could not get used to the Frankenfinder. For me it was too wide and too much distortion. I love the Leica 21 finder, and I've had no trouble with it on the M9. With the M2 it isn't quite as tight fitting in the accessory shoe, but far from being loose or falling out. Â You are welcome to try mine when I return to China after the holidays. Â Still waiting on the 21SEM, but hopefully not much longer now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted November 15, 2011 Share #43 Â Posted November 15, 2011 I just could not get used to the Frankenfinder. For me it was too wide and too much distortion. I love the Leica 21 finder, and I've had no trouble with it on the M9. With the M2 it isn't quite as tight fitting in the accessory shoe, but far from being loose or falling out. Â You are welcome to try mine when I return to China after the holidays. Â Still waiting on the 21SEM, but hopefully not much longer now. Â Thanks for the offer - should you go through Shanghai, let me know Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted November 15, 2011 Share #44 Â Posted November 15, 2011 Just curious: How much does the new 21/3.4 block the M8 or M9 viewfinder with hood on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 15, 2011 Share #45 Â Posted November 15, 2011 The blockage is considerable. Horizontally, the hood reaches about as far at the right end of the 135mm frame, and vertically as high as the lower edge of the 90mm frame. There is to be sure a cutout in the hood. Â But surely all that is irrelevant. Using the 21mm without any accessory finder is about as bad as using it with your eyes shut. Â The old man from the Super-Angular Age Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 15, 2011 Share #46  Posted November 15, 2011 But surely all that is irrelevant. Using the 21mm without any accessory finder is about as bad as using it with your eyes shut.  The old man from the Super-Angular Age Well, that is not unknown. Photos by Blind Photographers - Photo Essays - TIME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted November 15, 2011 Share #47 Â Posted November 15, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) ...Using the 21mm without any accessory finder is about as bad as using it with your eyes shut... That's what i feared unfortunately. Sounds like i will stick to my good old tiny CV 21/4 and keep the Elmarit apsh for the (rare) occurrences where i can stand an accessory finder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 16, 2011 Share #48 Â Posted November 16, 2011 I don't understand this horror of accessory finders. I grew up with them. Remember, with all screw thread Leicas before the IIIg you had to use an accessory finder with all focal lengths except 50mm! Get used to them and appreciate them for their virtues. Some people like them simply because they are brighter than the camera finder. So get used to them and be a Leica M photographer. Â All right, nowadays there are people whol exhibit a horror of all finders, weaned on cell phones as they are. Â The old man from the Age of the Brilliant Finder (that was a horror ...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted November 16, 2011 Share #49  Posted November 16, 2011 I don't understand this horror of accessory finders. I grew up with them. Remember, with all screw thread Leicas before the IIIg you had to use an accessory finder with all focal lengths except 50mm! Get used to them and appreciate them for their virtues. Some people like them simply because they are brighter than the camera finder. So get used to them and be a Leica M photographer. All right, nowadays there are people whol exhibit a horror of all finders, weaned on cell phones as they are.  The old man from the Age of the Brilliant Finder (that was a horror ...)  I second that - people, I speak with about finders usually see them as a necessary evil, to be used on RF cameras.  They are far from it !!!  It really is the way, that you miss 50% of the potential of your wide angle lens, NOT having a finder mounted. A finder never forces you, to use it, even if it is mounted! When I shoot with a wide lens and external finder, I switch fluently between both finders and different techniques of focussing, as image opportunities arise!  Like the beautiful facade of a building and frame it well? Use the external finder, having focussed precisely with the RF before!  See that bicycle rider with the clown costume and TNT belt with burning coming right at you? Prefocus that wide angle lens to 1m, set exposure and use the external finder, to frame that clown!  At the beach - burning sun, beach volleyball match with friends? Set the focus to 2m, tape the focus ring and shoot all day just with the external finder - never bother to focus again!  I love the external finder!  People are afraid of the Frankenfinder btw - i can't understand those sentiments! It's the one most versatile, highest quality finder, money can buy, if you happen, to switch between crop sensor and FF body and different wide angle lenses!  Another great thing about external finders is, that one can have different magnifications with different finders and use them as required! Want to have more scene around your frame? Use the Frankenfinder! Want to have no scene around your frame, but that SLR tunnel view? Use a Leica Zoom finder!  I love finders! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted November 16, 2011 Share #50 Â Posted November 16, 2011 Been using Leica Ms since 1971 and never liked those finders AFAIC. One of the main reasons why i bought the M8.2 is i don't need those things for 21mm lenses contrary to the R-D1. The possible EVF of the M10 will be less painful hopefully. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danedit28 Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share #51 Â Posted November 19, 2011 Back to the original question.... has anyone seen the new 21mm available anywhere or is this another 10 month wait on backorder? Â I want one! Â THANKS! -dan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted November 19, 2011 Share #52 Â Posted November 19, 2011 My dealer in the US says "soon...any day now". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 19, 2011 Share #53  Posted November 19, 2011 I received mine two weeks ago. But I had pre-ordered it in June, with Schönherrs Foto in Stockholm.  And a very nice lens it is.  The old man who camps on the sidewalk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted November 30, 2011 Share #54 Â Posted November 30, 2011 I got an email today from my dealer saying that he had received one, and only one, 21/3.4 Super Elmar-M from Leica USA. Apparently the demand for this lens is extremely high, no doubt compounded by the recall, so I feel very fortunate to be getting one. Let's hope that Leica can get more of these in the pipeline for everyone who has been waiting. Â Now, if my 35 Summilux would just get here... Â Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
enboe Posted December 2, 2011 Share #55 Â Posted December 2, 2011 My 35/1.4 just came in this week, also Leica USA through an authorized dealer. They are trickling in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted December 2, 2011 Share #56  Posted December 2, 2011 I've only shot a handful of photos with the 21SEM that arrived today, but so far it's looking like a great lens. I absolutely love how compact it is, and my sample images wide open look razor sharp. Tomorrow I'll take this little lens out and see what she can do.  My dealer is still hopeful for a 35 Summilux before the end of the year. I suppose getting it and the 21SEM in the same week was too much to expect. Other people need lenses too  Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markforce Posted December 2, 2011 Share #57 Â Posted December 2, 2011 Just got the confirmation from my dealer today, feels a little bit like early Christmas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted December 2, 2011 Share #58 Â Posted December 2, 2011 No luck from my end as yet, even though a dealer a week before Thanksgiving was expecting one, but it never arrived so far. Â Seafurydriver did you use the Leica 21 VF on your SEM 21? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted December 2, 2011 Share #59  Posted December 2, 2011 No luck from my end as yet, even though a dealer a week before Thanksgiving was expecting one, but it never arrived so far. Seafurydriver did you use the Leica 21 VF on your SEM 21?  I'm a big fan of the Leica 21 VF, having used it with the Zeiss 21/2.8 Biogon and now with the 21SEM. I tried the Zeiss, and while the optics were very clear and bright, the accuracy was less than stellar on the M9. Some people don't like the extra frame lines on the Leica 21 VF (for M8 users) but I actually like having them there. It makes this finder useful for 21mm (obviously), 28mm by using the M8 frame lines, and 24mm (by splitting the difference). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted December 3, 2011 Share #60  Posted December 3, 2011 Hey guys, I have just written up a few thoughts about 21mm finders with a short comparison of the  Leica Universal Wide Angle Finder Leica 21mm 12024 metal bright line finder Konica 21/35 finder  It's a thread, meant as a start, to compare external 21mm finder choices as of the popularity of the 21mm focal length - feel free, to add your thoughts to those finders and add experiences with other 21mm finder choices, you used!  http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/212291-21mm-finder-comparison.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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