wide angle lens advice..... please

[bocaburger]

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I just hope its sharp and no funny colors

If it isn't sharp you got a bum sample.  Code it (or use the manual menu setting) as a 21 Elmarit PRE-Asph and you shouldn't get noticeable color cast. 

[bocaburger]

Personally, I would save for the SEM 21 and when you get it, you know you got the best 21 for the system, an arguably the best 21 of any system.

I suppose, if owning arguably the best 21 is more important than all the shots missed in the interim.  To me it'd be like taking the bus until I could afford a Rolls Royce.

[Guest )-(]

You could always walk, it's not that far and bus fares soon add up.

 

I think the SEM is worth waiting for but then I've never used the Color Skopar, and we're not spending my money / getting a bus to my analogy here.

Maybe the OP will update the thread with their thoughts/examples once they have bought it?

[rramesh]

• For occasional use and budget limited, I would recommend the Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21. Very compact and great for walkabouts. Some report red edges, but I have seldom seen it on an M9-P with the latest firmware and it's easily corrected in post.

If low light is critical, recommend the Voitlander 21 f/1.8. Also inexpensive but larger and with a fixed hood. Alternate will be the Zeiss ZM 21 f/2.8 but a little for expensive.

If budget is no constraint, then the Leica 21 SEM.

[bocaburger]

You could always walk, it's not that far and bus fares soon add up.

Lol if I walked to work I'd get there on time to walk home.  I don't know much about bus fares as there are none here, but I presume it would take a while to spend as much as a Rolls

[ECohen]

I guess I'm not he "typical" Leica user......I can afford Leica 21 SEM but I won't be using it often enough to justify the cost..... and the  VC  only weighs 5oz  The older I get the less I carry ........ usually I'm a one lens  kinda guy.

 

You all are the best THANK YOU.......Any other sneaker lenses worth looking at ...... sharp and cost effective and fun to play with?

[hiepphotog]

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Well, it definitely depends on how much use you would put on the lens. If it's a once a while deal, I would go with small, light, inexpensive lens as well. You can explore a wider view, say a 15 or 12.

 

UWA/WA is my preferred way to shoot besides the normal 50, so that's why I suggest the SEM 21. I spent disproportionally more on wider than 50 end than longer than 50. Heck I saved and got the ZM 15 as I deemed it as my preferred choice for UWA over the CV and WATE. Yes, I have missed many opportunity before then, but you don't know what you missed before you got it so I can plead ignorance . And now it took up more than 60% of my photography.

 

So with that little OT rant, I would say just explore the focals with the more affordable options first. I would say all of the CV Skopars would be a good start if you don't mind dealing with color shift. Except for a few focal lengths, I do think the progression should be from CV to Zeiss to Leica as you get more serious with it.

[Peter H]

The CV 21mm Ultron 1.8 is a very versatile and hugely capable lens and its wide aperture opens lots of interesting possibilities.

 

It's not small though, as you'd expect for such a fast wide lens, but it is a bit of a bargain since it can do things that nothing short of a Summilux can do, and at a small fraction of the price most people are surprised at how close they are in performance.

 

It may not be your cup of tea, but it's too good to not even get a mention. 

[TomB_tx]

I agree with the reasons to get the VC 21 f4: very decent performance at a bargain price, little risk involved. It's so tiny it tucks into a corner of my bag, so is always available. I use 35 a lot more, so I spend more for what I use most. But the VC 21 has always given my the results I want when I've needed it.

I don't see much need for a fast 21, as you can hand hold a 21 at quite slow shutter speeds, so I find it quite usable indoors.

[Peter_S]

One more vote to take a look at the Voigtländer Ultron f/1.8 21mm, there are several reviews out there. A brilliant lens! 

[John Z. Goriup]

Personally, I would save for the SEM 21 and when you get it, you know you got the best 21 for the system, an arguably the best 21 of any system.

ECohen,

 

best advice you've received so far, and I enthusiastically second every word , in fact, I would like to add a few words of my own.

 

You may think at the present time that a 21mm would be an occasional-use lens, but once you get comfortable with the 21 SEM, understand it and begin to plumb its capabilities and allow those capabilities to become a regular part of your repertoire and the use / application of this lens becomes 2nd nature, you will be glad you waited and what's more, you'll probably wonder how you got on without this optical wonder for so long. Without exception, everyone of my Leica-M owning friends who obtained a 21mm f3.4 Super-Elmar has solemnly declared they'll never, ever sell it.

 

JZG

[ECohen]

ECohen,

 

best advice you've received so far, and I enthusiastically second every word , in fact, I would like to add a few words of my own.

 

You may think at the present time that a 21mm would be an occasional-use lens, but once you get comfortable with the 21 SEM, understand it and begin to plumb its capabilities and allow those capabilities to become a regular part of your repertoire and the use / application of this lens becomes 2nd nature, you will be glad you waited and what's more, you'll probably wonder how you got on without this optical wonder for so long. Without exception, everyone of my Leica-M owning friends who obtained a 21mm f3.4 Super-Elmar has solemnly declared they'll never, ever sell it.

 

JZG

I have no double its a great lens the best..... a Rolls Royce ....this forum always asks "What do you shoot? Ive been  doing photography for 36 years..... I know me..... its a once in a while lens...........a useful lens but for me once in a while.

I know this because I'm trying to replace my Nikons with a Leica kit.... My  20 gets very little use....but worth having 

 

Now the 35 and the 50 & 90 thats another story I'd never "cheap" out on them

 

​Best advice I received...from Boca ...look at the VC f/4 over the Zeiss thanks.......seriously ......thank you all for being there with all your advice. I really appreciate it

'

[ECohen]

Thought I'd complete the circle of my post.

 

A week ago I received the Voightlander 21mm f/4

 

I set the Lens Detection on Manual  21 f/2.8   11134

 

I don't shoot brick walls  or care too much about side by side testing. My concern is only if its a usable tool, and the Voightlander certainly is that and more. This is a great lens, with very nice contrast...sharp enough  at f/4 and perfect at f/8  

 

There is a bothersome magenta vignette very noticeable with sky's .....on the good side, this exact lens is in Lightroom's Lens Corrections Profile running the files through the profile fixes it perfectly...... vignette,  color and even a little distortion.

 

Considering this lens's quality, size and its price it is a perfect choice for my kit.

 

Thanks to all for your help and advice.

 

 

[sblutter]

+1 on this lens

 

I have the 21mm f2.8 Zeiss lens.  It's a very good lens and I think it's very good value.

Here are a couple of examples taken with my M9-P

L1003937.jpg by Mark Pope, on Flickr

 

L1004059.jpg by Mark Pope, on Flickr

[Abram]

I had the CV 21 f/4 and though I absolutely loved the size of it and the central sharpness was fantastic, my copy never had sharp corners on my 240 (we're talking literally unusable outside the center of the frame) and there was pretty severe red corners. I know there are fixes for the red corners but I didn't want to have to fuss with such a workflow. 

 

Sadly I sold it before I tried it on a film body, where I know it would have worked far better.

 

Could I have had a bad lens? Sure. Would I try it again? Sure.

 

At one point I had the Zeiss 25 f/2.8 ZM and while it was staggeringly good across the frame, it too had red corners on my 240. If you can put up with the workflow, that's one heck of a nice wide angle lens. 

 

Where I wound up is with the CV 21mm Ultron, and what do you know, sharp, smooth focusing and no red corners. Only problem is it's huge, like my 35mm f/1.2. I use it when I need it and I'm plenty happy, plus it was about $700 used so I can't complain one bit!

[Jed Orme]

 

Thought I'd complete the circle of my post.

 

A week ago I received the Voightlander 21mm f/4

 

I set the Lens Detection on Manual  21 f/2.8   11134

 

I don't shoot brick walls  or care too much about side by side testing. My concern is only if its a usable tool, and the Voightlander certainly is that and more. This is a great lens, with very nice contrast...sharp enough  at f/4 and perfect at f/8  

 

There is a bothersome magenta vignette very noticeable with sky's .....on the good side, this exact lens is in Lightroom's Lens Corrections Profile running the files through the profile fixes it perfectly...... vignette,  color and even a little distortion.

 

Considering this lens's quality, size and its price it is a perfect choice for my kit.

 

Thanks to all for your help and advice.

 

 

 

Glad to hear that the CV21/f4 is working out for you.  I just got an M240 but was using this same lens before on my Fuji X-Pro1.  On that camera the lens cropping kind of save the day corners & edge wise, but the manual coding of it to the older non-ASPH Leica 21 really does the trick for me on the M.  I don't have a lot of experience with it yet but was also encouraged by this review of this lens on an M9:

 

http://joerivanderkloet.com/the-voigtlander-214-color-skopar-review/

 

Like your plan, it is part of my 4 lens kit for the M240 - CV Skoper 21/f4; Leica Summarit 35/f2.5 (just ordered); Zeiss Planar 50/f2 & Leica Tele-Elmarit 90/f2.8.