Real world 21mm lens comparisons

[rafael_macia]

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I have the 21 SE 3.4, and could not be happier. Blister sharp, small, with a 46mm front, The SE would come highly recommended, from my experience.

[Shadow Catcher]

My first 21 was the CV 21 f/4, used on an ME, corrected by setting the lens to 21 f/2.8 in camera.

 

Later I purchased the Leica 21 f/2.8 ASPH and use that on my M240.

 

I still have the 21 f/4, but don't see the need for sacrificing quality, so the CV stays in the junk drawer

for now. 

 

I should add I was happy with the CV right up until I got the Elmarit, and if I hadn't come across it when I did,

I'd probably still be happy with the CV.  It's a good enough lens for general purpose use.

 

Norm

[lct]

I'm lucky enough to own a 21/2.8 asph as well but i use it less often than the CV 21/4 to be honest and i don't have the feeling to sacrifice quality with the latter. Here at f/4.

 

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[Poki]

I also have the 21mm f/4 Voigtländer lens. My decision was based pretty much only on its size and weight - my shoulder and my Billingham Hadley small are both almost at their maximum. After using it for a few hours, I can already tell - it's not nearly as good as my Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 on my NEX-7 - the CV has less corner sharpness, extreme vignetting and somewhat purple corners. But still, the center is very sharp, and by overexposing about a stop (or shooting bracketed if the dynamic range is too high), getting rid of the vignetting without having too much noise showing up is simple enough. You're left with a very useable image with nice contrast and colors. While technically not as good as the offerings from Zeiss and Leica, it's smaller, lighter and far cheaper - so for a lens which is only used now and then, it's pretty much perfect.

[lct]

May i ask if your CV 21/4 is a current version? Mine has almost the same sharpness in center and corners, no disturbing vignetting compared to my others 21's, little to no purple corners and shows even less corner smearing than my 21/3.4 asph on Sony A7s mod. I have no experience with the Nex 7 though.

[John Z. Goriup]

I have the 21 SE 3.4, and could not be happier. Blister sharp, small, with a 46mm front, The SE would come highly recommended, from my experience.

.......my sentiments exactly. I strongly & totally agree with every word..........in the 21mm focal length category one simply cannot do better than the superb Leica 21mm f3.4 Super-Elmar.

 

If an SL type Leica is in your future it works even better on the SL because you don't need to give a second thought to which external viewfinder to use.

 

JZG

[the warrior]

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I have a f2.8 ASPH 21mm, but I´m looking for a f4 Super-Angulon.

 

Yesterday I provide, throughout the day, a F3.4 super-Angulon, I shot two spools of TriX 400 are still in the dryer, but I also shot some photos with this lens 40 centimeters estimating the distance to the eye.

 

Certainly I like hater diaphragm 4 sheets but the result in digital is not bad, I like it.

 

It is sharpness in the center and in the corners enough, I hope to try the previous f4 someday.

 

One photo, 100% crop:

 

 

[IWC Doppel]

I have the 21 Elmarit ASPH, the 21 Elmarit and the 18 SEM (I am selling the 18 and one 21)

 

In a paragraph the 21 ASPH is sharper wide open but not enough to choose, the older late Elmarit is just fine at f2.8, the colouring is a little different, and the older lens is less 'pink', I don't mean magenta. A great example of this is the 35 MkIV summicron vs the later ASPH the older lens is a little more yellow and to me nicer colour tonality. Side by side you can easlily see and to recreate the hues using lightroom is difficult. Also the older Elmarit lens has a greater ability to demonstarte that magical 3D perspective when you have something in the foreground.For say landscape I'd probably choose the 21 ASPH, but the interesting foreground perspective means the older lens will be my keeper. is The 18 is notably sharp all the way through and is an amazing lens, but somewhat clinical and 18 is wide enough to pull the centre far enough away to be hard to work with and less involving so I decided to sell. plus the 18 is very intolerant off level. I also think f2.8 is as slow as you want to go (Well as slow as I do), depending on camera (I have an M9-P) and supersharp all the way through whilst great isnt always necessary IMO.

 

I'd look for a Leica 21 f2.8 !

[pechelman]

going to chime in here with a somewhat unusual but not unknown lens. I was able to find an excellently converted Zeiss Biogon-G T* 21mm a little while ago. The mount looks factory completed with the focus & f-stop directions being the same as a regular m-lens. Overall it's an extremely light and relatively tiny lens for an f2.8 and 55mm thread. Focuses down to ~.5m and is blisteringly sharp, to the point that some pictures are almost unpleasant or fatiguing to look at, for my eye anyway. But open it up and it has a very pleasant rendering.  I decided against all the other 21mm's for a variety of reasons, but really it came down to this one being extremely competitive on size/weight, affordable, extremely sharp, moderately flare resistant, and having near zero distortion. If I were to ever replace it with any other 21mm, it would likely be the SEM so I can share filters with my 28'cron / 50lux / 90 elmarit-m.

 

handful of pictures. nothing that great, but does demonstrate the lens' quality\capability

 

L1001718-Edit by pechelman

 

L1001717-Edit by pechelman

 

L1001517 by pechelman

 

L1001494 by pechelman

 

L1002259 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos

[otho]

BTW, new unique, outstanding Lux 21 in bronze:

 

http://leicarumors.com/2016/05/04/check-out-this-unique-bronze-leica-m-typ-240-camera-kit.aspx/

[rirakuma]

Maybe its the lighting but it doesn't look that appealing to me. The bleach white leatherette doesnt help either

[uhoh7]

SEM 21:

The Bright Rim by unoh7, on Flickr

 

That's the best 21 in the world today. If I needed faster, I would get the ZM 21/2.8.

[mandelbrot]

I had the CV 21 f/4 on M240 with a problem on magenta at corners when using the color. Good for B&W definitely.

I then bought the SEM 21 that is a fantastic lens very small, light and super sharp.

Ciao

[giganova]

I'm using the CV 21/4 LTM with great results. However, I hate that when I use an M adapter, the f-stop and focus stops are at a 60 degree angle to the right. Maybe I should get the M-version of the same lens.

[lct]

I would make sure that it has a groove for DIY coding then. 

[the warrior]

Today I have been in a protest due to the bombing of a refugee camp in Syria, I used a Super-Angulon f3,4 they have given me, next week will give me a Super-21mm f4 Angulon.
For the monent I leave these two pictures taken with the CCD MMonocrom.

 

The photographs are collected only 40 centimeters from the face of the people, the focus is on estimation.

 

In f5,6

 

 

[the warrior]

More ..............

 

21 f3,4 SA, +- 40 centimeters of the faces of people.

 

 

 

 

 

[rirakuma]

More ..............

 

21 f3,4 SA, +- 40 centimeters of the faces of people.

 

 

 

Wow I'm surprised on how well this lens controls distortion close up. Looks even better than the WATE or SEM. I'm assuming these are uncropped?

[the warrior]

True, there is nothing to cut, it is natural and full picture, no further treatment.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[the warrior]

Super-Angulon f3,4 - Monochrom