A Leica 21mm lens choice question

[Abram]

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I’ve been through a bunch of 21mm lenses myself as I too am a big fan of the focal length. Presently I have none unfortunately but I can share some experiences and thoughts.

 

As to the CV 21mm f/4: If I could get a good copy of this lens I would be completely happy with it, for the price I think it’s potentially an exceptional bargain. That being said I have unfortunately bought 4 copies and sold 4 copies of it as each one has had decentered elements in one way or another which limited their use to f/8 or smaller. Truly unfortunate because I know it COULD be an excellent lens.

 

I had the 21mm f/1.8 Ultron as well and I probably didn’t keep it long enough to give it a fair shake-down but I just found it to be too big for the M bodies. I do very much love the 21mm f/3.4 Super Angulon, I’ve had two copies and though it can work on the M10 with some relatively minor corrections it does throw off the meter so you have to ignore it and use manual exposure (not a big deal). Really wonderful lens though and I’d get one again in the future.

 

Now, regarding the 21mm Elmarit ASPH: It’s possible that the copy I bought was not great despite its excellent cosmetic condition but it was what I’d call “radically soft” in the corners wide open. Very sharp in the center, but the across the frame sharpness I was looking for in a wide angle didn’t happen until f/5.6 which to me ultimately negated the advantage of having f/2.8. I accept that perhaps I had unreasonable expectations at the time and I would be more than willing to try another copy, but it’s also a bit larger than I’d like (Note: I was also very interested in trying the Zeiss 21mm options but I have yet to do so).

 

The one that’s on my list and the one I plan to buy in the next couple years (after I save up again lol) is the 21mm Super Elmar. All signs point to it being exactly what I personally want from a 21mm, which is low distortion and across the frame sharpness (I don’t want all lenses to do this, just my ultrawides). When I shoot a 21 I frequently get close and I want everything to have detail and presence in the frame, especially if I’m doing a larger print.

 

So that’s my choice, the SEM. I haven’t tried one, but I plan to buy one.