lens Anyone help me with some knowledge please

[UltraDan]

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Hi, I’m looking at the voigtlander 21mm color scopar f4  in m mount. Would this lens focus on my m4-p using the rangefinder patch or would it be purely guesswork to focus? Also, as it’s 21mm my framelines only go to 28 mm so would I just use the 28mm framelines and have extra width in my shots? 
 

thanks,

 

Dan

[Exodies]

For me the extra width is impossible to guess, it’s always much more than I imagine. I need a 21mm viewfinder in the hot shoe.

[lct]

I have no M4-P but the lens focuses normally on all my M bodies including an M4-2, i.e. down to 0.7m which is the limit of the rangefinder. 

[AndreasG]

I use on myM4-P an Elmarit 2.8/21 and a Zeiss Distagon 4/18 without additional viewfinder. With a little experience and several test shots I can manage to "understand" what I finally will get on the film. I know from others that they took a Voigtlaender Bessa 15mm viewfinder (old type) and calibrated this viewfinder with small stripes of adhesive tape by themselves for 18 resp. 21mm lenses. Should not be to difficult.

[luigi bertolotti]

personally, I always prefer an external VF for WAs under 28mm... and for a 21 f4 lens (maybe used not wideopen) is often more important than RF coupling

Edited October 13, 2019 by luigi bertolotti

[UltraDan]

But the lens has a rangefinder coupling? So I will be able to focus it in the viewfinder as normal? 

[ktmrider2]

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Yes, the 21 has a rangefinder coupling and it will focus fine on your camera.  Voightlander did make an early copy without a rangefinder coupling.  I believe it was the screw mount version of their 21 but to my knowledge all M mount versions were rangefinder coupled.  I think the aux finder is well worth having.  They can usually be found on eBay and Voightlander makes a 21/25 version or 21 only.

The 21f4 Voightlander lens is wonderful-small and very sharp.  It works great on all film M's and the only criticism is smearing of the corners on full frame digital cameras.  I had one but gave it to a young photographer to put on his M3.  Nothing wrong with the lens but I don't get on with 21 and wider focal lengths.

Edited October 13, 2019 by ktmrider2
More info

[lct]

Better get the later CV 21/3.5 if you envision to use your lens on digital rangefinders.

[J.Nordvik]

I always use the standard optical viewfinder with a 21mm. At infinity I could just use the edge of the viewfinder. For closer focus it gets a little more tricky. Don't cut off somebody head! Remember the framelines goes down and to the right. 

[Ouroboros]

1 hour ago, ktmrider2 said:

....The 21f4 Voightlander lens is wonderful....

The CV 21mm f4 is one of the worst lenses I have ever owned.  My experience is that it is not ‘sharp’ and flares badly with nothing much to commend it except for it’s compact size. 

If I were in the market for another 21mm I’d rather spend more money on a Leica or Zeiss  lens.

Edited October 13, 2019 by Ouroboros

[Ouroboros]

ETA: the CV 21mm external finder is well made and reasonable cost.  Worth having than trying to guess composition with the camera viewfinder. 

[Ko.Fe.]

2 hours ago, ktmrider2 said:

Yes, the 21 has a rangefinder coupling and it will focus fine on your camera.  Voightlander did make an early copy without a rangefinder coupling.  I believe it was the screw mount version of their 21 but to my knowledge all M mount versions were rangefinder coupled.  I think the aux finder is well worth having.  They can usually be found on eBay and Voightlander makes a 21/25 version or 21 only.

The 21f4 Voightlander lens is wonderful-small and very sharp.  It works great on all film M's and the only criticism is smearing of the corners on full frame digital cameras.  I had one but gave it to a young photographer to put on his M3.  Nothing wrong with the lens but I don't get on with 21 and wider focal lengths.

Nope. 21 is RF coupled since first version. 25 first version is called snapshot, because it has no RF.

CV CS 21/4 has centering problems sometimes.

[TomB_tx]

My CV 21 f4 has been a very good performer, and even plays well with my M10. I’ve had it several years, see no reason to change to a more expensive lens.

[spydrxx]

I've never had problems with my CV 21/4 and its accessory viewfinder on my bodies.. Perhaps the people experiencing issues had a copy out of spec. And yes, it focuses with the rangefinder.

[bayernfan]

8 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

The CV 21mm f4 is one of the worst lenses I have ever owned.  My experience is that it is not ‘sharp’ and flares badly with nothing much to commend it except for it’s compact size. 

If I were in the market for another 21mm I’d rather spend more money on a Leica or Zeiss  lens.

I disagree completely with this assessment. It’s a fantastic lens for all film applications and is great for digital B&W. 

[lct]

Fact is the CV 21/4 flares a lot and is a bit soft at f/4 but otherwise it is a very good lens indeed especially on closeups (link). The later CV 21/3.5 has less flare and is even sharper but has more CA than the 21/4. Also the 21/3.5 doesn't suffer from color shifts at edges and corners on digital RFs contrary to the 21/4 which remains unsurpassed for its small size among 21mm M lenses AFAIK. FWIW.