Wide lens with MA

[lmans]

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I have some good camera's, one of them being my MA. But I am limited on my MA to 28mm..... while on my Olympus OM-1, my preferred shooting lens is the 24mm. With Leica, I am looking at obtaining the 21mm Voigtlander Skopar F4, a relatively easy lens with the cost being low as well. 

I really do not want to use an optional viewfinder with my MA as I like to keep things clean and simple.... But has anyone tried a wide-open lens such as a 21mm and what do you do? Do you just estimate at field of view based upon 'I know where the 28 frame lines are', so I can guess on how far the 21 reaches beyond what I see in the viewfinder. jim

 

[madNbad]

If you decide to get the 21 Color-Skopar, get a finder. I have owned both the LTM and the M mount versions and they are a nice lens without too much distortion. Over the last year, I’ve been using a 28 Elmarit-M on my M4 and just using the viewfinder. The results have been good, even without the 28 frame lines but recently added a finder. It gives a clearer view of the scene and. With wide lenses where the focus is not as critical, it make’s framing a breeze. If you get a 21, the metal Voigtlander finder is a better choice than the plastic version that was shipped with the 21. Like you, my initial thought was to keep it as simple as possible but using the finder is a greater help than hinderance.

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[a.noctilux]

In my use, two stages :

- first use the right viewfinder for the focal length, inaccurate anyway.

- after a while (can be long depending on individual expectations), I don't need the VF anymore

 

Practicing a lot for long can lead to this or completly deleting the aux VF

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another configuration with 20mm

Edited November 10, 2022 by a.noctilux

[lmans]

21 minutes ago, madNbad said:

If you decide to get the 21 Color-Skopar, get a finder. I have owned both the LTM and the M mount versions and they are a nice lens without too much distortion. Over the last year, I’ve been using a 28 Elmarit-M on my M4 and just using the viewfinder. The results have been good, even without the 28 frame lines but recently added a finder. It gives a clearer view of the scene and. With wide lenses where the focus is not as critical, it make’s framing a breeze. If you get a 21, the metal Voigtlander finder is a better choice than the plastic version that was shipped with the 21. Like you, my initial thought was to keep it as simple as possible but using the finder is a greater help than hinderance.

I have an Elmarit 28mm.... good lens and I have no issue but the 24 of my OM-1 is real enjoyable and the best wide angle I can find for my style of film shooting is the 21mm Color-Skopar. True, the focus is not as much of an issue on that wide angle, just more the frame. I have heard that the metal Voigtlander is better too but will give it a shot w/o using a finder initially.    To me, this one of the down-sizes of the rangefinder system but one learns to live with it.... jim

[Huss]

If you're going to do it, do it right.  Use the finder.  It makes it much more enjoyable and accurate to use.

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[spydrxx]

My initial thought when I bought the CV 21/4 was "just estimate", but I came across a good deal on an aux viewfinder, and really appreciated having a much better reference than my imagination. I'd encourage you to get a good viewfinder for that lens...it will definitely make things easier.

[250swb]

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Get a finder, ignore the ‘guess it’ crowd. The 21mm Skopar is a fine lens, especially for film, and the plastic Voigtlander 21mm finder is both very bright and much cheaper than alternatives. Try to buy a lens that comes with the finder, it usually ends up cheaper. So focus with the rangefinder and compose with the finder.

Edited November 10, 2022 by 250swb

[lmans]

Sounds good..... you all have convinced me. I have used a finder with other camera's so no big deal....just trying to get an idea of how others succeed....appreciate it! jim

[Huss]

 If the ‘guess it’ crowd were given a finder, they’d use it!

[Al Brown]

24mm can be framed  within the physical edges of your camera's finder. It is the borderline focal length not needing the external finder if you are willing to look all the way to the edges, beyond the 28mm framelines. So if 24mm is your preferred one on your OM, perhaps take a peek at 24/25mm lenses...? It is a win-win double whammy.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Al Brown

[Fotoklaus]

vor 15 Stunden schrieb lmans:

I have some good camera's, one of them being my MA. But I am limited on my MA to 28mm..... while on my Olympus OM-1, my preferred shooting lens is the 24mm. With Leica, I am looking at obtaining the 21mm Voigtlander Skopar F4, a relatively easy lens with the cost being low as well. 

I really do not want to use an optional viewfinder with my MA as I like to keep things clean and simple.... But has anyone tried a wide-open lens such as a 21mm and what do you do? Do you just estimate at field of view based upon 'I know where the 28 frame lines are', so I can guess on how far the 21 reaches beyond what I see in the viewfinder. jim

 

First solution: Get a 21 for your Olympus-SLR. Second solution: Get a finder for the 21 on your MA. Evereything else does not bring joy to your life.

I like my 21 a lot so I encourage you to use it properly. It´s great for architecture and a walk through a city.

[Topsy]

I use a 21mm on my one of my M9s the difference between 28 and 21 FoV is significant, I couldn't use it without the shoe mounted VF. It isn't overly accurate but way better than guessing especially with film as you can't check composition on site.

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[lmans]

5 hours ago, Fotoklaus said:

Evereything else does not bring joy to your life.

 

Regardless of which way anyone turns anywhere on anything....that is what is important! jim

[LocalHero1953]

Aside from the scene size, I find the difference from 28 to 21 requires a lot more care in holding the camera to get verticals and horizontals as I want them. With very wide lenses converging and diverging parallel lines, and real-world rightangles not at 90deg in-shot, cause queasiness if not watched carefully in shooting. I would want a viewfinder. 

Unless I'm aiming for this feeling of queasiness, I try to get at least one strong scene vertical to be vertical in the shot, or a horizontal ditto. A very wide lens demands (IMO) careful 'anchoring' of the scene to get the composition right.

 

[Huss]

12 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

.

 A very wide lens demands (IMO) careful 'anchoring' of the scene to get the composition right.

 

Exactly, the wider the lens, the harder (and worse it looks) to get horizontals and verticals straight.  Unless you want a mess as your end result, an external VF really helps in getting the composition right instead of guessing what will be there.

The beauty with a 21mm lens is you really do not need to nail focus as DOF is so deep.  So you can either zone focus, or focus once at a medium distance and then spend the rest of the time just composing and shooting.

M3, CV 21mm f4, CV 21/25mm optical viewfinder, Fuji C200

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