Photos fom CV 21/4 Color-Skopar lens

[back alley]

thanks helen...

[Bob Michaels]

Everyone rides a pre-1959 classic bike.



La Marcha (worker's day march) May 1st

[wafflecakee]

[anjoca76]

29130003 by smokeycalifornia, on Flickr

[wafflecakee]

This wasn't shot with a 21 but those are two 21mm vf's.


this was.

[Justin Viiret]

I borrowed a CV 21mm from a friend years ago and rather liked it, even though I usually don't get along with wides all that well.


Ghost Child by inaudible, on Flickr

[CrisR]

Great for architecture when 15mm is just too extreme


Under the Arch by Cris Rose, on Flickr

[CrisR]

The exact same lens, one on the M6 one on the M8. Can you guess which is which without clicking through? (Ok, you probably can, the film scan kinda gives itself away...)


Mighty Steed by Cris Rose, on Flickr


Size Doesn't Matter by Cris Rose, on Flickr

[CrisR]

Ridin' Free by Cris Rose, on Flickr


Vicious Guard Dogs by Cris Rose, on Flickr

[back alley]

Originally Posted by CrisR

Ridin' Free by Cris Rose, on Flickr


Vicious Guard Dogs by Cris Rose, on Flickr

that first shot is fabulous!

[helenhill]

Originally Posted by CrisR

Great for architecture when 15mm is just too extreme


Under the Arch by Cris Rose, on Flickr

I simply ADIRE this One Cris and the little girl on her Scooter...sooooo GOOD !

[helenhill]

Originally Posted by Justin Viiret

I borrowed a CV 21mm from a friend years ago and rather liked it, even though I usually don't get along with wides all that well.


Ghost Child by inaudible, on Flickr

Fab one Justin...me thinks You would do well with a 21
You have the 'EYE' and understand the perspective

[ianstamatic]

great shot in this thread.
makes me want one for the CL

[yossarian123]

This lens is near perfect on an M8:


teachers rally - chicago by SL_Photos, on Flickr


dancer and spectator by SL_Photos, on Flickr

M4p & Tri-X:


I've got your back by SL_Photos, on Flickr

[Spicy]

Is that Chuck Norris?

[yossarian123]

That is the Chuck. Found him plastered on an entire street in Krakow.

[CrisR]

Thank you Back Alley and Helen! It's a great little lens, both on full frame and the M8's crop

Another couple of full frame shots for you


A Book is a Doorway... by Cris Rose, on Flickr


Abandoned Mine by Cris Rose, on Flickr

this is the setup (i keep the UV/IR on for the M8 as it doesn't affect the TriX)


Leica M6 TTL / CV 21mm / 21-24-28 VF (Weekend Camera Porn) by Cris Rose, on Flickr

[wilonstott]

I like this lens--I need to use it more often. Here are some old ones (all film, of course):











Side question:

Does anybody ever have problems exposing for side-lit scenes, or otherwise unevenly lit, with this lens (it's the widest I own)?
I'm not sure if the lens has a tremendous amount of contrast (correct terminology?), or the problem is it covers a wider area, and hence, a wider range of possible light values in a given scene--especially if the scene is unevenly lit (I somewhat assume the latter to be the case).
However, I don't notice this issue with my 28. Doesn't happen all the time--but I'm in the habit of giving the 21 more light than the other lenses to compensate.
Anybody? Anything?

[CrisR]

Thinking about getting a Bessa R4A just to make use of it's built-in 21mm viewfinder with this lens...


Lookout To Sea by Cris Rose, on Flickr

[wilonstott]

Originally Posted by CrisR

Thinking about getting a Bessa R4A just to make use of it's built-in 21mm viewfinder with this lens...

I thought the same thing once.

I've messed around with one. Let me say, it's much different from shooting with a viewfinder.

Simply, I find the viewfinder (I've got the Voigt plastic one) to be so much better: the view is bigger by an enormous margin, and the distortion is more true to the lens (presents a more accurate representation of the recorded product).

Hence, I feel like my money would be better spent on a dedicated wide body--ideally a Bessa T with a metal viewfinder.

Comes out cheaper, smaller package, and I would wager greater durability due to decreased complexity of the overall mechanism.

Alas, no Auto Exposure.

My two cents--to take or leave.

[damonsong]

Hard working folks by damonsong, on Flickr
Taken on street of Taipei

08000029 by damonsong, on Flickr
Subway station

[CrisR]

Hey Wil, thanks for the info!

I'm going to pop down to my local shop and have a play with one soon to see what the viewfinder experience really is like.

I have 2 21mm VFs, the VC plastic one and the 21/24/28 Leica, both do a great job of framing and the VC isn't really that big.

However the benefit to me would be the ability to focus closely with the RF, the parallax correction that therefore brings and the exposure meter/shutter speed info in the VF itself. The AE would be a bonus really.

I'm also interested in possibly getting the upcoming VC 21/1.8 Ultron, and close focusing, wide open would be the primary use-case for me, something i just don't think would be as easy on my M2 or M6.

I'll look into the Bessa T tho

[wilonstott]

Originally Posted by CrisR

Hey Wil, thanks for the info!

I'm going to pop down to my local shop and have a play with one soon to see what the viewfinder experience really is like.

I have 2 21mm VFs, the VC plastic one and the 21/24/28 Leica, both do a great job of framing and the VC isn't really that big.

However the benefit to me would be the ability to focus closely with the RF, the parallax correction that therefore brings and the exposure meter/shutter speed info in the VF itself. The AE would be a bonus really.

I'm also interested in possibly getting the upcoming VC 21/1.8 Ultron, and close focusing, wide open would be the primary use-case for me, something i just don't think would be as easy on my M2 or M6.

I'll look into the Bessa T tho

Oh yea man, check it out for yourself--the R4A that I used belonged to a guy who used it exclusively with a 28, and he was fine with it.

If you're contemplating the new 21/1.8 (which looks positively dreamy, by the way), then close and accurate focus is surely an issue.

The whole thing is give and take. You may find that it works fine for you.

I suppose I was thinking about the 21/4 for the Bessa T--focus accuracy isn't a huge issue at f4.

Either way, I'm sure you'll fine something that works.

[CrisR]

Oh i totally know what you mean with regards the 21/4 having a very deep DOF for most things i use it for, but i've found that at f4 you can get down to 0.7/0.5m which gives you some pleasant bokeh. However framing that closely is pure guesswork - fine on my M8, but not so easily checked on the M6.

DOF Master says that at 0.5m and f4, you're looking at a DOF of 13cm - by no means razor thin, but noticeable. At f1.8 it's 6cm.

I'm not sure how to go about working how off the parallax would be tho.

Aaaaanyways, numbers are just numbers - what matters are the photos and the real-world handing. I'll give the R4A a look in the shop and see if the exposure/shutter info and AE will make it worth having a dedicated wide body to pair up with my M8 or M6 rocking 35-50mm normals.

Thanks for the input sir!

[CrisR]

I checked out the Voigtlander R4A today, mainly to see the 21mm built in viewfinder and I gotta say it was quite wonderful. Paired with the CV 21/4, and later, the 21/1.8, I can see how great a pairing that would be.

I'm looking that the Zeiss 28/2.8 or 25/2.8 Biogons ATM too, mainly for my M8, but both framelines are on the R4A too, increasing its usefulness.