Steve Spencer Offline Upload & Sell: On
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sebboh wrote:
hmm, the cv 21/1.8 might be heavier but i think it'll actually take up less space then the WATE. at f/8 (where i'd shoot landscapes) it doesn't seem to lose much to the WATE on the a7r either. on the other hand, neither look as good as the ZF 21/2.8. the fact that the voigtlander can be used at large aperture for interesting reportage type shots makes it more interesting to me than either the WATE or the ZF 21/2.8. to fair though, i also just don't like landscapes taken with a lens that wide to begin with, which makes the WATE and zeiss seem like a waste of money and space in the bag for me.
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Well according to Consina's website the VM 21 f/1.8 has a 69mm diameter and is 78.4mm long. According to Leica's detailed specs, the WATE is 53mm in diameter and 62mm long without the lens hood and 58mm in diameter and 72mm long with the lens hood, so the Voigtlander is noticeably bigger, but not by a lot. It is about what I would expect from the weight difference. Yeah, I suppose some people may want to use a 21mm lens at f/1.8, but I am not one of them and that is why I tried to describe my account in terms of my personal evaluations and emphases. Certainly if you want to use the VM 21 wide open, then there would be a reason to consider it, and not only consider it but it would likely be a strong option.
Also, I would be surprised if the VM 21 held its own against the WATE at 21mm and f/8. If you look at the Leica data sheet the MTFs at 21mm are quite nice. The distortion is fairly tame at this focal length, and at f/8 the 40 lp/mm values are pretty much 60 percent across the frame. That suggests very good micro contrast. Not quite up to the Zeiss, but very nice anyway. Not many lenses achieve that even at f/8, but maybe the VM 21 does. Still I would want to see side by side shots to be convinced.
If you don't want to shoot landscapes then I think the WATE would definitely be a waste. I actually think it is very much a luxury lens in any circumstance. Now for reportage I still think the Zeiss would be an interesting contender. I have seen some absolutely phenomenal reportage shots with that lens (do you remember the one of a man at what I always took as a funeral by OneAnt, which I still rank as one of the best shots I have ever seen), and it has a floating element that the VM 21 does not, so even though it is a stop and a third slower and considerably bigger the Zeiss might still be worth the extra money it costs even for a reportage lens.
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