rscheffler Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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I think it's possible, but you have to be very deliberate about how you compose images to disguise the typical UWA stretching/distortion that will easily happen.
I've owned the Leica 21/1.4 for a few years and use it for a variety of available light 'documentary' type work, including wedding candids and some individual and couples photos. I find it works best when I keep the subject centrally located and don't tilt the lens up or down much, if at all, particularly in urban environments where strongly converging lines are telltale of UWAs. If I keep thinks well lined up, then often the images don't feel like 21mm, which is something the guy for whom I second-shoot weddings mentions quite often. And he's very much anti-UWA, which in his opinion is often over-done for effect. But the image 'failure rate' with this focal length is higher than with something less wide - where an idea doesn't quite work out.
Portraiture could be a mixed bag. I wouldn't really use the lens for a headshot, unless I wanted to distort someone's face. But a bit farther back and it can work. For some people, the 'lengthening' effect of a carefully applied wide angle lens can be flattering.
A catch is that to really take advantage of the shallow depth of field of f/1.4 at this focal length, you will have to work relatively close to the subject, which is where all the distortion weirdness becomes a lot more noticeable.
My take on this lens/aperture combination is I value it more for low light work than for the shallow depth of field effect. But when you can pull off the latter, it's (or was) a fairly unique look because up until now, it was very uncommon to have such a wide angle of view with a shallow plane of focus. Now with the Nikon and Sigma options, it might become more commonplace. In other words, yes, I was happier when the cost of entry and niche system compatibility made the Leica 21/1.4 very unique...
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