p.51 #1 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
Yeah I love both as I can set them at f/8 and aim for infity and shoot away. These two lenses work so similarly and the colours, contrast, sunstars etc. match well. Like they're made for each other. For a short period I owned the 21mm f/1.4 Nokton instead, but didn't get along as well with it. It was just too heavy. And this color-skopar makes me think more about interesting compositions and not just rely on bokeh gimmicks. After Nokton I had the 24GM but it wasn't as a good landscape lens and lacked Voigtländer's overall rendering and sunstars. Sure it renders pretty bokeh, but that's about it.
p.51 #2 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
Tonzah78 wrote:
Yeah I love both as I can set them at f/8 and aim for infity and shoot away. These two lenses work so similarly and the colours, contrast, sunstars etc. match well. Like they're made for each other. For a short period I owned the 21mm f/1.4 Nokton instead, but didn't get along as well with it. It was just too heavy. And this color-skopar makes me think more about interesting compositions and not just rely on bokeh gimmicks.
I have both the 21/3.5 and 21/1.4. 21/3.5 is more convenient for stopped down cityscape shooting since it can be used at hard infinity whereas my 21/1.4 needs to be focused a little closer for best results. 21/3.5 is more convenient for stopped down shooting for sure and nicely compact and light for travel but I also like the 21/1.4, which I find to work very nicely for close range wide open shooting, for museums, food shots and such where 21/3.5 would not work as nicely. 21/1.4 is indeed a bit too big and heavy especially on my A7CII & A7C cameras, but I've been using it a few times again recently. Both are keepers for me.
p.51 #5 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
What does everyone think, still worth $400-500 today? I'm considering buying it used for that much, kinda sad that it's discontinued, I've already got the 20/1.8 G but I feel like I want a smaller alternative for some occasions and certain combinations... I've also got the 24/2.8 G and it's fine but I'm not drawn to use it, I prefer 20/21 and also have that cheap Viltrox 28/4.5 pancake now as well.
I've got all sorts of trios (21/35GM/135) and quad prime kits (11/4.5 + 21/3.5 + 35GM + 75/1.8) where I think the CV 21/3.5 would fit in perfectly, but it's in my most minimal pairing where I'm concerned if I'd enjoy it, basically with a 45mm. I know I like the focal length, and I'm drawn to the rendering, just thinking out loud if I should go even wider or stay put...
p.51 #6 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
We don't know what others think, they all seem to want the fastest lenses they can lay their hands on. Maybe just try it and see, you won't lose much. If a Sony user, it will be used, because Cosina sent it to the same pace where their marvelous 35/1.7 now rests - in history.
It's a fixture for me, since it delivers in environments and light conditions that trouble my more fancy, faster CV lenses. Many simply fail in bright light like the above images were shot in. So what the 21/3.5 lacks in flashy appeal it makes up with solid, reliable and easy processing files and excellent color - these qualities are staples of slow lenses.
I'm simply not bothered by the main problem other see in the 21/3.5 - mid-field curvature, from memory. And files from the 21/1.4 CV would not survive in that environment, too much macro contrast. Many modern lenses behave like E6 film in slanting mountain light.
Sony wide angles are pretty surveillance looking to me, that overly digital look is not very photographic. The sharpness draws attention to itself too much, liked an over-sauced burger. The makers have had no trouble selling that rendering style to people though, so it isn't going away. It has infected all modern ranges, like here:
p.51 #7 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
Impulses wrote:
What does everyone think, still worth $400-500 today? I'm considering buying it used for that much, kinda sad that it's discontinued, I've already got the 20/1.8 G but I feel like I want a smaller alternative for some occasions and certain combinations... I've also got the 24/2.8 G and it's fine but I'm not drawn to use it, I prefer 20/21 and also have that cheap Viltrox 28/4.5 pancake now as well.
I've got all sorts of trios (21/35GM/135) and quad prime kits (11/4.5 + 21/3.5 + 35GM + 75/1.8) where I think the CV 21/3.5 would fit in perfectly, but it's in my most minimal pairing where I'm concerned if I'd enjoy it, basically with a 45mm. I know I like the focal length, and I'm drawn to the rendering, just thinking out loud if I should go even wider or stay put......Show more →
Just get it. This is a lens I'll never part with (blessed with a perfect copy; if there is a mid-frame dip I never see it in real use). Does great in all sorts of light, and it's so small you can throw it in your pocket just in case you might want to go wide even if you're planning on doing other things. It's a jewel.
p.51 #8 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
photonoclast wrote:
Just get it. This is a lens I'll never part with (blessed with a perfect copy; if there is a mid-frame dip I never see it in real use). Does great in all sorts of light, and it's so small you can throw it in your pocket just in case you might want to go wide even if you're planning on doing other things. It's a jewel.
I whole heartedly agree 👍
Sunstars are also great from f4.
It’s such an underrated lens IMO.
p.51 #9 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
Thanks for the feedback, Imma sleep on it but I think I'll go for it... Some of the comments I got elsewhere seemed to minimize it's value solely to the size and sunstars but I've always seen a few other things in the rendering that I've liked, from the strong flare resistance to the color rendering, and I always appreciate a decently short MFD on a wide/UWA.
I think for me it'd fit just as well in my most minimal kit (21+45) as in my "large" kit (in place of my Sony 20G at times, making more room for something wider in addition, or something longer than my 75mm instead)... I think if there was an 18 just as good/small I might go in that direction for the cropping leeway, but ehh.
I had read thru the entire thread btw, I wasn't particularly worried about the mid zone dip, Fred did say multiple times it wasn't a big deal in real world images once stopped down (vs pixel peeping test shots). If anything the hard stop being seemingly calibrated to infinity or very close to it worries me more in case of sample variance (and infinity being after it)...
I'm on somewhat of a vacation though, I'll have time to test it when it arrives...
p.51 #11 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
I recently picked up this lens in M-mount. Although I didn’t buy it immediately after the review, I’ve come to realize it’s one of the best compact 21mm lenses for M-mount. The Leica 21/3.4 has a more neutral field curvature, providing more even resolution from center to corners wide open at infinity. However, since I mostly shoot stopped down, the results at infinity are similar in my experience.
At infinity, when I focus on the mid-field, this area exhibits fine resolution even wide open, though it sacrifices some sharpness in the center. The extreme corners also improve when focusing on the mid-field.
I’ll post a field curvature test soon, showing how it performs from close focus to infinity.
p.51 #12 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
It might have a habit of replacing technically better lenses. It ousted my CY 21/2.8 which scales in at around 600 grams on an adapter. The little 21/3.5 is a great 'f8 and be there' option. Very nice highlight control from the lower macro contrast I guess, and it has the Vintage line's well-balanced color. The curvature often gets lost in landscapes. I like it in misty and dim lighting too. Very easy post-processing. Many virtues!
p.51 #13 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
This is the lens that brought my love back to Voigtlander, its small, sharp, focuses fast, (Focus throw is just right), great image quality, works beautifully on the sl2s and on the m system. Some images below:
p.51 #15 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
phinix wrote:
I just bought E version to compare with my VM.
It so cool that when I set f8 and focus to hard stop, I get great sharp photos.
My previous Voigtlanders did not do that, infinity sharpness was just a mm from hard stop.
Compared to VM version it still has, but a lot less CA. However, weight wise its same, either VM and adapter or E version on my A7C. I think I will keep E version this time. I love VM for being so small, like that focusing tab etc but for this specific focal length, E feels somehow better on Sony A7C. Only that focusing ring on E feels hard to move, really has that resistance - for this I prefer VM focusing....Show more →
I believe that when using the E-mount on the Sony, you’ll notice less lateral chromatic aberration during post-processing in Lightroom, as it automatically applies profile corrections. This doesn’t happen when adapting the M-mount to the Sony, which could explain why you’re seeing less CA with the E-mount version.
p.51 #16 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
I’m updating this review to test the Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar in M-mount. I initially reviewed the E-mount version on the Sony, but I recently acquired the M-mount and have been very impressed with its performance on the 60MP Leica M11.
The mid-zone performance is surprisingly good, even wide open, when focused specifically on that area. I don’t recall seeing this level of performance with the E-mount version.
Here’s a quick crop showing the mid-zone area:
The LEFT crop shows the mid-zone with the lens focused at the center.
The RIGHT crop shows the mid-zone with the lens focused on the mid-zone itself.
This lens shows noticeable field curvature. I’ll be posting a comparison of its field curvature from close focus to infinity to show how the shape changes across the focus range.
p.51 #17 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
Impulses wrote:
.........
I think for me it'd fit just as well in my most minimal kit (21+45) as in my "large" kit (in place of my Sony 20G at times, making more room for something wider in addition, or something longer than my 75mm instead)... I think if there was an 18 just as good/small I might go in that direction for the cropping leeway, but ehh.
........
Have the CV 21 3.5 since 2019 and still love it, now pair it with my Sigma I series 45 f2.8 / 90 f2.8 for my minimalist 3 lens kit with my A7CR. Added the Sony 20 G and Tamron 20-40 f2.8 in 22/23 (mostly with A7RIV). These are my widest lenses, don't really like below 20mm, I just stitch a pano if needed. My CV 21mm is well centered and sharp, see below.
ILCE-7RM3Voigtlander COLOR-SKOPAR 21mm F3.5 Aspherical lens21mmf/5.61/400s100 ISO0.0 EV
100 % Crop
ILCE-7RM3Voigtlander COLOR-SKOPAR 21mm F3.5 Aspherical lens21mmf/5.61/400s100 ISO0.0 EV
p.51 #18 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
I did snag one (for E mount) new for $485 on eBay, I felt like it was too good a deal to pass up since it's discontinued. Haven't shot much with it yet but I'm impressed with the build quality, does everyone tend to use the hood or does it not make much difference?
p.51 #19 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
As seen above, it does beautiful blues for those who don't drop their favorite skies into their images. The hood is so petite it can't hurt. Mine is almost a part of the lens, never comes off.
It's too bad CV preferred to keep the frivolous kitsch VM versions (all three of them) with all manner of natty adjuncts, while discontinuing this fine workmanlike performer with great ergonomics. It does show where their heart is, and you ain't it. These days they would likely add 100 grams to it, just to spite the Sony base.
p.51 #20 · Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Review
It's definitely not for everyone, but I use the LH-11 hood on my CV 21/3.5 Type II M-mount (Black paint on brass) lens. Since I mostly use it on the Leica M, the larger hood doesn’t interfere with the framelines as there are no 21mm framelines.
I appreciate the vintage look of this hood --- it looks fantastic on the lens. I have a similar setup for the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron with its vintage hood, and it’s equally impressive.
