Steve Spencer
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 p.31 #1 · Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 Nokton Review | |
HelBen85 wrote:
You don't have to believe what I write, it is just my opinion and of course I can have made numerous mistakes in my conclusion.
But it is bold to always assume that I have made any mistakes.
But, of course I also did a centering test. Of course I have tested focussing on center and compared the results with focussing on the corners. The problem was most obvious when focusing on the center and least visible when focusing on the corners (directly at the hardstop).
(Again, the whole pictures with my Loxia 21mm lenses were sharp, the center, the 4 corners, the midfield, but there was one (small) unsharp spot/area, only one, on one side of the pictures. Again, this happened when focussing on center, on miedfield, on corners, but I got the best result for this spot and so the most equally sharp picture when focus was directly at the hardstop. Same with all testet Loxia 21mm lenses.)
(No problems with my Loxia 50mm, from f.5.6 on completely and equally sharp over the entire image when focussed a tad before the hardstop.)
Both the dealer and later Zeiss themselves took the lenses back and replaced them as defective, based on my description of the error and my test pictures.
Zeiss first checked the lens itself extensively and first claimed that the error was due to a mechanical effect on the lens I sent in and that it could be repaired. Of course there was no mechanical impact. When I then sent Zeiss the additional test images, which I made immediately upon receipt of the lens and of other (Zeiss Loxia 21mm) lenses, I received a checked new goodwill replacement copy without further comment.
The exchange copy had the same problem, but not nearly as bad and noticeable as the others.
Again, because it somehow doesn't seem clear for you: I don't care whether it's a lens design flaw or a technical problem on my part or what's the reason for.
With all 21mm Loxias it was impossible to get a completely sharp landscape photo (with very good sharpness from about 2 meters away to infinity). No matter which aperture, no matter what was focused on.
The Voigtlander can do that. I test my lenses so that the entire image is filled with fine structures at a greater distance, so I can also find small blured areas/spots. The Voigtländer does not have this. Of course, the Voigtländer has not the same amount of sharpness over the entire image, but the less sharper parts are not that bad than with the Zeiss. I also tested several different Voigtlander 21mm Noktons, one was poorly centered and another one was generally less sharp than the Loxia. However, none of the Voigtlanders had that problem.
So now I finally have a 21mm lens that - if I focus it properly - is (reasonably) evenly sharp over the whole image.
If you can do that with the Loxia, congratulations.
But believe me, I had at least one Loxia here (checked directly by Zeiss and checked directly by my contact person at Zeiss) that Zeiss considered to be error-free and I was not able with that to do what is possible with the Voigtländer and you wouldn't have that either because I've tried focussing on every distance.
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Thank you for your report. I have had two Loxia 21 lenses, both of them allow sharp landscape image with the whole view in focus from 2M to infinity at f/6.3 to f/8. In other words both of my Loxia 21 lenses do what you want. I also have a Voigtlander 21 f/1.4 that does what you want. For me at least both lenses do what you are asking. Sorry you have had bad luck with your Loxia lenses, but I don't think that means that all Loxia lenses have the problem you have encountered or that even a big proportion of them do.
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The rendering of the voigtlander and zeiss tho are my favorite.
