Andrew CD
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
|
 p.3 #5 · Voigtlander 21mm f/4 VM Color-Skopar. Any good? | |
Fred Miranda wrote:
Yes, both the Leica 21/3.4 and CV 21/3.5 are excellent choices. The Leica performs better in the mid-field area, but they're pretty much equal at the center and not too different at the extreme corners. When stopped down to f/8, you shouldn't notice much difference, and the Voigtlander produces more defined sunstars. For those using the lens on both Leica M and Sony sensors, the Voigtlander is a much better option.
I'll try out the CV 21/4 just to see how it compares. I'm intrigued because it has a similar optical design to the Zeiss 21/4.5 Biogon.
Unless there’s a specific reason you’re interested in a smaller Voigtlander 21mm, why not try the ZM Biogon f/4.5 itself? 
As it happens, I have been keen to find a copy of the ZM f/4.5 for some time, to complement my CV f/1.4. (Ultimately, my aim is to have a Leica kit comprising the 3.4/21 SEM, 1.4/50 Summilux Asph and 2.0/90 Summicron APO but, right now, I’d simply like a good quality, much cheaper and small 21mm.) I’ve been kicking myself for not buying one that Jo Geier in Vienna were selling last year but have just picked up what appears to be an excellent copy, in mint condition, for only £450 (UK pounds).
I realise that the ZM has big colour shift (smearing) problems on some Leica digitals but it does seem fine on the M11 (and, I presume, the M10-R, too?). This was confirmed by member lct on the Leica forum just over a year ago:
https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/349946-c-biogon-2145-on-m11/#comment-4590829
I’m not where I usually try out new kit in the Scottish Highlands, and the weather here (Herefordshire in the west of England, near the Welsh border) has been dire, but here are a couple of snaps. Both wide open; for each, the first image is unprocessed (M11 profile, LR default sharpening), the second has the lens correction profile applied. The final crop screenshot is 400%.
As expected, there is fairly significant vignetting, that’s no problem as far as I'm concerned. I’m not sure how visible it will be viewing thee images on the forum, but I was slightly surprised to see — when flipping between the as-shot and ‘corrected’ brick wall images on my bigger screen in LR — that the lens profile does seem to adjust the shape of the image slightly, as if it’s trying to correct slight radial distortion (which I was not expecting would be a problem with this lens, although it’s perfectly possible that may have done something wrong). I’ll look at the profile later.
If it would be of interest, I could try doing a comparison with the lens on a Sony A7R IV, using the Novoflex NEX M/E-mount adapter, maybe this coming weekend. I’ve no idea whether the colour shift problem would manifest itself on the Sony stack, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it does.
Andrew
Wide open, no adjustments (M11 profile, default sharpening)
LEICA M11 Zeiss C Biogon T* 4.5/21 ZM lens 21mm f/4.8 1/500s 64 ISO 0.0 EV
Lens correction profile applied
LEICA M11 Zeiss C Biogon T* 4.5/21 ZM lens 21mm f/4.8 1/500s 64 ISO 0.0 EV
Wide open, no adjustments (M11 profile, default sharpening)
LEICA M11 Zeiss C Biogon T* 4.5/21 ZM lens 21mm f/4.8 1/500s 64 ISO 0.0 EV
Lens correction profile applied
LEICA M11 Zeiss C Biogon T* 4.5/21 ZM lens 21mm f/4.8 1/500s 64 ISO 0.0 EV
400% crop (screenshot)
|
