[Leica] Voigtlander-Cosina wide lenses

[bruent at shaw.ca (Bruce)]

> So, I was wondering if any (or many) on this list were regular VC 
> users -
> 21mm or otherwise - and what your words of wisdom might be in the 
> regards
> these lenses.
These lenses are very good, though I found this wide-angle thing to be 
something of a slippery slope. I started with the 21mm as a wider (than 
the 35mm I mostly use) second lens for travel and walk-about 
photography (it is small and light and easy to have around). I found 
myself using it more often than I expected, which lead to curiosity and 
even craving for something even wider. Enter the 15mm, also small and 
light, more expensive, said to be much more specialized, and... I end 
up using it even more than the 21. Sometimes using it without any 
longer lens along. At this point a 50mm lens seems like a telephoto and 
with 15mm more, um, widely useable than anticipated, there was soon no 
choice but to try the 12mm- more expensive, not quite so small as to be 
unnoticed when carried along as an extra, requires a bit more thought 
in using it, but what a view! Fortunately this is the end of the 
frontier, and the 15 is my favorite of the 3.

Anyhow, if you want a 21 and can live with f4, the VC is an excellent 
option and a small investment, even if it does not stop there (the cost 
of all 3 is still less than that of a Leica 21).