Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/06/28

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Subject: [Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH
From: john at mcmaster.co.nz (John McMaster)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:05:57 +0000
References: <CA2FC4B4.DF41%manolito@videotron.ca> <CA3008FC.10F49%mark@rabinergroup.com>, <20110628231041.7cbad1da@linux-xljf.site>

He also says "It does not bear the Leica badge with full honour." on 
http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/lenses/lenses/lenses/page86.html

john
________________________________________


Your boy Erwin seems to write favorably about the 21mm Elmarit and
whatever he says is right, correct? So how could it be a dog?

"Look at the distortion graphs for the Elmarit-M and Elmarit-M ASPH
lenses. The curve of the Elmarit looks better as the distortion at the
fringe of the image area becomes zero, where the ASPH version shows
more distortion." Erwin Puts

He does go on to explain about the curve and how the two different
lenses appear differently with regard to distortion.
There are better corrected lenses than the Elmarit M 21mm but here we
again see that it's all about one's opinion. Some opinions are based
upon what is read about a lens not actual usage in this very case.

So maybe it's not a dog.

Phil Forrest



On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:41:00 -0400
Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> There is plenty wrong with the 21 per ASPH its incredibly high degree
> of distortion is the main one. The Zeiss is way way better corrected
> on all accounts. Its not a better deal its a better lens. By far.
> When Leica's 21 came out it was a well known dog. People continued
> to  use their super Angulons on a camera without a meter. Or just
> used a  hand held meter.
> But the ASPH version changed that. The ASPH version was a way whole
> different ball game.  Instead of being dismal; it was terrific.
> Probalby the best 21 out there certainly better than Canon Nikon.
>
> There is no reason to buy a pre ASPH 21. None. Other then someone's
> giving you one for 10 bucks and you're making pictures for you blind
> grandmother. It does not have creamier tones preferred by experts who
> don't like supposedly ASPH's.
> Its got nothing. You can use the meter with it.
> Its the last 21 you'd ever want to use. You're better off with
> offerings from Canon or Nikon or Minolta or Pentax.
> Tamron. Spirotone.
> Even an M8 deserves a better lens than this on the front of it.
>
>
> Mark William Rabiner
>
>
>
> > From: Emanuel Lowi <manolito at videotron.ca>
> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> > Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:49:41 -0400
> > To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH
> >
> > The 21/2.8 Elmarit-M is probably the least loved of the Leica M
> > 21s, but it's playing in some tough company. The 21/3.4 was such a
> > classic and a hard act to follow, but a new lens was needed to
> > allow TTL metering with cameras from the M5 and afterwards.
> >
> > There's nothing desperately wrong with the 21/2.8 E-M -- many fine
> > photos have been made with it -- and if you can get one in great
> > condition at a bargain price (say, under $1K), it's a good choice.
> >
> > I bet the Zeiss ZM 21/2.8 is also a great value.
> >
> > For me, 21s are lenses for crowded and cramped interiors, so f2.8
> > as a maximum aperture is very useful indeed.
> >
> > These two pictures were taken with the 21/2.8 ASPH, the first under
> > the Arctic sea ice at low tide, the second inside an igloo:
> >
> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/emanuellowi/Nunavik-Inuit/5_G.jpg.html
> >
> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/emanuellowi/Nunavik-Inuit/17_G.jpg.html
> >
> > Emanuel
> >


Replies: Reply from drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers) ([Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH)
Reply from sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter) ([Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH)
In reply to: Message from manolito at videotron.ca (EPL) ([Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH)
Message from photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Philip Forrest) ([Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH)