Leica Showcase Cosina Voigtländer 21/3.5 Color-Skopar

[mike3996]

The brand new, classic-design Color-Skopar is a joy in its small size and weight. The focusing is a bit fidgeting; at the same time tiny deviations don't make a difference. I had enormous fun shooting this thing, assisted by a plastic Leica 21mm viewfinder.

I just begun to wade through the shots on a big screen but readily I can say it's sharp and has a pleasant focus transitioning.

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The very first shot. At least at closer focusing distances the center is as sharp as you could possibly expect.

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The second shot had to be zone-focused of course. And turned out very well! Excellent sharpness and gentle focus roll-off. Wide open.

 

[mike3996]

Gotta love the wider angles for their support of longer exposure times!

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IIRC took this test shot at MFD at f/5.6

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And your generic UWA shot with trees top to bottom

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[mike3996]

Every shot up to (and including) this post used the built-in profile for 21mm f/2.8 ASPH lens. I could sense a small bit of magenta hue up to the corners, but it's certainly not something I personally worry about. The effect may be exaggerated in the shots where I used radical tone curving such as the next one.

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Closer focus...

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And further away. Wonderful performance, there's big croppability in these files.

Here's a full-size sample to judge, probably at f/5.6 http://fwwm.us/p/2019-06-22-13-29-MP008771.jpg

 

[mike3996]

Starting from this post, I used the Leica lens profile for 21/2.8 non-ASPH.

Looks like this profile isn't a great fit as I see some cyan edges more.

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[mike3996]

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[mike3996]

I finally came around to check if this actually benefits from the corrections at all. It doesn't.

With "21/2.8 non-ASPH" you get magenta overcorrection and with "21/2.8 ASPH" you get cyan overcorrection. It's best to leave the lens detection off, or just leave it at 35 mm or whatever you used last.

How about them sunstars

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[mike3996]

Unlike that dog dropping, this lens ain't no turd. Stupendous performance, such a compact package and everything. Like previously said, wide open at f/3.5 there's a hint of pleasant softness if you love a less digital look to your files. Just that half a stop tighter into f/4 and your eyes will bleed from all this sharpness

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[mike3996]

The light got nicer into my walk

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[mike3996]

If this particular magic this lens has, could be bottled into a 35 or 50 lens, it could be spectacular. I feel this is absolutely the most nicely behaving lens in my possession.

E: okay, the 50 Heliar f/3.5 is equally awesome in 50mm department.

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[MoonMind]

I have to say that I'm impressed with the fact that this lens doesn't seem to need (or even suggest) any kind of in-camera corrections. Well done, Voigtländer - and of course, thanks for sharing, Mike!

M.

 

[mike3996]

I have to say that I'm impressed with the fact that this lens doesn't seem to need (or even suggest) any kind of in-camera corrections. Well done, Voigtländer - and of course, thanks for sharing, Mike!

M.

Initially I used the builtin Leica lens profiles for 21/2.8 Elmarits, two different ones. But both of them only makes it worse. This is visible in posts #1-#5. Either magenta or cyan right edge. After that I came to experiment and try without one... the result is sheer perfection.

There can be a hint of barrel distortion but that'll be never corrected in the images that I post (because there's no lens corrections available for the lens). These architecture shots and others don't exhibit any.

 

[mike3996]

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[mike3996]

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