Hi folks,

I am thinking of purchasing a 21/3.4 Super Angulon and wanted to get an idea what owners of this lens think about it's performance. Any comments would be helpful.

Thanks T. Gallagher

-- Tom Gallagher (tgallagher10@yahoo.com), June 19, 2001

Answers

Tom, the lens does vignette, not only when wide open, as often stated, but even at somewhat smaller apertures. The vignetting at, say, f/5.6 will not be noticed with black and white, or even with most color shots. But When a color shot includes some blue sky all the way across the frame, the blue still becomes significantly deeper as you go towards the edges. Otherwise, the lens is sharp and I'm satisfied with mine. Of course, you can't meter with it on the M6, which can be a nuisance at times.

Regards,

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), June 19, 2001.

Tom I have one of those and Iīm quite please whit it, about vignette it is as Bobīs just said, but since I mostly do b&w it is not a big deal; you can borrow mine when ever you like so you can test it for a wile.Best regards.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 19, 2001.

Just to make sure, you're referring to the M version, not the R version. The M version is exactly as the others have said. The R version is the same lens in a different mount. But it can only be used on the original Leicaflex which had a provision for locking the mirror up. The newer R bodies can only pre-release the mirror, not permanently lock it up.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 19, 2001.

Great lens but is really only an f/4 lens as it flares too much wide open. Amazing what a half stop can do. It has astonishingly low levels of distortion. I eventually sold mine as I found the slow speed too limiting and saved my pennies for a 21/2.8A. If the f/4 limitation is not a problem why not consider the Viogtlander 21/4? It is, by all reports, a great lens and so inexpensive you could buy three or four of them for the price of one 21/3.4.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), June 19, 2001.

John:

I really prefed your "Voitina" moniker. You should trademark it and sell it to Voightlander/Cosina!

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 19, 2001.

and I'm a world-class speller!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 19, 2001.

and, I'm a world-class speller! Why do I never notice the mistakes until after I click the submit button?

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 19, 2001.

and how come the clicks that don't look like they went through, go through?

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 19, 2001.

Please remember too that all super wides (and maany other lenses for that matter) will vignette to some degree at wider apertures - its a law of optics - so not all of the vignetting is a defect - its fact of lens construction. Still some are better than others, no doubt about that.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), June 20, 2001.

Vignetting is one area where a retrofocus design is better than a symetrical design such as the 21/3.4.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), June 20, 2001.

Right. Two things you can say in favor of retrofocus lenses:

1. Even illumination across the field.

2. Sometimes it's nice to be able to see what you're doing in the finder. Although with a reflex camera, you have to give up being surprised when you get your film back.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), June 20, 2001.