[Leica] 21mm Lens Questions

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> Frank,
> I will echo Henning's comments.  The Biogon is a very sharp, well
> built lens.  So, if you can live shooting at 4.5 then that is the lens
> to get.  If you need 2.8 then I would hunt around for used 21 ASPH
> lenses.  The Zeiss 21 2.8 is very good out 1/2 way but resolution
> falls off in the outer fields wide open.  By 4.5 it is good all the
> way but then why not get the Biogon?
> 
>

I just did a shoot last Monday the 17th in which I made about 250 exposures
with a 12-24 f4 zoom Nikkor and that translates to an 18 to 35.

A good many of my captures were in the 21mm equivalent area of course.
I was both outside in the bright sunlight and back and forth going inside
into dark rooms. Then back again.

I had my camera set up for AUTO ISO
the ISO set for 100.
It was allowed to go up to 1600 if the shutter speeds needed were lower than
a 30th.
I had the mode set to Aperture priority "A" and the lens stopped down one to
5.6.
A few times indoors I opened it up a bit.

Out of all those exposures, 250, I may have missed my focus once maybe.

I saw when I got back that for much of it I had it set not at 5.6 but at f5!
That's only a half stop down from f4, the widest setting on the lens.
Nothing out of focus worth mentioning. And if it was it looked better that
way. Some slightly soft backgrounds.

To me shooting ultra wide is not about small very fast glass or stopping way
down its about moderate f stops.

Blazingly moderate.


F5.6 and be there.
I hear that's the movie guys favorite f stop.


Mark William Rabiner
rabinergroup.com