LEICA 21MM ELMARIT - TOO WIDE FOR A LEICA?!

Thank you to West Yorkshire Cameras for letting me borrow the lens in today's video make sure you check them out!

In today's video we try out a 21mm leica lens! Is it just too wide to be worthwhile? Or does this focal length deserve some space in my kit! Thats what we find out!

[derCrummel]

Earlier this year I picked up a Voigtländer 21mm f3.5, just before a weekend trip to Paris - and I loved it! f8, zone focussing, just point and shoot. Just like you I only rarely could be bothered to use the Visoflex, I just assumed to get a bit more room around what I saw, and it was fine. True, sometimes it is too wide and while that is a good thing in narrow city streets, you have to live with distortions.

[omarknowsphotos]

I didn't care for black and white photography in general until these monochrome videos. I'm tempted to try it out myself and see what changes. Love the shots here!

[RumoHasIt]

So, as a landscape painter and photographer, Im constantly struggling to find focal lengths wide enough to capture everything I want. The 21 has been awesome for that, but I agree it's just too wide for every day documenting or detail snap shots. I was considering selling it because of this.... But the photo at 4:06 has just convinced me I absolutely need to keep it! I agree, there can be too much color distraction with the 21, but shooting in B&W fixes so much of that!! Thank you so much for this video!!

[vampolascott]

I shot street scenes in Tokyo with a Voigtlander 21mm Nokton E-mount lens and I got fantastic results that I’m really proud of. It’s also my go to landscape lens.

[ocphish]

Another interesting video. Always a pleasure to see new content from you. Thanks.

[garymc]

I enjoy using my 21mm Biogon hip shooting for low angle, hyper focusing at f8. Great for candids.

[blende.]

I like my 21 a lot. I don’t need an option to frame it correctly. I use my viewfinder and open both eyes to make my composition, that works perfectly for me.

[Seapatico]

One thing I've found about shooting 21mm on the M10 is that the metering struggles mightily. As a wedding photographer I often use aperture priority, and although the M10 always struggles with that, it seems to REALLY struggle when the sky is always in the image. So I've had to shoot manual exposure almost exclusively, which in fast moving situations I find to be a bit bothersome.

But I agree totally on the appeal of monochrome when using the 21! Great video!

[devroombagchus]

Thanks! I agree with your summary. This is what I already have with my 24mm version. Great, but not very versatile. So for travel, the first one to stay at home.

[anotherguycalledsmith]

1:54 The red color light of your ”On Air“ sign looks better in the reflection on your Mac than the neon sign itself — yes, I know it is tricky with ND filters for video production, I haven't tried it yet myself either…

Thank you for your _excellent_ videos, choice of topics — and your normal and friendly way presenting it ;-)

[koobs]

I love shooting wide, I’ve always enjoyed shooting at 24mm especially. I have a Q2 Monochrom & it’s supposed to be 28mm but it feels much closer to 24mm to me. I have a Ricoh GR III Diary Edition on order & after watching this, I definitely want to pick up the wide angle adapter to take it to 21mm.

[GamachePhoto]

21mm and wider are lenses for that 1 or 2 shots at events or receptions to show the crowd size or overhead shots, and then back in the bag. You did good with the tree photo, awesome picture.

[photos_to_onesandzeros]

Those photos look amazing, especially the tree one

[lensman]

I have a 21mm Elmarit M ASPH, a 21mm Zeiss Biogon G, a Nikkor AIS 20mm F2.8 and I love the 20/21mm perspective. It is the closest to the FOV of a human eye ( forget all that crap about the 50mm mimicking the human eye, it is absolute nonsesne ) and to me offers one of the most natural perspectives a lens could give. With a 21mm you really do need an external viewer, though.

[luxdalet]

Cool video mate!
Hyped for where that trip will be.
Cheers!

[Narsuitus]

On my 35mm SLR I shot the following:
24mm f/2 Nikkor
35mm f/1.4 Nikkor
85mm f/1.4 Nikkor

On my 35mm Contax G1 rangefinder I shot the following:
21mm f/2.8 Zeiss with Contax accessory viewfinder
45mm f/2 Zeiss
90mm f/2.8 Zeiss

Based on my Nikon and Contax experience, when I purchased my Leica M6, I purchased the following lenses:
21mm f/1.4 Leitz (use with Contax accessory viewfinder)
35mm f/1.4 Zeiss
90mm f/2 Leitz

[johngreenwood]

Hi - Like you, I never liked using the Elmarit-R (yes, that's right - not an "M" lens) on my Leica R5, and sold it, soon after purchase, way back in the 90's.
However recently while adapting my retained Leica "R" 28&50mm lenses to my Sony A9 camera, I've been wondering whether the "R" series 21mm lenses might be an interesting option - from memory my "R" series lens focussed closer, and I've become more used to the 24mm & wider focal lengths, offered by the latest wide angle zooms, and try and ensure that there is an interesting foreground in the image - definitely requires a different technique, than photographing with 28mm glass.
Have you any experience with the "R" series, 21mm lens.

[bubbachua]

jumping on here for more monochrome vids

[HeathHolden]

I have a 21mm Super-Elmar and am using it on an M262, M10M and an SL3 and it's absolutely stunning. If you imagine the very extent of the viewfinder edges, that's about the frame, not spot on, but damn close within reason.