Voigtlander 20mm f3.5 Nikon Fit Color-Skopar Lens

I looked at the canon version before as an option, but reviews led me to decide that I wouldn't be happy with the edge sharpness.
How many folk do you know who own the voigtlander lens? I think that says it all.
Samyang are better but they don't do a 20 or 21mm as yet.
 
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canon_togger said:
I looked at the canon version before as an option, but reviews led me to decide that I wouldn't be happy with the edge sharpness.
How many folk do you know who own the voigtlander lens? I think that says it all.
Samyang are better but they don't do a 20 or 21mm as yet.
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Film users seem to rate them but not met anyone using a modern digital system using one. I was browsing looking for contact details for the vendor who sold me the ziess, I'll need to make contact as the softness in the corners is driving me up the wall - even more so given what I paid for it, and then I started browsing...
 
I have a Canon mount Voigtlander but it's the 40mm Ultron. Build quality and optics are excellent and the focus ring is perfect for a manual focus lens. I think that the lack popularity is simply that auto focus is "a must" for most people nowadays. Pure MF lenses surpass AF lenses (generally) for manual focus usage due to the increased throw of the focus ring and the dampening....video users will benefit from these attributes.

In short, it may not be the lens for you but don't discount it simply due to the fact that it's not mainstream.

Bob
 
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I've got a ziess MF, I prefer manual focus as I can check the focus in live view and enhance it check, its fine. It doesn't look too pricey for a wide lens I could get the use of. I'll think on it and get my ziess repaired/looked at also.
 
I can't imagine that the Voigtlander 20mm fronts up to the Zeiss 21mm but I'm stating that from a position of ignorance.

Bob
 
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what would you pay for a AIS 20mm f2.8 on Ebay - I think that i've got one somewhere - I'll have a go with it

(Edit - just looked on my spread sheet, mines a 24mm f2.8)
 
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ST4 said:
Film users seem to rate them but not met anyone using a modern digital system using one. I was browsing looking for contact details for the vendor who sold me the ziess, I'll need to make contact as the softness in the corners is driving me up the wall - even more so given what I paid for it, and then I started browsing...
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Interesting, I had the same issue with one I won on ebay, the corners were like mush. The seller took it back and I recently won another which is much better. Lovely lens and very sharp in the centre. I think personally I would skip the Voigtlander and pay the £100 or so for the Nikon 20mm 1.8.
 
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ST4 said:
the softness in the corners is driving me up the wall - even more so given what I paid for it, and then I started browsing...
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Oh dear... not even Zeiss is immune to this problem. I could bet it will never get fixed to your satisfaction other than the original factory that built it. I also wouldn't bet on a cheapo 20mm old lens being very good for ultra-high res digital sensor. Maybe sell the lot and buy Hassy before christmas (they have some nice discounts right now). You don't need that S-class, do you?
 
daugirdas said:
Oh dear... not even Zeiss is immune to this problem. I could bet it will never get fixed to your satisfaction other than the original factory that built it. I also wouldn't bet on a cheapo 20mm old lens being very good for ultra-high res digital sensor. Maybe sell the lot and buy Hassy before christmas (they have some nice discounts right now). You don't need that S-class, do you?
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I need a car though. My current fund would maybe allow body, back and lens but I'd totally be without funds for a car unless a leased one...

Hey...you might be onto something or maybe I should just get it fixed, sell it and get a 14-24 and SW150 system
 
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ST4 said:
I need a car though. My current fund would maybe allow body, back and lens but I'd totally be without funds for a car unless a leased one...

Hey...you might be onto something or maybe I should just get it fixed, sell it and get a 14-24 and SW150 system
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Don't forget Pentax 645Z. It is a baby MF but still way better than any 35mm.

A 14-24mm sounds good, but don't forget it can flare like hell with the sun near the frame... It just means you have to compose around it and may not get some shots.

P.S. A car doesn't have to mean MF money. A nice 5-year old VAG or Ford would do you just fine :)
 
daugirdas said:
Don't forget Pentax 645Z. It is a baby MF but still way better than any 35mm.

A 14-24mm sounds good, but don't forget it can flare like hell with the sun near the frame... It just means you have to compose around it and may not get some shots.

P.S. A car doesn't have to mean MF money. A nice 5-year old VAG or Ford would do you just fine :)
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I do shot away from the sun a fair chunk of the time, mostly, but I would use the lens for sunsets etc. The Ziess simply resisted flare brilliantly. I'd rather get it fixed to be honest as if they can get it acceptable sharp in the corners I'd be delighted with it. I'd rather keep the 35mm format stuff for now and look at medium format if/when the need arises. The Pentax gear isn't a million miles off what I've shelled out already, and would rather run this gear for a few years, get my money out of it, then look at Medium format stuff.
 
daugirdas said:
What happened to your Zeiss? Physical damage or just Canon syndrome?
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Never dropped it or anything. I was shooting Glasgow cityscapes and just went into 100% view to check and could see really mushy edges and fine in the centre.

It's getting sent back tomorrow. It's under warranty. Their problem not mine. I'm sure they'll fix it, it's very obvious and a lens of that calibre just won't do that to that extent. You can see a slight softening with my 24-70 at the edges but very slight, this is blurring. It'll be outwith their spec and they'll fix it. If they can't, they'll have to give me another.

In this image the full res is soft in that whole lhs building and upto the 1st support of the bridge, the rest is sharp as hell. Shot at F8

http://flic.kr/p/qdPMv7

The vendor asked me to get the lens to them ASAP as they're sending a Ziess 25mm back...maybe your canon got infected with Ziess disease?
 
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