First couple rolls with the 25mm Snapshot Skopar [Archive]

Disaster_Area

03-24-2010, 05:58

binky

03-24-2010, 10:15

these look good! I like the indoor shots.

can I ask what your experience was using the 25mm indoors? It probably wouldn't occur to me to go this wide inside with a f4 lens (I was uneasy with the 15mm as well)

john

paulfish4570

03-24-2010, 10:20

you resting the body on a chair or table or something? dandy shots ...

Jamie Pillers

03-24-2010, 10:24

These images are outstanding! What film are you using?

FPjohn

03-24-2010, 10:34

Excellent!

Disaster_Area

03-24-2010, 10:36

Thanks all,

All those shots were shot on Legacy Pro 400@320 (Fuji Neopan) souped in Rodinal 1:100 stand dev for one hour... 3 inversions at 30min.

As for the internal shots...

Shot #1 was shot with my elbows braced on a table 1/8th or 1/15th of a second.

Shot #2 was shot handheld at 1/15th of a second

I find the 25mm is a dream inside... I can easily shoot handheld as low as 1/8th and still get sharp negs. I found the 15mm tough inside as well as the distortion can get overwhelming in tight quarters but the 25mm is great.

Tom A

03-24-2010, 16:02

The Snap Shot Skopar was the first lens that Mr Kobayashi had made. It was in 1999 - and to say that he has been prolific is an understatement. He certainly changed the rangefinder users world for the better.
I still have my Snap Shot Skopar and use it quite often. Usually on the Zeiss SW or a Bessa L. Great lens, sharp and nice contrast - and it makes it fun sometimes to shoot. Just aim it in the general direction and fire!
The story is that he wanted a "snap shot Elmar" but as that one only exists as a couple of prototypes - he decided to make his own. I have seen shots from the original Snap Shot Elmar and the Cosina version is better!

paulfish4570

03-24-2010, 16:06

this lens may go on my watch list ...

raid

03-24-2010, 16:19

This thread convinced me to take with me the CV 25/4 on my trip to Cairo.

Thanks. Great shots!

back alley

03-24-2010, 16:42

i much prefer a 25 to a 28, they are close but the 25 just has a nice 'edge' to the images.
the cv 25 is a great lens, good sharpness and contrast and it does a wonderful job on an rd1 as well.

reala_fan

03-24-2010, 16:50

I agree the indoor shots here with the Snapshot Skopar are wonderful. I love my 25mm f4 too. It's fantastically sharp.

I am also a fan of the 'detent zone focus' that it employs. Wish all my lenses had the detents (coupled or not).

...

capitalK

03-24-2010, 17:19

I would love to try it sometime. The VC 21mm f/4 Color-Skopar is nice and my 2nd most-used lens but sometimes I feel like I could really like a 24mm or 25mm.

-doomed-

03-24-2010, 17:34

I love the 25/4 , its fun indoors with 1600 film. It lives on my IIIf I use it on my m4-p with the 28 framelines which seem pretty close ( i wear glasses so the framing is sort of hit or miss) , but once youve used the thing you get an idea of the FOV and the 28 FL's appear to be the full VF for me.

Disaster_Area

03-24-2010, 17:39

It's quickly becoming one of my most used lens... my standard walk around kit is now the 25mm on my R3A for quick shots in aperture priority and either my 35mm Ultron or one of my 50's on my M2. I had tried the 21mm but found it fell into the same category as my 15mm... still just a BIT too wide. I don't know why but I seemed to be able to visualize the framing of this lens pretty well after only a few rolls, while some focal lengths I'm still struggling to estimate after using them for years. I also love the fact that unlike my 15mm I don't have to worry so much about making sure I'm shooting perfectly level... I don't know whether that's a feature of design or just the focal length. When I first got this lens I thought I'd lament the fact that it's not faster, but since I rarely use it below f8 anyways it hasn't been a problem.

gb hill

03-24-2010, 17:58

I never even thought of using mine indoors! now you got me wanting to load a roll of Arista Premium (TriX) Don't have any Legacy Pro. Fantastic shots btw!

gb hill

03-24-2010, 18:00

this lens may go on my watch list ...

A bessa L makes a fabulous rear lens cap for this lens!

Doug

03-24-2010, 18:47

The SnapShot Skopar was my first lens when getting back into RF photography with a Bessa-L, and it was extremely useful on a subsequent trip to southern Spain. What a fine little lens... Here's a more recent example on a Bessa R4A, which of course has handy 25mm framelines...

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/../photopost/data/500/070514-24.jpg

BillBingham2

03-24-2010, 19:46

The 25 was my favorite carry everywhere lens on a Bessa L. I got it with an L and a 15/4.5 many years back. The price for the whole kit was too good to pass up. I shot all my family stuff with the 25, street stuff, it was a very surprising lens. I owned a 21/2.8 Elmarit and never liked it. My old 24/2.8 on my Nikkormat turned heads into foot balls too often but the snapshot was not like any other wide I have ever owned.

I had one for my Ms and then for my Nikon range finders. It was my wide for my 3 lens S2 kit. 25 from CV and then 50/1.4 and 105/2.5 where Nikkors. While I loved the 15 for dramatic lines, the 25 was an every thing lens.

I'm very happy Pres K came out with the R4X and an M mount 25, I only wish he had not done away with the snap shot bumps for crazy users like me.

Great shots and welcome to the club CV 25 lovers. Forget the softies, we should get a hat for us!

B2 (;->

Disaster_Area

03-24-2010, 19:53

Maybe I just haven't learned to take advantage of the click stops yet... but I find myself wishing they would have instead made three click stops for the hyperfocal distances of f5.6, f8 and f11.... f16 isn't needed because it approaches the everythings-in-focus range and I never shoot hyperfocal at f4.

Disaster_Area

03-26-2010, 10:16

I'm using this lens so much I'm really thinking of picking up an Bessa L as a dedicated 15mm/25mm body.

Austerby

03-26-2010, 11:30

I like using mine on my IIIa - it's a perfect Barnack lens and the external viewfinder obviates the awkward viewfinder of these ancient cameras. Pop one of these on the front and it's rejuvenated - small, light with that satisfying Leica mechanicalness and now a great modern lens on the front.

I also like the Snapshot Skopar on my M8.

MISH

03-26-2010, 11:59

i had this lens and did not seem to be using it much so traded it for a 28 for my contax ..... well when i started going through the photos i had taken the last couple of years iwas startled to see how many of my favorite shots were taken with this lens, so i decided that i need another one. I jusst got the second one about two weeks ago and I am having a ball rediscovering this lens. not sure why i had slowed down using it but i will not be making that mistake again.
and hey , head bartender or anybody from voightlander if you are listening, I especially love the clickstop focus and would pay extra to have this feature on some of my other lenses. It cetainly speeds up my shooting process. And yes it looks pretty good on my bessa L but looks even better on my Leica Standard.(BTW the inside shots are inspiring.... think I will be taking it with me when I go out tonight)

finguanzo

03-26-2010, 12:08

Does anyone know if there is a difference between the snapshot and the color skopar? Is it the same glass in different cases.? Thanks

Disaster_Area

03-26-2010, 12:14

As far as I know it's the exact same optics on all the 25mms

marduk

03-26-2010, 13:28

As far as I know it's the exact same optics on all the 25mms
Yes.
BTW I've had a Snapshot Skopar and found that focusing and aperture rings were too loose for my taste. I kept moving them accidentally. Are they all built this way or that was just my sample that needed some adjusting?

Richard G

03-26-2010, 20:15

Love the 25mm focal length. I have the Zeiss Biogon, which is much bigger. Your inspiration regarding how slow you can go with f4 is encouraging as this is such a great compact lens and the hood is also compact. By the time I have the Biogon, hood and finder rigged up on an M2 it's a fair size and weight.

reala_fan

03-26-2010, 20:40

Yes.
BTW I've had a Snapshot Skopar and found that focusing and aperture rings were too loose for my taste. I kept moving them accidentally. Are they all built this way or that was just my sample that needed some adjusting?

Yes, I think your sample needed adjusting. Mine is not loose or sloppy to focus or for the aperture adjustment.

Here is a sample from my Snapshot Skopar 25/4:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3433/3988712060_687d4a4b0e_o.jpg

...

marduk

03-27-2010, 10:24

Yes, I think your sample needed adjusting. Mine is not loose or sloppy to focus or for the aperture adjustment.

Here is a sample from my Snapshot Skopar 25/4:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3433/3988712060_687d4a4b0e_o.jpg

...
Thanks. And a great photo too!

tajart

03-27-2010, 10:34

i've had a couple different snapshots, chrome and then black; sold one to a friend then bought it back, then traded it for a black one...foolishly sold it...but last week bought the current m-mount version and it hasn't been off the camera. just finishing up a couple weeks of travel so will post something soon, image wise. it feels so good as a fov and i love the compact nature of it. it is a great little street lens.

taffy

03-28-2010, 06:18

I picked this lens up a couple weeks ago, so far I absolutely love it. I've been trying to find the perfect lens for street photography... the 15 is stupidly easy to zone focus but too wide most times and has too much distortion for shooting people close up. My 35mm Ultron is good, but harder to zone focus and a bit too tight for my taste in a lot of situations. The 25mm seems to be the perfect compromise.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4458749338_6326f22d58.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbhildebrand/4458749338/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4458728870_1f2544fae5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbhildebrand/4458728870/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4458774726_9cb3d7c693.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbhildebrand/4458774726/)

Thanks for posting this! I just go back into shooting and while I bought, the 25/4 two years ago almost, I've never really used it. This weekend I went out and shot 7 rolls!

Setting the focus takes a little getting used to (I shoot on the R2A) but I tend to set the default at infinity and pull the lever back and count clicks (10 feet, 5 feet, 3 feet). Can i safely leave this at 5.6 and 2 meters and get most things relatively in focus?

Did you shoot the indoor shot at f4? The photos look great.

taffy

03-28-2010, 06:29

Very nice, Reala_Fan!

ruby.monkey

03-28-2010, 06:46

I have the Snapshot-Skopar as the 'normal' lens for my MDa, for times when the 12mm is too wide for my mood, and it's a superb walkabout lens. I also had its S-mount sibling, the SC Skopar, when I was still playing with a couple of Nikon S2s. What I hadn't realised was that it has a quick-focus feature whereby the focus mechanism disengaged if you twist the barrel quickly. Scared the bejeezus out of me the first time I caused it to happen.

Disaster_Area

03-28-2010, 07:09

Did you shoot the indoor shot at f4? The photos look great.

The indoor shots were both shot wide open... outdoors I usually shoot at f11 or f16 with 400 speed film.

tritiated

04-01-2010, 04:04

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3230719183_e4633135ea.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/3231567204_7022ef02cf.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2590/4147341020_cbea180204.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/3947023863_226b1a0ab7.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3231573852_81236bc9c5.jpg

I really like mine, good in the tight london streets - indoors (pubs), forest -wherever! Recently got a Bessa L to weld it on with Fomapan 400@800 in heavy rotation. So much fun.

Does anyone have a single bad thing to say about the little beast?

newspaperguy

04-01-2010, 04:29

One more vote for the 25 on the L.

Fabulous combo. Love the external exposure display.

Bill58

04-01-2010, 05:26

My 25 Canon is my favorite street shooting lens set at f/5.6.

Disaster_Area

04-02-2010, 16:40

@tritiated

Lovely color shots... I've only used mine for black and white so far, I'll have to run a roll of superia through it soon :)

taffy

04-13-2010, 05:53

Some more VC 25/4 shots. Shot on a Bessa R2A and Lucky 200 film. Straight Scans (not very good ones though).

Palm Sunday:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2489/4517254417_a2ff477739_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4517261291_4cc869f2f2_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4517260945_17dcd66c3f_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2678/4517888834_39f65f07eb_b.jpg

Saturdays at the Park:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4518008618_7c589f94db_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4517330975_d4b76bf159_b.jpg

nightfly

04-13-2010, 07:19

I love these. The de-saturated color and field of view really work.

Nice shooting.

Some more VC 25/4 shots. Shot on a Bessa R2A and Lucky 200 film. Straight Scans (not very good ones though).

Bogotron

04-13-2010, 07:49

Great images, I especially like that first one - I share a similar love for the 25mm snapshot skopar, since borrowing it from a friend my 40 Summicron has been used far less often. It's really easy to zone focus (much more room for error than the 40, and I tend to take a lot of quick shots so it's great for that). 25mm is a great focal length for street shooting. Very nice results in black and white. I just wish it was a stop faster. I think if I decide to buy a 25 it will be the ZM Biogon.

K14

04-13-2010, 19:37

My snapshot came with me to a visit to New York last week. The lens ended up on my Zorki 1c. Eastman Double X @ISO200 using standard D76 developer, these negatives looked like chromes hanging on the line. This lens is very special not to part with.

Registry Room (Ellis Island)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2800/4519867620_02d3f4af53.jpg

Downtown Manhattan

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4519867614_84e42ca2d1.jpg

nightfly

04-14-2010, 05:26

kossi008

04-14-2010, 05:55

Thanks for the thread! I do not own the 25 and am not planning to get one, but you ARE encouraging me to shoot my 28 and 21 Skopars indoors more often! :D

MISH

04-24-2010, 11:30

as I said before i just love this lens, I bought mine before going to New York to visit my daughter and here are a example from the first couple of rolls I shot with it

randomtheng

04-28-2010, 18:21

Doug

04-28-2010, 18:30

The Voigtlander 25mm f/4 Snapshot Skopar is not RF-coupled. Thus it has detents at several useful places in the focusing ring, and thus the "snapshot" name. The more recent one has an M-mount, is RF coupled, and named "Color Skopar".

To focus the Snapshot Skopar, you visually guage the distance to the subject, set that distance on the lens, and shoot. Unless you're wide open at a short distance, the depth of field with this wide lens is sufficient to cover modest errors in focus.

You can make good use of the depth-of-field scale on the lens to ensure your subject is within the range for the selected f/stop, and the focus click stops are handy for setting these distances by feel alone. Great lens, have fun!

reala_fan

04-28-2010, 18:31

Hi guys, a question regarding this lens. I just got it yesterday, however, mine isn't rangefinder coupled. So how do i focus properly when i want to take a shot? if your 25mm snapshots are also not rangefinder coupled, please enlighten me!

Thanks.
yt

It uses 'Zone Focusing'. The 25mm lens has lots of depth of field (areas that will be sharp...no critical focus needed).

You usually use a 25mm lens to take in 'the big scene'. Use the click stops on the lens. The first click stop from infinity works for most all 'big scene' shots. If you get closer...use the next over click stop.

Here is the 1st click stop at f4 (wide open)....very sharp...as I said...no need for critical focus (which makes the lens a blast to use):

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/gallery/26136/U26136I1227395137.SEQ.0.jpg

.

zgeeRF

04-28-2010, 18:47

This lens is one of my favorites. So sharp and very useful.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3437/3391598554_312e8e4af8.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zgee/3391598554/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/2912944821_29c664c316.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zgee/2912944821/

Bob Michaels

04-28-2010, 18:50

Anyone have one of these and the CV 28 3.5? I really like the look of this lens but since I already have the CV 28 pretty much glued to my camera, I'm wondering if the difference is enough to justify this one.

I have both, plus the CV 21mm. I keep thinking I should not need 28, 25 and 21mm lenses. Especially since I typically shoot one lens all day. But I do use all of them and can't bear to part with any one of them.

I find the 28mm and the 25mm to have significantly different FOV's. The 28mm is a "normal on the wide side" for me while the 25mm seems to be more like a true wide angle lens. I frequently go to shoot with only the 28 knowing that I can deal with just about anything. But I will only set out with the 25mm when I know I am going to be in crowded situations.

I should mention that I am probably not the norm to which others should use for calibration.

BillBingham2

04-28-2010, 19:18

......if your 25mm snapshots are also not rangefinder coupled, please enlighten me! yt

Not a problem, all you need to do is learn four different distances from where you are, and one you already know.

The snap-shot version (the one you have and I did too) has three little dents inside on the focusing mechanism. The dents are at 1, 1.5 and 3 meters. With the little chrome screw you spin the dial and you will feel the stops. The fourth distance you need to learn is infinity (the one you know now), done. Take out a tape measure and a strand of rope, place some knots at 0, 1 meter, 1.5 meter and 3 meters and practice estimating distance. As you walk, estimate and test ever so often.

When you combine the great DOF with the lens you do not have to be perfect. If you want to get wild and crazy you might want to learn another distance, learn 6 meters too. There's not a click stops but it rocks when you want do slightly longer shots. It's on the lens so it makes it easy to hit. I did not do 6 meter as I already was pretty good at 15 feet (years of shooting basket ball in High School). That was close enough for me.

I love the 25 so much that I bought one for my S2 when I moved to Nikon RFs. My kit was a 25 CV and a 50/1.4 and 105/2.5 Nikkors. It ROCKED.

Hope this helps.

B2 (;->

randomtheng

04-28-2010, 20:55

wow... thanks for the info guys! will try it out asap and come back with the results!

bessa R and 25 snapshot!

thanks.
yt

neelin

05-05-2010, 13:37

Anyone have one of these and the CV 28 3.5? I really like the look of this lens but since I already have the CV 28 pretty much glued to my camera, I'm wondering if the difference is enough to justify this one.

I'm in the middle of 3 weeks in Paris. I left my cv28/3.5 at home & brought the cv25/4 on the R4M. I also brought a cv28/1.9 for evening and a cv15/4.5 for superwide & cv40/1.4 (hasn't seen any use). 90%+ are using the CV. I love the click stop focusing for walkaround.

The 25 feels cheap compared to the nice build of the chrome 28...but what can I say...it's at home, it didn't make the cut. I'm also carrying a Rollei35 with a 40mm/3.5.
______
robert

chrishayton

05-11-2010, 19:42

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=78767&stc=1&d=1273635690

I have the m mount one and its great build quality. Love this lens

tokengirl

10-10-2010, 04:24

I have the Color Skopar version, might as well glue it to my M6. I typically shoot it at f16 with the focus set to 1.5 meters - everything from the end of my arm to infinity is in focus. Awesome little lens. :)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5066826518_c149031874_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/msmambo/5066826518/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5066215001_1dd74c1789_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/msmambo/5066215001/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5066825230_9691db67f2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/msmambo/5066825230/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5066213655_a0ee0864e9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/msmambo/5066213655/)

(Rollei Retro 80S film stand developed in Rodinal 1:100)