CONTAREX BIOGON 21mm F4.5
Review and photo examples of the Contarex, Biogon 21mm F4.5.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The example photo was taken using a LEICA M9 and EPSON R-D1
Review
Biogon 21mm F4.5 is a wide-angle lens for Contarex released in 1958.
Because it uses a symmetrical optical system, the rear element is quite close to the film surface. M/L Lens Gourmet’s last lens.
This lens was originally intended for use with Contarex cameras, but it was sold with a Leica M non-rangefinder mount adapter included. As of 2023, you can still see it being sold in this form.
As mentioned above, the mount is not linked to a rangefinder, so if you are using it with a rangefinder camera, you will need to measure it visually. With modern mirrorless cameras, this shouldn’t be a problem at all.
When used with the 35mm full-frame CCD sensor of the Leica M9 and Leica M typ240 digital cameras, vignetting may occur, and depending on the sunlight conditions, a color cast may occur in the periphery.
The R-D1, M8, and M8.2 have smaller sensors, so the aforementioned negatives are alleviated considerably.
Film cameras eliminate the two problems mentioned above, and monochrome sensors eliminate the problem of color cast.
This is a common phenomenon with wide-angle lenses with symmetrical optical systems, which also occurs with other lenses such as CONTAX-G BIOGON 21mm and RUSSAR 20mm.
With a single lens, you can only get as close as 0.9m, so its applicability for photography is low, but if you use an auxiliary helicoid or proximity ring, you can get close, which should eliminate this drawback.
A lens guard is attached to the rear lens element, but it seems to get in the way of the photometry sensor. Also, since I don’t feel good about having protrusions get inside the camera, I used the camera with the guard on the rear end of the lens removed. This lens guard is screwed on, so it can be easily removed by loosening the screw with a precision screwdriver. As long as you don’t remove the lens outside and always attach the deep-bottomed rear cap when storing it, I don’t think you’ll have any problems using the lens without this guard.
In the gallery, the aperture is mostly wide open, but the sharpness in the center is so sharp that it’s hard to believe it’s an old lens.
I think the description you said of it being like “ice” is accurate.
Specification
| Item | Value | note |
| focal length(mm) | 21 | |
| Maximum aperture | 4.5 | |
| Minimum aperture | 22 | |
| Lens configuration | 8elements 5groups | |
| Leaf blade | 8 | |
| Minimum distance | 3(feet) | 0.91m |
| Lens length(mm) | 35 | Distance form M mount frange |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 55 | |
| Filter diameter(mm) | 49 | |
| Weight(g) | 271 | Lens only |
| Release date | 1958 | |
| List price(Yen) | – |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.04.10:update
- 2022.11.15:First draft
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