LEICA SUPER ANGULON R 21mm(F4)

Review and Photo example of the SUPER ANGULON R 21mm F4.

Gallery

Photo example used with Leica SL Typ601

Review

About 11,000 Super Angulon R 21mm F4 wide-angle lenses for the Leica R mount were made between 1971 and 1983.
Because they have been manufactured for a long time, their appearance varies slightly depending on the year, but the lens configuration is the same for all.

There are two types of Super Angulon R type: the old model, which has almost the same lens configuration as the M type (strictly speaking, different) and has an aperture of F3.4, and the new model, which is a retrofocus type and has an aperture of F4. Both lenses are designed by Germany’s Schneider, and the one we’re introducing today is a new lens with an aperture of F4.

The old Super Angulon is introduced separately, but because the rear lens was close to the sensor, it was necessary to use the mirror up when using it with a single-lens reflex camera, so it was not a very practical lens. Also, when using a mirrorless digital camera, the rear element is quite close to the sensor, so with certain models that use a 35mm full-frame sensor, there is a high possibility that color cast will occur at the periphery of the image, making it difficult to use. There is.

The new model is a very ordinary retro focus type lens, and the shortest shooting distance is 20cm (16cm is the shortest for SUPER ELMAR 15mm). The 4 aperture blades give you a sense of Schneider’s individuality.
However, due to the old design, there is a barrel-shaped distortion, which can be a little noticeable when taking pictures of straight objects. When I compared the zoom lens I own, the Vario Elmar 21-35mm, with the 21mm, the Super Angulon 21mm F2.8 was superior in terms of the shortest focusing distance, but the Vario Elmar was superior in terms of overall depiction, including peripheral resolution. For some reason, I let go of Super Angulon. Unfortunately, it seems that no photos were taken of the lens when it was owned, so no photos of the exterior remain.

This lens is sometimes put up for sale on eBay with a modified ROM, but I have no use for it, so I’m holding off on it.

Specification

Item	F3.4 Ver.	F4 ver	VARIO ELMAR
focal length(mm)	21	21	21-35
Maximum aperture	3.4	4	3.5-4
Minimum aperture	22	22	22
Lens configuration	8elements in 4groups	10elements in 8groups	9elements in 8groups
Leaf blade	4	4	6
Minimum distance(m)	0.2	0.2	0.5
Lens length(mm)	19	43.5	66.3
Lens max diameter(mm)	70	78	75
Filter diameter(mm)	Series 8	E72 or Series 8.5	67
Weight(g)	228	420	500
Lens Hood	14170W	12506 14145(Forent Cap)	12438
Production numbers	1,530-	10,850-	3,400
Release date	1964-1968	1971-1983	2001-