Yashica ML 21/3.5 or ML 24/2.8?

[Provia400F]

I am searching for a wide angle below 28mm, but I also want to concentrate on one or the other because of their rarity. Are any of these two rarer or better than each other? Anybody have pictures taken by each to compare? I am not concerned that one is 21mm and the other is 24mm, because if they're both rare then I'm better off searching for the Zeiss equivalent. Or am I?

[paguru]

Hi Gary,

nice to see another ML collector here!
I have both the ML 24mm and the ML 21mm, and it took me quite a while to hunt them down. I think both are very good, you can find some sample images in my flickr albums (see my sig) or in our german discussion forum (ML 21mm thread and ML 24mm thread).

What camera are you using? On a crop DSLR, the 24mm will have only moderate wide angle aspect, so you might prefer the extra 3mm. OTOH, the 21mm shows up even less frequently than the 24mm and fetches 2-3 times the price.

Someone has measured the exact focal lengths of the Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 and the ML 24/2.8 and it turned out that the Zeiss is actually almost a 26mm. Not a big difference to 28mm - I would recommend the Yashica here. The ususal price here seems to be ~ 100€ recently, and I think that's very fair.

[alex]

Paguru's pictures show them well. Optically, they're both excellent lenses, and a choice (if you're not considering both) boils down to your photographic style, although I've found that the 24mm works in more situations for me than the 21mm. The 21mm ML is in my opinion decidedly better than the 20mm Flektogon, which I've seen go for far more than my 21ML. I had been on the hunt for a 25mm CZ, but the 24ML put a stop to that, since the CZ goes typically for GBP300-350 (so more in Euro), whereas my 24ML cost only GBP65. I don't know the CZ 25 Distagon, but those I know who are Contax enthusiasts and who have it, tell me it's not worth seeking out over the Yashica. The CZ 21mm Distagon goes for stratospheric prices, and the cheapest I've seen was around GBP1600. I don't know how many of the Yashica 21mm ML lenses were made, but I'd not be surprised if the rarity were due in part at least to its considerable price advantage over the CZ. You're likely to have more success looking for the 24mm, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Provia400F]

Thanks Pagaru and Alex. I am currently using a FX-2 and a Contax RTSII body. The widest I've shot with this system has been the 28mm; the 21mm prices has skyrocketed ever since the Canon adapter was released (why don't they just shoot their own system 21mm ).

I am comfortable with 21, 24 and 28, but I've only used the 24mm AIS and the VC 21mm on other systems. It never ceases to drive me nuts, but when I bring the 28mm I find I'll want a bit wider with a 24mm; goes the same with the 21mm I'll want more narrower coverage . So now, I want to have a Contax/Yashica mount 24/21mm lens with me so that I don't have to bring 2 systems while traveling. I now know why those super wide range zooms are so popular, but in general I prefer primes over zooms.

[zx9]

...... The widest I've shot with this system has been the 28mm; the 21mm prices has skyrocketed ever since the Canon adapter was released (why don't they just shoot their own system 21mm )...........

Some of us bought into Canon because we could use our old Zeiss glass on a digital body.

Canon have some very good long lenses and some very poor wides unless you like the purple / green colour fringing