Well, it’s been over a year and a half since I’ve owned and reviewed the Loxia 21mm, and since I’m back to it (purchased it new) with an a7R III, I figured it’s a good time to review my opinion of it.
This time around, I’m coming from a Leica M system. Over on Leica, it’s extremely difficult to shoot with anything wider than 28mm, so it’s been quite some time since I shot with a manual focus wide angle lens. One of the main reasons I came back to Sony and Loxia lenses is that with an EVF, it’s WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Also, you can shoot closer to your subject than you can with a rangefinder – this tends to fit my shooting style more.
My observations are much the same as before, except now I can compare this lens to Leica lenses (specifically the 28mm Summicron). I know they’re different focal lengths, systems, brands, etc. What I can compare however is the build quality. The Loxia lenses are right up there in size and quality of Leica lenses that costs thousands more. My only complaint of all the Loxia lenses is that I don’t like the lens hoods – they seem flimsy to me.
That’s pretty much the end of my new thoughts on this lens. Let’s look at some images, because that’s the most important part of this article. These were shot at Weyerhaeuser at their Bonsai and rhododendron gardens. This lens is great! It’s soft in the corners wide open (so are some Leica lenses), but stop down some and wow! Bottom line, if your in the market for a compact, wide angle, prime, manual focus lens, then this is one to get.
