M8 & your 90mm: if you could do it over...

[Tom Niblick]

I'd buy another 90 Elmarit M in a heartbeat. However, I do agree with Jaap, if you can buy a 90 Apo Summicron for just a few dollars more, then go for it. The difference in sharpness is hair splitting but the extra stop would be great for indoor work.

As for 75's, well some love them. I'd rather have a good 50.

Tom

www.kauaisprintmaker.com

 

[johannielscom]

Not a good idea to use a 90mm Konica as the rangefinder coupling might be Leica type BUT it is not exactly corect for Leica, indeed look up Konica's own literature and they said it was not themselves in the small print....

That tale keeps surfacing every now and then, although I have not yet read a reference to Konicas small print. Would like the link here!

I shoot M-Hexanons 28, 35, 50, 50/1.2 and 90 on Leica M3, M5 and M8. Never had any trouble.

The M-Hex 90 is stellar on my M8. I'll edit this post off the Macbook in a couple of minutes to show a shot.

EDIT: here it is. shot handheld with the M8, M-Hex 90mm @ 2.8, ISO 320, 1/60th.

 

[cfc247]

Mark - perhaps I read it wrong but thought the 75mm would be easier to read than a 90. Also, could you explain what you mean by switching frame lines?

John, you can switch the M8's framelines manually by using the switch to the left of the lens. It will give you a sense of what it feels to shoot at 75mm or 90mm.

The 75mm is obviously a wider frame so you see more of the image in the frame. But the 75 lines are also paired with the 50mm making it distracting IMO. The 90mm lines are coupled with the 28mm, making the view much more clean and isolated. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.

 

[dof]

I find the 75 a far more useful focal length on the M8 than the 90. The effective field of view yields close to the perfect portrait length of 100mm. The 90 becomes too tight to maintain comfortable interaction with subjects. If photographing from a distance is desired then the 90mm lenses have an obvious advantage.

More people seem to comment on disliking the 75mm frame lines than those who find them useful. Thus the internet lore casts a dark cloud on them. I like them - more so than the 90mm frames. Having the corners neatly delineated is unique in the set.

While it's true that their paring with the 50mm frames makes them the tightest pair of the three, I've never had a problem distinguishing which lens was mounted. Perhaps ergonomic feedback of the lens itself helps to identify it for some and not others. (?)

 

[Ben Z]

IIRC the major dislike of the 75 frames on the M8 has been they seem more imprecise than the rest. The upgraded frames seem to have cured that to a great degree.

As it was on the film cameras, I find 75mm just too close to 50 to warrant carrying both, and my 50 Summilux is my only super-speed lens (and a darned sight cheaper and easier to handle than the 75 Lux). I rarely do portraits though, and I do have a $200 Voitlander 75 for those rare occasions.

 

[jaapv]

A nice lens to carry along, the 90 AA 🙂

 

[Merkin]

I have a slightly bizarre and unpopular suggestion: try the 90mm f/4 elmar. These lenses can be had for 75-150 bucks in fantastic condition. I think it is a fantastic portrait lens. Is it as absurdly tack sharp as some of its newer and faster cousins? No, but it is certainly 'sharp enough,' at least for me, and I think it has just the right level of sharpness for portraits. Give it a try, as it won't cost you very much, and if you don't like it, you can always just sell it for what you have in it. If a 100 dollar lens will make you happy, no reason to spend 1000.

 

[Grober]

Thanks to the earlier item in this thread, I've also learned that my uncoded, "thin" 90mm Tele-Elmarit triggers the M8 when I switch on code recognition.

Now I just have to figure out which 90mm the camera thinks its got.

-g

 

[Keith]

I have an early 90mm Summicron which is not light but didn't cost a lot ... and because it's the least sharp of the Summicrons is very kind when shooting people's faces at f2 🙂

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Are there any trade offs with the Elmarit vs. the Summarit 90mm?

As it very frequently happens, a thread veers off into a sounding board disregarding the intent of the original question.

The Summarit 90mm is new, and it's hard to find any used. No matter what version of the Elmarit you get, you will not be disappointed; the first version's downside is that it is extremely prone to flare, but when using the right hood and taking the right precautions, it will create the creamiest, nicest shots a 90mm could take.

The Summarit is only 1/3 of a stop faster than the Elmarit, but it is also "sharp" wide open, I believe just as much as the last Elmarit.

Getting a used pre-asph (i.e. "last version" before the APO) 90mm Summicron will be cheaper than getting a new Summarit.

If you are very concerned with price, get a first version Elmarit; you really can't go wrong unless you take a lot of shots against the sunlight. Even then, you can increase the contrast during post-processing.

If it's weight and compactness you're after, get the "Thin" Elmarit. Or the Minolta 90mm f/2.8

 

[Innerimager]

I initially got the new version elmarit for my M8 and it is an excellent lens for sure. Light, very easy to focus quickly, (has just the "right" throw). I then found a mint condition silver AA for $1500, and it is one of the great lenses IMO. For fast, candid work the elmarit gets used, but for more critical work, when the finest detail is desired, the AA may have a few equals, but no betters. On my M7, the 90AA has the additional value of providing that extra stop using 400 or slower film. best....Peter

 

[mikenic]

Another vote for the 90AA.
Will cut your head off if your not careful.

 

[jpmac55]

Thanks, everyone - I appreciate your help.

After all the positive comments Voigtlander receives here, I decided to try their 75mm 2.5 Color Heliar. The M lens adapter aside, just over three hundred bucks for a brand new lens that is light (9 oz), small (64mm), comes with a hood, etc., was worth the try. I don't think any long lens will be attached permanently, so this just feels like the right choice.

 

[jaapv]

Just a shot with the Apo Summicron 90 asph this morning. I was walking the dogs and this beauty left harbour.

 

[TomN]

elmarit 90mm wetzlar and reala 100

 

[TomN]

same again