What to do? Too many 85mm & 90mm lenses.

venchka

venchka

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As many of you know, I own a 1950 something LTM 85mm/2.0 Nikkor and an M mount 1965 90mm/2.8 Elmarit. Both lenses produce lovely images. Some days I think I should keep one and send the other to a new home.

Then along comes a 90/2.8 Elmarit-M. Very new looking. Very black to match Bigfoot or Bubba. A local offering.

Buy the new black lens & sell the old Elmarit? Sell both old lenses and keep the change?

What to do? What to do?
 
Hello:

Enviable dilemma. My Hove Pocket Book indicates the Elmarit-M would be marginally better. Have you compared images? If they each have a distinct look, you might justify keeping them all.:)

yours
FPJ
 
Really depends how avid you are about using 90mm lenses. If you use them a lot, as in more than 50% of the time, then you can justify keeping any two. If you are like me, and only use a 90mm about 10% (or less) of the time, then definitely keep only one.

If only one, I'd get the latest Elmarit-M and sell the other two. But if you are more into the vintage look, then keep the Nikkor and sell the other Elmarit. By the way, although I have not shot with the older Elmarit, I own the Elmarit-M and it is truly stunning.
 
Thanks! I was wondering if the newer Elmarit-M was "up to par" as they say. I know everyone is GA-GA over the latest 90 Summicron AA. That lens and the new Summarit seem to overshadow the more mundane 90/2.8.
 
Well, you don't say whether your Nikkor is black or chrome...LOL. I had a black one years ago and foolishly sold it. Now I have the chrome version. The black version weighs less. I also have a 90mm Elmarit. For awhile I had a 90mm Elmar also, and even had the short (Visoflex II) mount for it. The Elmar was stolen and I got a small fortune for the quite rare short mount.

The Nikkor is sharp, offers the speed of f/2, and it's heavy as hell. The Elmarit's head comes off and fits the same Visoflex system universal focusing mount as the 135/4 Tele-Elmar and 65/3.5 Elmar lens heads. Best of all it takes 39mm filters, and I have quite a collection of those from color slide days. They also fit my 35 and 50mm 'crons.

I've never based the decision to keep both lenses on the way that they "draw" an image, but they serve two completely different functions for me.

Buying the new black lens for why? You have two great lenses. Choose one, keep both, or blow a bunch of money on a new toy? Take an antacid tablet for your GAS. Buy some film.

That sexy new black Elmarit will be going down in value as soon it becomes a used lens. Both the black and chrome versions of the Nikkor have developed a bit of a cult following of late and prices are steadily moving up.

As a final consideration, if our forum's own compulsive lens tester Raid were to shoot a roll with each of those three lenses, plus for good measure, with a few of the Canon 85's and both the fat and thin versions of the Tele-Elmarit, print them all 8x10 and randomly shuffle them into one pile, would any of us be able to look through the stack of prints and "name that lens"?
 
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I thought the voices of reason weren't allowed here.

Al, I have the chrome 85mm Nikkor. Yes, it doubles as a boat anchor when attached to an M5.
 
Take a wrap of strap around your wrist, grip the doubled strap in your hand letting it dangle and swing as you walk down the street. People can subconciously tell how heavy an object is by the way it swings. Nobody wants to feel that camera against their temple. You'll be carrying the most effective defensive (or offensive) weapon the law allows without a carry permit, and you can even board a plane with it.
 
ruby.monkey said:
Keep what you have and spend the money on film and beer.
Click to expand...


My sentiments exactly. Keep only one and buy several cases of Pearl, Lone Star, or Shiner.

I can only justify owning one 85/90 LTM, a Canon 85/ 1.8 (black) that cost me an arm and a leg. I've used it once in one year.
 
I hear you Brother!

I hear you Brother!

Bill58 said:
My sentiments exactly. Keep only one and buy several cases of Pearl, Lone Star, or Shiner.

I can only justify owning one 85/90 LTM, a Canon 85/ 1.8 (black) that cost me an arm and a leg. I've used it once in one year.
Click to expand...

I have only used one of my 85-90 pair in the past year. That's the bad news. The good news? I got some keepers from the roll of film I did run behind the 90 Elmarit.

The Nikkor hasn't seen the light of day since forever. Hmmmmmmmmm........

The new Elmarit-M 46mm filter size matches my 28 M-Hexanon. I have a nice collection of 46mm filters.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............
 
The Elmarit-M fits your other Hexanons well, in terms of rendering/contrast/etc. Must be a nice combo with the 35. One of the sharpest lenses Leica ever built. Will look a bit lost on an M5 though :D
 
You know you want it! Life is short - go for it! You can always sell it if you dont like it! Or better yet - find a hexanon 90/2.8 to match your 28 hex even better. ;)
 
I'd sell the old Elmarit and get the new Elmar. Sell the Nikkor too if you never use it and can get a decent price for it.

I have an old Nikkor 50 that I don't use very much, but to be honest, for the amount I paid for it, I don't really feel like it's worth selling - I don't mind it sitting around and would rather use it twice a year since it's kind of fun using an old lens every once in awhile.
 
Too late. The lens is being delivered to my office at lunch. Is that a deal or what?

I appreciate all the opinions. They did help.

Stay tuned. A garage sale is imminent. C/V 75mm. Elmarit 90mm. Perhaps more.

Thanks everyone!

YIKES! A 2001 Leitz lens. I never dreamed that I could get something like this.
 
Sell the Elmarit and buy and either a Elmar-C 90/4 or a Canon 100/3.5. Use the Nikkor when you need the speed, use the Elmar/Canon when you want something lighter weight. I think you can sell the Elmarit for $500 and pick up one of the others for $200-ish, pocketing the difference.

Any thoughts on how the Canon 100/3.5 compares to the Elmar-C 90/4?
 
Chris,

You are making too much sense. Go to your room! Grinning.

If I were making any sense at all I would rid myself of everything except a 35mm, 50mm and 90mm lens. Big problem! Which ones to keep? Which ones to sell?

So many lenses. So little time.
 
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