Best 90 mm lens for Leica-M

Green_Blue said:
Sorry to revive an old thread, but I am looking at getting a 90 lens for my m2, and was just wondering which one is the most compact lens. Since I intend to bring this lens with the daily travel kit I think size and weight are very important factors for me (so I actually end up trying to use this focal length!). I also wouldn't mind f4 because I am wary of making dof errors with a lens of this length. Also are the rumours that the elmar-c has compatibility issues with m cameras true?
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The Leica 90 Macro is going to be the most compact since it is collapsible. However, if you don't mind a bit larger of a lens, there are others that aren't too much larger and probably a good bit cheaper. The CV 90, one of the older Leica 90/4's, etc.
 
Tim Gray said:
The Leica 90 Macro is going to be the most compact since it is collapsible.
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Right behind it by a couple of millimeters is the collapsible Elmar 90 which would look very nice on an M2, and is cheap at $300. Downside is the weight from that overbuilt mechanism. :)
 
If one were to shoot with the M3 or .85 M6, then the 90 APO-ASPH is a serious contender. I shoot mostly with .58 finders, sometimes with .72. That makes my focusing accuracy not quite as good, so I shoot with the thin TE or else my original chrome 90 Elmarit. Both of these are great lenses! The TE is a fine airline travel lens, and it already produces very high quality photos. The 90 Elmarit is so sharp, you must use it on a tripod or you will never see what your lens can do, especially around f/5/6 or so. (That said, I mostly use it handheld.)
 
I currently have an Elmar-C and a three element Elmar. Both are surprisingly good especially the three element and if size, weight and performance are what you are looking for then I can recommend either (one will have to go though - I really don't need two!). Of the various 90 Summicrons and Elmarits I've owned the last 90 Elmarit is the one I probably should have kept based purely on performance.
 
Just got the M-Hexanon 90/2.8 yesterday and its fantastic and its pretty cheap (compared to other f2.8 Leica offerings) although a bit hard to find.

If on a really tight budget, need it to be small and you don't need speed, I think the Elmar-C wins by a big margin.
 
I've had a v1 summicron and a thin tele-elmarit. ended up selling both because I realised 50mm is the longest I usually need, but I very much preferred the tele-elmarit: great balance between cost, weight, size and speed.
 
The original Elmarit (non-tele design) is not the best because it is very low contrast. It is very sharp and has pretty good bokeh though, handles brilliantly and can be bought very cheaply. It's also rather beautiful to look at - you'll never confuse it with a 50mm because of its size.

With all 90mm lenses, focus is very critical and not at all easy with a 0.72x finder. The M3 does it the best, or you could get a VF magnifier.

A couple of examples:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/500/parsley.jpg

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/500/buttercup.jpg

I have a few landscapes where the detail in the distance is remarkable; the film grain on Reala is the limiting factor.
 
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I've never had a bad 90. If I need the speed, the Summicron works well, even wide open at close focus. But on a daily basis, the Tele-Elmarit is my favorite - small, light, and sharp. As long as I use the hood, I don't have a problem with flare.
 
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