Which 90mm? Elmarit, Summicron

The best (and cheapest) was to test if you like that focal lenght is either an LTM (M39) Elmar 4/90 oder a Jupiter-9 2.0/85 (which go for almost the same amount ATM).

I even kept my Elmar, because I don't think I need a faster/better one...
 
I have the 90/2.8 "thin" Tele-Elmarit version from 1979.
IMO, this is the best all-round performer for price, quality, character, etc.
I think I got it for about $700 or less. e39mm filter.

Also, I have 2 of the older 90/4 Elmar's which are amazing lenses for $150-200.
Not as fast as the 2.8 you want, but hard to beat: med rez, med contrast with great tonal range.
 
Having used both the 90 Summicron and 90 Tele- Elmarit.
I can say I loved the rendering of the Summicron.
And love the size of the Elmarit.

90 Summicron Chrome from 1959
img0092.jpg


90 Tele-Elmarit
img052.jpg
 
jett said:
My main 50mm is a Zeiss-Opton 50mm f1.5 Sonnar (not ZM) but I had planned on adding a DR Summicron next. I wanted an old Leica lens to be consistent in build/ergonomics and contrast rendition.
Click to expand...
Most of my Leitz lenses are from the DR era. Besides the Elmar 90, another good match would be the Summicron: it's very heavy, but all images I see have excellent bokeh fore and aft. Note that all 90s of this period support Visoflex for closeup, except the collapsible. Sample from my Elmarit v1 with nasty foreground rendition:

sailing.jpg

​
 
Thank you for all of your advice.

In the end, I decided to go with the Elmarit V1. If it isn't to my liking then I'm sure I can return it (keh.com) or sell it and get my money back (maybe even make a profit?).

What I liked about it was the price and filter thread. I want to stick to 39mm and 46mm for all of my lenses.

The Leica combination that I am tryint to build is:
Leica M3
Leica 35mm f2.8 Summaron
Leica 50mm f2.0 Summicron
Leica 90mm f2.8 Elmarit

Now all that is missing is that DR Summicron...
 
Enjoy!
Shop long and hard for the D.R. Summicron. You want one in pristine condition. You want one with matching numbers-Lens group & focus mount. Googles optional, also in pristine condition. The last serial numbers are in the 2,000,000+ range. I wanted one of the last ones made. Opted for an earlier example in Mint condition with the original goggles & case. I don't regret it.

Wayne
 
I strongly suggest the 90/2.8 Konica Hexanon-M. Attractively priced at around $450-650 with near optimal sharpness wide open and moderate contrast (unlike the current Elmarit-M with very high contrast). Stopping down does little to improve on it's already great performance. Unlike the earlier Elmarit and Tele-Elmarit, this lens is flare free. Build quality is equal to the current Elmarit-M and better than the 90/2.4 Summarit.
 
i have a last version black Elmarit 90, last version chrome Elmarit 90, last version pre-asph black summicron 90 and the apo summicron 90 in chrome

my suggestion - if you need the f2, get the pre asph summicron 90

reason why -> (straight out of the camera)

5054357289_7a35907ee0_b.jpg


if you dont need the f2, go with the last version Elmarit 90

reason why -> (straight out of the camera)

8062651699_edf37511be_b.jpg



The Elmarit is insanely good. The pre-asph summicron is crazy good as well. Not too much of a difference in weight, size and price.

So, if you need the f2, go pre-asph

if not, get the elmarit 90
 
Hi, Jett! I don't think you'll be disappointed with that V.1 Elmarit. I've got one that I managed to snag from keh.com for the princely sum of $225 before they jumped up significantly in price.

This one wasn't quite up to what you normally get from KEH "bargain" gear--it has a slight scratch and a bit of coating damage on the front element--but it is *sharp*. Significantly sharper, it appears, than the legendarily good Nikon 105/2.5 AIS lens I also own.

A couple of months back, I managed to snag a thin Tele-Elmarit lens for an unbelievably good price. I tested it against my classic Elmarit (I normally use my 90 for studio shots) and ended up keeping the older lens, as it had a slight but notable edge over the newer lens. (While I found my sample of the Tele-Elmarit to be a *slightly* less impressive peformer than the original Elmarit, it is still a very good lens and its compact size may indeed render it more desirable for those who use their 90s out on the street.)

I think the modern Elmarit-M is probably unquestionably the best of the Leica 90s--heck, many people seem to think it's one of the best lenses in the world, and they're likely not wrong--but as you said, it's enormously expensive compared to the first version Elmarit.

So shoot and enjoy your V.1. It looks brilliant on an M3, it gives great results--even today--and it is possibly the best "bang-for-buck" lens in the Leica arsenal.
 
Oh, and by the way, I see your wish list includes a 35 Summaron. I can unreservedly recommend that lens! I've got an old goggled version I snagged for a sinfully low price on eBay (I did need to put a bit of cash into correcting a misaligned prism, and to giving the aperture blades a bit of cleaning--but it's still a bargain even with that, as the glass was in excellent condition), and it's superb despite being nearly a half century old.

I recently tried it on an M9 in a London camera shop. Even wide-open, it produced excellent quality that impressed the experienced staff. Stopped down just a bit, it's amazing. Prices on those are climbing, too, but they're also one of the best bargains in the Leica lineup (although the Zeiss 35/2.8 is a very worthy contender at the same max aperture, from what I have read...still, the Summaron will trump it in build quality, the goggles don't detract that much from the user experience--and make it eminently useful on an M3--and it looks damned cool on the front of the camera).
 
Rulnacco,

I actually have the Summaron, I received it a week or two ago and I admit that it is a very good lens. Much better than my 35mm f1.8 Canon LTM.... The lens that I am missing is the 50mm Summicron!

I figured that there are sharper 35mm/50mm/90mm lenses but I'm not going to worry about it too much because the quest for the sharpest lens is too costly, subjective, and a bit religious. My Summaron is as sharp as I'd ever want so I lust no further in 35mm, except for speed perhaps.

I figured I'd get a competent 35mm/50mm/90mm lineup that isn't too costly (for Leica standards) and consistent in contrast/build/drawing as a base, then "move up" to faster and/or "better" performing lenses in the future. Maybe a 35mm f2 'cron, 50mm f1.4 'lux, etc.
 
jett said:
Thank you for all of your advice.

In the end, I decided to go with the Elmarit V1. If it isn't to my liking then I'm sure I can return it (keh.com) or sell it and get my money back (maybe even make a profit?).
Click to expand...

I've somehow ended up with 3 90mm M lenses, my first was the 90 Tele-Elmarit "fat" from 1973. The Elmarit v1 that you bought is slightly longer (in that it isn't a telephoto design), lighter, can be used with the visoflex, and will be an excellent lens for you.

I also picked up a 90/4 Elmar LTM from 1951 so that I could have a 90 that would work with my visoflex and bellows, then shortly after that found a 90/2 from c. 1970 in BGN from Keh for a really good price that's a better fit for the visoflex/bellows than the Elmar (2 stops more light is nice for macro focusing). The Summicron is heavy, a challenge to focus well with a .58x viewfinder (even with a 1.25x magnifier), but gives very nice results. I'll use the Elmarit most of the time, but the Summicron is good for portraits or for macro work with the visoflex. The Elmar is fun to play with every now and then, and only cost $200, so I'll keep it as much for the novelty of having a Leica lens that only cost $200 in 2012!

You won't be disappointed, especially at that price.
 
TheGodParticle said:
i have a last version black Elmarit 90, last version chrome Elmarit 90, last version pre-asph black summicron 90 and the apo summicron 90 in chrome

my suggestion - if you need the f2, get the pre asph summicron 90

The Elmarit is insanely good. The pre-asph summicron is crazy good as well. Not too much of a difference in weight, size and price.

So, if you need the f2, go pre-asph

if not, get the elmarit 90
Click to expand...

Is there a reason why you recommended the pre-ASPH for f2 rather than the APO-ASPH? Price aside, that is. From what I have researched, the APO ASPH seems to be lightyears better at large apertures on paper, but I wonder if it is visible in actual use.
 
^^ I'd also recommend the E55 pre-ASPH over the 90 ASPH. My copy of the ASPH was a very good lens at medium and long distance but not so good at the shorter distances, and I'm not the only one to experience this. The rumor is that Leica is working on a new version of the lens that has a floating element for close-ups.

After I bought my 90 E55 I sold the ASPH. Not only is close-up performance better but the overall rendering of the lens is much more pleasing, at least to my eye. Example from my copy.
 
Actually the 2/90 (pre asph.) was my first ever Leica lens. I used it mainly for concert and theater photography. Nowadays I use the 90mm not that often that I would chunk down the money for the latest asph. version. And I am quite happy with the performance of "big bertha":

Handheld M9, ISO 1000, 2/90 at f=2 1/60s ( I think). BW conversion in LR4.2

Electrified-NYC2.jpg
 
dufffader said:
Is there a reason why you recommended the pre-ASPH for f2 rather than the APO-ASPH? Price aside, that is. From what I have researched, the APO ASPH seems to be lightyears better at large apertures on paper, but I wonder if it is visible in actual use.
Click to expand...

The price is probably not a criteria if you're considering the 90 AA

For me it was consistent performance and the overall look of the image. The size and weight of the pre asph and AA are almost identical. The pre-ASPH is sharp enough for my taste and the bokeh is more pleasing to my eye

Here's a short test. One image was shot with the 75 AA and i shot the other with a last version chrome 90 elmarit

Without looking at the exif info, can you honestly tell me which one is which? Both shot at f2.8, obv moved back with the 75 AA to get the frame of the elmarit.

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/201210/big_2221_L1035314_1.jpg

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/201210/big_2221_L1035325_1.jpg

This is not a scientific comparison so lets not get started with why this is an unfair comparison.
 
I can't believe nobody mentioned the Jupiter 9. It's f2 and 85mm, and can be tricky to find the right version (I accidentally bought an SLR version in M39, but luckily was able to get an adapter to use it on a Canon of mine. Make sure it says it's LTM and Leica compatible if you're going to buy one). They're generally $200-250. The SLR version I have is incredible. It's really sharp when you need, and very soft as well with beautiful bokeh. It has 15 aperture blades, and the sonnar design is amazing.

8031609106_da8110fced_z.jpg

tumblr_marfvija0b1r8fp8xo3_500.jpg

wide open
 
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