which leica 90mm or 135mm to get?

[kross]

i'm looking for a 90mm or 135mm for street portrait.... using the 50mm doesn't give me the bokeh that i want unless i go really near the person and i'll lose their natural/spontaneous expression....

so....which leica 90mm and 135mm do u guys recommend? any idea which one produces smooth bokeh.... i'm leaning toward the 90mm as 135mm is a little long...
appreciate if u can share your shots taken with these lens too...

i'm looking at a used lens...

cheers....
kross

 

[Turtle]

I would agree that a 90 makes more sense. If you want really diffuse background you have little choice but to go for something fast such as a 90 f2. I will leave others to dicuss teh merits of the APO vs pre APO etc.

 

[Fred]

I like the 90 F2 but have not used the 135mm, the frames in the VF would probably benefit from the magnifier in use for me. I'll not go into the APO debate either as I've not tried both.

Just a thought, it might be worth trying a 75mm, The CV ones are a good price new or used and are very good lenses also. You could try one out and see how the 75 works, if you get to like the 75mm you could always change it for a Leica.

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

A 75mm is a good suggestion. There is a world of good choices for a 90 and if you have a high magnification vf M it may be an ideal solution. A Tele-Elmarit is very even tempered in tonality and ofa behavior as long as you avoid extreme contra jour lighting.

yours
Frank

 

[aizan]

the current 90mm elmarit. faster focusing, nice size and weight.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I agree: the Elmarit 90/f2.8 is the best compromise in terms of price. In terms of size, there's also the third version of the 'cron 90 (a lot nicer than the second, which is big and can be used as a weapon). The Elmarit 135/f2.8 is a nice option, but I'm afraid it has only a few fans because of its size.

The current Elmarit version, which has a filter size of 46mm, pops up used every so often and it seems to be a good all-around 90mm lens. Most important: it's more affordable than its brethren the 'cron 90.

Have fun shopping!

 

[Tom A]

Among the 90 mm lenses you also have the 90/3,5 Apo-Lanthar from CV. It is a true apochromatic lens for under $400! The Summicron 90 from the early 1990 is not bad, but beware of the first version of it, as the hood collapses over the aperture ring and it will drive you nuts! The Elmarit 90/2,8 in its latest incarnation is probably the best choice, sharp and nice snap to it. A bit heavy and the hood has a tendency to collapse when it shouldn't! The 135/4 Tele-Elmar has the advantahe of being not so popular and subseqently quite cheap. Its performance is staggering - one of the sharpest 135 you can buy. Stopping it down only increases depth of field as it reaches optimum resolution already at f4-5,6. The Elmarit 135/2,8 is a good lens, but it suffers from easily mis-aligned prisms in the goggle finder. It is also very large and heavy! Works on the M8 though and will give you a 180/2,8! If you are going to use the lens for street portraits even one of the old Elmar 90/4 would work. I have a fetish for the old collapsible 90/4. Probably the apex of mechanics and build quality when it comes to Leica lenses. I did try the new Macro version of this lens and even though it does collapse and can do better close-ups - it does not feel as solid. However. it is a very good performer. The 90 Apo A-A is most likely the best 90 ever built, but it is too sharp for portraits. Nobody looks that good! It is also heavy and bulky - and being Leica- very expensive!

 

[peter_n]

I think the 90 is also the best compromise in focal length. I have the 135/4 Tele-Elmar and Tom is right, it is a great lens but I don't use it that much. I have two 90s, a "thin" Tele-Elmarit and an f2 APO ASPH. The TE is tiny and you need to be careful about back lighting, the AA is big, heavy and very sharp. I have the AA for a particular project and will eventually sell the lens. I'll never sell the TE. Examples from both lenses below:

Tele-Elmarit:

​

APO ASPH:

​

 

[markinlondon]

Peter, that AA 'cron is beautiful. It really walks that line between classic and modern Leica. I console myself with the fact that the TE, which I own, looks pretty good on this showing too.

Kross, I find my thin TE is quite soft at full aperture but sharpens up even 1/2 a stop down from wide open. This can be quite useful in a portrait situation giving the choice of soft or sharp rendition without much change in DOF.
I also have a 90 Elmar and, as Tom A says, they're unbeatable for the price. The very long focus throw takes a bit of getting used to though.

 

[edodo]

for the price I would vote for the 90mm f4 that is great for portrait.

 

[Roel]

I have the Leica 90/2 AA for some time and just recently got a 135/3.5 Canon and Elmar 135mm. I will test the two 135 mm lenses asap. So i don't know their performance yet. The 90/2 AA is incredible sharp. I used it wide open in portraits which shows only part of the face in focus. However since I have seen the examples of the Nikkor 105mm 2.5 lens I'm really thinking there is more than (90mm AA) sharpness. The pictures Raid shot with this lens were imo so very nice and sweet. I'm starting to think that this lens will be my next portrait lens. Probably (some of) the others will have to go. I'm not sure which Leica portrait lenses compare with the look of the Nikkor but perhaps others can react on this.

 

[ferider]

There are quite a few really great non-Leica teles out there, including

Nikkor 135/3.5
Canon 135/3.5
Nikkor 105/2.5
Canon 100/2
Nikkor 85/2
Canon 85/1.8

All these lenses stand their own ground when compared to classic
Leitz lenses.

I have Elmarit 135/2.8, Summicron (pre-asph) 90/2, and 90/2.8 Elmarit and the two above Nikkor lenses (105 and 85). In case of doubt, I always pick the Nikkor 85/2, great OOF (2.8 and up) and color rendition and sharp down to f2. Very ergonomic since compact (my black one is much lighter than the typical chrome one). Certainly sharper than my 90 Summicron. The 90 Elmarit is my favorite for size.

IMO, it depends a little on what body you use. The 135 Elmarit works great on the M3, for example.

Roland.

 

[Eelco Amsterdam]

I like the 90 mm Elmarit 2.8 Smal and sharp.


Amsterdam Jan. 28 2007
M7 90mm Elmarit Kodak 400 NC 1/30 sec.

 

[raid]

I agree with Roland's assessment, and I would add the Canon 85mm/1.9 to the list of excellent medium tele lenses. I love my Summicron with built-in hood. It is a heavy monster, but it is a great lens for portraits. I will never sell it since it is very special to me. The Elmarit is also a great lens with less weight than the Summicron. Believe it o rnot but the el-cheapo Steinheil 85mm/2.8 is not bad at all and it is very cheap to get. I once compared several tele lenses, and I could not find huge differences. Basically, all were good. Do not ignore the old Elmar 90/4 as a portrait lens. Its small size and low weight allow longer hand held exposures.


Raid

 

[SteveM(PA)]

Here's a quick bathroom comparo...canon 135 3.5 chrome (at f3.5) vs. Leica Tele Elmar 135 (at f4), straight out of the R-D1. I can't really see a diff between these two. The Tele Elmar handles much better, with the focus ring nearer to the base of the lens...it feels smaller. The variable in picture quality with these lenses is the user, as I know very well from my many wasted frames.

 

[Tom A]

I have the Leica 90/2 AA for some time and just recently got a 135/3.5 Canon and Elmar 135mm. I will test the two 135 mm lenses asap. So i don't know their performance yet. The 90/2 AA is incredible sharp. I used it wide open in portraits which shows only part of the face in focus. However since I have seen the examples of the Nikkor 105mm 2.5 lens I'm really thinking there is more than (90mm AA) sharpness. The pictures Raid shot with this lens were imo so very nice and sweet. I'm starting to think that this lens will be my next portrait lens. Probably (some of) the others will have to go. I'm not sure which Leica portrait lenses compare with the look of the Nikkor but perhaps others can react on this.

Roel, you are right. I forgot the Nikkor 105/2,5. It is not that easy to find in screw-mount, but worth the effort! I have it in Nikon SLR as well as in Nikon RF mount. It is big and on the Leica M not ergonomically perfect, but Oh so good. I suspect that many shooters from the 60's went to Nikon for that lens alone. Still holds is own and it does have a distinct "signature" in its rendition. It does "flatten" the perspective just enough for a portrait and it is just soft enough at 2,5 to flatter the subject

 

[ferider]

For size comparison:

middle is Nikkor 85/2, right is 135 Elmarit:

This is the Nikkor 105:

Yes, I know the brown M6 camera covering is snake skin I didn't put it on but I like it .... Cheers,

Roland.

 

[Roel]

Thank You Tom and Thanks Roland for those pictures. The Nikkor 105mm does look impressive. How heavy is this lens in Grams?

Do the Nikkor 85/2 and the 105/2.5 have the same look en feel (image wise)?

Roel

 

[ferider]

Thank You Tom and Thanks Roland for those pictures. The Nikkor 105mm does look impressive. How heavy is this lens in Grams?

Do the Nikkor 85/2 and the 105/2.5 have the same look en feel (image wise)?

Roel

Did you just bid on one ?

I put my 105 on a scale and it was 584g (no hood).

The look of the two lenses (image-wise) is very similar, both are Sonnar derivatives. The 85/2 wide open has very slight "donuts" OOF which disappear one stop down. The 105 has no donuts. But then, the 105 is half stop slower, and has min focus of 4 feet, the 85/2 has min focus of 3 feet (roughly), more similar to the Leitz 90mm lenses.Here is an example 85/2 shot:

and here an example 105/2.5 shot:

Both wide open. Here an 85/2 at f4 or so:

It is harder to focus the 105 compared to the 85.

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[Roel]

Roland:
Thanks for the info. Great pictures. I really like the first and third one. Very communicative.

The great thing about this forum is not only the experience and knowledge shared but also the instant visual backup through the posted pictures. Not to mention the positive basic attitude of people. So much passion here. Can't thank you guys enough. It does keep me out of bed into the late hours though..

Roel

Shoot first, talk later.