75, or 90mm

[Rangefinder 35]

Leica 75mm/2.5 , or 90/2.8, and why? What about ASPH versions, anybody with experience in all of these?

 

[creenus]

I bought a used Summarit 75mm f2.5 and I love it. Extremely sharp, nice bokeh, small and lightweight. When I bought it, it did not come with a Leica hood, so I made my own from a Chinese hood for about $8, including shipping.

I have no need or desire for a Leica 90mm.

I shoot the 75 with an M6, which has a 75mm frame in the viewfinder.

Ervin Puts rated this and the Summarit 35mm f2.5 as excellent lenses, so don't believe the hogwash Ken Rockwell writes about them.

 

[retinax]

I'd say it depends on the other lenses you use. 75 is a bit close to 50 but works well as a second lens with a 35 or 28. If u use a 50 a lot, a 90 pairs better with it. Personally, I'd rather have a 90 or thereabouts in any case, 75 I find a little awkward. But one can get used to any FL, so the spacing thing should really be the main consideration. That, and perspective and reach if you have specific needs there. 90 again wins for me, nice compression for certain landscapes and less enlarged noses in portraits. Great thing with a RF: you can play around with the respective framelines before you buy anything. Depending on VF magnification, 90 framelines might be simply too small...

 

[aizan]

what are you going to use it for? they have different fortes.

 

[Rangefinder 35]

what are you going to use it for? they have different fortes.

Portraits with lot of air around them. Small detail of intricate textures.

I guess I used to have Nikkor 105/2.5 lens and I liked it much. I don't have 50 for Leica, and I'm not planning to get it. It's angle of view is too narrow for my subjects, and not narrow enough for other.

 

[Darthfeeble]

You have a 90 for your Contax, what does it do for you?

 

[Wenge]

90/4 M-Rokkor is also exc +

 

[Rob-F]

Lately I have been finding my 90 a little too tight, while the 75 leaves more room around the edges. But then with a different subject, the 90 is right. The weakness of the 75 is not the lens itself, but the viewfinder. I get distracted by the 50mm frame and accidentally use it instead, ending up with a picture more cropped than I intended. I think the 90 finder frame is easier to use, and that does count.

 

[filmtwit]

The newest 75mm will close focus down to .7 meters, makeing them nice for closer-up photos. Otherwise the newer 90mm will focus down to .9 meters and will be more versital then 75mm are.

 

[f16sunshine]

After looking at your Gallery and reading you don't use a 50mm OP ,I would say get the 75mm.
You have the teleTessar 4/85 which is a 90mm stand in.

I owned the earliest Summarit 75mm (2008purchase) and it was excellent with beautiful sharp rendering and nice oof traits for portraits.
The updated 75mm is even better.
VF issues are overblown in my view. The framelines are there for 75mm in your M6.

 

[Rangefinder 35]

You have a 90 for your Contax, what does it do for you?

Not much. Few shots that I got out of it got misfocused, or shaken, even though I used the tripod...

 

[Rangefinder 35]

After looking at your Gallery and reading you don't use a 50mm OP ,I would say get the 75mm.
You have the teleTessar 4/85 which is a 90mm stand in.

I owned the earliest Summarit 75mm (2008purchase) and it was excellent with beautiful sharp rendering and nice oof traits for portraits.
The updated 75mm is even better.
VF issues are overblown in my view. The framelines are there for 75mm in your M6.

Thank you all for your input. I'm leaning toward 75, as of now. Just waiting for all the stars to line up...

 

[Doug]

I've had my fat Tele-Elmarit for... let's see... 50 years!! Never has been used much, just carried. I think that is due to the small 90mm framelines being hard for me to compose within.

OTOH, I'm very comfortable with 85mm on an SLR, so it's not the focal length (of the 90) that's a problem.

So for me, and on an M body, 75mm is the choice. I have two, both the Voigtlander 75s, and the f/1.8 model gives me better results. But the Leica 75 Summarit looks very attractive too...

 

[David Hughes]

As you list an 85, 90 and 100mm lenses I wonder why you need another so close?

Regards, David

 

[presspass]

75 and 35 make a good two-lens set. The 90 goes better with a 50 and either a 35 or a 28. I really like the Mandler lenses and enjoy working with the 75 Summilux and the 35 pre-asph Summilux. The 75 was bought new years ago and has been heavily used; the 35 came later.

 

[narsuitus]

75, or 90mm

With my 35mm SLR, I have access to 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90mm focal lengths.

The 85mm focal length is the one I prefer to use most often.

With my 35mm rangefinders, I chose the 90mm focal length because the 75 was not long enough for my tastes.

I use a 90mm f/2 Leitz and a 35mm f/1.4 Zeiss on an M6.


Rangefinder by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Rob-F]

One way to try out the 75mm focal length without a huge investment is to get the CV 75mm Heliar. Mine is in screw mount, and I have the 75mm finder so I can use it with my IIIc bodies. And then I have a Cosina LTM to M adapter so I can use it on my M bodies. It is not quite as good as my 75mm Summicron--of course not! But it is still very good! It is sharp enough and the color is good. And it is so close in size to a 50mm lens, that at a casual glance it can be mistaken for a 50. And you won't have to eat Ramen Noodles from now until April to afford it!