90 millimeters

[hepcat]

Here's a couple of recent shots from my M8 and my 1968 vintage Summicron 90.


L1004098 by chief1120, on Flickr


L1004043 by chief1120, on Flickr

 

[ferider]

Interessing!
Only Leica user seem to use 90mm on their RF.
Why?
There are so many good old RF with interchangable lenses out there with the possibility to use lenses around 90mm - nobody does it?

There are really good non Leica short teles, and cameras fitting them, too. For example, I find my Canon P 1:1 finder with 100mm framelines great for use with the Canon 100/3.5 or Nikkor 105/2.5. Then again, I find it easy to frame 85, 90, 100 and 105 all with the Leica M 90mm framelines. Remember that teles get "much longer" at close focus. For example, at 1m, an 90mm lens has a true focal length of 98.9mm.

A couple more shots (all posted a while ago on RFF):

Nikkor 85/2 LTM:

Hexanon 90/2.8:

Summicron 90/2 v3:

Roland.

 

[icebear]

Summicron 90/2 v3:

Roland.

This is gorgeous ! I can almost hear the sound of that secene.

 

[ferider]

Thank you, Klaus !

OP: if you are interested in a size comparison, from all the teles that I tried, these are the ones I kept (for now 🙂 ), and use more or less regularly:

1) CLE 90/4 (your lens)
2) Canon 100/3.5
3) Summilux 75/1.4
4) Summicron 90/2 v3
5) Nikkor 85/2
6) Nikkor 105/2.5
7) Komura 80/1.8

Note that 4, 5, 6, 7 are Sonnar and Ernostar designs, which I love.

Roland.

 

[WJJ3]

The 90mm has been a leica lineup since the early 30s, and when the time came 'everyone' else (most RF camera makers) went with the 85mm. So ultimately I think it has to do with frame line compatibility. 85 frames can be used with 90 lenses and vice versa, but I think tradition tends to keep 90mm with Leica and 85mm with those cameras that have the proper frame lines.

There are really good non Leica short teles, and cameras fitting them, too. For example, I find my Canon P 1:1 finder with 100mm framelines great for use with the Canon 100/3.5 or Nikkor 105/2.5. Then again, I find it easy to frame 85, 90, 100 and 105 all with the Leica M 90mm framelines. Remember that teles get "much longer" at close focus. For example, at 1m, an 90mm lens has a true focal length of 98.9mm.

good points here. it looks like different makers chose slightly different focal lengths for their short teles. Perhaps '85-105 millimeters' would have been more appropriate for the thread title.

It looks like people are indeed using them as well. Some really nice photography here with a wide range of subject matter. The strengths of this focal length in landscape and portraiture can't be denied, but its use for still life and candid is becoming more clear as well...

This is stunning:

Summicron 90/2 v3:

Roland.

 

[taskoni]

Stunning black and white mountain landsacpes Boris.

Thank you Vince and Richard, you are very kind! I guess the credit should go to the guy in the lab who scanned the negs and processed it 😀 My scans usually are crap because my scanner is, but the wet prints looks identically good, thanks God 🙂
The one with the heart in the lake I made for Dave Lackey - somehow a few seconds before I spotted that heart I thought about him 😱

So many great shots here, I should use the 90mm more I guess.

 

[dct]

Even older ones work very good, albeit showing some back-focus at the far end (> 10 m).
This shot wasn't on a Leica body!

This is a pre-1970 Elmar-M 9cm/F4. Here at 1/30s f11 on Fujicolor C200.

 

[mmbma]

90mm telelmarit, my favorite. I have the version that was made in the 80's, still super sharp. I am okay with the trade of between aperture and compactness. It is even smaller than my 50mm summilux

 

[menos]

I absolutely love the offerings in the ~90mm range of fast RF coupled lenses. I use them on Leica M bodies, because an old M6 just happened to have been the camera, that started my love for RF cameras.

Nikkor 8.5cm ƒ1.5 LTM:


portrait - JC - table - color by teknopunk.com, on Flickr


unknown girl by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

Carl Zeiss Jupiter 85/2 ;-)


8.5cm f2 Carl Zeiss Jupiter-9 - crossing street by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

My favourite long lenses in the ~90mm range are:

Canon 100/2 LTM and Nikkor 85/1.5 LTM

My favourite lightweight/ compact short tele (but reaching 90mm) is the 75/2.5 Voigtlander - marvellous lens for the money!

 

[WJJ3]

I absolutely love the offerings in the ~90mm range of fast RF coupled lenses. I use them on Leica M bodies, because an old M6 just happened to have been the camera, that started my love for RF cameras.

My favourite long lenses in the ~90mm range are:

Canon 100/2 LTM and Nikkor 85/1.5 LTM

My favourite lightweight/ compact short tele (but reaching 90mm) is the 75/2.5 Voigtlander - marvellous lens for the money!

great! thanks for showing your examples. Looks like the physical size of the lens has not kept you from shooting teles on your RF. I really like 'crossing street'!

 

[menos]

No not at all - I never really understood what all this "This or that lens is too big this or too heavy that on a Rangefinder camera."

It's like somebody is stating that this T-shirt is too blue or too green to be used in summer …

I do love the longer RF lenses exactly for what they are: damn fast and incredibly small and compact ;-)

Here is one lens I liked less recently - a 90 Summicron pre ASPH (once a favourite of mine, but I prefer the Japanese lenses in this focal length now over the Summicron):


flowers on wheels by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

I started to shoot more and more longer lenses on Leica M, since I travel every year to Le Mans.
Only the Leica M system allows me, to take two bodies and so many different lenses into a small messenger bag and not break my back.
I couldn't dream of shooting a DSLR system and travel in good health that way.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

managed to dig up my old pix...

Elmarit 90/f2.8 chrome on the CL

M4P with Elmarit 90/f2.8

Lastly Hassy 150mm lens (well, 90mm in 35mm format ):

 

[Vics]

I have the Elmar-C, and like you, I use it rarely, but I'm glad it's in the bag. This spring, I'll be getting out into the vineyards here in Sonoma County, and I think it will see much more use then. That type of travel photography is the reason I bought it.

McDonald house Elmar-C 90mm by Victor Ross, on Flickr

 

[Vics]

Interessing!
Only Leica user seem to use 90mm on their RF.
Why?
There are so many good old RF with interchangable lenses out there with the possibility to use lenses around 90mm - nobody does it?

I'd use an 85 on my Contax IIIa, but with the Elmar-C on the M3, I can't justify the expense.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Tim these are lovely, and its interesting to see you use a Leica as a portrait camera.

Thank you.

99% of what I shoot with my Leicas are people shots. And when doing somewhat more of a "formal" portrait, I usually reach for the 90 cron.

Best,
-Tim

 

[menos]

Ray, fantastic! love that second frame!

 

[WJJ3]

winter2015_52 by WilliamJosephJefferson, on Flickr

 

[charjohncarter]

90mm Elmar on a Leica IIIf:

Tmax400 HC-110h by carter3john, on Flickr

 

[Godfrey]

Bicyclist On Jurby Road
Isle of Man 2011
Ricoh GXR-M + M-Rokkor 90mm f/4



Sabre Inverted
Duxford Air Show 2011
Ricoh GXR-M + M-Rokkor 90mm f/4



Keith At Sulby Bridge
Isle of Man 2000
Leica M6TTL + TeleElmarit-M 90mm f/2.8​

enjoy,
G

 

[rhl-oregon]

Elmar C/M5