90mm f4 Elmar: why so cheap?

[marknyc]

I picked one up on the bay a year or so back. Whole lot of lens flare on mine. I need to rig up a shade -- there are various options. Without it, it's a tough lens to use outside I have found. Still -- you are right -- they are very cheap.

 

[amoebahydra]

I suggest also trying the later 3-element version of M-mount Elmar 90. It is completely another leaque but also at a higher price.

 

[ZorkiKat]

With this lens, how much of a difference can you tell in sharpness between an object that has been precisely focused on, and an object that is within the hyperfocal distance? In other words, if, with the aperture at f/22, i set the hyperfocal distance at infinity, would everything between infinity and 15-20 feet (a guess, i haven't gotten a good look at they hyperfocal scale on the lens) be acceptably sharp? In the past, I have used some lenses where this was the case, and some where it was not.

Thanks again for all of the great replies!

As with any Tessar type, 3 or 4 stops from maximum will yield the best resolution.

With regard to your 'hyperfocal' question, NOTE that the 9cm lens is a 'tele' lens, and thus whatever you got from wide angle or tele lenses will be different. Tele or long lenses will give you less in all counts.

 

[john341]

I picked up an elmar 4/90 this year for around 45 GBP. Have used it a few times and am very happy with the results. The J9 is good too but I think it produces very warm colour pictures..