90mm Lenses

waynec said:
I've looked at the 90mm Minolta versions and it seems a majority have haze problems, and those that don't mention it I don't necessairly trust. I'm wondering what a cla would cost and where to go.
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Hi,

I think you'll find they were made by Leica for Minolta, as the odd one out.

Haze in lenses isn't much of a problem and easily and cheaply cleaned by most technicians. As the 90-C was made in the 70's I'd expect it to be like any other second-hand lens bought from a stranger; so allow for age related problems. Or buy from a dealer and get a guarantee...

Regards, David

PS I've had mine from new, so about 40+ years old and still in regular use.
 
Emile de Leon said:
The 2.8 TE was my 1st 90..bought new in 1989..and really should be my last..still looks brand new..
But I got a 90 F4 Elmar LTM for free a couple of years ago.....and it is a fun lens to use..but not as good color as the TE..but it needs a cla for sure..but it has great bokeh..
I think I'll get the 3 element someday..had a chance to get one back in the day for peanuts from Tamarkin..but didn't snap it up then..
Was looking for a nice 135 too recently..as I only have the Hector f4.5...
Just ordered a good condition 135 Elmar F4...its supposed to be pretty nice as well...and good in the closeup range too..
I'll find out this week how good it is when usps delivers the box...this Sat..definitely looking forward to this one..
There are so many beautiful Leica sleepers out there..and the older ones go soft wide open..which is exactly what I'm looking for..esp for video..
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You won't find too much difference between the Hektor and the Elmar. The real jump in performance came with the Tele-Elmar. Even the APO-Telyt only betters it at the two widest apertures
 
I like the collapsible elmar with reversible hood - it's compact and "authentic" with the M3, and has good image quality.
 
Recently sold a 90mm Elmarit M which was a truly excellent lens that I never used. It went for a surprising amount of money.

Why didn't I use it? Because it was chrome and although beautifully made it weighed a ton!
 
I have used five different Leica 90s, including the Macro Elmar and the ASPH Summicron. The thin TE is still my favorite and the one I would not sell. Never had problems with flare, and that includes shooting at several hundred fires. But I do use the lens hood. The TE is small, light, and renders well in black and white.
 
jamin-b said:
I like the collapsible elmar with reversible hood - it's compact and "authentic" with the M3, and has good image quality.
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This is my favorite 90mm, too - but I think it's a little slow for the OP?

I find this elmar's rendering to be a good match for the rigid/DR 50mm and 35mm 'cron v1.
 
waynec said:
I've looked at the 90mm Minolta versions and it seems a majority have haze problems, and those that don't mention it I don't necessairly trust. I'm wondering what a cla would cost and where to go.
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The one I bought was perfectly clean.
Thinking about it I bought it from KEH.
 
goodtimes said:
Anyone using the Nikonos 80mm F4.0 or knows how to adapt it to the M mount ?
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Here is a listing on Ebay for a Nikonos 80mm f/4 lens that has been reworked by the seller to mount on Leica M mount.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikonos-80-f-4-lens-for-Leica-M-RF-coupled-/221927318401?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Interestingly, I used to own this lens many years ago when using a Nikonos V for underwater photography.

Hope that helps.



Edited to add: I just noticed (after posting this) that another poster has linked to the same listing for a reworked Nikonos 80mm lens.
 
ornate_wrasse said:
No, the lens he is referring to is not an S-mount lens. It's a lens for the underwater cameras Nikonos I, II, III, IV or V. The lens is designed to be used both underwater and above water. Consequently, it looks very different from an S-Mount lens.
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Ah. My mistake brought on by the fact that my W-Nikkor 35mm was designed for the Nikonos as well, per this from Wiikipedia:"Nikon also created two lenses for use both above and under water, and one of them, the 35mm 2.5, can be thought of as the "kit" lens. They made the Nikonos useful for aquatic activities such as kayaking, canoeing, or for foul weather situations. These two lenses, the W-35mm and W-80mm, were also fully waterproof, but because they utilized a flat port, they did not have the benefit of the specialized water-contact optics."
 
Good news in terms of price and choices really

Good news in terms of price and choices really

Lots of options but for me the best one I've had, including new and old, is simply the good old Leica 90mm V1 Elmarit 2.8 with the leather collar. I currently have an Exc+ example in black and I got it for around 450 USD last year. A silver one in user grade might be even cheaper maybe?

For an example image, on my website, the series '8 Strangers' was shot with it. The picture of the young man with the black cap on here : http://www.chromacomaphoto.com/#/8strangers/is a good example of what it can do, even in the hands of someone like myself with weak technique and low ability!

90mm is a nice focal length in terms of original used leica glass for reasonable prices. Only wish the same could be said of wide focal lengths!
 
Very affordable: Elmar 4/90
Affordable and a bit better: Leica Tele-Elmarit-M 2.8/90
Best performance & sharpness: Leica APO-Summicron-M 2.0/90 (but expensive!)
Bestv value: Leica Summicron-M 2.0/90 (non-APO) >> my absolute favourite!
 
Kent said:
Very affordable: Elmar 4/90
Affordable and a bit better: Leica Tele-Elmarit-M 2.8/90
Best performance & sharpness: Leica APO-Summicron-M 2.0/90 (but expensive!)
Bestv value: Leica Summicron-M 2.0/90 (non-APO) >> my absolute favourite!
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Is the last one you mentioned the version 3? That's the one made up until 1998 that people refer to by E55 sometimes? I get confused by the names and versions!

I'm looking to upgrade from M8 to M9 and looking to add this lens to complete my lens kit now that I can think in more natural focal lengths (35 1.2 Nokton, 50 1.5 Nokton, +whatever 90mm) (I also have a 21/4 Skopar but apparently they don't play well with FF Ms).
 
I nearly always use the first version Macro Elmar M now, but I found the character, especially on film of the sliding-hood Elmarit-M to be something special. Either one has always been in my bag. The great advantage of the collapsible is that in a sudden shower you can put away the camera quickly. With the Elmarit-M and my very compact bag I had to change back to the 50/35/28 to put the camera back in the bag. A drag.
 
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