Elmar C 4/90 for my M4-2?

[leif e]

Hi!
I´ve finally laid my hands on a real Leica, an M 4-2. It doesn´t have a frame for my CV 75 mm that I like a lot. So I´m looking for a 90mm and have been offered an Elmar C 4/90 (from a CL set). Questions; is this lens a good (enough) alternative? And what would a reasonable price be, provided it´s in good conditiion? Should I go for a CV 90 instead? Or ; should I be patient and save up for a 2,8 Elmarit?

I´d appreciate your (almost) always sound advice!http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/images/smilies/Angel_anim.gif

leif e

 

[back alley]

if you have and like a 75 then use that.
it will take very little practice/use before you know where the 75 lines should be cmpared to the 90 lines.
try it.

the elmar 90 is a bit slow but sharp and a nice small size. many quite like it.
i think they go for about 00 or maybe a little less. maybe wait for others on that one for better advice.
i just got the minolta version of this lens for just over $200.
joe

 

[raid]

I like the old Elmar 90/4 by Leitz. Your would be sharper wide open but the older ones have a special charm.

Raid

 

[leif e]

Thanks! I´ll be looking around. Many years ago I had Minolta´s Rokkor 4/90 for my set of two CLEs, 28, 40 and 90. Guess that Rokkor is quite similar to the Leitz - they sure are lookalikes.
leif e

 

[Graham Line]

Thanks! I´ll be looking around. Many years ago I had Minolta´s Rokkor 4/90 for my set of two CLEs, 28, 40 and 90. Guess that Rokkor is quite similar to the Leitz - they sure are lookalikes.
leif e

Both usually say 'Made in Germany' on them too. Same lens, faintly different cosmetics and coatings. Were any of them made in Japan?

 

[Andrew Touchon]

Both usually say 'Made in Germany' on them too. Same lens, faintly different cosmetics and coatings. Were any of them made in Japan?

The 90mm F4 Rokkor for the CLE was made in Japan by Minolta. It is an improved version of the original Leitz lens made in Germany for the Leica CL and the Leitz-Minolta CL cameras. The CLE version has improved multi-coating. For more info see the cameraquest web site. http://cameraquest.com/mguide.htm

 

[Ken Ford]

I've had a 90 Elmar-C for a number of years, and have always been happy with the image quality. That said, I've found I much prefer the look of a 75 over that of a 90, but that's just me.

The CL lenses are the best bang for the buck (Krone? Euro?) Leica lenses out there, IMO.

 

[pvenables]

Leif

The Elmar C is a wicked lens. Small, light and sharp. Mine has a lovely, solid focus action and positive click-stops. I picked it up for about £120 sterling.

At that price you could sell it on if you really wanted a "better" 90 later.

Best

Paul

 

[OldNick]

I use a 90 viewfinder frame with an 85mm lens and find it presents no problem. With practice, I would think that one could use a 90/75 combination unless one were shooting slides. I would just frame the area of interest very tightly in the 90 frame and let the spread of the 75 provide the margin.

Jim N.

 

[Paul T.]

I owned the CV 75, got frustrated with only having rough framing on my CL, sold it & bought the 90 Elmar C for slightly less and love it. It's helped me with some great shots, it's wonderfully compact too, in fact it's sitting on my M4 now - i zipped off half a dozen portraits with it in the early evening light on monday...

 

[jaapv]

At the time of introduction the c-90/4.0 was the best 90 Leica ever built, by a fair margin. You might want to look at the August 2006 LFI, they feature the 90 mm linep there with loads of information on this focal lentth