M8 & your 90mm: if you could do it over...

[jpmac55]

I'm researching 90mm options for my M8. The Elmarit M 90mm gets pretty good endorsements here, maybe more so than the current Summarit. Are there any trade offs with the Elmarit vs. the Summarit 90mm?

I don't want to end up doing what my title suggests, buy one and then wish I had the other.

Thanks!

 

[jaapv]

If it earns no more than three angry calls from your bank manager, I would go for the Apo-Summicron 90 asph. I have owned the Elmarit, and it is a very good lens, imo better than the old Summicron, but the 90AA still astounds me with the clean contrast and amount of fine detail it renders with each shot I take.

 

[kully]

Jaap, do you shoot at f/2-f/4 often? How do you find focussing? Do you use a viewfinder magnifier?

Apologies - many questions 🙂

 

[noimmunity]

If you can deal with f/2.8, check out the M-Hex 90/2.8 . Small, inexpensive, high quality, lightweight. It doesn't come up all that often but clean copies can be had for around $450. I had one but didn't warm up to the 90 FL. Makes excellent images and won't incur even a hiccup from your banker.
Depending on what you plan to use it for, I'd argue for a good 75 instead of a 90. The 75 cron, my favorite, has been popping up recently for $1900 and less.

Edit: no magnifier needed for fast 75s on the M8!

 

[jaapv]

Jaap, do you shoot at f/2-f/4 often? How do you find focussing? Do you use a viewfinder magnifier?

Apologies - many questions 🙂

I nearly always use it wide open. I tried all available magnifiers except the 1.4x and found that I can focus consistently with just the normal viewfinder- but with the diopter correction set up ideally for my eyes. I get better results without the magnifier and I am not the only one. I'm told it depends on the accomodation ability of your eye whether with or without magnifier is better. The way to find the correct diopter is to try the viewfinder with optician's try-out correction lenses held in front of it - or, more banal, using el-cheapo reading glasses from the drugstore. The framelines/focussing patch must be 100% sharp. Not the image itself, that may be slightly out of focus in some cases.

 

[Broughsup]

90mm Lenses,

90mm Lenses,

Not a good idea to use a 90mm Konica as the rangefinder coupling might be Leica type BUT it is not exactly corect for Leica, indeed look up Konica's own literature and they said it was not themselves in the small print.

As to the 90mm Aspheric, I had one, thought the images fantastic, but just could not get on with the handling so bought one of the last 90mm f2.8 Elmarit's to try side by side, and now much preffer it, it weighs much less so the camera handling is much better, and the results by f2.8 on digital are just as good. Don😛

 

[Ben Z]

I've seen the APO-Summicron going for ~$1500 recently (uncoded, but you don't need coding on a 90) so given the choice between it and a new Summarit I would take Jaap's advice and go with the Cron.

I currently own 3 90's, an older "fat" T-E, the later "thin" T-E, and the pre-APO Summicron. At one time I owned the Elmarit-M, but sold it because it was only slightly smaller/lighter than the pre-APO Cron, and performance was identical (to my eyes) but the Cron gives me f/2 with very pleasing rendition for portraiture (more pleasing to me than the APO's). The earlier T-E is a very nice lens too, better perhaps than the thin version, but you can't beat the thin one for travel, especially since I don't use a 90 that much. Another excellent and very economical lens is the Voitlander APO Lanthar, if you can tolerate f/3.5 as a maximum. The oldest Elmarit is also said to be excellent, and the last (coated) versions of the f/4 Elmar are also quite good. Like 135's, there really aren't any dogs in the kennel, and you can't really go far wrong no matter which one you choose.

 

[dcsang]

Hmm.. you guys have made me consider the 90mm again.

Having had the 75mm Lux for some time now (in my books 😀) I never considered the 90 but if the APO-Summicron is that good.. maybe I will pick one up. Can I see some photos taken with these various 90's? 🙂

Danke,
Dave

 

[HenningW]

I had a 90 AA since it came out until a year ago. Great performance, but it didn't focus accurately on my M8's. I tried getting it adjusted, but I never did get it to work correctly. I also have a thin TE, and at 2.8 had a hard time telling the difference between it and the AA (while on film the difference was huge). I have Leica's 75's, and some 135's, so I got rid of the AA. The TE is now part of my 'lite' outfit of 21 or 15 CV, and 35/2 v4. Works great.

If I carry more, it includes the 75/1.4 or f/2 and possibly a 135 which makes the 90 pretty much pointless.

So, if 90 is going to be your longest and you will be using it a lot, maybe get the AA and take the trouble to get it adjusted properly and get used to focussing it. I have no trouble with the 75/1.4 but couldn't get the 90AA to work. The 90 CV is just too slow, the better Elmarit's are too big. The TE's are variable, but there are good ones. I've gone through about 8, and my current one stands head and shoulders over the others.

ymmv

Henning

 

[ferider]

Just for my education, is there a similar difference in color/contrast rendering between 90aa Summicron and new Elmarit as there was between pre-asph Summicron and Tele Elmarit ?

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[yanidel]

I bought a 90mm Hexanon but it back-focused a bit on the M8 even though the lens was just fine. I have replaced it by the 85mm Jupiter 9 which I mount on a 50-75mm adapter so the FOV matches almost perfectly the 75mm framelines. It back focuses a bit too but wonderful lens with some "glow". Nevertheless, I acquired a 90mm Cron pre-asph a few days ago. I found out I love to shoot at F2 with the Jupiter 9 but the back-focus makes it a random thing at that aperture and it is a bit too soft. Mecanics also makes it difficult to focus quick or adjust aperture.
I compared the Elmarit with the Cron today, I did not find them much different in size.

 

[kbg32]

I love the 90 Elmar-C!

 

[jaapv]

I had a 90 AA since it came out until a year ago. Great performance, but it didn't focus accurately on my M8's. I tried getting it adjusted, but I never did get it to work correctly. I also have a thin TE, and at 2.8 had a hard time telling the difference between it and the AA (while on film the difference was huge). I have Leica's 75's, and some 135's, so I got rid of the AA. The TE is now part of my 'lite' outfit of 21 or 15 CV, and 35/2 v4. Works great.

Henning

Well, if you could not get the 90AA to work, it stands to reason that you could not see a great difference to you Elmarit🙄
Having said that, the 90AA is certainly not one of the lenses that have a reputation for being " difficult" on the M8. Yours must have been an exception, and a deception for you.

 

[__hh]

I recently discovered that my 90mm TE actually does not need coding to be recognized by the M8 - the screw happens to be in just THE right place 🙂

That's gotta be worth at least $100 🙂

 

[mountainrivera]

Had both. The elmarit is still here. Sharp as heck and compact. If you don't need 2.0 go for the elmarit. The summicron is much larger.

 

[Quinn Porter]

My only advise is to buy a used 90. It seems to me there is no other focal length that drops in value as much when you walk out the shop door.

 

[LeicaMSeattle]

I bought my Canadian made 90 Summicron used many years ago to use with my M6, as it was recommended as a good compliment to my 21mm and 35mm lens group. Unfortunately the lens was only used when I am shooting portraits otherwise, it's a good deal of weight to haul around while traveling. It's a very nice lens on the M8 but the crop makes it around a 120mm equivalent.

 

[jpmac55]

I am beginning to think a 75mm may be a better next lens. I'm still behaving like a dslr user, thinking you need to have a really long lens or two. In fact, now that I own a 28mm & 50mm, something wider could get the nod.

 

[cfc247]

John,

Just keep in mind that the 75 framelines on the M8 are not as distinct or accurate as the 90. The benefit of the M8 is that you could get a sense of the field of view by switching framelines when shooting.

I also have a 28 and 50 for my M8, and a 90. I like the 50 for environmental portraits and the 90 for headshots and landscapes. I have the 90 Elmarit-M and just got my hands on a 90 'cron pre AA. Got the latter for the Mandler lens design and that pre ASPH lower contrast look. The Elmarit-M seems to be somewhere in the middle when I compare it to my 50 lux pre ASPH to a newer 35 'cron or 28 elmarit in terms of drawing.

Mark

 

[jpmac55]

John,

Just keep in mind that the 75 framelines on the M8 are not as distinct or accurate as the 90. The benefit of the M8 is that you could get a sense of the field of view by switching framelines when shooting.

I also have a 28 and 50 for my M8, and a 90. I like the 50 for environmental portraits and the 90 for headshots and landscapes. I have the 90 Elmarit-M and just got my hands on a 90 'cron pre AA. Got the latter for the Mandler lens design and that pre ASPH lower contrast look. The Elmarit-M seems to be somewhere in the middle when I compare it to my 50 lux pre ASPH to a newer 35 'cron or 28 elmarit in terms of drawing.

Mark

Mark - perhaps I read it wrong but thought the 75mm would be easier to read than a 90. Also, could you explain what you mean by switching frame lines?