Recommend a 90 mm lens for my M3

[kshapero]

Why not? the Leica M3 was built for a 90 mm lens. help me pick one out. Any brand you think will sing on my M3.:angel:

 

[yossarian123]

Three 90s - getting the gang back together by SL_Photos, on Flickr

Here's 3 that I had. I kept the summicron and the elmar. The Summicron is great on the M3, I've found that its much easier to focus with the big VF. It's also a nice match stylistically.

 

[Rico]

Any Elmar is a winner, not least for portability. I prefer postwar, chrome, single coated. Mine are the 4-element (collapsible), 4-element (rigid), and 3-element. Latter shown below.

 

[Classique]

I have not tried any of the 90mm leicas but I can highly recommend Nikon 105mm 2.5. It is tack sharp wide open and it takes common 52mm filters. IMO matches black or chrome leicas pretty well also.

 

[splitimageview]

90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit is my favorite, but there are many good options. The older 90/4 Elmars are often hazy/scratchy but are quite good if you find one with nice glass. The collapsible is really cool size-wise but the chrome makes it heavy.

 

[philipus]

I have an Elmarit-M which I like a lot. It is light and performs exceptionally well across the aperture range. I also have a 9cm Elmar from 1934 which works very well, too. Stopped down a bit it is really quite sharp. I used to own a N Kogaku P.C 8,5cm/2 which I liked a lot. It was however rather front heavy (as in lots of elements to the front of the lens) which I found affected balance a bit (but not terribly much).

 

[paradoxbox]

I like the Elmar 90mm F4 I picked up quite cheaply! It's a single coated version from around 1958 I believe.

You need to be careful of fogging inside the lens though, most of them I checked had some haze.

Here's a shot with it on the Epson R-D1, wide open and handheld at 1/10th!!!!

 

[kanzlr]

Konica M-Hexanon. Amazing lens, replaced the Elmarit-M for me.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Do you want sharpness for, say, details in the main scene? Or softness for portraits without "warts and all" as Cromwell put it?

Regards, David

 

[kshapero]

Hi,

Do you want sharpness for, say, details in the main scene? Or softness for portraits without "warts and all" as Cromwell put it?

Regards, David

I like sharpness.

 

[fbf]

leica 90mm summicron pre-asph

 

[taskoni]

Elmar-C 90mm f/4 is what I have and it is a great lens overall one to consider - very sharp also wide open, very compact too.

Here is a shot wide open:

Excuse the bad scan and the not very pleasing light too 🙂

Regards,

Boris

 

[Joosep]

Tele-Elmarit, the "thin" version. I gotta say, it produces AMAZING images and is very compact.

 

[ferider]

leica 90mm summicron pre-asph

^^^ This.

The M3 focuses f2 easily, so why settle for something slower ?

90/2 v3, very sharp f2.8 and up and beautiful rendering. As Ernostar small, much smaller than earlier versions.

Or, if you want fast and small, the 85/2 Nikkor is great, too.

My favorite teles on the M3:

From my v3, meet Wotan 🙂 :

Not bad for landscapes either:

Roland.

 

[David Hughes]

I like sharpness.

HI,

Hmmm, experience suggests the 90mm CL version but my others were all second-hand.

Regards, David

 

[hipsterdufus]

Tele-Elmarit, the "thin" version. I gotta say, it produces AMAZING images and is very compact.

Not a lot to add, but I love this portrait. I have a Canon 85mm f2.0 that is good enough for my uses.

 

[nobbylon]

The 3 element Elmar is a great lens however it is pricey as not many were made. It's a great travel lens.

 

[maitani]

Another vote for the small and 'thin' tele elmarit

Keeper lens

 

[Monz]

I like the 90mm Elmarit-M: sharp, relatively fast and compact.
Here is a hand held portrait using M3 + 90mm Elmarit-M + Tri-X ISO 400:


Aftab by *monz*, on Flickr

 

[KoNickon]

I have a collapsible 90 Elmar sitting on an M3 right now -- fits inside the case if that's a consideration. Really nice lens, and "correct" for the M3, I think.