Summicron 90/2 vs 90/2 APO ASPH.

[Shin Oyama]

A few days ago I got a non-aspherical Summicron 90/2 made in Canada. It is very sharp wide open when shooting distant subjects (which will be its primary purpose). It handles very nicely on my M8. But the sheer excellence of this lens, which, as someone said, makes razors look dull, has put me into a grass is greener on the other side mood. Just how much better is new Aspherical version of this lens in terms of sheer optical performance? Are there any advantages to the non-aspherical version over the aspherical? I am thinking only in aesthetic terms.

How do the non-aspheric and aspheric versions compare in portraiture?

My lens is in virually mint condition and I paid just over a 100,000 yen for it.

The only bothersome thing about this lens is the push-pull hood. I've fixed it which a green rubber band stopper. Don't think that will hurt it.

 

[awilder]

I use to own the Canadian E55 version prior to aquiring the 90/2 AA version and can honestly say after extensive testing the difference is not great in terms of sharpness. Color saturation, contrast and eveness of sharpness across the frame are marginally better but you'd only see it in a side by side comparison. Shooting wide open, the 90/2 AA displays the biggest improvement. After that the difference diminishes. Considering the cost difference of several hundred dolllars, the 90/2 AA is only worth it if a 90 is your main lens of preference.

 

[peter_n]

I bought the 90 AA for use on a specific project. It is a very good lens especially wide open as Alan mentions above, but it can be hard to focus accurately at f2 and it appears a bit less sharp with close-up subjects. For a 90 I prefer the M-Hexanon which is unfortunately a stop slower (so faster film). The 90AA is heavy and also has the annoying slide-out-but-won't-lock hood. I do wish Leica would spend a bit more of their brain power on ergonomics.

 

[Pherdinand]

the rubber stopper will decompose rather quickly (can be a matter of days, depending ifg it gets sunshine and humidity). Be careful, because it becomes porous and sticky.
I like the telescopic hood on my older version. I just got it set to the correct focusing, so i am eager to try it out.

 

[Ororaro]

A few days ago I got a non-aspherical Summicron 90/2 made in Canada. It is very sharp wide open when shooting distant subjects (which will be its primary purpose). It handles very nicely on my M8. But the sheer excellence of this lens, which, as someone said, makes razors look dull, has put me into a grass is greener on the other side mood. Just how much better is new Aspherical version of this lens in terms of sheer optical performance? Are there any advantages to the non-aspherical version over the aspherical? I am thinking only in aesthetic terms.

How do the non-aspheric and aspheric versions compare in portraiture?

My lens is in virually mint condition and I paid just over a 100,000 yen for it.

The only bothersome thing about this lens is the push-pull hood. I've fixed it which a green rubber band stopper. Don't think that will hurt it.

I had the same questions, but onceI thoroughly tested my 90mm pre-asph I came to the conclusion it's optically great and I wouldn't need the newer AA.

 

[awilder]

The 90/2 AA greatly benefits from a 1.25x magnifier especially if the finder is the 0.72 version. Focus is very critical like all 90/2 versions and you'd benefit from having the camera's RF calibrated for the lens based on focus bracket testing. There is a little bit of focus shift with the lens (surprising given the AA design) so it's best to check focus at f/2 and f/4 when calibrating to get the best compromise.

 

[Cyriljay]

I have this 90mm app ASP.
My lens is a titanium especial edition. It is a good lens heavy and solid. I don't have any problem with the weight of a lens. The lens is having a problem about focusing and I am sure this lens benefits with a 1.25X magnifier. I have read many stories about this lens having it's own focus shift.

 

[Freakscene]

The 90/2 AA greatly benefits from a 1.25x magnifier especially if the finder is the 0.72 version. Focus is very critical like all 90/2 versions and you'd benefit from having the camera's RF calibrated for the lens based on focus bracket testing. There is a little bit of focus shift with the lens (surprising given the AA design) so it's best to check focus at f/2 and f/4 when calibrating to get the best compromise.

Focus shift is apparent when spherical aberration is undercorrected, particularly when contrast is also increased/maximised. In a lens like this, a floating element will manage spherical aberration, and decrease focus shift more than an aspherical element. For this generation of lenses Leica chose to use aspherical elements, but floating elements weren’t introduced for another 6 years - the 90/2 asph was 1998, the 50/1.4 asph was the first Leica M lens with floating elements - in 2004. The new 90/1.5 has 2 aspherical elements and floating elements, and almost no focus shift. This is amusing because live view in the current M cameras makes focus shift largely irrelevant.

 

[mnutzer]

Despite all the very good properties of the Summicron 2.0-90 AA, what I miss most is a built-in connection for tripods, such as the old Nikkor PC 2.5-105 ltm has.