What is your preferred 90mm Summicron (any version)

[Rob-F]

. . . and why? And which Leica do you like to use it on?

Starting 60 years ago, I always kind of wanted the early Summicron 90; not the earliest one, but the one with the collapsible lens hood. I never did get one, at least not yet. I did have the AA-APO for a while, but changed to the 75mm Summicron, which I now regret doing. I do have my 1960 chrome Elmarit, and the thin TE, but the urge is not satisfied.

So I'm thinking of switching back. Maybe to the APO, but maybe to an earlier one with "character." I won't want the very earliest and heaviest one, but maybe one after that. Or, maybe the AA--I don't know.

So, what are your thoughts about the various 90 Summicrons?

 

[rfaspen]

As I understand it, the first summicron 90 had a separate hood (with a neat shape). Not too many of those made. The second version of the summicron 90 had a long run with a lot of variation -- I think they all had a collapsible hood that was in multiple sections. The third version (pre-asph?) had a single-piece collapsible hood (I think). Then the v4 - the asph or AA version. Then ?

I could be wrong about this "history"...feel free to correct me.

I wanted one from the second version, but late in the run, and black. And, I got one (1989 vintage I think). I love it, but yes it's heavy. Super lovely images from wide open and nearly wide open. My favorite photos of my wife with this lens...

I have no experience with any other summicron 90 (to speak of), so can't make any comparisons for you....but I'm happy with my v2. I have smaller and lighter 90s if I need that (elmarit, elmar, rokkor).

 

[peterm1]

I have a 1970 type (with the collapsible hood) and like it a lot. It's main disadvantage of course is it great size and weight though I love it for the same reason in principle (I like beefy lenses till I have to carry them 🙂 ).One gripe I have with Leica's 90s is that just about every variant reversed the direction of the aperture ring travel ANNOYING!

If I had to say which version I liked best I would go for the first version simply because I like classic lenses best. Though I do not know much about its performance having never used one.

 

[Vince Lupo]

This has always been my favourite:


soozi1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

The SOOZI version, of which they made less than 500 units. It was interesting in that it was a screw mount Midland lens (no red dot) that had an M mount glued onto it. If you’re lucky and the glue has dried out after all these years, you should be able to unscrew the mount without too much trouble.

I had this one about 9 years ago, paid the princely sum of $400 for the complete kit. It had great character wide open, and I regret having sold it. I think the reason I sold it was that I never got on with the 90mm focal length, and I gravitated more to the 75mm. Still, it was a nice, unique lens to have at the time.

 

[Dralowid]

I had the ltm version many years ago. Never enjoyed it because it was just too heavy for an ltm camera. Went over to one of the smaller Elmar 90s

 

[Benjamin Marks]

LOL. My favorite is easy, because I only own one: the Apo Asph. Up till the point I purchased it, I had been using a 90/2.8 skinny Elmarit -- the one with the reversible hood. . . a very fine lens in its own right.

My "light" kit was a 35/2 v.IV Summicron, a 50/2.8 Emarit collapsible, and the 90/2.8. It would do its mountain-climbing antecedents proud.

 

[narsuitus]

So, what are your thoughts about the various 90 Summicrons?

I cannot identify the various 90mm Summicrons. I bought the one I use on my M6 for reportage and portraits. Love it for reportage but am unsatisfied with it for portraits. I need to capture head & shoulder portraits of a people sitting across the table from me but cannot because it does not close focus very well.


M6 Rangefinder by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Rob-F]

I cannot identify the various 90mm Summicrons.


M6 Rangefinder by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Identification is a little tricky! The very first one called SOOZI (screw-mount) or SOOZI-M (M-mount) had the removable hood. The Hove Leica collectors book calls this one (I)a. Erwin Puts, in the Leica Lens Compendium, simply calls it (I). Next is SEOOF, or SEOOM for the M-mount, with a similar, but not identical, optical design, and sporting a nifty collapsible hood. This is (I)b in the collectors book, and (II) in the Compendium. Both of these were six elements in five groups; again, the schematic drawing of the optical design is very similar, but not the same.

Next came a simplified five-element design, lighter in weight. This is the one with the one-piece sliding hood, identified as Summicron (II) in the collectors book, or Summicron-M (III) by Puts in the Compendium. Both books are pretty clear that this lens does not perform as well wide-open as the previous SEOOF/SEOOM, although it is easier to carry around. Five elements in four groups.

Last is identified in both books as APO-Summicron M ASPH, five elements in five groups, with the best wide-open performance.

Narsuitus, the one you have pictured looks like the (I)b (collectors book) or the (II) (Compendium). Built-in collapsible hood.

BTW, Puts also wrote the descriptions in the Hove collector book.

 

[Ronald M]

Pre ASPH with 55 mm filter. Never upgraded to asph , but I like my 90 4.0 macro very much. Do not use 2.0 much , so the macro is all I need.