Which LEICA 90mm lens for travel?

Which LEICA 90mm lens for travel?

  • Elmar

    Votes: 60 24.6%

  • Elmarit

    Votes: 46 18.9%

  • Tele-Elmarit

    Votes: 88 36.1%

  • Summicron

    Votes: 50 20.5%
  • Total voters
    244
I know nothing about 90mm lenses, but my 90 mm Leica Elmar from early fifties is easy to travel with and does a very decent photo, here it is in macro on a SLR:

2653603105_9b6d5af216.jpg
 
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For travel, there is no doubt which 90 I would pick out of the provided list: the macro-elmar 90/4. Compact, superb all-round performer, can do some macro with the accessory, and can be a good lens for portraiture, too.
 
I'm surprised the thin Tele-Elmarit hasn't had more proponents - relatively fast (f2.8), light and not expensive = the ideal travel lens. It also takes 39mm filters. Good images too - what's not to like?
 
Perhaps I am biased in the 'saving ounces' department, because if I went on a diet I could probably lose the entire weight of a Leica outfit, plus bag, plus tripod -- 10 kg/22 lb, let us say -- without becoming in the least bit scrawny.

I greatly admire those who have not succumbed to middle-aged spread, but to those who have, might I suggest that losing weight might be a desirable alternative to buying lighter kit?

Personally, I just live with it. As long as I can walk five or ten miles, carrying a couple of cameras and four or five lenses, I reckon I'm probably not too fat. Even though I am.

Tashi delek,

R.
 
I could certainly shed the equivalent of a Nikon F2AS with MD2/MB1 and 300/4.5.

Or maybe I should just start using it more and get a workout.

But I still like the Elmar best for a travel lens because of the rendition: lower contrast. I have the Thin Tele-Elmarit. It is sharper and has higher contrast. I've used it recently on the M2, good lens. I would not take it to Williamsburg, but it was great for shooting Parasails.
 
I had, for a brief time, a T-E 90mm f2.8 (it came with my M4-2). I sold it because I already have all the long lenses I need, but I remember thinking about keeping it because it's very sharp, small, takes 39mm filters, the focusing throw is relatively short, and doesn't make the camera too big.

I must admit to favoring the Summicron pre-Asph, but then, the last time I traveled with my Leicas I simply didn't have a T-E. I may look for one some day...
 
I rarely use the lens longer than 50, but I also have one 90mm f/4 elmar lens. It's advantage is the small size, very compact for my camera bag.
 
The Collapsible 9cm F4 Elmar takes 39mm filters, as do the later Rigid M-Mount 9cm F4 Elmars. The LTM lenses use 34mm filters, a bit more difficult to find. But, obtainable. My coated LTM 9cm F4 Elmar was $60 at a show. If cost is a factor at all, the Elmar is much less than half the cost of the other lenses in the Poll.
 
Planning a trip to Cuba this summer, and my gear selection (at the moment) is as follows:

Nikonos V with 35mm lens for colour neg film
Leica CL with CV21, CV40, and Elmar 90, for B+W film
Zeiss Nettar folding MF for B+W film
 
I only have one M mount 90, a Fat T-E. Never wanted a bigger heavier lens and with 800 iso film did all I wanted to do with it. It is compact, relatively light, sharp enough for me and with print film the colours are good enough too. If you need the speed then you put up with bigger and heavier but why bother if you don't.

Bob
 
Would feel better about all of this if the Elmarit-M 2.8 had been specified in the poll. Very interesting to me that the recently-released 90/2.5 Summarit has not even been mentioned. The recent Summarits seem to be pretty much off the radar here, and not mentioned often on Leica's own board.

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps firstlook summarit.html
 
The OP asked that individual suggestions on specific version of lenses be included as comments. I have three versions of the Elmar: uncoated, coated LTM, and collapsible. The latter is my preferred lens. I also have a V1 Summicron 9cm F2 and a Thin Tele-Elmarit. They get used. No Elmarit, though.

There are a lot of other lenses in this focal length range, I've got a few more such as the J-9, Nikkor 8.5cm F2, Canon 85/2, Canon 100/4, and Nikkor 10.5cm F2.5. They are not in the poll, either. These lenses, including the Leica's, ran a low of $50 and high of $300. But price range was not specified. I suspect the 90/2.5 Summarit runs much more than a used Elmar.
 
If you're buying - any of your options would no doubt be great - provided the seller hasn't tacked the word 'rare' or the symbols @, ~, or ! onto the item. I'm thinking of eBay here. Use of 'rare' has brought up 11 elmar 90's that are available to me and what seem to be 'I'd like to retire now prices'. Unfortuantely 'common' turns up nothing! Go figure!

Seriously though, I can't imagine any of these lenses disappointing you. I try to make sure that all of my lenses focus in the same direction and that all have common measurements (especially with the older stuff - now is that 3 meters or 9.8 feet?) when I'm travelling.

On holiday I usually shoot 400 asa colour so aperature *usually* doesn't bother me. My last trip was two weeks in Thailand with my Hexar, 50/3.5 Elmar and a certain smug satisfacion every time I collapsed the lens into the camera and slid said camera into the car seat pocket just in front of my knees.
 
The new 90 Elmar is a top class lens and good from infinity to 1:3, F 4 to F11.

If I did low light stuff, 90 F2 pre ASPH is what I take because that is what I have had since 1985, paid around $500 new. My 28 and 21 2.8 from same time were $600/700 don`t remember exactly.

My go to stuff for a walk are 35 pre ASPH, 50 2.8 new, 90 F4 new.
 
Used to use M-Hexanon, but since I sold it, I have been using old Elmar 9cm with LTM. It has less contrast than other newer lenses, but with a bit of PP, it works fine. But still looking for 34mm UV/IR filter for it...
 
current 90 elmarit or the 90TE. both are excellent. i like the TE a little better.
I sold both and went back to the evil 90 cron. I never bring it to travel with me.
 
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