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Latest generation Elmarit 2,8 / 90


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It does happen that lenses are recomputed without any announcement or formal change of designation. The reason is usually to ease manufacture by a slight redesign, or to compensate for the unavailability of a glass used in the original design, and the like. There is no fanfare because the object was to maintain the original performance, not to change it. Sometimes the change is detected by the crowds outside the gate, which then by consensus decree a new 'version code', which is of course totally inofficial and fundamentally arbitrary.

 

The notion that a change in packaging would coincide with such a technical adjustment except by the merest and most improbable coincidence, is competely unfounded however.

 

The old man from the Age of Red Cartons

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I read one owner said the close permormance was improved. That or they don`t see how the close performance derteriorates with that lens. It is hard to tell whether posters are knowledgeable or not.

 

There was no official change to that glass design either M or R version. They have the same glass by the way. Leica will tell you they go a little soft up close, at least they did years back.

 

If close performance is imortant, the 90 2.8 Elmarit visoflex is the one to get. The optical unit removes for use on a short focus mount or bellows and it is made for infinity to up close. The shortcoming is a liffle more softness at 2.8. Pick your poison or buy both.

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[ ... ] It is hard to tell whether posters are knowledgeable or not. [ ... ].

Indeed. Some people convince themselves that they see the darnedest things. But I do no know of any change in the formula.

 

Pretty well all lenses do get marginally softer near the close focusing limit. Some, like the collapsible Summicron, not so marginally either. As for the first Elmarit -- I presume you refer to the one where you could unscrew the optical cell from the focusing unit -- I have worked quite a lot with it, both with and without the Viso. It is not too bad at 5.6 or so, but contrast is low when wide open, and yes, definition does fall off close up! It is after all a pretty primitive five element design, a Hektor actually. Go for the 90mm Macro instead. Or buy a Nikon ...

 

The old man from the Age of the Visoflex I

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