Summarit 90mm f2.8 in place of Summicron 90mm f2

[vikasmg]

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I have a similar post in DP Review, so if you frequent the Leica Talk forum over there as well, please excuse the repeat.

 

Since I go an M9 I find myself using a 90mm lens more often than I did with an M8. However I'm planning to change to a Summarit 90mm f2.8 in place of Summicron 90mm f2 and sell off the latter. The Summicron is a wonderful lens but I just find it too heavy for regular use - I'm not a professional photographer so carrying a lot of equipment arround is not something I take fror granted. I don't really have a problem with the slight loss of speed in speed (I suspect the M9 and LR3 together will more than make up for that!) but does anyone see any other major problem with the new lens?

 

Thanks for any help.

 

- Vikas

[tom in mpls]

Smaller lenses are, in my view, an important part of the Leica experience. But consider the elmarit 2.8; I believe it is a superior to the sumarit from what I have read. The summarit (last version with the hood) has been great for me. Beautiful rendering, excellent bokeh. Also for me, the smaller aperture compared to the cron means focusing is a bit easier and especially appreciated at this longer focal length.

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[adan]

90 Summarit is f/2.5 , not f/2.8 - "summarit (last version with the hood)" - no such animal. The last ELMARIT had a hood, all Summarits have separate hoods.

 

I just want to clarify that, since between Elmarits, Tele-Elmarits, APO Summicrons and pre-APO Summicrons (large adn compact), the 90 range can be confusing enough as it is...

___________________________

 

The Summarit 90 is very similar in drawing to the last pre-APO Summicron, which is not surprising since it has a very similar optical layout. Just downrated 1/2 stop.

 

The APO-Summicron and the last Elmarit are also rather similar in drawing - and different from the Summarit or pre-APO 'cron: more contrast and edge definition, less CA.

 

If your other lenses are modern APO/ASPHs and you want your 90 to match, the Elmarit-M Tom demonstrates is a better match.

 

If your other lenses are pre-APO/ASPH designs, the Summarit has the feel of those slightly older lenses.

 

If you want coding - all Summarits come coded, it takes a bit of searching to find a coded Elmarit-M

[vikasmg]

90 Summarit is f/2.5 , not f/2.8 -....

___________________________

 

....

If your other lenses are modern APO/ASPHs and you want your 90 to match, the Elmarit-M Tom demonstrates is a better match.

 

If your other lenses are pre-APO/ASPH designs, the Summarit has the feel of those slightly older lenses.

...

 

Thanks for your comments Andy, very useful. Yes, my mistake It is a Summarit 2.5 I was talking about. My current 90mm Summicron is an APO/ASPH. Wonderful lens, but as I say, a bit heavy. I think the differences in rendering is something I may not be all that sensitive to and it may boil down to taking my old lens into the shop and weighting them both in the hand.

 

The other day, after a long time, I picked up my father's old IIIg which had a 90mm f4 with it. My, how much heavier everything has become :-|

[viramati]

try the elmarit-m 90. It is one of my favourite lenses and is a real bargain as far as price goes (can be found for around £6-700 in the UK).Has built in lens hood too

[250swb]

Yes, consider the 90mm Elmarit 2.8, its a superb lens. A good case is made for it in this new review

 

The Leica 90 Elmarit M f/2.8 Quick Lens Review | STEVE HUFF PHOTOS

 

 

Steve

[vikasmg]

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Yes, consider the 90mm Elmarit 2.8, its a superb lens. A good case is made for it in this new review

 

The Leica 90 Elmarit M f/2.8 Quick Lens Review | STEVE HUFF PHOTOS

 

 

Steve

 

Thank you, David and Steve. I'll look for one. Problem is finding it in a store in Singapore and looking at it's condition. But I do know one or two shops that might have one.

 

- Vikas

[tobey bilek]

For a light weight 90, get the current 90 4.0. Every bit as sharp as your current 90 and closes to a 50 mm lens size. Fully useable at 4.0. Stop down on for more debth.

 

Keep the APO for low light work only

[chrism]

I have had two APO Summicron 90's over the years and found neither worth the weight, not the somewhat soft rendering at f2. Shamefully, I confess to buying and selling two Summarit 90's, but neither one of them did for me anything of the sharp and contrasty images I get from the Summarit 35 and 75. I've had a Macro-Elmar-M 90, and found it tiny, light and sharp, but the f4 can be a problem. The Elmarit-M has been the answer to all of these problems, which I posted about here.

 

Chris

[masjah]

I have had two APO Summicron 90's over the years and found neither worth the weight, not the somewhat soft rendering at f2. Shamefully, I confess to buying and selling two Summarit 90's, but neither one of them did for me anything of the sharp and contrasty images I get from the Summarit 35 and 75. I've had a Macro-Elmar-M 90, and found it tiny, light and sharp, but the f4 can be a problem. The Elmarit-M has been the answer to all of these problems, which I posted about here.

 

Chris

 

Chris, I have the R APO Summicron 90, which has the same optical cell as the M version. I'm honestly very puzzled about what you say of the soft rendering at f/2. I've always found it to be ruthlessly sharp wide open (in the focal plane of course). Could you elaborate a bit?

[chrism]

They were both pre-ASPH Canadian lenses!

 

Chris

[jaapv]

In that case the remark about softness wide-open is spot-on in my experience. However, the current Apo-Summicron 90 asph is eye-wateringly sharp wide open.

[luigi bertolotti]

Me too would advice to go for the Elmarit-M : it is simply an excellent lens, and, when comparing it with my Summarit 75, I admit that whilst the Summarit has little to envy in terms of optical quality, its mechanical quality is definitely a bit under the Elmarit - M (after 3 years, the Summarit has some loosenesses, Elmarit - M is older but rock-solid) ; add also the embedded hood, which is really a plus.

[lars_bergquist]

You should be aware that the Elmarit-M is a difficult lens to use. The reason is its overly short focusing throw, which makes it exceeedingly difficult to focus exactly. This was not too bad with film, maybe, with its built in "focus latitude", but it is painfully obvious with a M9.

 

Maybe that could be put down to operator infirmity of hand and eye, except that I have a 135mm Elmarit which I focus without any problems whatever, wide open.

 

I have in fact been sorely tempted to exchange the 90mm Elmarit for a Summarit -- but the clumsy screw-in hood deters me!

 

The old man from the Age of the 4cm Elmar

[01af]

I have in fact been sorely tempted to exchange the 90 mm Elmarit for a Summarit—but the clumsy screw-in hood deters me!

The screw-in hoods of the Summarit-M lenses are in no way clumsy; to the contrary, they are great, elegant, and a joy to use. I really wish all M lenses wold use hoods like these. In particular, all built-in telescope hoods are nothing but crap—way too short and thus, next to useless.

[masjah]

They were both pre-ASPH Canadian lenses!

 

Chris

 

Chris, sorry, my mistake - I was under the (mistaken) impression that the term "APO" was only applied to the current Asph lenses.

[jaapv]

You should be aware that the Elmarit-M is a difficult lens to use. The reason is its overly short focusing throw, which makes it exceeedingly difficult to focus exactly. This was not too bad with film, maybe, with its built in "focus latitude", but it is painfully obvious with a M9.

 

Maybe that could be put down to operator infirmity of hand and eye, except that I have a 135mm Elmarit which I focus without any problems whatever, wide open.

 

I have in fact been sorely tempted to exchange the 90mm Elmarit for a Summarit -- but the clumsy screw-in hood deters me!

 

The old man from the Age of the 4cm Elmar

It is the first time I heard that complaint (probably my fault ) but I personally don't have any problem at all focussing the lens.

[UliWer]

Most people prefer a short focussing throw to a long one, saying that the lens is quicker to focus. The 90-Summicron AA has often been critized for it's long throw. I don't know the the last version of the 90mm-Elmarit, but I share Lars' experience with the 75mm Summicron. I find it much harder to focus correctly than it's 90mm "cousin", though theoretically the longer lens should pose the bigger problems at the same aperture.

[01af]

Most people prefer a short focussing throw to a long one, saying that the lens is quicker to focus.

Which is nonsense because actually it's harder and hence, slower to focus. The latest Leica lenses tend to have absurdly short focussing throws, almost akin to AF lenses ... which is extremely aggravating. The worst in this regard I came across so far is the Apo-Summicron-M 75 mm Asph which is not only too short but also rough to focus

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[UliWer]

I should not call the experience of many who certainly have more than I nonsense.

 

It's just interesting that some share mine.