Which lens to buy?

[Sandokan]

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Hi All,

 

OK, here are a couple of requests for advice from the "Senior Mitglied" here:-

 

I have a R9 with the 28-70mm f3.5-f4.5 zoom lens.

I prefer taking pictures of people.

 

Now should I buy:-

28-90mm f2.8-f4.5 zoom lens to replace it

or

90mm f2 as an addition?

 

Both cost about the same, so how good is the 28-90 zoom in reality? Or should I go for the extra speed?

 

I have already decided not to buy the DMR. A few cost calculations show that it is about the same cost as buying, developing and printing about 250 colour print films which will take me about 5 years. Instead I will wait 5 years and see if there is a full frame sensor coming out in that time.

 

Thanks

 

Ravi

[Overgaard]

I would go for the 90mm/F2.

 

I'm not a big fan of zooms and only have the 35-70mm F/4.0 which - I must admit - is quite good, contrasty, sharp and all from 35mm to 70mm.

 

However, I find zooms indecisive and the amount of light you need to take a shot at 4.0 og 4.5 means the sun has to be shining. I prefer learning my lens and camera to know so that I can 'think with' a lens and predict which results I will be able to get. I find that you spend too much time finding out what to zoom into when using zoom. So you get the proper crop but you miss the scene. With a fixed lens you tend to focus on what can be made within the limits you have - and you can work fast.

 

The 90mm F2.0 is an amazing lens. You can see some samples at my site at http://leica.overgaard.dk

 

To have a 2.0 tele lens is .. well, it's just so incredible handy to be able to shoot tele shots under almost any conditions. Especially portraits.

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[robert_parker]

I wouldn't disagree with Torsten - 90mm is a good length for street or people photography, although some have found the ease of framing offered by a zoom to be an advantage when you're working with film. Perhaps one thing to throw into the equation is that I've had excellent results with the 180mm 2.8 APO lens, which adapts well for street and people photography, though truely I worry less about available apeture - any lens, including the APOs, produce noticably better results if you can stop them down - the choice may really come down to how close and how dynamic the relationship between you and your subject is.

[gvaliquette]

Whether you want a zoom lens or not is a personnal choice. I also own a 28-70 Vario-Elmar and, although I use it, I do not like it much. My main peeve is that the front element, and filter mount, rotates with focussing and that any mounted filter is not accessible when the lens hood is in position. This makes using a polarizer veeeery frustating. ...and the distorsion is really noticeable.

 

If you are considering a 90 mm lens, consider the 90mm f2.8 Elmarit-R, used (check out e-Bay). The lens is compact, reasonnably light, VERY sharp and VERY affordable. I do not own a 90mm f2 Summicron ASPH, so I cannot compare, but I love the Elmarit.

 

Best luck in your acquisitions!

 

Guy

[Sandokan]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for the advice so far.

 

Thorsten - loved your site and you are lucky with your family, all very photogenic. My daughter is photogenic too - but you need a wide angle lens to fit her in She is 4 months old, but built like a sumo.

 

Robert - I like the idea of a 180mm f2.8 - but I dont like the idea of carrying it around Maybe when I dont have to carry the baby and buggy around, I will toughen up.

 

Guy, I agree with you about the shortcomings of the 28-70. I will look at the 90mm f2.8 in the second hand shops in London when I am there on Saturday.

 

Overall, I think the discipline of a fixed lens would help a lot with my photography (at the moment I only have the 28-70). I will look at the 80mm f1.4 too, but again it is a bit on the heavy side so will need to feel it. I will definitely buy an external meter though, like the Gossen Starlite.

 

Ciao

 

Ravi

[andybarton]

Hi,

 

 

 

Guy, I agree with you about the shortcomings of the 28-70. I will look at the 90mm f2.8 in the second hand shops in London when I am there on Saturday.

 

Ravi

 

 

I have a 90 f2 Summicron-R 3-Cam (not for sale!)

 

It's a cracker and cost me a lot less than £300 about 18 months ago. I would highly recommend it if you go down the 90 prime route.

 

Interesting what you say about the DMR too. I have also done that calculation and on my current throughput, that would take me around 2 1/2 to 3 years. It is tempting (especially since they are now coming to the Mint- Used market), and would be a definite proposition if it could be bought over a 2 1/2 year time frame. I might look into it further.

[Guest maddin]

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Hi Ravi,

 

i like confusing you:

have a look for the 2.8 100 apo macro elmarit as well. it should sell similar to the 1.4/80 but has the advantage of being realy versatile. wonderful for portraits and macros. combined with the elpro and the apo extender 2x you have a whole set of lenses. it is a bit heavy though, yet for me the least dispensable r-lens.

 

cheers

[hm1912]

For what it's worth, if you can find a good price on a used 90mm go for it and save the money for something else. Have you considered trying to find an old 135? I used to have one and I loved it. I know it won't have the ROM contacts, but it may be something to consider. Otherwise, if you find that you like using a zoom lens I would suggest you go for the 28-90. I mean, if you like not having to change lenses when "in the field", why buy a 90? And the 28-90 is a great lens.

 

 

Difficult decision you've got to make.

 

Best,

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Well I had the 28-90 zoom and i really loved it but what i did not like was a 90mm 4.5 so i sold it. Now that you bring up the 3 lenses that have caused me many different decisions and honestly I bought and sold all three at least 2 times because it was such a hard decision the 80 1.4 , 90 apo and the 100 apo. Here is what a lot of testing made me conclude. The 80 1.4 is a character lens it has that soft sharp look to it that no other lens has , wide open it is a creamy look and stoped down it is very sharp and starts to look more clinical. Now the 90 apo doe's not have the bokeh like the 80 1.4 but it does have the sharpness that will rip your eyes out at F2 , it is a sharp and more clinical looking lens and completely different than the character of the 90 apo. The 100 apo is sharp at 2.8 but is a little harder to focus , stiff and a longer throw of course because of the macro but still a razor sharp lens. So what do you want if you only want one of them , than in that case I would take the 90 apo but i also here great things of the 90mm that others are talking about. For me i went another direction and have the 80 and 100 because they give me differnt things . I still get the charactor but also the clinical sharp as a razor image. So I get the best of both worlds. Now going back to the 28-90 it is one sharp lens and it does have that clinical look to it compared to the summilux look but it is a great lens but just darn slow at 90mm and in this case you just need light at this focal length sometimes and I would rather have a faster lens here. this is all personal choice here and going in any direction will still get you the best there is in Leica glass. This is a tough call and i don't envy your decision been there and done that.

 

Now the arguement for the DMR is a whole different story. I think you may know what I think there i have 2 of them so my words and thoughts are pretty biased.

[prince_alfie]

I really like the 28-90 zoom regardless of the f4.5. Just dial up the ISO and you're set to go

[Sandokan]

Aarghhhh!!!!

 

Too many choices

 

Actually I could buy what I wanted, but having bought the Leica in April, the toy in June (see avatar) - if I came back from a shopping trip to London with a half dozen lenses, DMR, new R9 body ....! I would not survive for long on the bread, water and Nagging I would have to live with for the next few months

 

It would be the diamonds for The Missus that really bankrupt me .

 

Andy, I will see what deals there are in the shops (classic Camera and Jacobs - unless anyone knows others in Central London?) before deciding.

 

Martin, I did think about the 100mm Macro - according to a review I read, it was optimised for close up focusing, is that true, or is it just as good at infinity?

 

Ilan - 70-90mm is about what I visualise when I look at a "normal" view. If I bought the 28-90mm then she probably would never notice 135mm is just "in-between" for me for a standard and telephoto lens.

 

Also, just thinking about it: the Camera Body is a small cost in comparison to the rest and so why not buy a new camera body to go with the lenses you normally use?

 

 

Thanks

 

Ravi

[hm1912]

It sounds like a happy problem to have so many choices! And that is some toy you got there.

 

Check out RG Lewis at Holborn Tube station (just across the street) and I think there is another shop someplace off of Jermyn Street near Picadilly Circus, but I forget the name.

 

Good luck and enjoy your time in London! Let us know what you decide on.

 

Best,

[colorbox]

Hi, my opinion: because of the f 4,5 the f 2,0/90 mm is the better one for special people-fotography.

Kind regards

Erick

[Sandokan]

Hi Guy,

 

Thanks for the in depth analysis between them all - it really helps my indecision !

 

I think I will wait till I try them all on the camera and see how they "feel". It was actually the "feel" that made me choose the Leica in the first place (instead of film or digital versions from Nikon or Canon) and unfortunately the deal I got, meant the 28-70mm zoom was "free" so I took it. For a free lens it is not bad - it is just knowing that there is better that makes me want to buy them.

 

I know what you mean about the f4.5, for available light it is annoying to try and focus on a dark screen, which is exactly why I have the dilemna. I could live with it, but would forever be unhappy.

 

Ciao

 

Ravi

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Ravi , sorry I knew my post would make your decision even worse. It really is a tough call in this focal lenght. I mean it is easy to pick the wides and the long glass just this middle focal length really can create havoc. Now focusing as far as a stiff lens the 90 apo is the easiest physically , it is butter smooth which really makes that a big plus and it is also the smallest. Now for focusing you can go the route I went for the R9/DMr is get a Proscreen from http://www.brightscreen.com. I have been working with Jim there on R9 and DMR products and being his beta tester and giving him some ideas. Now for the R9 Jim is making a viewfinder magnifer which i have a prototype here right now and it reall is nice and does a great job as a focusing aid but also I recommend the proscreen over the leica screens , they are a little brighter and have a 13mm microprism over the leica 7mm microprism and he makes them for the R9 and also for the DMR with the crop marks. I have 2 prototypes of these also and really this has helped these old eyes a lot. Something to look at also and recommend anyone with the R8/9 to look at some of Brightscreen options. I will say the 28-90 is a fine lens and i still would like to have one again but having 10 leica lenses I would just be adding more fuel to the fire with my wife. It would cost me too many shoes in payback:D :D

[andybarton]

Try London Camera Exchange on The Strand too.

[Sandokan]

I will shop around but today I am tempted by the Apo 90 f2 and 80 f1.4 ....

 

And of course I shall let you know what the result is

 

Ciao

 

Ravi

[Overgaard]

I you are looking for 'the fun toys' here is my personal list:

 

90mm F/2.0

80mm F/1.4

100mm macro

60mm macro

180mm F/2.0

 

And get an MP with a 35mm F/2.0 and a 50mm F/1.0 as the compact toys.

 

The 80mm F/1.4 is my personal favourite. No doubt. The 90mm F/2.0 is in its cousin - not quite same dreamlike effect, but easier to use.

 

Have fun with it. Nice car by the way. I saw it some years ago at MOMA - Modern Museum of Modern Art. The only car in the museum. Of course.

[leicapages]

Ravi,

 

one additional element in your decision making process is that, in case you add the 90/2.0 APO ASPH, you will have to change lenses (more) often. Not the case when you get the 28-90... :-)

Can sometimes be quite annoying if you are into street photography and don't have the time/place to do that easily.

 

Pascal

http://www.leicapages.com

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Hallo,

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[Sandokan]

Oh Darn it - I will just buy them all!

 

Thorsten, the car has a great sound - and it still turns heads I first saw one when I was about 9 years old parked down our street. It looked stunning then and it still does - no wonder MOMA has one. I am sure it must be proportioned according to the Golden Mean.

 

I know a lot of people love RF, but I tried the M7 and R9, and the SLR was just more comfortable. Its like many things in life - if it feels right it is right Maybe the MP is better - I shall let you know if I get one... but then I will get a 75mm only ... oh OK, maybe a 35mm too.

 

Pascal, I agree about the nuisance of changing lenses and I do not plan on doing that. Either I will stick to the 28-70 or the 90mm when I go out or I will buy a second body.

 

Thanks

 

Ravi