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In Praise of the 4.0/90 Macro-Elmar M


MarkP

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After much consternation over which 90mm lens to get I decided on the 4.0/90 Macro-Elmar over the 2.8/90 Elmarit-M and 2.5/90 Summarit. For me, image quality, reduced size and weight, and macro ability won out over the extra stop, especially as 90mm isn't usually the focal length direction I go (preference 21 to 50mm, occasional 75). The 2.0/90 Summicron was never on my radar - I already have a 2.0/75 Summicron ASPH).

 

So I picked up one as good as new from Tamarkin.

 

I finally got to play with it on the weekend.

What a fantastic lens.

No regrets getting it over it's more popular faster cousins.

 

Do other 4.0/90 Acrro-Elmar owners feel similarly?

 

 

Late afternoon, Cranes over Garden Island (Sydney's pint-sized Naval base)

M9 f5.6 1/500 sec hand-held

100% centre & edge crops:

 

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Will post some shallow DOF & closeups later.

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A new lens is always an exciting time. Wishing you happiness and success with it. I was less lucky with my specimen which would not lock on extension and needed factory recalibration. The latter was done at dealer's expense, but the locking was not fixed so I declined and rather lost faith. But I did like the results.

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It is just as sharp as the APO 90, 90 2.8 Elmarit, and it maintains the sharpness into the close range which the others do not. Do not argue, Leica admitted it to me. So your high priced 90`s go soft under 6 feet. Stopping down does not help either.

 

So it one heck of a lens and I use mine.

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...I was less lucky with my specimen which would not lock on extension and needed factory recalibration. The latter was done at dealer's expense, but the locking was not fixed so I declined and rather lost faith. But I did like the results.

 

My brand-new one will lock, but it will also unlock by itself sometimes if you turn the aperture ring. And it wasn't properly adjusted for focus. Looking forward to trying it out when I get it back.

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I wonder, is it still possible to buy this without the adapter?

 

Only as new old stock or used I think. If you're looking for new old stock in the U.S., don't bother.

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It's an underrated lens for some reason, but is very compact and sharp. Enjoy.

 

I think because of the maximum aperture of f4.0, however this is really only one stop slower than the Elmarit-M and Summmarit in a much lighter and more compact lens.

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I love this lens. It is my favorite portrait and landscape lens. I don't have it with an adapter, but the minimum focus distance without it still creates a pretty good magnification for an M camera. Sold my summarit 90 (also a very under appreciated lens) to afford the MEM and haven't found the slower speeds limiting. Erwin Puts rightly places it near the top of all currently produced lenses.

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Tis not hard to see, specially the 2.8. The shop I frequented in the 1980`s thought it was a joke when it replaced the original 90 2.8. optically the RF version is the same lens.

 

My tele elmarit V2, and the Summicron that preceded the APO also do the same thing. This is a well known trait except for the original 90 2.0.

 

I keep my 90 Summicron because I like the softer portraits. But when I put it up against the 90 2.8 Elmarit, not tele version, there is an easily seen difference.

 

If and when they make a new APO 90, it will have floating elements like the 75 2.0 and 50 1.4 to correct this problem. The problem will then be it will make pics like my 100 APO which I would not use for anything but character portraits. The ladies will hate it. It picks up skin texture on my 10 YEAR OLD daughter when I first got it that could not be seen with the 90 Summicron.

Edited by tobey bilek
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I am a 90 fanatic, I guess. I like them all, but last Summer had the 90/4.0 Elmar with me on a long trip and even used the Macro Adapter more than I ever thought I would. On that same trip many of my favorite shots were made with the 90/2 APO.

 

New lenses are fun, that is new lenses to me, whether older or newer made.

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Glad you like it.

 

I too was very surprised with this lens and it spends more time on my M9 than any other lens....

 

This is from this afternoon...

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Macro as promised. Dogshit dinner (& 100% crop)

 

M9 4.0/90 Macro-Elmar, ISO 400, hand-held

 

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Bokeh as promised. I've always thought backlit foliage is an unforgiving test of a lens OOF performance.

Lens and camera render foliage beautifully (minimal PP).

Clearly, one doesn't need f0.95-1.4 to render only the subject in focus with lovely OOF areas!

 

M9 4.0/90 Macro-Elmar, ISO 400, hand-held

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by MarkP
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and just to reinforce Marks opinion on macro performance and bokeh etc ......

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  • 2 weeks later...

What's not to like; small, better performance at near, great color and contrast, don't care that it isn't f2.o0 because I mostly use it outdoors during the day. And, Mark's photo's are probably the best demonstration of lens performance I've ever seen demo's. Mark: Steve Huff has nothing on you!

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