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90mm Macro Elmar - why so expensive ?


FrozenInTime

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This should be close to a Summarit in price - a simple slow 4 element lens - yet costs almost the same as a APO Summicron.

 

When the 90mm Marco was released it was sold unbundled for a significantly lower price then the macro goggles and angle finder were compulsorily bundled :confused: ( the bundle price was more than the stand alone single item price :mad: ) - it never made sense.

 

Now the new version had no such goggles - yet the price is still sky high.

 

I was thinking of a pocket sized 90mm for travel - this would have been ideal but I feel it's a rip off. I don't need or want the goggles/macro adapter.

 

For the record I have some stupidly expensive Leica lenses i.e. 21/1.4 and 50/0.95 ; and can see why these are expensive - not so the 90mm f/4.

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I agree and why I never bought one even when they were at a more sensible price. There is no shortage of good, light, compact lenses in the 90mm range if speed isn't a factor. I use and like the "thin" Tele Elmarit. I have a "fat" one also, heavier but very sharp. A late f/4 Elmar in LTM, which is remarkably good albeit a tad less contrasty. I've heard good things about the original Elmarit, though I've never owned one. The 90/4 Rokkor made for the Minolta CLE has an M-style rangefinder cam for more accurate fine-focusing than the one's made for the CL. If absolute sharpness and contrast is a must, I can attest for the CV 90/3.5 APO-Lanthar. Had one, it was truly magnificent and an incredible bargain. With LV and EVF on the M240 there isn't much reason for the Makro 90.

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A simple slow 4 elements lens which is one of the very best 90s ever made and has no competitor in its size category. I like much my "thin" Tele-Elmarit or the Rokkor 90/4 but i don't use them anymore given the superiority of the Macro-Elmar. Superb s/h lenses like the latest Elmarit 90/2.8 can be had for reasonable prices now so photogs who cannot afford the Macro-Elmar have still the choice between very good little lenses like T-E 90/2.8, Elmar-C 90/4, Rokkor 90/4 etc. and excellent ones like the latest Elmarit or the current Summarit, let alone Summicrons apo and pre-apo. Hard to complain IMHO.

Edited by lct
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Leica prices have nothing to do with cost of production. In the case of the 90mm, Leica offers something reasonably compact and there is no alternative. Look at the price of the Summarit or Summicron and quickly realize that you are been taken advantage of ... but its the only compact 90 available.

 

Interestingly, the Zeiss 85mm is similar in weight and one fourth the price.

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A simple slow 4 elements lens which is one of the very best 90s ever made and has no competitor in its size category.

 

+1

 

E. Puts agrees….calls it the best general purpose 90 (even over the Summicron) in the current M lineup, and one of the best lenses ever made for this format. To produce those results with a so called simple design, in a tiny package, is an accomplishment. Macro is just a bonus.

 

Leica prices? Good luck making sense of lots of them. But once folks are willing to spend $8-11K on some M lenses, the Macro-Elmar is a relative bargain.

 

Jeff

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Interestingly, the Zeiss 85mm is similar in weight and one fourth the price.

 

Have to admit to having one of these already - it's a very nice lens.

But I would trade it in for a collapsable 90mm as it would be more jacket pocketable.

 

Reality is I don't need the 90mm marco - but it would be nice; hence the price step as it is does not justify the upgrade to save 70g and 50mm length.

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…. hence the price step as it is does not justify the upgrade to save 70g and 50mm length.

 

Leica prices are often steep compared to some wonderful (IQ-wise) Zeiss lenses specifically because of the size issue. It's far easier to get great results when size isn't as critical a factor. One either values that difference enough to pay that premium, or not.

 

Jeff

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Expensive ? Why ?

because light (400g) , compact, can work as tele and as macro (with macroadapter)

This is my favorite lens and I bring everywhere with me,always in my Billingham bag

Usuable from 0.7m to infinity and which beautiful pictures with M7, M8, M9.... :) !

Best

Henry

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Expensive ? Why ?

because light (400g) , compact, can work as tele and as macro (with macrodapter)

This is my favorite lens and I bring everywhere with me,always in my Billingham bag

Usuable from 0.7m to infinity and which beautiful pictures :) !

Best

Henry

Expensive ?

1500 E without macroadapter here:

summilux.net • Afficher le sujet - Macro-Elmar-M 1:4/90mm + adaptateur macro

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I tend to agree with the OP that the price of the 90 Macro Elmar is a little bit puzzling. I bought the lens (when it was sold without the accessory bundle) not long after it was introduced for around £750, at the time roughly the price of a 50 Summicron and less than half that of the then 35 Summilux ASPH. Since that time (10 years ago?) prices have generally doubled but the 90/F4 has more than trebled (as has the Noctilux, albeit the latter in a different 'better' incarnation). This price readjustment would be understandable if the 90 used exotic elements and a fancy construction but it looks to be one of the simpler lenses in the catalogue. Maybe it is more expensive to manufacture than I am giving it credit for?

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The price always bothered me and I looked forever for a nice deal on an older second hand sample.

 

After several years of contemplating and always loosing out on the nice deals on those lenses, I finally bought a NOS OLD version of the lens with complete kit (goggles, right angle finder, etc …).

 

Some dealers, should they have them in stock might give a discount on these kits, as the newer (functionally mediocre) version is up on the shelves now.

 

I can only say, I wish I had not waited so many years on this lens.

It is the finest 90mm of them all should you not need a faster aperture.

It is the tiniest 90 around and is often slipped into the bag for that reason while Elmarits, Summicrons and alike stay in storage.

 

It is the very only 85-100 mm rangefinder lens, that in combination with the M Mono provides fine detail that I can only see with the S2 and S lenses. It is one very underrated and optically amazing lens.

 

My advise: grab the first second hand sample you can find and simply don't think about the price - it is simply that good.

 

Be advised that the included Leica lens hood is HUGE, very impractical and the lens itself is very prone to flare if bright light sources are around. I am still looking for a good lens hood solution.

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Be advised that the included Leica lens hood is HUGE, very impractical and the lens itself is very prone to flare if bright light sources are around. I am still looking for a good lens hood solution.

 

Disappointing to hear of the propensity of the lens to flare.

The pocket-ability of the lens looks compromised with the flared hood; at least the hood on the Zeiss does not add to the profile when reversed.

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Why is it so expensive? Because it's so good :).

 

Regarding lens flare, I've not had the same problems as you. I agree that the original hood is too big and I use it only occasionally. Following a suggestion from another Forum member I bought the screw on hood for the 2.8/50 Elmar-M. Very compact and effective in most situations.

Edited by MarkP
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Flared hood? The regular 12575 metal hood is in use since the sixties at least and is the most effective M hood i've used in 30+ years. It can be reversed on the 90/4 macro v1, but not v2 unfortunately. The lens itself is not prone to flare when light sources are into the frame but it does flare when same sources are just outside the frame like most Leica lenses including the 50/2 apo. Compared to my other 90mm lenses, the 90/4 macro is not the best from this viewpoint but it is not the worst either by far.

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[...] I am still looking for a good lens hood solution.

I often use the 12517 rubber hood for Elmar-C 90/4 that i screw into a filter (pic below). It is not as effective as the regular 12575 referred to above but i find it quite handy. Beware that its filter thread is not the same as that of the lens though, so better screw it into a filter as i do. For those interested the hood cap's order number is 14191 (same as that for Summicron-C 40/2).

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As there was a weather window today, between storm fronts ( it seems storm is the Californian term for any amount of rain ) , I went for a walk from Sausalito across the Golden Gate Bridge and on to San Francisco.

I had an hour to kill before the ferry back, so went to the SF Leica Store.

 

They had a nice used 90mm Macro Elmar M that was not bundled with the goggles.

First time I'd actually handled one ; it certainly is very compact.

 

The price was reasonable - so it's now mine :)

 

Thanks for all for the words of praise you gave the lens.

 

I can see it will get carried a lot more frequently because of that. Guess it's time to sell the Zeiss 85/4

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