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Good portrait lens for M4?


mipstoo

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Hi to all you Leica fanatics,

 

Recently joined the Leica community with the purchase of a mint M4 with 35 and 50mm. Looking for a good portrait lens. I figure that would be the 90mm but what version is the best and still affordable?

 

Regards

 

Mipstoo

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Best and affordable do not go together.

 

90 4.0 Elmar in screw or bayonet is a very good lens. People like the small 90 made for the CL. It is also 4.0. There is a Rokkor model which is the same lens, different name. The collapsible 90 4.0 is the same as the 90 4.0 in bayonet. Premium cost for collapsible.

 

90 2.8 Elmarit visoflex is very sharp and works at any distance. head removes for bellows of visoflex work.

 

The current 90 4.0 works at any distance and falls into the catagory of extremely sharp like the 90 APO & 90 2.8 Elmarit recently discontinued. The last two go slightly soft under 6 feet which can be nice for portraits. I keep my 90 2.0 pre Aspheric for that quality.

 

90 2.8 TELE Elmarits are light and small, but do not have the quality of the Visoflex model.

Additionally the rear group of the last version tends to go bad and is unrepairable. Mine is 25 years old and is fine.

 

Consider the new 90 Summarit 90 2.5. It is good, but made to be affordable. Will match the older 50 35 lenses best of a new lens. Resale value is unknown to me

 

Cosina Voitlander made a 90 3.5 APO that is very good. You will need a screw to bayonet adapter just like the 90 4.0 screw mount. Camera Quest.com is source for new.

 

Good, but affordable goes to CV 90 3.5 for super sharp or an original 90 4.0 a mid 50 to 60 design lens. The later goes for $125 plus screw to bayonet adapter. 4.0 is not critically sharp, but acceptable. Make sure you get one without internal haze. Buy a lens shade for it.

 

The small 90 4.0 is a pocketable lens. Takes 36 ( SCREW) or 39 mm (bayonet) filters and is 3" long and is not heavy.

 

75 1.4 is well liked. 1.4 and 2.0 could be sharper. Smaller stops it is killer sharp lens.

75 2.0 is killer sharp any stop, any distance. Neither 75 is affordable. CV makes a 75 2.5 screw that is decent. I don`t like 75 for traditional head and shoulder portraits. Ok for 1/2 body shots.

 

Good luck finding what you want.

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Hi to all you Leica fanatics,

 

Recently joined the Leica community with the purchase of a mint M4 with 35 and 50mm. Looking for a good portrait lens. I figure that would be the 90mm but what version is the best and still affordable?

 

Regards

 

Mipstoo

 

135/4 Tele-Elmar.

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One important thing about portrait lenses: When photographing women close-up a sharp lens is not the best. In the 90mm range the 90mm tele-elmarit 2nd version is better for women (as a general rule). It has a softer signature and "reduces facial marks" that women more than men are prone to see and disapprove of. Men being more callus are not as disapproving of facial marks and a sharper lens for them is perfectly appropriate. It is also very light. If you want a sharper lens then either the elmarit or summicron...but do you need an f2.0? If you are shooting portraits at f4.0 or f5.6do you need the heavier lens?

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