90mm f2 APO on M9

[lburn]

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I have a 90mm tele elmarit which I like. It is not coded and has just lost its hood because the rubber has perished. Apart from flare when the sun is near the frame (specially at this time of year) it seems to me to be an impressive lens. However I love low light photography and natural light portraits. For those I would welcome the extra speed and possibly the advanced characteristics of the f2 APO e.g. the shallow depth and focus effects . I would welcome the views of those who actually use it on the M9. Is it the superb super sharp lens some reviews say (eg Ken Rockall)? Is its weight a real deterrent to routine use? What is the balance like on the M9 (I use a thumbs up all the time).

Lindsay

[chris_tribble]

For me it's a great lens - no problems weight-wise for me + balance no issue (bare M9 body). Some prefer the shorter through on the elmarit but I quite like the more considered experience of focusing the 90 Apo - and I love the results.

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[novice9]

ditto, though the 75 asph cron is every bit as good a lens and it is of course smaller and lighter. it is not a lens that i currently own though it is definitely one that i will add to my stable at some point in the next couple of years. you may consider that one as well if it is possibly long enough for your purposes.

[adan]

I have both the 90TE (thin) and the 75 f/1.4 (which is bigger/heavier than the 90 APO, but not that much). Love the low-light capabilities of the 75, but there are times when I say to myself "If I really wanted to shoot lenses this big, I'd have stayed with SLRs." Then I go out and shoot with the TE for a couple of days and feel better.

 

The 90 APO is outstanding, no question. Like the 75 f/1.4 it is not a lens I'd want to carry all the time for everything - although it is not quite as heavy (in exchange for losing an f/stop). If you want to have a real "Leica-sized" reasonable long tele, keep the 90 TE as well.

 

1) the 90 TE is the easiest lens to self-code. Find the mount screw head that is in the same location as Leica's code markers. Fill it with white paint or typewriter white-out. (Yes, white-out is still available - got mine in the office products aisle of the grocery store). Then darken one half the screw head with permanent marker (the side closest to the lens mount indentation when the lens is viewed from behind and with the focus/aperture scales at the top - see below) - with a little spillover onto the mount surface to get the rectangular shape.

 

2) The 90 TE takes the same clip-on reversable metal shades (cat. no. 12575) made for other 39mm-filtered 90 and 135 lenses. Practically every used Leica equipment source has them. Much better than the rubber ones, anyway. KEH has the 12575 metal shades, at the moment. Leica M Lens Shades and Hoods - KEH.com

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Edited January 14, 2010 by adan

[DFV]

Yep, have had great results on the M9. A great portrait option and very consistent all they way on my M6, M8.2 and M9. Probably the most consistent lens in my Leica system.

 

Can't say anything else other that you can't go wrong.

[Ecar]

For me it's a great lens - no problems weight-wise for me + balance no issue (bare M9 body). Some prefer the shorter through on the elmarit but I quite like the more considered experience of focusing the 90 Apo - and I love the results.

Same here. And it's easier to focus on the M9 than on the M8. I use magnifiers on the latter to ensure focus consistency - no need for them on the M9.

[chrism]

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Here's a sad confession. I have bought two examples of the pre-ASPH Summicron 90mm, and sold them on as being too soft. Worse still, I have bought two new Summarit 90mm's and sold them on for the same reason. (Before you get nervous, in none of these four cases did I sell them to an end user, but to a store.) I have also owned the Macro-Elmar-M 90mm and disposed of it. The only 90mm I trust to be sharp is the Elmarit-M 90mm.

 

Chris

[Hacker]

Here's a sad confession. I have bought two examples of the pre-ASPH Summicron 90mm, and sold them on as being too soft. Worse still, I have bought two new Summarit 90mm's and sold them on for the same reason. (Before you get nervous, in none of these four cases did I sell them to an end user, but to a store.) I have also owned the Macro-Elmar-M 90mm and disposed of it. The only 90mm I trust to be sharp is the Elmarit-M 90mm.

 

Chris

 

You need the 90mm APO ASPH.

[stevem7]

I owned the 90 cron and now own the 90 Elmarit. From what I have seen so far, I love the Elmarit for its size, and rendering at 2.8. I decided on the 90 Elmarit. I thought the 90 Summarit was a bit soft and not as good as the Elmarit. What is really cool is I found one as new old stock with full passport warranty at a great price.

[30R]

I love my Apo 90. Hare a pic taken with the M9 +Apo 90. iso 800. 1/60 f2.

 

[noah_addis]

It's a beautiful lens. Mine is the (brass) black paint version so it's a bit heavier than the normal one, but still weight is really not an issue. It balances nicely on the M9 and the focus throw seems just right to me.

 

I prefer it to the 75 since the framelines are nicer and it's more different than a 50mm.

 

Can't go wrong in my opinion...

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[Ecaton]

Here's a sad confession. I have bought two examples of the pre-ASPH Summicron 90mm, and sold them on as being too soft. Worse still, I have bought two new Summarit 90mm's and sold them on for the same reason. (Before you get nervous, in none of these four cases did I sell them to an end user, but to a store.) I have also owned the Macro-Elmar-M 90mm and disposed of it. The only 90mm I trust to be sharp is the Elmarit-M 90mm.

 

Chris

 

The Macro Elmar is tack sharp. I use Cron 90 asph and ME 90 with M8, the ME is as sharp as the Cron asph.

[colorflow]

I second what Andy said about the T-E although I have the 'fat' version. Ever since I acquired it I find myself using my black paint Summicron APO less and less. The T-E renders beautiful colors and a creamy bokeh. It also seems to be easier to get in-focus shots than the APO. But no question the APO is technically more superior.

[carcam]

Noah- I love that portrait. I wonder if I can get that look with the Elmarit? I'm really trying to keep my kit as small and light as possible.

[SJP]

+1 great image & great image (lens) quality.

 

Yet another irritating factoid that may cause me to spend more money than I had hoped when I bought my M8.

[daubsphoto]

I have had the 90 2.8, the 75 1.4, and now I shoot with the 90 2.5 Summarit (I sold the 75 and got the Summarit for half the price), and I find it to be an excellent value. Great sharpness, and wide open I find it much more usable than the 75 was...I almost always ended up stopping down to 2 o 2.8 because the DOF was just too shallow for portraiture. But I shoot with the 2.5 wide open regularly, and the contrast and sharpness are everything I want from a lens. I also don't find the half-stop reduction in speed a problem because of the capabilities of the sensors today vs. film (I shoot with an M8).

 

It's not a tiny lens, but relatively light and well balanced on my bare M8, and the metal hood is much better than the rubber ones on the 2.8 90 I once had. Of course, you never really go wrong with a faster lens if you can afford it......

[elgenper]

....

 

1) the 90 TE is the easiest lens to self-code. Find the mount screw head that is in the same location as Leica's code markers. Fill it with white paint or typewriter white-out. (Yes, white-out is still available - got mine in the office products aisle of the grocery store). Then darken one half the screw head with permanent marker (the side closest to the lens mount indentation when the lens is viewed from behind and with the focus/aperture scales at the top - see below) - with a little spillover onto the mount surface to get the rectangular shape.

 

....]

 

WOW! Worked like a charm on mine, too; very simple, and no real modification of the lens itself (was almost ready to put my Dremel to work if necessary...).

 

Now, Andy, you don´t happen to know about something similar for the old Rigid Summicron 50/2, do you?

[C_R]

Not too large and heavy, IMO. Feels well balanced on the M9, and superb optics (as good as my Elmarit 28).

I have no comparison with the TE, but find the extra shallow DOF very valuable

 

larger: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4358904423_107aa2088b_o.jpg

[ashwinrao1]

Lovely lens. I used this extensively while in Egypt and Venice, on the M9. At times, I find the APO a bit heavy, but I simply can't argue with its no-compromises image quality. Great, great lens, a must own, and a life-time keeper if you get it.

 

I'd argue that 90 elmarit is a close second, and trumps the 90 APO-cron in the size department...Can't realy go wrong either way, but I find my APO-cron images to have been more uniquely rendered, sharp-sharp-sharp, and a frequently used lens...

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[dseelig]

I got one recently for a steal of a price 1400 and coded and thought well I can sell if I do not like it I have a 75 lux which I love. All I can say is I will not be selling it . and no not selling my 75 lux either. 90 for me is a better focal length on a full frame camera then 75 .

Edited March 3, 2010 by dseelig