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Portrait Lens Baby Photography


JCophoto

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Hi,

 

I just had my first baby (I am really happy) and I'd like to take tight portraits of him with shallow depth of field. At the moment I have an M9 with 50mm summilux, which is great for "context" photos of him, but makes it difficult to really concentrate on his face or details.

 

I am considering buying a short telephoto lens but I am not sure what would be best. I am hesitating between a 90mm Summicron (either apo or not) and a 90mm macro Elmar.

 

I like the Cron because it would also be a great portrait lens for general use. However, its minimum focussing distance is 1m which is not so great for close-up pictures of his nice little feet for instance.

 

The macro Elmar on the other hand has a minimum focussing distance of 0.77 which can be reduced to 0.5m with the adapter. This would allow me to take close up pictures of hands/feet. However, f4 seems a bit slow for a general use portrait lens.

 

Budget wise, both lenses seem to be in the same ball park.

 

I would love to have your view on the topic; Which lens would you consider? I am also open to other options.

 

Thanks a lot in advance.

Edited by JCophoto
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Congratulations!

 

I think the 2/75 gets the highest magnification (1:7) if that's what you're after. The 90 APO is 1:9, and the 50's are 1:11.3 fwiw.

 

I went through the same process at the birth of my child, ending up with an 85 (on an SLR at the time).

The best most cherished photos I have from when she was younger were shot with a 50mm. I might have one from the 85. Of course every child is different. Basically, I'm more comfortable with a 50 than an 85 I think.

 

Above all, enjoy the little one (the baby I mean), its a beautiful time.

 

Cheers,

Michael

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I just realised I didn't answer the question. Of course this is my experience and opinion based on that.

 

I think f/4 is too slow - babies don't really like very bright lights, and the most intimate shots that I have are under quite subdues lighting. If you want magnification, consider the 75 APO. The 90 APO would primarily give you space compared to your 50 rather than magnification. Unless you want close ups of individual toes, I think that the 90 (or 75) would be fine for isolating their little feet.

 

Like you say, the 90 APO would possibly be more suitable in the future? Personally, I'd keep it simple with the 50, but there's no shortage of opinions here!

 

Enjoy,

Michael

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It might sound heretical but the budget that buys a 90 or 75 APO can also buy a lot of camera gear that is not Leica M. With the benefit of hindsight I wish I'd spent more money on more specialist kit than augmenting my M system with non-core lenses (i.e. lenses outside the 28-50 range) that I later find myself selling for a substantial loss. For 'baby portraits' I think I'd now be thinking of an SLR (film or digital) plus something like a fast 85 or, arguably more interesting, something like a Pentax 67 and 105 lens. If it must be Leica M consider a used 75 Summilux and film M for results with tangible depth.

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Nikon D750 + 58 1.4 or 60 2.8 micro. This lens also works at infinity. Buy only the current version.

 

As nice as Leica M is, close up is not its forte and I would recommend another system. That or pick up a Viso and close focus lens such as 65 elmar, or 90 2.8 elmarit. The lens heads come off the RF focus mount for use in the viso. Finding all the proper adapters might be difficult.

 

If you elect to stay with RF focusing, the 75 is best option. I will warn you you might need to send in what ever you buy to get the focus perfected for really close work.

 

APO Summicron does not have floating elements so close focus sharpness is compromised.

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Thanks a lot for your advice.

 

I was not expecting people to tell me to look at other systems then the M. It does however makes sense. I have been shooting a 50mm exclusively on the M9 and been a very happy camper till now.

If I were to buy a 90mm it would not see much use except for the family portraits.

 

I looked at the pentax 67 but I am not sure I want to go into MF Film right now.

 

My wife has a Canon 100D (not full frame though); I might look into buying a 85mm 1.8 (or 1.2 if I can find a good one used)...

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Hello JCophoto,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Congratulations for the arrival of your new person.

 

Please keep in mind that the arrival of this person does not mean that you have become a baby photographer for the rest of your life. Instead: You now have the opportunity to chronicle the growth & development of a new unique being.

 

Your new person did not arrive with an instruction book because each individual is somewhat different. Altho there are a number of characteristics that new arrivals sometimes share:

 

Your new person will never again be as small as they are when you look at them next time. Sometimes they may grow at a remarkable rate in a very short time.

 

Just as it is better to buy clothes somewhat larger than such a person seems to need:

 

It is better to have a photographic mindset & photographic equipment that can easily adapt to the variety of circumstances & situations that evolve & develop along with your new person & their World.

 

The 50mm lens you already have will be just what you need in a lot of situations.

 

A 90mm lens on a full frame camera allows a photographer to step back & create a pleasing perspective while at the same time removing unwanted foreground. It can also help to remove unwanted material on the sides & above the desired field of coverage. It is often able to do this without creating a sense of separation.

 

With a 90mm lens: An aperture of F2 allows a person to lessen depth of field (removing unwanted foreground & background within the field of coverage) somewhat more than an aperture of F4 does. Once your person is a little larger than they might have been the last time that you looked at them: Limiting what is in the photo may often be more desirable than the ability to come closer.

 

Altho some people think that a 90mm F2.8 that focusses to 0.7 meters is a happy compromise that allows a person to pretty much do both.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
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First of all, congrats on a newborn. I recently got a son, and must say this is a wonderful experience.

 

In general I use all the lenses I own when photographing him.

However, for what you are looking for I would recommend you a 75mm Cron. This lens can also be combined with OUFRO to shoot even closer from it's 0.7m. Many could say it is too clinical, but baby's skin handles it very well.

 

Good luck, and enjoy the time spent with your family.

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Superb pictures mirekti! Were these taken with a 75mm Summicron? (for some reason, the exif don't show up).

 

OUFRO would have been great but I am not sure I can use it on the M9. I suppose it changes the field of view which is not adapted in the viewfinder. Guess you need liveview or a visoflex.

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Thanks. I am glad you liked those.

Both photos were taken with 75mm Cron on M240. First one with OUFRO and EVF, the second one through the RF.

I can see exif on both jpegs, the first one missing the focal length due to OUFRO being used.

 

As already mentioned, I use all my lenses. For example, next two photos were taken with 35mm and 24mm.

 

Regarding the 75mm Cron my concern is, the lens is based on 50mm Summilux, and you will end up with two similar lenses quite close to each other in focal lenght. Maybe a 75mm Lux would be a more suitable pair for the lens you own, many like it a lot. 50lux and 75lux would be close to each other in focal length, but with a different character.

 

If I were you, I'd add a 28mm Cron and 90mm Macro or 75 Lux lenses to expand the kit. Actually, my first choice for tele would be 90mm Cron, but I saw many complained about the difficulties with the focusing and/or focus shift on it. I never owned one so cannot confirm how it works, though.

 

BTW I use a 1.35x magnifier from Japan exposure when I use 75mm or 135mm lenses.

 

OMG I bet I added more confusion than helped with this post. :)

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Edited by mirekti
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You sure did, but you also added magnificent pictures :-)

 

My first choice was indeed the 75mm Summilux. It seems to be such a gorgeous piece of glass and it would have been my first "Mandler" lens which I hear have a specific way of rendering colors, bokeh and what not. But the prices are too crazy; For a telephoto, which I will likely use much less than my loved 50mm, I can imagine paying 3k (if it were a used mint lens), but the 75mm Lux trades around 4k, even above, and it's really hard to find a mint one. So...

 

Good advice on the 75 Summicron. I often heard about rendering being very similar to the 50 LA (and it seems based on the same formula).

 

Maybe the 90 Summicron then, or the Summarit. Or, I could trade in my 35mm Summicron (which I never use) and add up 2k for a 75mm Summilux... I don't know, I am so confused...

Edited by JCophoto
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Thanks I am going to try out the VC 75mm if I can.

 

While browsing the web I came up with another potential solution: the 90mm Summicron-M (or even the first version). It's a Mandler design, has a glowing character wide open and it is not as sharp as the AA Summicron, which might make it a very flattering portrait lens for babies.

 

Plus, it can be found around 1,000 USD used, which is great news for my wallet. What do you guys think?

 

Thanks

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I went through a similar thought process, including entertaining picking up another camera system just for portraiture, but in the end I always favour my Leica images, so I initially picked up a 75/1.4.

 

The 75mm 1.4 is indeed a great portrait lens:

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Ultimately, I sold it, because I enjoyed photographing with the 75mm Summarit much more (lighter, smaller, 46mm filter, etc...).

 

The 75 Summarit also has more "bite" at f/2.5, which admittedly is not always welcome for portraiture. In the following discussion, I included a little comparison I did between the two lenses, for my own purposes:

 

The Leica 75mm Summarit f/2.5 (short review). | Photographs by Peter

 

And here's a few sample portraits with the 75/2.5, slightly cropped:

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The only problem with the 75/2.5? Can't use it at f/1.4!

 

I've also used the 75/2, but prefer the 75/2.5 (more resistant to flare, and again, it's smaller, lighter).

 

I've used the 90/2, but I find 90mm a little too restrictive (tight) for my shooting style. However, the 90/2 is a very nice lens:

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Love and Remembrance. | Photographs by Peter

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Honestly, for intimate (and low light) photography of children, I find the 50/1.4 (in any form) is the most versatile rangefinder lens.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Peter.

 

(EDIT: By the way, congratulations on the birth of your first child!)

Edited by Prosophos
Congratulations.
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Thank you all for your time posting advice, it does help a lot.

 

At this stage, I am convinced that a 90mm would be too tight... So, I have narrowed my choices down to either a DSLR with macro lens (for close ups and general portraiture) or a 75mm M-mount lens.

 

The cons of a DSLR is that there is a high chance I will not use it very much outside of the house. I abandoned my Canon 6D for the portability and simplicity of the M9 and I am afraid that buying a DSLR would lead me to the same stage I was a year ago: a lot of use for inside portraits/close ups and left at home the rest of the time. Another solution might be the Fuji XT1 with a 56mm 1.2 which would see more use outside...

 

The cons of the 75mm Leica is that I won't be able to use it on my film M, since it does not have 75mm frame lines...

 

Regarding the 75mm Summarit, although it seems to be a great lens, I'm afraid it might be too slow. i am in love with the M9 base ISO but it has (very) poor low light capabilities. I don't like to push the ISO above 640 (and I am not too convinced by the results I get from pushing exposure in post).

Since I am not using a flash, with my 50 LA at home, I am often at a speed of 1/45s. I can't imagine losing almost 2 stops on a longer focal length...

 

This brings me back to a Summicron, Summilux or a VC 1.8...

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Superb picture fotofool... This and Peter's first photo are exactly what I am trying to achieve (I probably don't have the talent to get there though...). I guess I am sold on the Lux. I'll have to start looking for one of these gems now... Damn leica, Why can't you make affordable lenses...

 

I think I might still try the VC though...

Edited by JCophoto
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