which longer lens for reportage, street, portrait?

[jack-tucker]

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Hi all,

I am happy using a 35mm Summicron and 28mm Elmarit on my M-P. I am shooting street, travel, reportages. So far I was happy but being aware that I might have to take my 5DII with the 70-200 zoom along in the rare case I need a portrait with longer lens. (But even for portraits I am mostly happy with the 35 Summicron or even the Elmarit)

Anyway, I am thinking of adding a longer lens to my Leica kit for portraits, but moreover detail shots in general (Hands, tools, ... what ever details I want to add to a story). Other situation I could think of using a longer lens would be theatre photography or other performances and occasional longer landscapes. 

 

What would you suggest? I find the 75mm Apo-Summicron more than interesting, but at the moment too expensive. Can you recommend the 75mm Summarit? (I used the 35-Summarit, the older version, and quite liked it)

Or maybe even a 50mm lens for these purposes?

 

I am exited to read what you would recommend...

Thanks already!

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[Schrödinger's cat]

Hi all,

I am happy using a 35mm Summicron and 28mm Elmarit on my M-P. I am shooting street, travel, reportages. So far I was happy but being aware that I might have to take my 5DII with the 70-200 zoom along in the rare case I need a portrait with longer lens. (But even for portraits I am mostly happy with the 35 Summicron or even the Elmarit)

Anyway, I am thinking of adding a longer lens to my Leica kit for portraits, but moreover detail shots in general (Hands, tools, ... what ever details I want to add to a story). Other situation I could think of using a longer lens would be theatre photography or other performances and occasional longer landscapes. 

 

What would you suggest? I find the 75mm Apo-Summicron more than interesting, but at the moment too expensive. Can you recommend the 75mm Summarit? (I used the 35-Summarit, the older version, and quite liked it)

Or maybe even a 50mm lens for these purposes?

 

I am exited to read what you would recommend...

Thanks already!

I would suggest examining your current images taken with the 5DII and 70-200 to determine what focal length you use most frequently for the anticipated Leica photographs.

 

If your research indicates that 90mm might be close to what you used the most previously, I have enjoyed the collapsable 90mm/f4 Macro-Elmar, my current choice.

I can also recommend one of the 90mm/f4 Elmar-C lenses originally made for the Leica CL or the similar Minolta, at a significantly lower price.

 

Longer than 90 may suggest you stick with the 5DII, although many successfully rangefinder focus the 135's.  Beyond that you're into Live View territory.

 

I've never owned a 75.

 

Liked your website

[TomB_tx]

I've also used the Elmar-C 90, and have been impressed with it. (Erwin Puts notes that it's design is related to the newer Macro-Elmar.)

But I find 75 a good companion to a 35, and like the perspective for portraits. The Summarit would be excellent. I use a 75 2.5 Voigtlander (LTM version), which is an amazing value.

[dunhoy]

Try any (or all) of these...

 

50 Lux or APO-Summicron 75 or Elmarit 90

 

And don't forget a 1.25x magnifier is very helpful to nail focus (especially with dodgy old eyes like what I have).

 

I always buy glass secondhand...

[dunhoy]

Try any (or all) of these...

 

50 Lux or APO-Summicron 75 or Elmarit 90

 

And don't forget a 1.25x magnifier is very helpful to nail focus (especially with dodgy old eyes like what I have).

 

I always buy glass secondhand...

[EoinC]

Looking at your website portfolios, you seem to manage very well with what you have (I particularly liked the series on female taxi drivers in Delhi). I really like your work.

 

I think Schrödinger's cat is correct - Your 70-200 can give you an idea of what focal length you prefer. Maybe take it out for a day at 75, and another day at 90, and see if you are drawn to one or the other.

Given how well you manage getting close with your 28 and 35, 50 may be sufficient for what you are after.

 

Caveat emptor - Although I use 24 / 55 / 85 / 135 / 300 on other cameras, the only Leica lenses I currently use on my M's are 35 and 50, so I'm not in a good position to advise. Were I to grow to the right, I suspect it would be a 75mm.

[pgk]

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What would you suggest? I find the 75mm Apo-Summicron more than interesting, but at the moment too expensive. Can you recommend the 75mm Summarit? (I used the 35-Summarit, the older version, and quite liked it).

For reportage/street/portrait I'd certainly suggest 75mm as being a very good compromise (90mm would be ok but a little more demanding on focus accuracy). 50mm would be ko too but I'd suggest 75mm is a good compromise. And either will be a great lens - the Summicron is an outstanding performer but you need to try a used one before buying as the rear lens group can need adjustment (I've had two and the first was well out of adjustment) - the Summarit is a close second, much cheaper and less likely to be out of adjustment.

[adan]

It depends on exactly how tightly you frame your portraits. Framing really tightly for forehead-to-chin, a 75 (and a 50 even more so) is really gonna deliver some distortion ("Mussolini" chins and big noses), and a 90 is a more complementary choice. You stand back further for the same framing and reduce the distortion.

 

If you frame for head-and-shoulders or wider, than a 50 or 75 will work pretty well - a matter of taste at that point.

 

I would say that the 75 Summarit is generally the equal of the 75 Summicron down to about 1 meter/3.3 feet. Closer than that, the Summicron's floating element kicks in and it has increasingly better resolution than the Summarit, on down to .7 meters.

 

Attached are three self-portraits (I wouldn't do this to someone else!)

 

Top, 75mm Summicron at close-focus distance of 0.7 meters - pretty "pop-eyed" and distorted.

Middle, 75 at a distance of about 1 meter - H&S, just a little "big-chin, small-forehead" distortion.

Bottom, 135 at its minimum distance (1.5 meters/4.5 feet) - much flatter "perspective" to features, as well as tight framing.

 

A 90 would obviously be in between 1 and 3, for the same framing.

 

I ue the 75/135 combo, selecting as appropriate, because the M9 framelines for 90mm are really weak at longer distances (I get too much extra in the final picture compared to what the lines predicted - I always have to crop to nearly 135 view anyway). For whatever reason, the 75/135 lines are more accurate.

 

Close up, and with the M-P's revised lines, this may not be a factor for you. And a 90 is a nice compromise if you want to carry just one tele, as well as offering f/2.8 or f/2.0.

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[spydrxx]

I've never used the 75, but it might just do the job for you. Personally, I like 90mm for portrait work, and have used almost every 90 Leica has made. If you want to pay big bucks and get a magnificent razor sharp lens the 90 macro-elmar will certainly do the trick. I personally like the rendition of older lenses and prefer the 90/2.8 Elmarit of 1959, followed closely by the inexpensive screwmount (with an M adapter) Elmar/4.0 of 1955.

[jack-tucker]

Wow, thanks for all the input!

 

@ adan: thank you for the effort - that helps a lot.

 

After what I read and saw and some more research, I think 75mm could be the solution. I like the the collapsable 90mm Elmarit basically for its compactness. But right now it would be to expensive, anyway.  

So is the 75mm Apo-Summicron. That WOULD be it, given I stick to my discussion for the 75mm focal length. But even second hand it doesn't look like I will get it for less than 2000,- EUR.

So the 75mm Summarit (2.4 version) might be it. I'll travel to Germany in a few weeks - so if I buy it in a shop I could even try it out.

 

Thanks for helping!

[250swb]

Before buying a Summarit you should read Sean Reid's comparison with the CV 75mm f/2.5 Skopar. It doesn't leave any doubt that quality doesn't have to be expensive and the ultimate choice is down to a preference in fine rendering, not one being better than another.

 

 

Steve

[Chronomania]

Well, Sean's reviews are very well written but l've owned both the summarit and the voigt and the summarit 75 is a FAR better lens. In fact it might be one of the best Leica M lens I've ever used, and I have used and tried a lot ! And certainly a perfect lens to pair with a 35. I use it all the time and not only for portrait. As you might guess, I recommend it highly.

[jaapv]

My experience with the Color Skopar is different. Mine is a very high quality lens and at least very close to the Summarit.

Voigtlanders are known  to have some sample variation - it explains the different experiences with their lenses.

 

Another lens to consider seriously is the Zeiss Tele-Tessar 85/4.0 If the slow speed is no objection, it is as good as many a Leica lens, light, and a very versatile focal length, pairing better with a 50 mm than a 75.

[tobey bilek]

Starting with 50 mm a little,  candids get more and more difficult as the lens gets longer.  Manual focus is more critical and even worse,  people walk in front of you almost always just as you push the shutter.  

 

I would start with something cheap to try out if you want to go that route.  

[jack-tucker]

Thanks again. 

 

Tobey, I will need at least 75mm, I think. I would like to try out 50mm on the M sooner or later (Maybe there will come a day when I get the chance to try out the famous Noctilux). But thats another story. For now I am searching for something longer. So far, 75mm seems to bee good. I doubt I will use it all too often, I am a wide angle person. But as I said, If I think about my series, I feel that here and there a detail shot is missing... 

But actually I still believe there is not more needed than one lens. For me it will be either 35 or 28

[tobey bilek]

Thanks again. 

 

Tobey, I will need at least 75mm, I think. I would like to try out 50mm on the M sooner or later (Maybe there will come a day when I get the chance to try out the famous Noctilux). But thats another story. For now I am searching for something longer. So far, 75mm seems to bee good. I doubt I will use it all too often, I am a wide angle person. But as I said, If I think about my series, I feel that here and there a detail shot is missing... 

But actually I still believe there is not more needed than one lens. For me it will be either 35 or 28

 

 

Thanks again. 

 

Tobey, I will need at least 75mm, I think. I would like to try out 50mm on the M sooner or later (Maybe there will come a day when I get the chance to try out the famous Noctilux). But thats another story. For now I am searching for something longer. So far, 75mm seems to bee good. I doubt I will use it all too often, I am a wide angle person. But as I said, If I think about my series, I feel that here and there a detail shot is missing... 

But actually I still believe there is not more needed than one lens. For me it will be either 35 or 28

 

75 is the most difficult lens I own to focus.   Current lenses are made to have a shallow zone of focus and a rapid fall off before & after.   I can focus it, but time is double compared to any other lens..   When I get something in focus at 400 feet like a street sign, 300 & 500 are well out even at F8,    Peter Karbe likes the lenses that way.

[pgk]

75 is the most difficult lens I own to focus.   Current lenses are made to have a shallow zone of focus and a rapid fall off before & after.   I can focus it, but time is double compared to any other lens..   When I get something in focus at 400 feet like a street sign, 300 & 500 are well out even at F8,    Peter Karbe likes the lenses that way.

Interesting, because this is not my experience. I find the 75mm Summicron and Summilux (and Summarit, which I had on loan) relatively easy to focus. 90s are harder as far as I'm concerned. We all find things different though, so if at all possible lenses need trying out, though this isn't always as easy as might be hoped.

[assaf110]

Summarit 75/2.4. A fantastic lens.

The close 0.7 min focus distance would aid in your details shots.

I have it paired to a 35 cron.

The 75 frame lines are not everybody's cup of tea though.

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[vladik]

Beg, borrow and steal to get a 75mm Apo-Summicron it is a phenomenal lens. I had a 2.5/75 Summarit it was good, but the 75 Apo-Summicron is something else altogether.

[NickR]

For price, performance, and walking around compatibility, the Tele-Elmarit 90/2.8 is hard to beat.  You can still find good examples for under $500 and I believe it's on the same size level as the 75 Summarit.