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90mm for portrait Advice


TheVanguard

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I've got a 1960s 90mm Elmarit and it has been fantastic for portraits. Plus they're only about $200 these days, so at that price you pretty much can't go wrong.

 

The 135mm Hektor is also a quite moody/flattering portrait lens for under $100.

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Well having moved into Leica and picked up the 35 cron and 50 lux together with a new camera the camera find is running a little low, so cheap defiantly is attractive right now!

 

I think I still leaning towards a 90 f2 pre asph they seem to go from around 800-1000 UK. Might then pick up something vintage to have some fun with

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Guest camera man

The problem with the Leica Lens's in the UK is the ever increasing price rise. Late last year I purchased the 90mm APO for £2,500 GBP and now its £3,150 / £3,500 and its the same for the 50mm APO now £6,300, an ever increasing price hike!! God help us when we leave the EU. Not good for Leica shooters in the UK.

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90mm? No!

 

75mm, f/2.5 because you will likely want an f/stop that fits properly.

75mm is rational. Focus will be more accurate.

It is less expensive than alternatives and better for your purposes.

Edited by pico
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90mm? No!

 

75mm, f/2.5 because you will likely want an f/stop that fits properly.

75mm is rational. Focus will be more accurate.

It is less expensive than alternatives and better for your purposes.

 

 

Sorry pico, but I don't follow your logic (or lack of).

 

What do you mean by "an f/stop that fits properly"? how does f/2.5 fit properly where f/2 of f/2.8 don't? (I won't mention that there is also a 90/2.5, reducing any argument you might have had to dust)

 

How is 75mm more "rational" than 90mm? I would say considering the OP has a 50mm already, that 75mm is irrational.

 

Sure, focus with a shorter focal length will be easier with an RF. We can easily extend that further and eliminate the 75mm in favour of the 50mm, and then eliminate that in favour of 35mm, and you get the drift. I only use a 15mm now - much easier to focus and who cares if it's not the focal length I want right.

 

Which 75/2.5 is less expensive (and less expensive than what)?

 

Better for whose purposes?

 

On the other hand, assuming your post was "tongue in cheek", a grin is colon-D, like this :D It makes it clear that you are only kidding...

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I think I still leaning towards a 90 f2 pre asph they seem to go from around 800-1000 UK.

 

I've had 2 or 3. Do check focus calibration, as these can be off which is hardly surprising given their age. For the prices you quote I'd want one that was working perfectly so its worth buying from a reputable dealer with an agreement that the lens will be adjusted if required.

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My experience is limited to 75/2.5 and 90/2.4 lenses as far as Summarits are concerned but they feel very close actually. The 90/2.4 is a bit softer in borders and corners but otherwise both lenses render pretty well the same. The 75/2.5 is just smaller and may give a feeling of near perfection due to its lack of significant flaw, with a shorter focus distance for the f/2.4 version. Great companion to 35mm or 40mm lenses but i've always preferred 90's to complement 50mm lenses rightly or wrongly. Compared to Elmarit 90/2.8 v2, the Summarit 90/2.4 has a bit more edge acutance at f/2.8 so i would not use it for less than perfect skins. Summicron 90/2 v3 and Summilux 75/1.4 are my favorites for them but Elmarit 90/2.8 (v2 or softer v1) is just OK if f/2.8 is fast enough for one's needs. For those tempted by 75mm, some f/2.5 new copies can be had on e**y for less than 1000 EUR currently. They have a 0.9m minimum focus distance though which may feel frustrating if you don't use the lens on a Sony body. That of 75/2.4 is 0.7m vs 0.9m for 90/2.4 and 1m for 90/2, 90/2.5 and 90/2.8. FWIW.

Edited by lct
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Having the 90 AA and the earlier Summarit, the latter sees far more usage. Shade not needed normally in my experience. This https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/268528-m10-the-image-thread/?view=findpost&p=3274971 was done with the Summarit.

 

It is barely longer than the Summilux 50, without the hood. This makes it a wonderful companion.

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I've got a 1960s 90mm Elmarit and it has been fantastic for portraits. Plus they're only about $200 these days, so at that price you pretty much can't go wrong.

 

The 135mm Hektor is also a quite moody/flattering portrait lens for under $100.

Indeed and the Hector 135 gives a nice rather poetic picture, it has its own character for flowers and nature taken at mid-distance.

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I have Elmarit-M collapsible 90 f4, which nobody wanted for well under 200$. It is true Leica lens and works great not only for film but on digital M. [...]

 

+1. Got my beaten one for half less in the eighties. Bit soft at f/4 with a lot of flare but plenty sharp above and it works quite well on my M240 and Sony A7s mod.

@ Newbies ;) Beware not to collapse the lens too deeply (or at all) in the camera though. There is a warning about this in all digital M's instructions manuals IIRC.

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I thought someone might have made the case for the 90mm Tele-Elmarit "fat" version 1. I have a 1969 copy, and I find it to be superb. It's very sharp indeed, although at full aperture, there's a fair bit of the fabled "glow" around the edges of the frame. But that's quite nice for portraits.

 

The 90mm Tele-Elmarit "fat" version 1 is tiny - around the same size and weight as the 50mm Summilux ASPH. It's extremely well made. It's also ridiculously cheap. And you can get it in either silver chrome, or black.

 

I got mine off eBay back in 2011. Because it was so cheap, I felt I wasn't taking much of a risk. But I really like it. I attach a photo I took using it with an M9, in Glasgow.

 

Here is Ken Rockwell's slightly tongue-in cheek review - http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/90mm-f28-fat.htm

 

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I thought someone might have made the case for the 90mm Tele-Elmarit "fat" version 1.

 

I have a 1969 copy, and I find it to be superb. It's very sharp indeed, although at full aperture, there's a fair bit of the fabled "glow" around the edges of the frame. But that's quite nice for portraits.

 

The 90mm Tele-Elmarit "fat" version 1 is tiny - around the same size and weight as the 50mm Summilux ASPH. It's extremely well made. It's also ridiculously cheap. And you can get it in either silver chrome, or black.

It was surely me the made the case... :) is a little gem I have always loved in >25 years of usage...

Agree an all your comments but... recently is not so "Ridicously cheap" indeed... fine items lean often around 1KEuro ... but is good value for money, anyway.

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It was surely me the made the case... :) is a little gem I have always loved in >25 years of usage...Agree an all your comments but... recently is not so "Ridicously cheap" indeed... fine items lean often around 1KEuro ... but is good value for money, anyway.

I do apologise - you absolutely did! I think I must skimmed over that. It is such a great little lens. So compact, that's what did It for me.

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I once owned the 90/2 Asph, but for me, it was almost too sharp, and it was too big to lug around, so I sold it. I am quite happy with my v1 90/2.8, my 90/2.8 Fat TE, and my 90/4 Elmar-C. I use the TE and Elmar-C the most, given their small size and (for me) excellent IQ. 

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