Leica Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2

[adan]

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No, actually I was looking at the 1979-present 50mm Summicron-M:

 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/images/50mm-f2-m/diagram-460.gif

 

http://us.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-M/M-Lenses/Summicron-M-50mm-f-2/Downloads

 

as you say, identical to the 50mm Summicron-R II - but not similar to the Summar (all those flat surfaces)

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/50mm_f/2_Summicron-R_II

 

The Summar - fewer flat surfaces and different element spacing: http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/50mm_Leica_a_telemetro/16.gif

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Andy,

 

Thank you for providing all of the diagrams.

 

The second 1 you provided "m-f-2/Downloads" will not open for me.

 

But then, I am not very good with computers.

 

The pages that I was able to open agreed with pages 56, 57, 65 & 127 of Rogliatti: Leica & Leicaflex lenses 2nd Edition with Photokina 1984.

 

If you look:

The "M" Summicron 50mm lens is the shaved down & fitted into a smaller focusing mount variation of the "R" Summicron version displayed in your sites.

 

Look at the layout of the "R" Summicron version:

It is a variation of the 50mm Summar from the 1930's keeping in mind that since that time there have been advances in optical glass manufacture that have produced glasses of lower dispersion with higher refractive indicies which have allowed lens designers to take previous designs & make the curves more gentle & allow the flattening of some curves entirely.

 

It is still basically the same Double Gauss design. Just with genteler curves & flatter surfaces.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited October 19, 2017 by Michael Geschlecht

[stevemark]

This is not entirely true. Even without this center-blocking filter, the Thambar's image, at wide apertures, will be pretty soft due to deliberately under-corrected spherical aberrations. The filter just amplifies the softness ... however at a price: the out-of-focus blur will look terrible, with lots of blur rings, or 'donuts,' instead of blur disks, just like a catadioptric mirror lens.

 

So the filter enhances the in-focus softness but degrades the out-of-focus blur—it causes an awful bokeh, as we would say today.

The bokeh is not only very "noisy" when using the central spot filter, but also without filter! If you want to use the Thambar in a meaningful way (soft portraits), the background must be either dark or almost completely uniform. Other soft focus lenses such as the Mamiya Sekor C 4.5/145mm or the Minolta 2.8/85mm VariSoft are much more useful in real life. But the Thambar is a legend, of course.

 

Stephan

[Guest]

The bokeh is not only very "noisy" when using the central spot filter, but also without filter! If you want to use the Thambar in a meaningful way (soft portraits), the background must be either dark or almost completely uniform. Other soft focus lenses such as the Mamiya Sekor C 4.5/145mm or the Minolta 2.8/85mm VariSoft are much more useful in real life. But the Thambar is a legend, of course.

 

Stephan

Is it a legend because it is expensive,rare or very good. At some point in the near future I intend to try the lens but I am curious to know exactly what I need to do to get the best from it. Previously I have owned the Canon 85mm f2.8 soft focus lens. The soft focus effect was controlled by a simple system not unlike a zoom lens. 30 years ago it cost me less than £200 brand new. I was hoping the Thambar would be £3500 or thereabouts,but sadly I am not even close. If it is good I could well be tempted but after reading some of the very interesting comments in this thread,I am beginning to wonder if it’s another Emperor without any clothes on.

[FeralCoton]

I wonder if great results could be obtained without the filter? I’m very attracted to the thought of this lens (not its price), but haven’t used anything like it before.

 

 

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[otho]

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/2090534607/leica-s-new-thambar-m-90-mm-f2-2-is-a-modern-classic?slide=4

Leica's 'new' Thambar-M 90mm F2.2 costs $325 per aperture blade

[otho]

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Just announced as Pre-Order at BH for $6495:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1367466-REG/leica_11697_thambar_m_90mm_f_2_2_lens.html

[Milan_S]

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Original Leica Thambar on the SL

 

 

[M9reno]

Wonderful!