Do I have G.A.S.? 90mm and 75mm? Do i really need both?

[Torontoamateur]

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I have several m's I love my 240 series. And my 90mm tele-elmarit 2.8. But there is this nagging feeling I need a 75mm, I looked at the 75mm 2.0 APO . Fantastic. But then I found a mint ( like MINT) 75mm 2.5 Summarit for on fifth the APO's price. SO what do I do? What would you do? Should I have another Coffee and wake up from this G.A.S.? or crash my bank and get the Summarit?

[PaulJohn]

Interesting dilemma. I had the 90mm APO which was great but was too often out of focus at f2. I got the 75mm summarit and it's excellent. Much easier to nail focus and it draws beautifully. Sold the 90 APO over a year ago with no regrets.

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[a.noctilux]

Summarit-M 2.5/75mm is my last 75mm (my wife 's Apo-Summicron-M 75mm was used some times, I use Summilux-M 75 my first 75mm for decades).

This lens is "better in use" than the Apo 2/75mm, f/2.5 is lighter and shorter and results are beautiful and less "too sharp".

Compared to Tele-Elmarit 90mm (I have the "thin" king of flare), this 75mm flares less and easier to frame (if you can manage with 50/75 frame lines).

 

[Torontoamateur]

1 hour ago, a.noctilux said:

Summarit-M 2.5/75mm is my last 75mm (my wife 's Apo-Summicron-M 75mm was used some times, I use Summilux-M 75 my first 75mm for decades).

This lens is "better in use" than the Apo 2/75mm, f/2.5 is lighter and shorter and results are beautiful and less "too sharp".

Compared to Tele-Elmarit 90mm (I have the "thin" king of flare), this 75mm flares less and easier to frame (if you can manage with 50/75 frame lines).

 

Yes the super sharp portraits that show every flaw are not admired. The light weight of the Summarit is attractive.

[dkmoore]

1 hour ago, PaulJohn said:

Interesting dilemma. I had the 90mm APO which was great but was too often out of focus at f2. I got the 75mm summarit and it's excellent. Much easier to nail focus and it draws beautifully. Sold the 90 APO over a year ago with no regrets.

Did you have the APO adjusted by Leica and then it went out of calibration again?

or, were you just having trouble focusing at F2 with the rangefinder?

I recently added this lens hence the curiousity. 

[Exodies]

25 minutes ago, dkmoore said:

Did you have the APO adjusted by Leica and then it went out of calibration again?

or, were you just having trouble focusing at F2 with the rangefinder?

I recently added this lens hence the curiousity. 

My APO-Summicron-M 1/2:90 ASPH. has gone out of calibration twice. I use it quite a lot and handle it carefully. It’s every few years.

[Jeff S]

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Do you have GAS?  Probably.  

What should you buy?  Only you know... try them and decide.

Jeff

[Ko.Fe.]

I wouldn't call it as G.A.S. You are trying different focal lengths on new system. I did it with DLSRs and I did it with Leica.

I have tried 90 couple of times, sold, thinking about 75. 

 

 

G.A.S. is then every new Leica purchased and three lenses of same and every focal length are kept. 

Well, it is more known as collecting, which has nothing to do with photography. Even some well known photographers are collecting, but they are using very limited amount of cameras and lens. 

[adan]

I find 75 and 90 to be completely interchangeable, as focal lengths. Not enough difference to matter. BTW, the M framelines don't show the similarity accurately - the 90 lines reflect about a 105mm field of view, due to "mechanism" requirements. 75 lines are closer to the final image, especially at long distances.

There are other considerations besides strict focal length, of course. Close-framing ability, aperture, general drawing (contrast, resolution, bokeh, yada-yada). I has a college instructor who carried both an 85 and a 105 for his Nikon - 105 because he preferred it, 85 for the extra f/stop (era before Nikon made a 105 f/1.8).

Thus there are solid reasons to have both a 75 Summicron/Summilux and a 90 TE - less so with two essentially f/2.8 lenses. I find my pictures get better the fewer distractions there are in my camera bag.

But - the 75 Summarit is arguably the "best" short tele ever made for the M - sharp and clear. Everyone should at least try one, just to set themselves a standard for comparison. Only beef I ever had with mine was the short, light focus throw (about 90° to get from infinity to 0.8m, compared with the 90TE's 175° to get from infinity to 0.9m). Breath hard and you'll shift focus enough to notice. With the limited DoF of a tele, "precise and slow" beats "light and fast."

At the moment, I have settled on a fast 75, and a 135 if I need longer, and disposed of the 90 f/2.8s.

75 f/1.4 image showing 90 crop - relationship will change slightly with focused distance, as will blur amount.

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[spydrxx]

If the GAS attack doesn't pass quickly, go ahead and drain the bank account and get a 75. Only you can then have a basis for a valid comparison on the differences in what you shoot. If you find them too similar, you can then sell one with minimal if any loss.

[ckuwajima]

I got a Summilux 75mm because I felt the need for a mid tele faster than my TE 90.

But then I got an offer for APO Summicron 90 I couldn't refuse...yeah, G.A.S. it is I guess!

[dkmoore]

2 hours ago, Exodies said:

My APO-Summicron-M 1/2:90 ASPH. has gone out of calibration twice. I use it quite a lot and handle it carefully. It’s every few years.

This seems entirely a pain in the G.A.S.S minus the G. 

I am careful as well but why do you think it loses calibration? 

[ktmrider2]

I am in the same position as you owning a 50 and 90 and wondering if I should buy a 75 as it is one of the few focal lengths I don't own.  I normally travel with a Leica M and 35/90.  If I purchased a 75, the combo would be 35/75 and honestly I just don't see much difference.  Unless you just want another lens, I would stick with the 90.

I am getting ready to travel around the world for six months and am trying to figure out the camera combo.  I want to travel with one carry on and a small camera bag (Billington Hadley Small).  I want to write and photograph for a blog about my travels.  Suggestions have varied from just the MP and one lens (35) to a couple cameras and several lenses.  Presently, I am thinking MP240 with 25/50/90 and FujiX100F as a backup.  The Fuji is such an amazing camera I am thinking of leaving the Leica at home but why do I own it if I don't use it?

[PCPix]

I like the 75/2 - really sharp, no focus issues at f/2, it’s actually pretty small and 0.7m closest focus is helpful. 

[luigi bertolotti]

well… 90 and 75 are really close… but I'm absolutely not entitled to blame GAS…   (have several 90s, Summarit 75... and even the Hektor 73 and Summarex 85... a crowded range of focals… )

Personally ,I find the Summarit 75 a very appealing lens, sharp compact quick to focus… if I were you, I'd go for the Summarit… and at the next attack would chase a 90 f2, so you get an item for really slim DOF (any justification is good for a new lens…  )

Edited March 22, 2019 by luigi bertolotti

[lct]

8 hours ago, Torontoamateur said:

[...] I looked at the 75mm 2.0 APO . Fantastic. But then I found a mint ( like MINT) 75mm 2.5 Summarit for on fifth the APO's price. SO what do I do? What would you do? [...]

I have both but if i had none i would probably choose the 75/2 for f/2, 0.7m MFD and built-in hood. Now the 75/2.5 is a great lens indeed and is very compact as long as you don"t need the tall and slow to screw and unscrew accessory hood.

[Exodies]

7 hours ago, dkmoore said:

This seems entirely a pain in the G.A.S.S minus the G. 

I am careful as well but why do you think it loses calibration? 

As no one else has mentioned it, I think it’s something about my particular lens. The lens (casing) was reconstructed after I dropped it a week after buying it. I paid for that fix but Leica did the first recalibration for free. It’s with them now for the second.

[dkmoore]

41 minutes ago, Exodies said:

As no one else has mentioned it, I think it’s something about my particular lens. The lens (casing) was reconstructed after I dropped it a week after buying it. I paid for that fix but Leica did the first recalibration for free. It’s with them now for the second.

Ah, got it. I thought maybe there was something inherently wrong with the design. I've read numerous accounts of this lens being out of calibration, etc. I bought one anyway.

Thanks for the response.

[Torontoamateur]

19 hours ago, adan said:

I find 75 and 90 to be completely interchangeable, as focal lengths. Not enough difference to matter. BTW, the M framelines don't show the similarity accurately - the 90 lines reflect about a 105mm field of view, due to "mechanism" requirements. 75 lines are closer to the final image, especially at long distances.

There are other considerations besides strict focal length, of course. Close-framing ability, aperture, general drawing (contrast, resolution, bokeh, yada-yada). I has a college instructor who carried both an 85 and a 105 for his Nikon - 105 because he preferred it, 85 for the extra f/stop (era before Nikon made a 105 f/1.8).

Thus there are solid reasons to have both a 75 Summicron/Summilux and a 90 TE - less so with two essentially f/2.8 lenses. I find my pictures get better the fewer distractions there are in my camera bag.

But - the 75 Summarit is arguably the "best" short tele ever made for the M - sharp and clear. Everyone should at least try one, just to set themselves a standard for comparison. Only beef I ever had with mine was the short, light focus throw (about 90° to get from infinity to 0.8m, compared with the 90TE's 175° to get from infinity to 0.9m). Breath hard and you'll shift focus enough to notice. With the limited DoF of a tele, "precise and slow" beats "light and fast."

At the moment, I have settled on a fast 75, and a 135 if I need longer, and disposed of the 90 f/2.8s.

75 f/1.4 image showing 90 crop - relationship will change slightly with focused distance, as will blur amount.

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This is very helpful, Thank You.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[otho]

I also have both APO 90 & 75 and use in combination with Cron 35, Lux 50 or 18mm lenses. Definitely both tele are great...