New: Leica Summilux-M 90 mm f/1.5 ASPH

[wlaidlaw]

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I seem to be able to hit focus with my 85mm/f1.5 Summarex with the RF at least on my M cameras. It is more difficult on my LTM cameras in spite of their larger magnification, I suspect because they are darker. However, a proviso for using an RF with this very shallow DOF lens, is reasonably good lighting, either artificial or natural. If I know I am going to be using any of my fast medium to long lenses, 50/.95, 75/1.25 or 85/1.5 in low light conditions, I will take my SL and focus optically with the EVF using zoom. The focus peaking can be of some help but I find you have to use the method of finding the near and far limits of peaking and then focus in the middle. 
 

Wilson

Edited February 14, 2020 by wlaidlaw

[Jeff S]

While I don’t own any super fast lens, I find RF focusing on an M easier and more pleasurable than via EVF. But for accuracy?  Nothing beats focusing directly off the sensor, coupled with magnified view.  The RF may not be perfectly calibrated, nor the lens; there might be focus shift; and an M requires good eyesight.  I don’t enjoy the EVF experience as much as using the M RF, but fine focus via magnified view off the sensor provides a technical advantage. I’ve set up my SL2 to do this as seamlessly as possible; practice should improve results, just as decades with RF focusing did. For me, though, this is mostly a non-issue, as I generally stick to 28-50 on the M, infrequently wide open, and Summicrons and typical Summiluxes suffice.  Big, heavy, tele (or fast or zoom)  lenses?  That’s partly why I added the SL2.  

Jeff

[antigallican]

On 12/12/2019 at 8:12 PM, sls said:

It is an ideal portrait focal length, but pro portrait photographers will be using an 85/f1.4 with auto-focus.

I had a 90/f2 ASPH and used it for portraits, but just found it too heavy  and tricky to focus at f2, so sold it and went back to using a 1974 90/f2.8 Tele-elmarit. I'm thinking of getting a 90/f4 Elmar, although the Tele-elmart is not far behind. The Voightlander 75/f1.8 is one of their best lenses and costs £500. 

So not sure about this. M lenses are meant to be small and practical. I'll stick to 50 Lux for portraits.

I have one of these tele elmarit and love it. I think I prefer it even to my 24-90 on the SL... definitely the weight anyway!

 

[Dr No]

On 12/12/2019 at 9:40 PM, oldwino said:

Is this lens, which may prove to be nearly impossible to rangefinder focus on a M camera, still a rangefinder lens, when you need an EVF for accurate focus? 

Why? It's no different than focussing any fast lens with low depth of field.

It seems some people think the focussing patch mysteriously shrinks or something.

[IkarusJohn]

13 hours ago, Dr No said:

Why? It's no different than focussing any fast lens with low depth of field.

It seems some people think the focussing patch mysteriously shrinks or something.

No, it grows relative to the image size in the viewfinder.  Look through your viewfinder and press the frameline lever - the focusing patch stays the same size, but the image area reduces.  If you want one small item in perfect focus, it gets harder to ensure as the focal length increases.

But your point is fair.  If your rangefinder is accurate and lens properly calibrated, then it should be no harder to focus through your viewfinder than any other accurately coupled lens.  But the margin for error is small. At 1 metre:

• Summilux 90/1.5  dof 9mm
• Noctilux 75/1.25 dof 11mm
• Summilux 75/1.4  dof 13mm
• Noctilux 50/0.95 dof 22mm

I can see why Leica might suggest that for the two new lenses, an EVF will give more accurate results; but I wouldn’t rely on focus peaking.

[evikne]

But we don't need to focus at 1m all the time. The margins increase significantly as we move further away, and there will still be a good deal of background blur.

[Dr No]

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4 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

No, it grows relative to the image size in the viewfinder.  Look through your viewfinder and press the frameline lever - the focusing patch stays the same size, but the image area reduces.  If you want one small item in perfect focus, it gets harder to ensure as the focal length increases.

But your point is fair.  If your rangefinder is accurate and lens properly calibrated, then it should be no harder to focus through your viewfinder than any other accurately coupled lens.  But the margin for error is small. At 1 metre:

• Summilux 90/1.5  dof 9mm
• Noctilux 75/1.25 dof 11mm
• Summilux 75/1.4  dof 13mm
• Noctilux 50/0.95 dof 22mm

I can see why Leica might suggest that for the two new lenses, an EVF will give more accurate results; but I wouldn’t rely on focus peaking.

No, the patch doesn't grow.

The framing contracts or expands and while that is relative it's a big difference. It's a perceived difference and really is no different in practice—though it may change how you use the patch.

The only thing that changes is the depth of field of the lens which of course means the photographer has to be more careful what they choose inside the patch.

It requires a change in technique, not equipment.

[IkarusJohn]

I think it is just a different way of saying the same thing to justify different conclusions.

[Dr No]

5 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

I think it is just a different way of saying the same thing to justify different conclusions.

Not at all. That second window on your rangefinder for the patch is physically fixed in size.

At 1m away, regardless of what lens you have, the exact same image will be inside the patch for all lenses.

Everything outside the patch is irrelevant to focusing.

[IkarusJohn]

Right.

[BradS]

Why is this thread pinned? Can the admins please un-pin it ?