90mm, keep or sell?

[Shameetman]

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I had to have a 90mm, so I bought a 90mm Summicron ||| in excellent condition. I came from using / 28mm / 35mm lenses but lately have been using 50mm a lot. After 2 years the 90mm is still untouched so now I'm wondering if it makes sense that I bought it. It's heavy and the focussing is slow,  so it's not an easy one.  In the beginning I didn't use the 50 neither, now it's my main lens..

Whats your opinion about the 90? Anyone using it a lot? Pictures please! 

[poli]

I have 2 90mm lensen. The Summicron pre asph in decent condition and an Elmarit-M (bit beaten up). Lately I haven't used the Summicron. And I am also considering to sell both. Actually, I am planning to buy a Macro-Elmar as my main 90mm. I really enjoy the focal length, but I do agree, the lenses are too big and heavy for my liking. But every time I see the results, I decide to keep it. haha

The Elmarit:

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[poli]

And this is one taken with the Summicron

 

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[Shameetman]

Yes, beautiful rendering! Maybe we should challenge ourself to use it some time as a main lens.

[Peter Kilmister]

I have a 90mm Summarit-M f/2.5. For the last few days I have used it as my lens of choice while taking daily exercise on walks from home in the surrounding countryside. 

The Summarit is very quick and easy to focus. I love it.

[colint544]

I've got the cheap as chips (for a Leica) 90mm Tele-Elmarit 'fat' version 1. At maximum aperture it's got a softness around the edges. By a mile, it's my least used lens. I'm much more of a 50mm sort of photographer.

However, occasionally I like to give it an outing. Especially when it's foggy outside. I've come to think of it as my 'fog' lens. 

I'd say that, unless you need the money, or are simply never going to use it, hang onto it and give it a try.

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Edited April 8, 2020 by colint544

[jankap]

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I do not use the longer focal lenses very much. Flowers, birds in the garden.

[Shameetman]

Those are great shots Colin! Fog can be a great help, sadly i've not seen any fog around lately.

[Stein K S]

20 years ago I just had to get a 90 to complete my set... This Elmarit-M is still in my box, but has rarely been used to be honest. Just too narrow... However, when I tested the APO 75 during a workshop, something clicked... the 75 angle just hit me being perfect for that ¨halfway candid street photography¨. I bought one soon after and the 75 is now being used a lot.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Stein K S

[Shameetman]

10 minutes ago, Stein K S said:

20 years ago I just had to get a 90 to complete my set... This Elmarit-M is still in my box, but has rarely been used to be honest. Just too narrow... However, when I tested the APO 75 during a workshop, something clicked... the 75 angle just hit me being perfect for that ¨halfway candid street photography¨. I bought one soon after and the 75 is now being used a lot.

So the conclusion is, sell the 90 get a 75?

[Stein K S]

3 minutes ago, Shameetman said:

So the conclusion is, sell the 90 get a 75?

That turned out to be the right thing for me. Just sharing an experience.
Why... except for the size & weight of the cron, do you not use it? Size & weight alone can hardly be the whole story!

[LocalHero1953]

A 90 is a great portrait lens - my preferred length. I've had a number of them, but just the Summicron-SL 90 now.

But if you don't do much portrait work and are unlikely to in future, why not sell it and spend the proceeds on something more useful?

For similar reasons I don't have a camera or long lens which is useful for wildlife. I have the 90-280 zoom for the SL, but I use it almost entirely indoors for events, concerts, drama, dance.

[pippy]

20 minutes ago, Shameetman said:

So the conclusion is, sell the 90 get a 75?

As it happens I am another who prefers the 75 over the 90 but of the three Leica 90s I own it's the f2.5 Summarit that I prefer by a mile.

If, as you say, you find the Summicron slow to focus and heavy to lug around - and, having owned one myself, I agree on both counts - then the Summarit might be the answer. The Summicron didn't stay with me long for precisely those reasons.

Philip.

[lykaman]

Aloha, one thing I've learnt, never sell a Leica lens, Unless, it's faulty & too expensive to repair or you really really need the money.. I sold all my  then Leica stuff when I lost most of my vision..bloody nightmares ever since.. L

[luigi bertolotti]

Well, if you haven't used it for 2 full years... 😉 isn't a focal for you... no much to say ; personally, I have always used a lot my 90mm .. but the Summicron is indeed the most critical both for wight/size and for focusing... I think you have two alternatives :

- Sell it and forget 90mm

- Sell it and buy a cheap and light 90... a good Elmar or Elmarit old version, for instance (the Tele elmarit 90 "dwarf" is very appreciable, but not for cheap, if good)

I don't advise to exchange it for a 75 (Summarit, by logic) ... too close to 50 if you regularly take 50 with you

[wattsy]

33 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

A 90 is a great portrait lens - my preferred length. I've had a number of them, but just the Summicron-SL 90 now.

Have you got shot of your Thambar-M, Paul? I still have mine but use it so infrequently that I have largely forgotten I even own it.

Addressing the OP's question, I use a 90 a lot but only for a very specific need – "macro". I use the 90 Macro Elmar-M a lot for photographing butterflies (and, to a lesser extent, flowers) but, beyond that, I really struggle to find a use for the focal length. For non-macro photography, I find a 50mm plenty long enough – in fact, I can get by with my 28mm Summaron-M for 95% of that photography.

Edited April 8, 2020 by wattsy

[J.Nordvik]

I was surprised to find that the Summicron III was not that much longer or heavier (in black) than the 2,5 Summarit. Wiki says Summicron: 77 or 79mm and 475g, Summarit: 66,5mm and 360g.

 

If those numbers are correct I would not change it for a Summarit.

 

About 80% of my photos with a tele lens are at infinity. Try some landscape photos.

[jankap]

vor 52 Minuten schrieb lykaman:

Aloha, one thing I've learnt, never sell a Leica lens, Unless, it's faulty & too expensive to repair or you really really need the money.. I sold all my  then Leica stuff when I lost most of my vision..bloody nightmares ever since.. L

Sad to hear/read that! Nightmares? Is there a reason for that?

[pippy]

1 hour ago, J.Nordvik said:

I was surprised to find that the Summicron III was not that much longer or heavier (in black) than the 2,5 Summarit. Wiki says Summicron: 77 or 79mm and 475g, Summarit: 66,5mm and 360g.

If those numbers are correct I would not change it for a Summarit.

Ah! My Summicron was the slightly earlier version (from '79 IIRC) and, having checked, that weighed-in at 610g and 102mm - so considerably different from the V3 (and nearly double the weight & length of the Summarit!). It also had quite pronounced focus-shift but that, as they say, is something else again...

Philip.

EDIT : According to the figures I've just checked my 75 and 90 Summarits together only weigh 80g more than my old Summicron did on its own!

Edited April 8, 2020 by pippy

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Hallo,

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[TomB_tx]

I don't use 90 a lot anymore, but keep it for "reach" when I need it on an RF. Since 1968 I've always used RF for 90 & wider, and SLR for 90 and longer. 90 works well on both. In fact my first Leica lens was a 90 TE bought with my M4 in 1968. I used it to shoot basketball, hockey, and other sports in college. Love seeing the action around the frame in the VF.

Now I keep a 90 Summarit 2.5 in my carry bag. Good size and fast focusing. My "fat" TE gives equivalent results (after a CLA), but the Summarit handles better.