Nick De Marco Posted June 6, 2023 Share #1 Posted June 6, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) In the build up to receiving my M10 Monochrom today I did a quick comparison, using my SL2-s for obvious reasons, of my telephoto M, LTM & R lenses. I tried the following 10 lenses: CV 75/1.5, CV 75/1.8, Zeiss 85/4, 2 Jupiter 9 85/2 ltm lenses, Leica Summicron-M 90/2, Leica Summicron-R 90/2, Nikkor 105/. 2.5 ltm, Canon 135/3.5 ltm, Leica Elmarit-M 135/2.8. I don’t share the photos, as they are quite boring, and it was a quick indoor test. But it helped reach a conclusion. I scored out of 5 for image quality, 3 for size & 2 for weight. The most recommended were: joint 1st: CV 75/1.5 & Zeiss 85/4 with 7/10; joint 2nd: Summicron R 90/2, Nikkor 105/2.5, Canon 135/3.5, with 6.5/10. the rest, slightly less. think I’ll try the Zeiss & the Nikkor on the M10M (recently paired the CV/1.5 well with te M10-R). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 Hi Nick De Marco, Take a look here Long lenses for Leica M. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
spydrxx Posted June 7, 2023 Share #2 Posted June 7, 2023 I've always gotten good results and enjoyed using a couple of older LTM lenses, the 90/4 Elmar and the 135/4 Elmar which I have kept. Have also used the 90/2 Summicron, 135/4 Tele-Elmar, and the 400/6.3 Telyt for some assignments and pleasure . All good lenses, some easier to use than others. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre68 Posted June 7, 2023 Share #3 Posted June 7, 2023 I don't see the Leica Summicron-M 90/2 in your chart.... Could you tell us why it did not make it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timeslip Posted June 7, 2023 Share #4 Posted June 7, 2023 Curious if you were planning on trying the Leica 135 f3.4 APO TLYT Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted June 7, 2023 Share #5 Posted June 7, 2023 I would add the Macro Elmar 90 mm M. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick De Marco Posted June 7, 2023 Author Share #6 Posted June 7, 2023 The summicron 90/2 m was good but no better than the R version in my view, and the R version is less long and can focus closer. Generally, I find the 90/2 too big/heavy for an M. I used to have the 90 Elmar and didn’t get on with it, despire the nice size. I don’t have, or want, the 135 apo. I discovered I had a Nikkor 85/2 ltm as well which I tried today and really liked - think that might be the one to pair with the m10 m for longer lens… Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted June 8, 2023 Share #7 Posted June 8, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello Nick, Welcome back. It has been a while. Best Regards, Michael 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick De Marco Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share #8 Posted June 8, 2023 Thanks Michael. Glad to be back! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre68 Posted June 8, 2023 Share #9 Posted June 8, 2023 8 hours ago, Nick De Marco said: The summicron 90/2 m was good but no better than the R version in my view, and the R version is less long and can focus closer. Generally, I find the 90/2 too big/heavy for an M. I used to have the 90 Elmar and didn’t get on with it, despire the nice size. I don’t have, or want, the 135 apo. I discovered I had a Nikkor 85/2 ltm as well which I tried today and really liked - think that might be the one to pair with the m10 m for longer lens… I understand you talk about the non apo version. Is the correct? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick De Marco Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share #10 Posted June 8, 2023 You mean the 90/2 M? Yes I have a pre Apo version Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted June 9, 2023 Share #11 Posted June 9, 2023 Got good to excellent results with the following M lenses on both full frame (M240, M11) and crop digital cameras (CL). I don't count my M8.2 on purpose but will share my experience with it for those interested if any. I'm not good at comparing lenses of different focal lengths and apertures so i won't mark them below, just mentioning my possible reservations. • Summilux 75/1.4 • Nokton 75/1.5 • Summicron 75/2 • Summarit 75/2.5 with reservations as regards quality (fragile aperture ring) and lens hood (too long to screw and unscrew). • Summicron 90/2 apo • Summicron 90/2 v2 • Summicron 90/2 v3 with reservations as regards color fringing • Summarit 90/2.4 with reservations as regards lens hood (too long to screw and unscrew) • Elmarit 90/2.8 v2 • Tele-Elmarit "thin" 90/2.8 with reservations as regards flare • Skopar 90/2.8 apo with reservations as regards color fringing • Tessar 85/4 • Macro-Elmar 90/4 with or without macro adapter • Elmarit 135/2.8 with reservations as regards goggles • Apo-Telyt 135/3.4 • Tele-Elmar 135/4 • Elmar 135/4 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted September 7, 2023 Share #12 Posted September 7, 2023 (edited) On 6/6/2023 at 10:09 PM, Nick De Marco said: In the build up to receiving my M10 Monochrom today I did a quick comparison, using my SL2-s for obvious reasons, of my telephoto M, LTM & R lenses. I tried the following 10 lenses: CV 75/1.5, CV 75/1.8, Zeiss 85/4, 2 Jupiter 9 85/2 ltm lenses, Leica Summicron-M 90/2, Leica Summicron-R 90/2, Nikkor 105/. 2.5 ltm, Canon 135/3.5 ltm, Leica Elmarit-M 135/2.8. I don’t share the photos, as they are quite boring, and it was a quick indoor test. But it helped reach a conclusion. I scored out of 5 for image quality, 3 for size & 2 for weight. The most recommended were: joint 1st: CV 75/1.5 & Zeiss 85/4 with 7/10; joint 2nd: Summicron R 90/2, Nikkor 105/2.5, Canon 135/3.5, with 6.5/10. the rest, slightly less. think I’ll try the Zeiss & the Nikkor on the M10M (recently paired the CV/1.5 well with te M10-R). Nick - really interesting to see this. I'm off to France next week and wanted to travel light. The M10-R + 35 summicron asph were always a given, but I no longer had a medium tele lens. I love the 135 APO-telyt - but it was going to be too long for my purposes, the Leica 75 summarit is as rare as hens' teeth (and not cheap) and the other Leica 75's are way to expensive when I have the SL 75 APO for portrait jobs I'd never use the M for. I heard mixed reports on the Voigtlander 75 / 1.9 (especially calibration), but then came across the Ziess. The upshot is that I've just picked up a Zeiss 85/4 for £490! I'll be using it mainly for landscape so the f-stop should be an advantage rather than a demerit - and its size and weight look as if it should be a useful lens to have in the bag. If you have any other thoughts / experience with the Zeiss I'd be interested to hear. Thanks Edited September 7, 2023 by chris_tribble Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted September 7, 2023 Share #13 Posted September 7, 2023 The Tele-Tessar 85/4 is an almost perfect medium tele lens if one likes contrasty lenses. High contrast and sharpness with smooth bokeh, little flare, vignetting, distortion and chromatic aberration. It is not too bulky (294g) whilst weighing 50g more than more compact lenses like Macro-Elmar 90/4 or Elmar-C 90/4. Only con, so to speak, it is sharp at all apertures so shooting at full aperture will hardly add gentleness to portraits. Looks solid as a tank, its bayonet hood has the same quality as that of other ZM lenses but it is not reversible for storage or transportation. This way the lens + hood takes as much room in the bag as a Tele-Elmar 135/4 v1 with hood on reversed position. IQ wise the ZM 85/4 shows saturated colors and works fine on close-ups, with or w/o Leica Macro-adapter, w/o competing with the Macro-Elmar though. My copy is hand-coded as Macro-Elmar 90/4 (100111) but any other 90mm lens profile should fit provided it does not correct for vignetting since the Tele-Tessar has very little of it. FWIW. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted September 7, 2023 Share #14 Posted September 7, 2023 I have 90mm & 75mm apo-summicrons, they are both flawless lenses and rank with the best lenses Leica have ever created for M cameras. I used a last version 90mm elmarit-m f2.8 for quite a few years but it lay unused after I bought the 90mm apo-summicron and I sold it on. Whilst the apo-summicron is obviously heavier and a little more bulky than the elmarit-m , the 90mm apo-summicron feels much better balanced on the camera and is a noticeably better lens especially on my M10-R. It's probably my favourite Leica lens, though not my most used. The 75mm apo-summicron is a lens I use less than the 90mm but when I do use it, it never disappoints. It makes a good pairing with my 35mm summicron asph v1 or my 28mm summicron asph for travel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted September 7, 2023 Share #15 Posted September 7, 2023 Thanks to both for these comments. As I’m getting the lens for travel / landscape rather than portraiture I’m encouraged. I completely get what #Ouroboros says about the APO Summicron, but my main use for the M is with wider lenses and the SL2 + APO primes (or SL zooms for that matter) covers my needs in portraiture… Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexGig0 Posted September 7, 2023 Share #16 Posted September 7, 2023 The Zeiss Tele Tessar 85mm f/4 ZM, already described quite well by lct, is a nice travel/landscape lens. It was landscape images posted by Fred Miranda, himself, on his forum, that prompted me to buy this lens. I no longer see it listed as available new in the USA, but if its manufacture has been discontinued, it should be available on the pre-owned market. (I bought mine pre-owned.) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted September 7, 2023 Share #17 Posted September 7, 2023 Couple of snaps to show how the Tele-Tessar behaves at f/4 on the M11: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/377974-long-lenses-for-leica-m/?do=findComment&comment=4852600'>More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted September 7, 2023 Share #18 Posted September 7, 2023 Thanks for the images @lct! The foreground separation is greater than I though it might be and bokeh looks smooth - et je ne savais pas que vous étiez un avocat ou un juriste! Je serais en France la semaine prochaine. Si vous habitez près de Salers peut être vous pourriez m’envoyer un p.m.? best chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted September 7, 2023 Share #19 Posted September 7, 2023 Hi Chris, i live in Normandy ie closer to UK than Salers i'm afraid but we have good colleagues here who live in south of France including distinguished Britons spending their holidays or retirement there. Congrats for your French BTW Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted September 8, 2023 Share #20 Posted September 8, 2023 Merci! Peut-être que nous nous rencontrerons un jour 🙂 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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