75mm SL APO vs 90MM SL APO

[crf59]

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Folks, my go-to body at present is the SL3. I have all the SL zooms (even the SigLeicas) and they are all great, but they are so heavy when carrying more than one. I have a vacation coming up and considered just taking my 24-90, but I am pondering taking a couple of APO primes instead. I only have the 35 APO at present, so would need to buy another one. I am somewhat stumped as to whether I should buy the 75 or 90. I hear a lot of folks say they like the 75, but I could crop to an effectively longer focal length with the 90. I imagine the 75 is better in street setting and would give adequate cropping flexibility. I also though about just using my M Adapter L with some M lenses, but decided I don't want to do that.

I'm headed to Portugal, and would appreciate any thoughts on performance between the two and if anyone has made a similar decision. So I'm thinking about taking just the 35 APO and either a 75 or 90 APO.

Cheers,

Chuck

[S Maclean]

Hello Chuck,

 

I had a similar situation and ended up with the 35 apo and the 75 apo.  Both incredible performers.  For 50 I have the lux and actually got the Summicron SL which, to my surprise, is incredible.  On my tests the 50 Cron beat both the 24-90 and the 24-70 on sharpness and Bokeh quality.  I just tested the three lenses today and was quite surprised by the results.

 

35 and 75 also give slightly tighter coverage than 35 and 90.

 

Technically I am not an expert, but I seem to read that the 35 is the best of the apo's (as per Peter Karbe) and the general consensus is that the 75 is a better performer than the 90 (I can't really vouch for that as I have not tested the 90)

 

I'll add my very first test image with the 75 APO.  I literally mounted the lens, set the Aperture, ISO and speed (I shoot M normally), Set AF to animals, and not even using the EV just slided the camera under the table and took the shot.  I was sold immediately. The clarity, accuracy and elegance of the rendering blew me away. F2, 400 ISO 1/125

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[LocalHero1953]

I have owned both, but sold the 90 for lack of use and overlap with the 24-90 and the Sigma 85 f/1.4 DG DN, which I prefer for closer portraits. I find the 75 more versatile (though it also overlaps with the 24-90 and Summilux-M 75🤔). 

Both are superb, and it’s really just a question of which one you’d use more. 

I also have the Summilux-SL 50 and the Apo-Summicron-SL 35. 

Edited October 18, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[S Maclean]

and one more cropped 

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[S Maclean]

And lastly, for 90 on sl3 I use either the 90 end of the 24-90

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Or a pre aspherical M 90 Cron (pure magic)

[nemendes]

As much as i heard, both are excellent lenses. I have 28mm and 50mm lenses so for me 90mm was better choice and i am happy with the results. For your 35mm, 75mm seems to be more convenient, but maybe extra reach will be beneficial for you as well, so you can take 90mm too. I have friend that uses only 24mm and 90mm focal lengths all the time. 

Finally i can say that whether you buy any of them, you will be very pleased with results. 

[S Maclean]

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9 minutes ago, nemendes said:

As much as i heard, both are excellent lenses. I have 28mm and 50mm lenses so for me 90mm was better choice and i am happy with the results. For your 35mm, 75mm seems to be more convenient, but maybe extra reach will be beneficial for you as well, so you can take 90mm too. I have friend that uses only 24mm and 90mm focal lengths all the time. 

Finally i can say that whether you buy any of them, you will be very pleased with results. 

And, I should add...whichever you buy...you'll end up getting the other one too.  THese lenses are amazing.

[rcusick]

I have bought the 35 and 75 apo sl’s twice.  They are amazing.  Medium format like….  I find with my sl3 I’d rather have more room on the long end and crop.  I tend to do the same on my m11 with a 35 summicron and 75 mm summarit.  
 

I also am gravitating away from the zooms except when weather is an issue.     Even though two primes together are as heavy as many zooms psychologically I don’t feel that way… but thats just me.  

Edited October 19, 2024 by rcusick

[Virob]

I have the 75, no experience with the 90, but doubt there is a significant performance difference between the two. For me, 75 mm is a more useful focal length. I would choose based on which one you find better matches your vision rather than any performance differences. Since you own the 24-90, try shooting at 75 and 90 and see which you prefer.

[jrp]

I think that the 75 is optimised for close ups / portraits. 

[Hanno]

Both SL APO 75mm/90mm are outstanding lenses. 90mm is ideal for portrait and closed up obviously. 75mm is more versatile but 90mm’s compression is magic. I started with 50mm and gradually made my way over the years with 75mm and 90mm lenses.

If I go out with one lens, I would take a 75mm. If 2 lenses, 50mm + 90mm. I bought 2 SL3 bodies to avoid switching.

At the end it depends on your other lenses, genre of photography, and carry weight you want to bear.

If you go into 75mm and 90mm, I would not discard M-lenses, they are ideal for SL3 and focusing is a blast on the EVF. Very complementary to the 75mm and 90mm SL-APO’s: Summilux-M 75mm 1.4 has Mandler’s magic, the Noctilux 75mm 1.2 and Summilux-M 90mm 1.5 Karbe’s signature. 

 

Edited October 20, 2024 by Hanno

[Ivar B]

Like everyone else has started, optical performance of both these lenses are absolutely superb. Better than everything else on the market. I was able to find a used 75mm for a reduced price, although my initial preference had been for the 90mm. However, after having used the 75 mm it became clear to me how easy it was to crop a little so you in effect ended up with a 90mm. I saw no loss in quality at all with the SL2. So then in many ways the 75mm is perhaps more versatile, in particular if you plan to combine it with a 35mm.  

[S Maclean]

Got the 90 in today. Incredible. I have and love the 75 apo but got the opportunity to handle the 99 and I’m completely sold on it.

inspent all day testing them against each other and they are pretty much identical.

 

is the 75 sharper?  Maybe if you’re a very technical guy, but on actual use they render almost identical to each other.

I used to be a 50 and 100 guy ( cannon) so 90 is more natural to my eye. But the 75 does give a little bit more space.

cam one step a little closer and just use the 75? I guess so, but to my eye there’s something organic about the 90 close portrait…… and something magical about the 75 that is a little bit more 50 without distortion.

Amazing lenses.  
 

I compared the 90 to the pre aspherical m 90 f2 and the macro elmar.  Different characters with the macro elmar being closer. If you add or stack a couple of glimmer glass or mist filters on the sl apo you can mimic the pre aspherical pretty well…. If it’s worth it.

I have the 35 75 and now 90 apo, and the 50 lux ( and sl 50) I think that’s right .
 

as an aside, when i use the pre aspherical on the m 11 I struggle a little and the results are not as good. The m 90 pre aspherical on the sl3 is incredible.

 

the super elmar is easy to cofia on both. 

 

 

[ALScott]

I just got back from vacation and took a ton of gear but I carried the SL3 and 24-90 the most.  I covered a ton of ground with it every day and it never bothered me a bit.  I didn’t notice its size.  I do use the strap that came with the SL3 and firmly believe that is a lot of the reason why it was easy to carry.  The neoprene offers a lot of padding and most importantly some give/stretch.  It does not cut into my shoulder at all compared to any other canvas or leather strap.

[LocalHero1953]

7 hours ago, S Maclean said:

the super elmar is easy to cofia on both. 

covfefe?

Maybe I've been watching too much current news.

Edited October 25, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[crf59]

On 10/24/2024 at 11:29 PM, ALScott said:

I just got back from vacation and took a ton of gear but I carried the SL3 and 24-90 the most.  I covered a ton of ground with it every day and it never bothered me a bit.  I didn’t notice its size.  I do use the strap that came with the SL3 and firmly believe that is a lot of the reason why it was easy to carry.  The neoprene offers a lot of padding and most importantly some give/stretch.  It does not cut into my shoulder at all compared to any other canvas or leather strap.

That's what I'm thinking. I love the rendering of the 24-90. Ideally I'd take the 35 APO and my Q3, but I think I'll leave the APO home and maybe take a Pany 28-200 for some extra reach as I don't use beyond 90 a bunch.

Thanks for all the input folks. I am firmly convinced I am going to end up with ALL the native SL lenses (except the 90-280 - it's stellar, but the 100-400 w/1.4X is plenty good and has more reach. I have it and it's very good for a non-true-Leica lens).

Chuck

[ALScott]

I have the 100-400 also and just shot some friends in a 10K an hour or so ago.  I am amazed at the IQ of that lens every time I use it.  I was thinking of selling it to get the 70-200 because I bought the Sigma 150-600, but that 100-400 is so nice.  I have been struggling with focus on the SL3 but had a very good result this AM.  I have only had the SL3 for a few months and just getting back into photography heavy so all of my old shooting habits are rusty.  I was worried it was not capable because of all the bad things you can read about SL3 AF but I now think it's more my fault than the camera.

[robb]

The 75 and 90 tie for superb results.  Just pick your favorite working distance and compression preference.

for me it’s the 75 especially if paired with the 35.

Robb

[hoolyproductions]

I see the OP has already decided but I'll chip in because I am constantly wrestling with this one 😃

• I had the 75mm APO for quite a while. I did not use it very often (main use case was music photography at relatively close working distance - unless it was a 'special' gig I would just take my 50mm APO and crop). I don't shoot portaits very often but seem to prefer the working distance of the 75mm for this when I do. In the end I sold it as exchange for some new gear and, like many who did this, I regret it
• I do now have a 90mm APO. I use it for music photography in larger venues when there is not enough light for the 24-90mm. It is spectacular for this but I don't shoot in larger venues very often and 90mm is usually too tight at my regular music bar.
• I also use the 90mm APO for landscape (on occassions when I choose to use primes instead of the 24-90mm). Here I am looking for the maximum reach possible, sometimes cropping up to 200mm - so it is a bit better choice than the 75mm for this use case. In this scenario I almost never find 90mm too tight.

I'm very tempted to pick up a second hand 75mm APO, simply because I enjoyed the lens a lot even if not using it very often. I agree that the difference in quality to the 90mm is essentially irrelevant, but there is something about the focal length/working distance that delighted me more (except for landscape). My more sensible side has been resisting for about a year now - objectively I think having both 75mm and 90mm is quite some redundancy/expense where for most other camera systems the only choice is 85mm.

Edited November 5, 2024 by hoolyproductions

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[hoolyproductions]

On 10/19/2024 at 2:10 AM, S Maclean said:

Hello Chuck,

 

I had a similar situation and ended up with the 35 apo and the 75 apo.  Both incredible performers.  For 50 I have the lux and actually got the Summicron SL which, to my surprise, is incredible.  On my tests the 50 Cron beat both the 24-90 and the 24-70 on sharpness and Bokeh quality.  I just tested the three lenses today and was quite surprised by the results.

 

35 and 75 also give slightly tighter coverage than 35 and 90.

 

Technically I am not an expert, but I seem to read that the 35 is the best of the apo's (as per Peter Karbe) and the general consensus is that the 75 is a better performer than the 90 (I can't really vouch for that as I have not tested the 90)

 

I'll add my very first test image with the 75 APO.  I literally mounted the lens, set the Aperture, ISO and speed (I shoot M normally), Set AF to animals, and not even using the EV just slided the camera under the table and took the shot.  I was sold immediately. The clarity, accuracy and elegance of the rendering blew me away. F2, 400 ISO 1/125

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

ps. this wonderful candid shot reminded me why I liked the lens so much