Leica 90 mm on M9. Need advise on which to buy.

[henrikfoto]

I want to buy a 90 mm for my M9.
I see on E-bay that the prices on the newer Summicron 90 is a lot higher than the older ones.

Can anyone tell me if the older types can be used with the M9?
Is the coding very important?
Is the quality of the older lenses good for digital?

Henrik

[Brian Hirschfeld]

The M9 can use all of the legacy lenses without a problem, newer lenses have been designed with digital in mind, some believe this has lessened the quality of the lenses when they are put on fill cameras which is sortof silly because they were designed for digital....just be thankful that you could still use them on a 35mm m camera.

if you have the means get the newest.

[David Watson]

Hi

I have just gone through this decision making process and ended up buying the 75mm f2.5.  I was going to buy the 90mm but was put off by the difficulty of framing and focussing this lens.  (See Digiloyd blog for a more exhaustive analysis).  Even with the 75mm the frame is quite small in the viewfinder and accurate focussing can be tricky.

In terms of quality I agree with the previous post - whichever one you go for buy the latest version.  BTW I cannot see the point of paying a premium for an extra stop or half stop.

David

[Brian Hirschfeld]

Another thing to consider aside from viewfinder blockage or focusing (a point that I think is irrelevant because after you use the lens for a while it becomes second nature and you don't think about the focusing a la the Leica M philosophy) is how your going to carry it. The 75mm f/2.5 and the 90mm f/2.5 are way lighter then the cron or lux versions and smaller. also less expensive and the difference in quality is negligible its really dependent on how much light there will be when your shooting. since the M9 has a better ISO range then our M8's you'll be able to have some more working room

[henrikfoto]

Thanks a lot for advices!

Do you mean that the 90 lens is so large that it stands in the way for the view-finder?
Do you think the quality from the results you get with the 75 or 90 2.5 is the same as with the
crom? You just pay a lot more for 1 or 2 extra stops?

Henrik

[Brian Hirschfeld]

I was thinking more along the lines of weight, the cron will weigh alot more and most likely block the viewfinder in some way, my 24mm summulux does and I believe the 90mm is longer.
I think the image quality and comparable apertures will be about the same.

[David Watson]

I would strongly recommend reading the M9 exhaustive report on Diglloyd before making any decisions

http://diglloyd.com:80/prem/prot/DAP/LeicaM9/lenses.html

It is a subscription site but the relatively small amount you pay will be more than outweighed by the value of the advice.  I know that you can "get used to" the rangefinder way of working but IMO this is definitely a camera that works best with the 28-50 mm lenses.   Again IMO you will find the 90mm lens a frustratingly difficult lens to use well particularly the faster Summicron.  The combination of small frame lines in the viewfinder and focussing, as I have said before, makes things very difficult.  Add in a shallow depth of field (the only reason for paying the extra for the Summicron) and you have a real problem with critical focus.

[250swb]

I recommend you look for a 90mm Elmarit M (the last/latest type). Its one of Leica's best lenses and still a bargain secondhand. Lighter and smaller than the Summicron, and nicer image quality and build than the Summarit. If you have difficulty focusing a 90mm lens (some do some don't) get a viewfinder magnifier at a later stage.

Steve

[henrikfoto]

I recommend you look for a 90mm Elmarit M (the last/latest type). Its one of Leica's best lenses and still a bargain secondhand. Lighter and smaller than the Summicron, and nicer image quality and build than the Summarit. If you have difficulty focusing a 90mm lens (some do some don't) get a viewfinder magnifier at a later stage.

Steve

The Elmarit M seems like a good idea, but how is it possible to see if it's the last version?

Henrik

[250swb]

The Elmarit M seems like a good idea, but how is it possible to see if it's the last version?

Henrik

It will look like this

http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/90mm-f28.htm


Steve

[henrikfoto]

Thank you!

Henrik

[schrodingerscat]

Had the vII of the 90/2.0 for my M3&4, a big and heavy lens but wonderful optics. After getting the M9, picked up a 90/2.0 vIII(E55,pre asph), then started looking at the Elmarit-M(90/2. with the idea of going smaller and lighter. With the ability to bump the ISO on digitals, raw lens speed is not quite as important as with film, especially with a lens that's not used frequently.

Unfortunately, Leica's naming conventions are a bit confusing. The best on-line guide is: http://www.antiquecameras.net/leicamlenses.html.

One good thing about picking up good deals on used Leica stuff is you will probably recoup your investment when it's time to sell, if not make a bit of profit. I finally picked up a 90/2.8 vII, so the Cron will go. I had also considered the new Summarit(2.5), which had generated very favorable reviews. As I like the contrast of the legacy lenses, I went with the older Elmarit. I now have a four lens kit that can be comfortably carried in pockets or a fishing vest.

There are several lens/hood configurations that will partially block the viewfinder. And you-all do use hoods, right? After awhile you get used to it. As the rangefinder makes for easy two eyed operation, it's a simple matter to use the left eye to check what may be happening in the blocked portion.

The latest version of the 90 2.8 Elmarit-M is the type II(E46-filter size). Good review here: http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/06/22/the-leica-90-elmarit-m-f2-8-quick-lens-review/. Dont confuse it with the 90 Tele-Elamtit M, which seems to have a spotty reputation and should probably be avoided.

Any non-coded lense will work fine, and most can have six bit coding added later.

[henrikfoto]

Thank you!!!
That site was very clearifying

Henrik

[JohnBrew]

"Dont confuse it with the 90 Tele-Elamtit M, which seems to have a spotty reputation and should probably be avoided."

Yeah, those Elamtit's were a real problem. And the bra's didn't fit well either  .

Seriously, I had a 90 Cron on my film M's. I don't recall it intruding on the viewfinder, though it might have. It had wonderful bokeh, but limited use. It was very sharp.

[schrodingerscat]

Dang, booby-trapped again...poor Elmer.

Now to figure out how those emoticons got in there. Have had some strange keyboard behavior since updating to 10.6.7.

[sojournerphoto]

I have a Zeiss ZM 85 f2, which is 'equivalent' to the 90 summicron. I find it a great lens on the M9, though not as commonly used as 35 or 50. I don't find focus or intrusion an issue as it doesn't intrude on the frame lines. The M9s 90 frames are laughably toight for this focal length though. As someone else mentioned though, I do sometimes miss my old 90 f4 M-Rokkor as it was so small and light it was a real pleasure on M9 or film bodies, and it was optically excellent.

In terms of using longer focal lengths on an M9/film M I also have an old (1961?) 135mm f4 elmar, which also makes nice pictures with the M9 and which I find perfectly useable - with or without a 1.25x magnifier. It only cost £150, which suits me as I didn't expect to use it much. However, it has seen more 'action' than expected.

As Steve suggested, though, the new lenses are consistently sharper than the old, even though the old are usually pretty OK really.

Mike

[ndevlin]

Leica's lastest model 90mm lenses are all brilliant.  The Apo-Summicron is insanely sharp, insanely expensive, and big. The Summarit is a brilliant piece of glass in it's own right, though the hoods bother me. The discontinued Elmarit is lovely, though theoretically not as insanely sharp as the Apo, being only slightly crazy-sharp. 

Personally, I like the build and size of the Elmarit. It's really a toss-up between that and the Summarit, based on which you find for a better price.  The odds of you focussing the f2 lens accurately enough  to see a sharpness as compared to the other lenses is low.   Though, for the money, it might be the best lens Leica makes.

The 90 macro is reputed to be very good, too, though I see no reason for it, personally.

Have fun.

- N.

[AlfSollund]

The 90 macro is reputed to be very good, too, though I see no reason for it, personally.

Have fun.

- N.

No disagreements on your advices. Just some pro-90 macro arguments : Very compact and lightweight, good travel lens. Takes 39mm filter (I use pola, so a benefit to use same filter on all my Leica glass). Close focus, not really macro as-is. No finder blockage. Sharp from f/4. Great bokeh.

And yes, I have one. Would I recommend it? Depends, if you are ok with f/4 and trust the mechanics of collapsible; sure.

Best of luck.