New Leica Thambar-M 90 f/2.2

Today Leica announced a new release of the Thamber lens, specially designed to produce an artistic soft-focus that, they claim, cannot be achieved with post-processing software. A search will produce images made with the Lens - at least in its old issue: presumably the new one is optically identical.

 

I personally do not like the soft-focus look - I guess I am now addicted to the crisp sharpness of my existing Leica lenses.

You could always save $6400 by putting some Vaseline on a $100 Elmar 90.

There are cheaper ways to ruin an image.

You could always save $6400 by putting some Vaseline on a $100 Elmar 90.

 

If memory serves, Tallulah Bankhead was quite partial to a layer of Vaseline when making her portraits.

What's interesting is that there is a filter with an opaque centre spot that comes with the Thambar. That kind of thing can be made at home using just a UV or clear filter and a circular sticker.

 

I think Leica has one advantage over other manufacturers: they can make some things cheaper, but they are able to price selected products above what they should be, simply to preserve exclusivity.

 

Here's an in-depth look at the Thambar (scroll down about 2/3 of the page):

 

Thorsten von Overgaard - Leica 90mm Lenses - The Summarit, Thambar, Summicron, Tele-Elmarit and other Leitz 90mm lenses

I think re-releasing the Thambar is an ultra smart move by Leica AG. Their worst enemy has always been all that heritage stuff floating around. On the current retro wave after the recently re-released slow 28mm the Thambar is ideal.

I am in no rush to work my behind off to get my hands on one, but I can imagine vanity driving a few gals to skip purchasing another dozen pairs of surplus designer stilts, to get their shutterbug such a lens and yes, images I've seen on the web weren't that unpleasant at all.

Good luck to Leica if they can make a profit on this. If anyone can, they probably can. Madness to my eyes, and I agree why not use an old uncoated Elmar or Hektor, or a more modern lens with a Zeiss Softar. Makes the recent spate of new brass "antique" lenses with Waterhouse stops look cheap.

As I recall, the original Thambar was designed as a high speed soft focus lens. The f2.2 gave the photographer the ability to manipulate the DOF when making the image. By using the spot over the central part of the lens, light rays that softened the image were cut off and the image was quite sharp at higher f numbers. I'd like to see a set of portraits to observe the effect, if it really works.