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Characteristics of the 90/2 ASPH and 75/1.4


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I am considering switching from a late production 90/2.8 lens to one of these two. I find that I am using my 90 much more than I initially thought I ever would. Since I shoot slow speed film and available light I think I can take advantage of the extra stops offered with these lenses.

 

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If you have any experience or opinion about these lenses, that would help with my decision, please let me know.

 

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Thanks and Happy Fourth of July to all you fellow Yanks!

 

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Scott

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IMO, the only lens worth switching the current 90/2.8 for would be

the 90/2 APO. The performance of the non-APO 90/2 at f2 and 2.8 is

of noticeably less contrast and edge sharpness than the 90/2.8.

Ditto for the 75 Summilux until f/4. I had both of these lenses and

sold them. The 75 is also extremely heavy and bulky, slow and stiff

to focus, blocks a lot of the finder frame, and has so little DOF

wide open that it was practically useless to me on the rangefinder

camera. I wouldn't think of switching from my 90/2.8 until I'd maxed

out on Portra 800 and still felt lacking for another stop. I carry a

small table tripod and Portra 800 and have gotten great images at

quite slow speeds with the Elmarit. For handholding I use the 35/1.4

ASPH which actually has enough DOF wide open to be useful.

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I agree with Jay on holding onto the 90 2.8 Elmarit-M if you can make

it work with a higher speed film that you like. The 800 ISO Fuji

Superia (with the 4th color layer) is really good stuff and lets me

handhold at 1/60 sec in some dimmer settings. As a side benefit of

the Elmarit-M, even though I shoot with the 0.85 finder I feel much

more comfortable having the more generous depth of field which 2.8

gives me over a faster aperture at this focal length. I have a 85mm

1.8 Nikkor and wide open dof can be very shallow.

 

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Doug from Tumwater

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I recommend you hold on to the elmarit. I own the elmarit, the 75 lux

and the 90 apo and all are excellent lenses. For portrait work, I

find the apo much too contrasty and sharp. If you want a lens for low

light work, the extra stop of the lux is probably the answer.

Consider that even wide open, the lux will give you an excellent

8X10.Wide open, portraits with the lux have a rich tonality and the

backgrounds totally disappear.

The apo beats the lux at F2, after that and using a 40x Zeiss

microspcope, I can not discern any resolution advantage to either

lens. On the other hand, the elmarit has some of the most impressive

out of focus rendition, the apo's bokeh is not as well behaved. The

lux, has a creaminess and roundness which I also like. In short, for

portraits the elmarit, for landscape with slow high res. films the

apo, for low light work and portraits with no DOF the lux.

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I have the 90 AA and the 75. I find I don't use the 75 nearly as

much as I thought I would. It's big, heavy, balances poorly on the

body, the focus ring is stuff and I find the frame lines very hard to

work with.

 

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The 90AA is a killer lens in all respects save one. The 75 used

around f/2.8 has the most gorgeous tonality I've ever seen in a Leica

lens. That alone keeps it in my bag. But for all-out resolution,

contrast, colour saturation etc. the 90 is virtually unbeatable. I

have some shots done hand-held, wide open in a club under stage

lighting on Provia 400F that are breathtakingly good.

 

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While I agree that you can go a long way by maxing out film speed and

sticking with the Elmarit, my guess is that after one roll though the

90AA you'd be hooked.

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Ditto most of the above. I use the 90AA wide open a lot for low light

work, and the hand-held results with Portra 400 are stunning. And

unless you find yourself wanting the extra stop frequently, I would

do as Jay suggests, and achieve it on those occasions you do want it

by going up to Portra 800. Your current 90 is a great performer, and

is lighter and smaller than the 90AA. But, if you want f2 a lot of

the time, you will love the 90AA!

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