90mm f2 Apo or 90mm F2.8

[grant_frost]

Apart from the stop and the price, is there much difference in the

quality of the end picture between these two lenses (assuming both

are used in similar conditions!)?

 

Thanks for ant help/advice.

[ben z]

Grant, I switched from a late 90 Elmarit E46 to a _non-APO_ 90 Summicron and while f/2 is a lower in contrast and a bit soft in the corners (but perfect for low-light portraits), from f/2.8 down there is really no difference between them. So given the 90 APO goes snap, crackle and pop at f/2 also, I'd have to extrapolate to say I'd get the 90 APO for f/2 and the Elmarit if I ansolutely never needed f/2. The weight and size difference between them is less than it looks from the pictures and spec sheets. Not like comparing to a Tele-Elmarit which was very small and light.

[michael_kastner]

Old question so two new answers (apart from the stop and the price). (a) The apo is too big and heavy. (b) It also needs a pipewrench in order to be focussed. That's why I got rid of mine and replaced it with the current 2.8/90. Am very happy. Basically no optical difference. At worst, the apo is TOO sharp for portaits. I think that my current 2.8/90 can only be superseeded by a thin Tele-elmarit.

[cameron_sawyer]

Yes, but building on what Grant Z said: why not consider the pre-APO E55 'cron? From 2.8 up, it is equal to the Elmarit, and you have the extra stop for emergencies and for lovely available light portraits with softish corners. The cost is about the same (or less). The pre-APO 'cron is fatter, but no longer than the Elmarit, so I don't think it is much more awkward to use. I love mine, and find that I use it quite a lot wide open (however challenging it is to focus at that aperture).

[grant_frost]

Thanks for the information. Though I am a little confused by you saying there is no optical difference, but the APO is too sharp! Does not mean there is a recognisable optical difference?

[melvin_bressler]

Grant:

 

I have the 90 mm AA, and it blows me away. Yes its sharp, but I have no trouble focussing or carrying it. Of course, hand holding at anything less that 1/125 for me is a risk, but that is generally true of all longer lenses. Besides I like to shoot at 2.0 or 2.8, and I love the slightly OOF backgrounds (Bokeh?) with that lens.

 

Happy snaps

[skip_williams]

I bought a 90/2 AA when they first appeared and had it for about 18 months before it was sold for a 90/2.8 M-Elmarit + cash. The 90/2 was just too heavy and the DOF at f/2 was so thin I found myself not using it enough to justify keeping it. The 90/2.8 is heavy enough itself and is plenty sharp at f/2.8. I didn't notice much, if any, difference between the two lenses at f/2.8, and any difference is gone at f/4 or below.

 

Skip

[michael_kastner]

Grant, what I meant by "no optical

difference" and "too sharp" goes like this... Of course there IS a recognisable optical

difference but it is -- again, for many of us -- pretty unnecessary. The current Elmarit is basically sharp enough all over for most jobs. The Apo is of course even sharper, not only in the center but also at all corners of a picture. Even wide open, even at that one extra stop. But for a shot of a face you could probably nail down every single whisker or pimple, and that's often too much. Price differences are usually important, but that was not the reason I switched.

[gary_brown2]

the 90APO IS SHARP !!!, if thats the most important issue, get it!

[andrew_rose]

I have the 90 Elmarit, at 2.8 it is unbelievably sharp. And if you don't need the extra stop,

it's small and light and just a wonderful lens.

[la]

I don't use it much but my Elmarit photos are always so sharp and contrasty. I wish my

other lenses were this good. If you can live without the larger aperture of the Apo go for

an Elmarit and save a few bucks.

[william_henry_hurry]

the only problem with the 90 summcron apo, that the filter size is 55mm for day light is not polaroid filter in this size in the M system. the elmarit size filter is 46mm. this allow use of the universal polaroid filter this good to consider. 46mm filter is very commun in the M system

[wayne_murphy8]

The Apo Summicron R 90 is super sharp and mine focusses freely and

perfectly. It will happily take the apo extender without quality loss. You can

always tone down the super sharpness with a diffusion filter but you can't

increase it if the other lenses don't have it to begin with. I think it is a

benchmark lens - but at a price.