portrait lenses

[mark_schumann2]

Does anyone can tell me about his experiences or give me advice on whether to buy a 1:1,4/75 mm or

a 1:2/90 mm lens as an outstanding portrait lens ?

[ronald_moravec1]

You can work with either. I prefer the 90 because of the extra distance provided. The 90 is a touch soft under 6 feet as is the APO 90.

 

For the absolute maximun sharpness, the new 90 4.0 macro is best or the new 75 Summicron. The 90 2.8 Elmarit (not Tele-Elmarit) from 1960 is also good close up to infinity. An original coated 90 4.0 with the proper shade will provide sharp portraits from 5.6 to 16. This is the cheapest option and perfectly satisfactory.

 

One really needs to know what characteristics you desire in the lens. No single lens provides it all.

 

I do not believe absolute is required for my subjects. When conditions warrant, I use a 120mm Imagon on an R camera. Or I attach a 55 Zeiss Softar to either the 90 R or 90 M.

[andrewlamb]

Unless you're doing quite tight headshots, I would suggest the 75mm.

 

If you're using a rangefinder, it kind of makes sense to stick to shorter focal lengths. Using a

90mm on an M is not particularly quick, compared to an SLR, although I have no doubt there

are many who will swear that it is.

[charles_hess2]

I have the 75/2 Summicron, find it to be a superb lens for portraiture. For me, the 90 frame lines in the viewfinder are too small, and though it took some time getting used to the 50-75 framelines so close together, it is no longer an issue. The 1.4 'Lux is a great lens but quite a bit larger than the Summicron, part of the lens showing in the viewfinder, which may or may not be unsettling for you if doing portraits. I'd go with the APO 75/2 Aspherical lens.

[al_kaplan1]

Fantastic sharpness isn't always an advantage when shooting portraits. The original model 90/2 Summicron is a bit soft wide open compared to the more recent designs. Some people like that.

 

Don't forget the various 85mm lenses in LTM made by Nikon and Canon. My favorite is the f/2 Nikkor. I use it with the 90mm M adapter with the 90 frame line in the finder.

[mattalofs]

The 90mm Hexanon F 2.8 is a nice lens for portraits, but most of the 90's out there are pretty good; it seems to be an easy focal length to get right. <br><br>

 

I think the value of the faster lenses is dubious for portrait work. Unless you are shooting dead straight on, either one will throw a large part of the face entirely out of focus due to the shallow DOF. You can certainly use that to effect, but if that doesn't interest you, a slower lens will work just as well. Even the 90 at F 2.8 requires careful focusing.<br><br>

 

<center>

<img src="http://www.1point4photography.com/images/03150007.jpg"><br>hexar rf, 90 hexanon wide open, delta 400 | <a href="http://www.1point4photography.com/">Matt Alofs www.1pt4.com</a>

</center>

[andrew1]

90 is a great length on an M camera, especially on the M3, with it's huge 90

frameline- it's a pleasure. This shot was done with an older Elmarit 90, from about

6-7 feet away.<div></div>

[skeeter]

i have used the 75 'lux, 75 'cron, and 90 'lux. i would go with the 75 'cron for many of the reasons listed above. you really don't need the extra stop for portraiture, and the 'cron is significantly smaller and easier to handle.

[ronald_moravec1]

Want to sell your 90 `lux?

[jtdnyc]

Why settle for a 90 Lux? Wasn't there a 90 Noct made for aerial reconnaissance applications? ;-)

[kevin m.]

The fast portrait lenses are too bulky and slow to focus on the M body. The 90/2.8 lenses

are light and quick handling if you can live with f2.8. I'm sure the 75 Summicron is nice, too,

if you have the money. But who says you need a long lens for portraits, anyway?

<p>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5194434-lg.jpg"></center>

<center><i>Voigtlander 21, Hexar RF, Fuji NPH</i></center>

[david11]

I disagree with Kevin that the fast portrait lenses are too bulky to focus on an M body. I use the 75 Summilux, 90 Elmarit Version 1, and 90 Summicron Apo ASPH. All are great lenses, just different. Great shot with the CV 21, Kevin.<div></div>

[david11]

Another<div></div>

[kevin m.]

Thanks, David. I should have added "IMO," of course. I could never get used to the long, stiff

focus throw on my 90 Summicron, but I realize that others, as your pics demonstrate, get

good results with it.

[al_kaplan1]

It's often easier to fine tune your focus by moving yourself a bit closer or further away from the subject.

[02Pete]

A short telephoto portrait lens on a Leica M body is a really good combination for taking pictures of people with. Both the 75mm f/1.4 and the 90mm f/2 lenses have excellent reputations for optical quality. Both are supposedly relatively large and heavy as Leica lenses go. The 75mm f/1.4 apparently has very shallow depth of field at maximum aperture. I haven't used either lens, so cannot compare them from direct experience. I have, however, used Canon 85mm f/1.9 LTM, Nikkor 85mm f/2 LTM, and Leica 75mm f/2 lenses on a Leica M2. (The 90mm frame lines are close enough for use with the 85mm lenses; I use a Voightlander accessory 75mm viewfinder with the 75mm lens.) They all work well and take good portraits. The Leica 75mm f/2 is the best of the three: outstanding optical quality, sufficient speed for shooting in available light, rapid focusing, compact physical size, a nice built-in retractable lens hood, excellent balance on an M body, heavy enough for stability yet light enough not to be a burden, excellent handling qualities. It's very expensive, though. If cost is a consideration, the old Nikkor 85mm f/2 LTN would be a good choice: excellent optical quality, especially in the center of the image area, durable construction, reasonable handling characteristics, and much more affordable. If it was good enough for David Douglas Duncan, it ought to be good enough for you. The Canon 85mm f/1.9 is also a good lens, but perhaps a bit softer in image quality than the Nikkor. Whichever lens you end up choosing, though, I reiterate that a short telephoto portrait lens on a Leica M body is a really good combination for taking pictures of people with. It's quiet, unobtrusive, compact, focuses accurately in available light, and lets you blend into a group of people without disrupting things too much. It also lets you get close enough to your subject to compose with an eye for what is essential in trying to convey an individual's personality, and offers sufficiently shallow depth of field at larger apertures to allow use of selective focus as a way of directing attention to your subject. If you have narrowed your personal choices down to the 75mm f/1.4 or the 90mm f/2, I would suggest considering four factors in your choice: whether you consider selective focus to be such an important capability that you are willing to deal with the challenges of having an exceptionally shallow depth of field to work with; whether you shoot in dim available light so frequently that the one f-stop difference in maximum aperture between f/1.4 and f/2 would offer a useful advantage; whether you are willing to accept larger size and heavier weight as tradeoffs in return for larger maximum aperture and greater control over selective focus; and whether the rather specialized advantages of the 75mm f/1.4 appear sufficiently important to justify paying a higher purchase price for the lens. Such choices are necessarily very personal in nature, so that what is right for one person may not be best for another. Good luck making your choice.