Versions of 90mm Summicron-R f2 ASPH?

[bob_prichard]

I am looking to buy this lens for use on my Canon 5D. The current new lens has an exceptional MTF graph, but used versions are much

less expensive.

 

Does anyone know if this lens has changed optically over the past 28 years?

 

I have found one for sale in good shape made in 1980. Would it be different optically from the current model?

 

Thanks.

[acetylcholine]

I use 3-CAM version (Canadian made) with my 10D. Excellent in every aspect. Well, I do NOT like the cap though, the snap on cap is a joke. I think newest model is APO, super expensive. I am not sure how much better it is. Anyone who had both to compare? I got mine a little over $300. Love it, love it. I am using manual focus primes because of the cost/benefit.

Nikkor 105mm is good, but I have not used it since I got summicron 90mm. Try it.

[geoff_r1]

The APO-ASPH 90mm Summicron is a completely new design, introduced 2002. There was only one version of of the 90mm Summciron Summicron prior to the AA.

[ronald_moravec1]

The APO one is vastly superior ( if sharpness is the main criteria) to the original Summicron which is no slouch. Some say it is too sharp.

 

The RF Summicron with Visoflex adapter and a Leica m to R adapter will go on the Canon. Some copies have a preset diaphragm.

[wgpinc]

I just don't understand why people go out of their way to make life difficult. Canon has three lenses in approximately this focal length that are all exceptionally good. Two of them are relatively inexpensive; the 85mm 1.8 and the 100mm 2.0. The 85mm 1.2 is supposed to be outstanding. They all three will autofocus and automatically stop down when taking the picture. The only R lens that I have found to be useful on Canon digital is my 28mm 2.8 R lens. The rest are like a guy using a wheelbarrow with the wheel off the ground. Way too much effort for what you get. JMNHO of course.

[danielkennedy]

Gil, I agree somewhat. I have the Canon 85/1.8 but am now considering the 90mm Summicron-R, simply for the drawing style.

 

I have progressed past pixel peeping and now am trying to get lenses that produce nicely drawn images (colour, bokeh, CA control and tonal gradation), Leica simply wins here in the normal to short tele focal length. If you're not purely shooting portraits for work - in which case you should be using the canon 85/1.2L - then AF and auto-aperture aren't as important.

[terry_m1]

The latest 90mm R lens with APO and ASPH technology is one heck of a stunning image capturer! I've never seen any other manufacturer create a 90mm lens that could ever capture the detail the APO/ASPH R lens does. If you can find a used one, grab it!

[jamesdak]

Gil - I can give you my viewpoint on alternative lense. I switched to Canon after 20 years of Minolta. I found Canon's wide and standard options to be a bit lacking so I went looking for solutions. Since I mainly shoot nature, landscapes and routinely manually focused alternatives were a viable option. During this process I discovered the wonderful variances in image appearence that the various lenses could give me and now use these differences to better capture a scene the way I want to.

 

I have rented and compared side by side several offerings by Canon and just found them not to be comparible in terms of contrast rendering, color, edge to edge sharpness, etc. Plus a lot of these alternative lenses are actually cheaper than the Canon equivalent while offering a superior image quality and build.

 

So, I now use 6 different Leicas, six different Contax Zeiss, some Olympus Om's and a few Pentax's on my EOS bodies. I do have some Canon telephoto's that are great. In fact, IMHO this is where Canon shines. Yet, in the right situation my Leica 560/6.8 can give me as good as or even better appearing images. It really all comes down to our individual needs and preferences.

[po_ting_huang]

Many years ago when I just got my digital rebel (aka. 300D), I was quite happy with my new EF85/1.8. It's sharp, light wieght, and fast focus. One day when I saw the digital pictures of an old Leica 35mm Summicron, I was amazed by its color and contrast. Three month later, I sold the EF85/1.8 to fund my other Leica's. Now, I have 25 leica's and 4 canon's.

[dale_edward]

Bob,

 

I was wondering if you did get your 90 mm Summicron lens? Yes, the optical formula has changed as recently as 2002. The current 90 lens is the Summicron APO version. This lens will produce the highest resolution of all of the 90 mm R lenses of the past. The contrast signature of the 90 mm APO version is more in line with the 180 mm 2.8 APO and the 50 mm 1.4 Summilux ASPH R lenses. The current 90 mm APO R lens shares basically the same optical formula as the 90 mm APO Summicron M lens.

 

I use the 90 mm APO Summicron R lens and am quite pleased with the images that it produces. Bokeh with the 90 mm APO is quite pleasing to the eye. The 90 mm APO Summicron R lens is one of my favorites for portraiture.

 

Dale