I can't get on too well with my (optically great) 90mm lens for my M6. It just doesn't balance well for vertical shots which is the best way to shoot portraits. I'm looking at the new 75mm Color Heliar lens from Voigtlander. It is smaller and lighter than the 90mm and looks attractive as substitute. Any hands on experience out there? Before a group of folks send in the sugestion, I've already read Erwin Puts' article. It confusses me even more... there are several conflicting attributes. It is both possessing "...high contrast image with outstanding rendition of fine detail..." Yet "...corners are very soft with low contrast..." Both of these statments are for the wide open performance of the lens. I know I can't expect Summilux performance for less than 500 dollars, but is this lens usable? I also thought about trying to find the last vintage Tele-elmarit which may be physically small enough... but I've read many LUG comments about etching or fogging due to animal oils used in the lubricant. Any truth to this??? Any experience with the TELE- Elmarit? Thank for any help. Al

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 10, 2000

Answers

Is your 90mm the Summicron or the Elmarit-M?

Big difference in handling IMHO. The Elmarit-M/2.8 (current generation) is an overlooked beauty.

The older Tele-Elmarit, and especially the collapsing f/4 Tele Elmarits are perhaps smaller, though not as high performance.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 12, 2000.

Al

I assume Erwin Puts means that the performance is good in the center, but not at the corners - perhaps not unexpected as he talks about it at full aperture. No experience of the lens though.

I have no experience of the Tele-Elmarit, but it has always had a very good reputation, performance wise, although the latest Elmarit is marginally better. Certainly the TE is wonderfully small and might well go better with the camera. I wanted one to go with my CL, but was given such a deal for a current Elmarit that I could not afford to miss it. Also, I found that many on the secondhand market seemed to very well used indeed (scratched elements, battered and generally in poor shape), although this may just be New York. When they are in good condition they seem to go for almost the price of the current version.

The good thing about the Voigtlanders is that they are not so much of an outlay if you decide that they are not quite to your taste.

-- Robin Smith (rsmith@springer-ny.com), June 12, 2000.

My current 90mm is the latest Elmarit. I believe that it is a great lens... almost too sharp for portraits. It just causes me too many problems when I shoot vertical. With the eye piece down, the supporting hand obstructs the finder. When I flip the camera over 180 degress, eye piece up, the rangefinder window is covered. Unlike the 35 and 50mm "crons, the weight is far enough away from the camera body to affect balance, and thus sharpness. That is why I believe a smaller lens would handle better, and any reduced optical potential would be made up for in the handling.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 12, 2000.

Al,

I tend to agree with you. I have not handled the new 75mm Heliar, but I use the same 90mm Elmarit-M. I find its handling and balance a bit unwieldy, particularly when compared to the 50 or 35 Summicrons. For me, the problem arises when focussing; I keep feeling for and miss the focus tab found on the other two lenses.

I tried a Tele-Elmarit and found it handled and balanced much better. But I hesitate to give up the quality of the Elmarit-M.

Sergio.

-- Sergio Ortega (s.ortega@worldnet.att.net), June 12, 2000.

I have more trouble to focus my 90 'cron. I almost always to focus horizontally and then to turn the camera vertically and use my body to adjust the distance if I have to. Do not give up your 90 Elmarit.

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 13, 2000.

Some digression:

I found the head shot in 35 mm portrait mode is a little too tight (narrow)to my taste. I often like 35 portraits in landscale mode. The movies (cinema photo)are always in landscape mode and sometimes produce very nice head shots.

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 13, 2000.

The tele elmarit is prone to wierd problems in the inner elements. Both mine and a friends both went bad on us. I love the current 90mm f2.8 lens, but I just wish the focusing wasn't quite as tight. I tried the 90mm Rokkor from the CLE, which is tiny and smooth, but it didn't have the quality that the Elmarit has,(or the 40mm Rokkor for that matter). For now, Im just living with the stiff focusing because the images the Elmarit is capable of are outstanding.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), June 30, 2000.

Just a follow up question on this.

How does one use a LTM lens on an M series body?

Do you have to scale focus, or does the focusing cam get engaged in some fashion?

The 75 does look like a nice size/length for some casual portraiture. I've used the 75 Summilux and loved it for the length and framing, but hated its size and heft.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), October 10, 2000.

Mani,

If you mean original screw mount Leica lenses (Leica Thread Mount)I use a few ones(21,28,35,50, and 90mm -a little bit) on M3, M4P, IIIFRD, Canon 7S. LTM-lens cams are working fine as well as M-lens cams. If you mean non-leica screw mount lenses made for RF-cameras (Leica-type\copy), for example Canon 7S, I don't see any problem, so as such kind of lenses are produced with cams and are working on M- cameras exactly as M-lenses. I have own and use cheaper and very light non-Leica LTM-lenses: 20/5.6 Russar, 35mm F1.8 Canon lens, 35/2.8 Zeiss Biogon, 50/2.0 and 85/2.0 Zeiss Sonnars on Canon 7S, M4P, IIIF RD. Concerning a cam there is no any mechanical difference between M-lenses and LTM-lenses with M-adaptors. I haven't ever seen any LTM-lens whithout a cam, exept a cheaper 20/5.6 Russar with the exeptional DOF.

Regards,

-- Victor Randin (www.ved@enran.com.ua), October 10, 2000.

There are lens adapters that allow you to mount the screw mount lenses to the M Leica.... basically a simple ring with an M mount and a opening with the screw threads for the lens. The thickness of the ring is equal to the variation between the LTM and M cameras, so infinity focus is no problem. The focusing cam on the lens works with the camera, so you retain normal focusing operation.

Additionally, the proper ring brings up the correct frame line in the camera, so you would need the correct one. They are long out of production by Leica, but are now being manufactured again by 3rd party companies. At Tamarkin in the US, they are just under 60 Dollars. You can see a good picture on Gandy's site in the Leica section.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), October 10, 2000.

Gandy sells a set of three screw mount to M adapters for $100, much cheaper than Tamarkin if you are going to use more than one. I bought one from B&H for around $40. Much as I like Tamarkin, it's hard to imagine paying extra for a piece of metal.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), October 11, 2000.

I just got this lens in the black version. I have yet to use it extensively in the field, but the first thing that stands out, (contrary to various comments in the net stating that its dimensions are similar to the Elmarit M), is that it is a very small lens. If you remove the screw on lens hood with its nicely fitting cap, the front element diameter and length/diameter of body are extremely close to the 50 Summicron.

The focusing ring though is much stiffer-a little less than the Elmarit but basically in the same league. The grip is better though.

More comments upon use...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), April 06, 2001.