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.

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

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

Scott

-- Scott Grane (pfd261@hotmail.com), July 04, 2001

Answers

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.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), July 04, 2001.

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.

Doug from Tumwater

-- Doug Baker (dbaker9128@aol.com), July 05, 2001.

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.

-- pedro lastra (plastra@bellsouth.net), July 05, 2001.

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.

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.

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.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul_chefurka@pmc-sierra.com), July 05, 2001.

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!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), July 06, 2001.