Re: [Leica] 90 M lenses

[inyoung@jps.net]

Hello,

 I wonder if there has been discussion on the 90/4 Elmar 3 Element version.
 What is special about it?  What is the advantage of making it with 3
elements?  Is it the same as the Parallel Elmar, just another name?

Best Wishes,
David

At 12:43 PM 1/05/99 -0800, you wrote:
>
>
>I've been catching up on some Lug reading and found the comments on the
various
>90s quite interesting.
>
>I've owned and used both versions of the 90/2, the original Elmarit, 3
different
>versions of the 90 Elmar and 3 versions of the 90 Tele-Elmarit.  Perhaps
I'm not
>looking closely enough, but I don't see much difference. They all perform
>extremely well at middle apertures and reasonable shutter speeds in the
proper
>light. At wide apertures I don't recall that one stood out above the others.
>
>The only practical differences I see relate to maximum aperture and size. The
>original 90/2 was a brute. I like the thin little Tele-Elmarit.  It's no
bigger
>than a 90 Elmar. That's why I kept it and sold my newer version and my
older fat
>90 TE.  I  have a recent 90/2 but I don't use it much.
>
>The greatest feature of the M system, IMO, is that it is nimble. I very
rarely
>put an M camera on a tripod. The one exception is the original 90
Summicron. It
>had a built in collar and i used it on a tripod on several occasions, which
>resulted in the sharpest frames I ever made with a 90 M.
>
>I feel that slower shutter speeds  and focusing mistakes  -- the effects of
>which are compounded in proportion to focal length -- can quickly drown
out any
>edge in optical quality. I can hand hold a 21 at 1/15, but not so a 90.
Further,
>a subject need only shift slightly to move the plane of focus from the
eyes to
>the ears in a wide open 90/2 and 2 meters. The focusing issue is probably the
>main reason I don't like to use longer lenses on an R, and why I'd be
reluctant
>to spend close to $2K on one fo the new 90s. While I'm sure they are
superb, I'd
>rather spend the money on an R tele.
>
>I'm wondering how others feel about this?
>
>Dave
>
>
>
>
>
>I think the best features of the Leica M is it's .
>
>
>
>