Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>conspicuously missing is the 90 APO apish which comes in M and R flavors and >I'd think be the king of the list. I only got to experiment with the 90s more recently. They were harder to borrow. I think this is because I don't know anyone who uses the Leica R system much (I borrowed the 80 2.5 years ago from a store who may still be trying to sell it) and most people I know who use Ms use SLRs for longer lenses, some favour the 90 Elmarit. Whatever the casue I didn't get to use a 90/2 until later. The 90/2s are in a different class; the physical size of the maximum aperture is 45mm, about 80% the size of the 80/1.4, 75% the size of an 85/1.4 and 64% the physical size of the 85/1.2. The depth of field is greater at equivalent distances and the lenses are easier to design. They also focus to 1m, no closer. They do not have a floating element, so their incredible infinity (which is 50 x the focal length for MTF tests) performance is not carried through to close up. At close distances, I'd rank these 90 asphs as less good than the very best lenses in the class that have a floating element, but better than the ones that do not. Floating elements correct more important abberrations in teles than aspheres do. As Dante Stella says "No aspherics. Sorry. You don't need them with telephotos." Need is relative; the very best lenses in this class have a floating element and an asphere. Further away, it all becomes much more even. Marty Gallery: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene -- Be Yourself @ mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com