[Leica] "Proper" portrait lens.

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

The "proper" 35 mm frame portrait lens is based on two assumptions. First,
that when shooting at a distance of a dozen feet or so, you want the head of
the subject to fill most of the frame; and second, that a lens in the 75 to
105 mm range has a perspective similar to that of the normal eye. Both
assumptions are not quite as valid today as they were 50 years ago. Films
(and digital sensors) are better and will stand greater enlargement. Hence a
small part of the image of a 50 mm lens can provide adequate resolution for
a normal sized print. Second, we have become used to the perspective
distortions of close up or long range photography. They are attention
getting.


When the Leica CL came out in the 1970's, Leica claimed that the 40 mm
Summicron-C and the 90 mm Elmar-C would suffice for 90% of the pictures that
the average photographer would take. This is one of Leica's few PR
statements that I've found to be reasonably true.  I traveled the world with
a very lightweight Leica CL kit and rarely felt the need for additional
lenses. I even sold a number of the pictures. Of course this was in the era
before the super wide angle fad. Now I might add a 28 mm lens and finder.
Otherwise I would concur with Ted that the best portrait lens is the one you
have on the camera when the opportunity presents itself. Actually, I never
bought the 90 mm Elmar since I already had a superb and razor sharp 100 mm
LTM Canon 3.5. Fitted with an adaptor flange it was lighter and matched the
RF frame lines better than the Leica lens.


Too bad that Leica (or Sony which now owns Minolta's camera business) never
saw fit to adapt the CL for digital. A full frame digital CL would blow away
the Olympus and Panasonic pretenders.

Larry Z

- - - - -

The argument over the "proper" focal length for portraits on the 24x36

format  has been going on in 35mm since the Zeiss Contax camera came out....


90mm ?  ( Leica RF)

85mm ? ( Contax RF)

105mm ? ( Nikon RF and later the Nikon F)

75mm ? (Leica RF)

80mm ? (Leica SLR)

100mm ? ( Leica SLR)


And I probably have forgotten a bunch more portrait lens focal lengths....

almost all of which are between 75 and 105mm


Use what you have, what makes you happy, or what you can afford.....


They all work.


Frank Filippone