Re: [Leica] 90 Elmarit-M vs. Tele-Elmarit-M, Agfa

[Vondauster@aol.com]

Hi All, 

In a message dated 98-09-18 16:05:44 EDT, Paul C. wrote:

<< I've owned a thin Tele-Elmarit-M for about 4 months.  I love its size and 
 the tonality it gives me, and most of the sharpness problems I've had with 
 it have been my own.  However, after reading all the enthusiastic comments 
 about the current 90 Elmarit-M, I've been wondering about buying one.
 
 My question is whether there would be a noticeable diffence in image 
 quality given the way I work.  I shoot exclusively hand-held on color neg 
 (Reala or RG200), generally at f/4 to f/11.
 
 Can anyone who has used both these lenses comment on the differences in 
 sharpness, contrast and image structure under these conditions? >>

Paul, I had the thin Tele 90 for about 6 months or so back in the '80s. It was
a very handy size, fast and easy to use. But it did not equal the Summicron 90
(very heavy old version) I replaced it with, and was in no way close to the
current 90 Elmarit-M at any f-stop. The last is the sharpest 90 I have ever
used at all f-stops, with the possible exception of my 90 Sonnar-G. (The
Sonnar is also an excellent lens.) The Elmarit-M also exhibits superior out of
focus rendition. Its only drawback is its relative weight, as far as I'm
concerned.

On a separate question, my photographers and I shot way too many rolls of Agfa
HDC-plus 100 at the local Scottish-Irish Festival last weekend. I was able to
review the prints yesterday, and must agree that the color, saturation, and
grain are all excellent. My lab in Denver says they generally use the least
correction when printing the HDC 100 films, less than Kodak or Fuji
equivalents, which seems to back up the "truer rendition" claims. I was also
impressed wuth how the highlights hold up with the Agfa film. Exposure
latitute seems about the same as K and F.

Finally, I am amazed at the ability of the R8 matrix meter to handle the
constantly changing lighting we experienced at the Festival. It is held at
Estes Park, about 7,200 feet (~2200 m?), where the air is thin, the sun
bright, and clouds and rain can - and did - develop in a matter of minutes.

Have a good weekend all,

Will von Dauster