RE: [Leica] 90 mm APO-ASPH M

[Jim Laurel <jplaurel@microsoft.com>]

This product is already on the market.  I've had one now for a few weeks.
Mine is stamped "Made in Germany", though.  Although it's a wonderful lens,
producing results even better than my Elmarit (but not by much!), I don't
like the design of the part that touches the rangefinder cam on the body.

On my other lenses, the lens has a sloped internal barrel on which the cam
slides.  So, focusing is very smooth and precise.  The Elmarit 90 is like
this.  The new APO 90, however, has a metal piece that simply "pushes" the
cam as you focus the lens.  It justy doesn't feel as precise to me.  There
seems to be more play as you make tiny corrections in focus, particularly
from infinity down.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with all the part names.  Please let me know if I
need to clarify.

- -----Original Message-----
From: Francois Asquin [mailto:francois.asquin@wanadoo.fr]
Sent: Friday, May 07, 1999 11:51 AM
To: Leica user group
Subject: [Leica] 90 mm APO-ASPH M


DonjR43198@aol.com wrote:
snip
> Has any of the LUG actually purchased and have on hand a 90 mm
APO-ASPH M
> series lens?  If so, please advise where such a lens may be purchased.

When I was at the last Photokina, I was able to touch a prototype of
this lens. But I was not allowed to take any picture, the lens was
"absolutly not definitive".

Yesterday I was at Leica France where the guy responsible of public
relations ( very competent ) show me the definitive version of the 90 mm
APO-ASPH M. It seems to be a very nice piece of glass. According to him,
Leica is now only waiting to have enough lenses in stock to launch it on
market. Normally in some weeks.

The version I saw yesterday was stamped "Manufactured in Canada".