Re: [Leica] 90 Summicron-M Comparisons

[Rick Dykstra <rdandcb@cybermac.com.au>]

Bud Cook wrote:
> 
> I've been through the archives but didn't see anything that compares the new
> APO Summicron-M with the previous 55mm version of the 90 Summicron-M.  Has
> anyone had experience with both of them?  If so, what are your impressions?
> 
> TIA,
> Bud

Hi Bud.

I'm in the process of doing that right now.  For the last three(?)
weekends I've been using the APO 90 for my soccer player portraits, with
an M6 HM TTL.  I'd been using the 90/2 for a few years before the switch.

Most of the shots are taken at f4, but can stray down to 2.8 or up to
5.6 and a half.  With the old lens ('96 ish vintage) I found myself
wanting for a little more sharpness, but I usually just didn't have the
light (using Reala, 100 speed) to move up to 5.6.  The new lens is
noticeably sharper at f4 than the old one, IMO.  Same at f2.8, but at
wide apertures and close focussing distances, depth is so narrow that
it's easy to miss the focus.  I haven't tried f2 yet - just too risky. 
I try for 'One kid, One shot', usually. (Although last weekend I had a
young fella who was the 'mother of all blinkers'.  No joking, it took 5
shots before I got him without a blink. If I'd been using an SLR I
wouldn't have known).  

What I'm getting at is that an out of focus shot with the new lens is no
better than an out of focus shot with the old. It might even be worse,
as it's more noticeably out of focus.

Bokeh with the old lens is very nice indeed; Bokeh with the new one is
similar, but a little sharper, if that makes sense.  To be expected I
suppose, but this is very subjective.

To stay with your question, I'm happy with the across the aperture range
improvement available with the new lens.  I'm not yet exploiting its
full potential, but I can see that it has it - a clear step up from the
old lens.  As for comparisons with the R 100 APO macro, well, I find
that lens easier to focus than the M 90 APO. I get consistently good
results with the 100 on R6.2 or 8.  But the M6 and 90 APO combo is a
better setup for taking volume portraits of children.  Doesn't scare
'em. And then there's the blinks.

Bottom line.  I'm not going to keep both 90s.  Which one do you think is
for sale?

Regards

Rick Dykstra