Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Fri, 26 May 2000, AppleMac97@aol.com wrote: > > Hi Everybody! > > After 20 years of using SLRs (Pentax, Nikon and Canon) I finally succumbed to > the Leica mystique and bought recently a new M6 TTL (0.72, Chrome) and a new > Summicron-M 1:2/35 ASPH lens (Chrome). Needless to say, after using > auto-everything cameras all these years, it is a joy to use a fully > mechanical 35mm rangefinder camera. I shoot primarily slides and B&W film, > and the quality of the Leica lens is amazing! Comparing slides and negatives > shot with my quite sharp earlier Nikon and Canon autofocus fixed focal length > lenses to the ones shot with the Summicron, I can clearly see a higher degree > of image quality - contrast, sharpness, color and saturation. Just using the > M6 is a wonderful tactile experience! Winding the film and hearing the soft > sound of the shutter is almost a religious experience! > > I need your help in selecting a lens for portrait photography with the M6. I > am considering the 90mm/f2.0 APO ASPH and the 135mm/f3.4 APO lenses. I can > afford to buy only one of these lenses! I would like to know what veteran > users of these focal lengths think and recommend. From time to time, I also > plan to use the lens for landscape photography. > > Thanks in advance! > > Muhammad Chishty Muhammad, I'm using R lenses, both 90mm and 135mm, and I've used both focal lengths for portraits. The 90 is a Summicron-R, and I value its low-light capabilities. The 135 (Elmarit-R) is better for those occasions when I (or the subject) want a little more space than the 90 demands. With younger children the 90 is great but as they grow older (10+ years) they want more space. I've also used the 100 APO for portraits and with kids (having unblemished skin) it also works well. I suspect the 100 would show too much detail in adult women's skin to produce a flattering portrait. Since these are not the same design as the Apo lenses you're considering my comments on the character of these lenses would be meaningless to you. If I were limited to one lens it would be the 90 for its f/2.0 aperture. Doug Herr Sacramento http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt ___________________________________________________ The ALL NEW CS2000 from CompuServe Better! Faster! More Powerful! 250 FREE hours! Sign-on Now! http://www.compuserve.com/trycsrv/cs2000/webmail/