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Leica Summicron-R 2/90mm - one year after... (on 5D FF)
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:49 pm    Post subject: Leica Summicron-R 2/90mm - one year after... (on 5D FF) Reply with quote
After about one year of usage, I think, I can write short review of this lens.

Some history
This lens was designed by Dr. Walter Mandler at Leitz Canada and released in 1970. It stayed in Leica catalog for 28 years until APO Summicron-R 2/90 was released in 1998. It was developed in era of lower resolution/high contrast lenses. And 40 years later, I must appreciate how well balanced lens Dr. Mandlers team created. After acquisition of this lens, first I was disappointed by lower sharpness at wider apertures, but the more I use it, the more I like it.



Personal experiences
If I should summarize this lens to one word, it would be reliability. Not only because it is build like a Russian tank, but because it's consistent and predictable performance. No matter which aperture you use and lighting conditions, it delivers rich and saturated colors with high contrast and low CA. Even wide-open, where most fast lenses show significant drop in contrast and veil caused by internal flare, this lens retains it's high macro-contrast.
But you should keep in mind some shortcomings too. This lens is definitely not a pixel-peepers wet dream. At f2 smallest details are rendered with fuzziness which improves only slightly at f2.8. At f4 the definition of smallest details improves significantly and at f5.6 it reaches it's best. According Erwin Puts it is optimized more for closer performance but at f8 it is more than usable for landscape shots too.
Unfortunately it suffers from some focus shift - look at the pillow test images bellow.
Shooting against sun causes some unwanted reflections, but internal contrast stays high.



This lens is heavy and most of the weight is located in nose, but on big 5D body balances very well. Nex and other mirrorless cameras users will be probably less happy with this.

All photos was made on 5D mkII hand held (except pillow test images, which was shot on tripod).

Test images @f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6 (full resolution)


Some 100% crops at different apertures

@f2


@f2.8


@f4


@f5.6




@f8


And some example photos

@f2










@f2.8






















@f4-f5.6




















@f8


Thanks for viewing Cool (BTW. it's my 600 post, let's celebrate! )


PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats on your 600th post!...I hope you post many more Cool Having not owned a 5DMII or the lens above these look beautiful and sharp.I like the subject matter as well especially the iron work/swords etc.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hey ! This is something ! Many thanks for review! Congrats!


PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Stunning images!!! Thx Smile Smile


PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Amazing lens! But hey, it's a Leica! Wink


PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nice reviews & great samples!
only 600 posts, seems you spent more time photographing than browsing the net !


PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
wow, that's great ! so many good shots, ... love the B&W portrait most !

Cheers
Tobias


PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks guys, I have many sharper portrait lenses, but there is something about skin tones and color rendering of this 'cron for me.

poilu wrote:
only 600 posts, seems you spent more time photographing than browsing the net !

Well, I still think, that I should spend more time outdoor than on eBay Wink


PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
some gorgeous shots in there!

the 'cron 90 is a fantastic lens even though most ppl prefer the elmarit 90/2.8


PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Superb pics BRunner !!!!

I was about to get the very last version of the lens (just before the APO ) but opted from the Elmarit 2.8/90.

What is the serial number of your lens? ....just the first 4 numbers would be all right !!!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
What a wonderful set of images!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
great lens and images. do you have an R film cam as well?


PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nice shots!


Ill have to locate me one of these lenses 90/2 Smile yes please!


PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks again, I prefer to present my lenses after I became more familiar with them and after I use them in different situations.

Keysersoze27 wrote:
...I was about to get the very last version of the lens (just before the APO ) but opted from the Elmarit 2.8/90.
What is the serial number of your lens? ....just the first 4 numbers would be all right !!!

I own early copy of first version Elmarit-R 2.8/90, it's great lens too. Some samples here. The CA is probably even lower and overall is slightly sharper. Color rendering is probably slightly more neutral and is more prone to loss of contrast in back lighting situations. Summicron has bolder colors. ...and I'm still lurking for reasonably priced Elmarit v2 Rolling Eyes
My copy of 'cron was made probably in 1978 (sn: 28807xx).

rbelyell wrote:
...do you have an R film cam as well?

Unfortunately not, but recently I've got Canon EOS 600 film body and I plan to try my Leicas on it.


PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great review and some beautifull images made with the cron! I have also the cron (probably last version before AA version, SN 360XXXX), I like this lens for the nice tone rendering of the skin, and for portrait sharp enough @ wide open ...

Your great review will probably higher the reputation of the cron 90mm Very Happy ......


PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
BRunner wrote:
The CA is probably even lower and overall is slightly sharper. Color rendering is probably slightly more neutral and is more prone to loss of contrast in back lighting situations. Summicron has bolder colors. ...and I'm still lurking for reasonably priced Elmarit v2 Rolling Eyes
My copy of 'cron was made probably in 1978 (sn: 28807xx).



The v2 Elmarit that I own is sharper than the v1 but v1's bokeh is smoother .
The reason i'm asking you s/n is because there is a possibility(source:l-camera-forum.com) that the cron 90 R got a redesign in the very last E55 batch just before the APO one as I have stated in the "MFL Club" some time ago Wink


PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
some samples made with mine (last version E55), hope you don't mind Brunner!
wide open:




at minimal distance:


may be f2.8, I don't know for sure!:


and @ f4:


PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Keysersoze27 wrote:
The reason i'm asking you s/n is because there is a possibility(source:l-camera-forum.com) that the cron 90 R got a redesign in the very last E55 batch just before the APO one as I have stated in the "MFL Club" some time ago Wink

Maybe we, Pascal and I, can setup quick f2 comparison of our copies. We just need same subject and comparably lit it. Of course, I have 5DII and Pascal D700. But I think, that if my copy will be slightly sharper after image resize to 12MPx, it means, that no significant changes were made.

pich900 wrote:
some samples made with mine (last version E55), hope you don't mind Brunner!

Of course not. I remember some of these photos from your previous posts. Especially nr. 2 ist just perfect!


PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
BRunner wrote:
and I'm still lurking for reasonably priced Elmarit v2 Rolling Eyes.


Well, keep an eye on the Marketplace section, in the next hours I am about to put for sale a gorgeous condition Elmarit-R 2.8/90 very last version E55 SN: 3344282 !
Today I am about to take it out for some sample photos.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
BRunner wrote:
Keysersoze27 wrote:
The reason i'm asking you s/n is because there is a possibility(source:l-camera-forum.com) that the cron 90 R got a redesign in the very last E55 batch just before the APO one as I have stated in the "MFL Club" some time ago Wink

Maybe we, Pascal and I, can setup quick f2 comparison of our copies. We just need same subject and comparably lit it. Of course, I have 5DII and Pascal D700. But I think, that if my copy will be slightly sharper after image resize to 12MPx, it means, that no significant changes were made.

pich900 wrote:
some samples made with mine (last version E55), hope you don't mind Brunner!

Of course not. I remember some of these photos from your previous posts. Especially nr. 2 ist just perfect!


It would be nice to see a direct comparison of the latest Cron and to older , yours and Pascal's.
From what I have read in leica forums the main difference "might" be "v2's" better wide open performance .

It is funny to see how many missing informations are still existing in the old Leica R line of lenses. I'm in a process of collecting information about coating differences of the Leica R line for many months now.
One of them is the 2.8/90 Elmarit R and the use by the very latest German model of IAD (Plasma Ion Assisted Deposition)coating ,since old method was by thermal evaporation.The other one is the 2/50 Wink

Coating technology was an enigma for Leitz since the Mandler era , coating technology were not taken very seriously as they gave a priority to optical design optimisations Wink


PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
BRunner wrote:
Maybe we, Pascal and I, can setup quick f2 comparison of our copies. We just need same subject and comparably lit it. Of course, I have 5DII and Pascal D700. But I think, that if my copy will be slightly sharper after image resize to 12MPx, it means, that no significant changes were made.

Well, why not but I don't see how we could do that! We should have not only the same subject but also the same light!!!! Anyway, I don't think there is so much difference between our two versions.....
BRunner wrote:
pich900 wrote:
some samples made with mine (last version E55), hope you don't mind Brunner!

Of course not. I remember some of these photos from your previous posts. Especially nr. 2 ist just perfect!

Thanks!


PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What is a good price for a Summicron 90mm these days? I can get one in a local store for about 630 USD...and I am quite temped to buy it Smile Is this a bargain?


PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excellent!!
Please put the best of these in the "Best of Lenses" gallery.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
this is absolutely stunning thread.

brunner and pascal - that's a superb pop

how much is the lens


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
this is absolutely stunning thread.

brunner and pascal - that's a superb quality pics

how much is the lens
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