I shot last year the most recent version of the Sumicron 2/90 on my Sony a7r2 and was blown away with the results. I see that the previous version is also great, will try and get my copy. Thank you very much for this great comparison Matt, I'm a fan of your videos, very educative and fun.
Well, that's very good news. I bought a 1960's Canadian Summicron f/2 90mm for my M5 a few weeks ago. I haven't tested it yet, but to me it makes so much sense on the M5 - a big lens on a big M camera. The 15 aperture blades don't hurt either. I'm really looking forward to going out shooting with this setup.
I have the 1950's Elmars. The fixed (1957), as you say, is light, as smooth as butter, very quick to focus and has good contrast (I use it with a hood). A joy to use when travelling. The retractable Elmar is essentially the same, so beautifully made, is shorter when retracted but I'm sure the metal is depleted uranium judging by its weight. It looks great. Thank you for the video, Matt.
Thank you for this review! It convinced me to pick up the Elmarit-R. I've been using the 80mm Summilux most regularly on the SL and now CL, as well as the tele-Elmarit f2.8 on the M10. The 80mm is terrific, but a bit heavy for a full day walk about. I was going back and forth between the Summicron-R and Elmarit, mainly because of the Bokeh issues and assumption that the Elmarit wouldn't be as sharp as modern lenses. The fact that it surpassed the 90mm Macro is amazing! That sealed it as a complement to the 80mm. I photograph mainly animals and people working with them, so there is a good balance and logic to owning and using the two.
I have the collapsible f4 LTM. I used it recently on my M240 for a portrait group shoot. I resolved any contrast and sharpness issues in Lightroom so as to compete with the modern camera’s and lenses used on the shoot. I was happy with some of the results. Thanks for your comparison video which demonstrates price and modern still have vintages to live up to.
Thanks for this Matt. 👌 Yes I too am surprised by the result of the new collapsible Macro 90mm. I have something to be especially happy with, having the Chrome Summicron 9cm. The lens head screws off for use on the early era Visoflex and macro bellows equipment. It is excellent. ... and I have the Summicron with me now, and a rare as hens teeth original Leitz 48mm yellow/green filter, and the M3 DS, loaded with FP4-Plus. Cheers, Kevin.
I always enjoy your reviews and perspective. The one thing you fail to comment much on is the character of the 3D pop the Macro Elmar has. I would’ve thought the macro Elmar would’ve faired better on sharpness. That being said it’s a testament to the quality of 3 of 4 of those lenses certainly. I owned the 90 Summicron on an SL. Pretty heavy and tight focusing. I had trade items so I went Macro Elmar. I hate f4 but love the lens.
I have the Tele-Elmarit M and I'm very happy with that one. Super sharp wide open, very nice for portraits. Sort of a happy medium between the older non-asph and the newer M lenses in rendering, I'd say. Very handy size and weight too.
On my M9 I use the Summicron 90 for portrait, concerts and homebased photography. And as the Summicron is quite heavy, I love the Tele-Elmarit 90 f2.8 for travel and tours. That's my perfect 90mm combination.
Nice test Matt! I was interested in a Macro Elmar 90mm f4 but somehow i couldn't justify the price for myself for a new f4 lens, i waited and saw a used APO-Summicron f2 lens in a local store and decided to go for that one, yes it's more heavier but the f2 and the price tag was better than the macro f4. Very happy with my 90mm so far.
Very nice Frank! I looked at the APO R for my R6 but the prices were quite high (not Macro high)(I don't buy the really expensive lenses now I finally came to my senses ha)
I have the Elmarit R and use it on digital - very sharp stopped down, strong 3D pop, flares wildly at the slightest provocation. Good with off camera flash if you’re careful. I’d get the Summicron for M though.
I had bet on the Summicron, of which I have 2, a 50 mm pre-aspherical and a 75 aspherical. I love the way they render. And although there maybe a cast, when using an M9 it’s just part of the ambiance.
The current version of the Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 is incredibly light and compact. It works well on my Leica CL, SL2, and M11. I just started using it on the SL2 to digitize old B&W 35 mm negatives (using the following adapters: Leica M Adapter L + Leica Macro Adapter-M, and a set of Novoflex Macro M extension tubes).
Great test ... a bit desapointed by the results of the Macro Elmar 90 M (I own). I did not go with the Summicron because of the size and the weigth... And it was a good decision because I always take it with me and I'm very happy with the photos I made with it. So for me winner is Macro Elmar : good performance and perfect size :-)
Thanks Jerome, I was thinking about this when I went for a cycle after posting the video. I would expect the Macro to win for edge sharpness and I've only ever been impressed with mine. On the CL it makes for a really nice compact setup. I rarely take the Cron overseas.
Interesting results. But in my experience I’ve done basically the same test with macro Elmar, Summacron E55 7 artisans 75 1.25 and voightlander 75 3.5 apo. My cron is so soft it’s a bit of a joke at f2 and is nowhere near the macro till f8. The 7 artisans is ok was less than 200 quid and performs well considering Th voightlander is actually very good but I never use it. The 90 macro is my pick. I think it’s fantastic.
Thanks for sharing Richard, yes I think for overall sharpness edge to edge the Macro will easily win but I was impressed at what my Cron could achive too.
Hi Matt, thanks for your videos, watched a lot. I have never shot a Leica lens, and now and then do some research. I am not sure if I am correct in what I just recently learned. Being a macro photographer, I always look into different lenses. I was tempted to buy a Macro Adapter and a 90mm collapsible. But doing some research, I found that it is sharp in the centre, and seems to be quite less sharp toward the edges. From your photos I have seen, you make beautiful, remarkable and stunning portraits (although I like different subjects, like average looking people, but that is another topic). Your skills in portrait photography are out of this world :) So I can imagine that the centre sharpness combined with this glow and less sharpness on the edges is ideal. As a macro, and occasional landscape, photographer, this is less desirable. As you have stated previously, that this 90mm f4 is one of the sharpest lenses, does it mean all Leica M lenses are more soft on the edges? Same for R lenses? And what about the lenses for the SL2? Is it a Leica characteristic?
Hi Rex, thanks for your kind words. Actually Leica lenses are normally better at the edges than other brands. We pay a premium for this. Check the new Voigtlander 90 APO video. Being the latest and greatest that might be the best for M. SL lenses are designed to be sharp corner to corner (like Hassy lenses) so that would be optically the best option but you pay for that. I've not noticed the Macro 90 being bad in the corners but i've probably not looked as much as you. M should beat R in the corners being RF vs SLR.
I have the 90/2.8-R which I use on a Sony A7rIV and I find that flare is often caused by internal reflections from adaptor rather than off the front of the lens. If I wasn’t switching to a 90mm-M lens then I’d paint the inside of the adaptor with an ultra-black matt paint. For travel, I’m currently using a Contax G 90mm rangefinder lens, which is ultra-lightweight (190g), but I’m trying to standardise on M-lenses so that I can reduce the weight of adapters I’m carrying.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom thx for the tip and the Elmar is vintage too and I love giving these old lenses a new lease of life. Although lightweight the issue is its size for travel. Would be ok in my landscape kit though and give its price its well worth testing. Will let u know how I get on.
Hi matt.Thanks for all your lenses test. Good job. Here, the 2nd version (E55) of 90/2.8 Elmarit-R is missing. My guess is that it may get the first place. ;)
To be honest, in overall image performance, I think the Macro-Elmar is still the winner. The other lenses might be a bit sharper, but this is only one performance indicator. If you compare the contrast and the chromatic aberrations, the Macro-Elmar is still the best choice in this round. But I think there is no bad Leica 90mm at all. I use the last version of the Elmarit M 90 f/2.8, which is also a great performer. This has a very similar case as the Summilux M 50 ASPH but longer.
I have the 90 cron since 1972, I also did not except it to beat the macro but I will never get rid on mine as it is so good for shooting people. It's only issue is size and weight which is silly for me to say as I just picked up a Chinese 75mm f1.25 to play with.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I am using a fp at the moment with all my older M lenses and a couple of the newer Chinese M and L lenses. I picked up the 28mm 1.4, 75mm f1.25 and a 21mm f 1.5 in L mt which is ok after f 2.8
Interesting video - comparing 4 lenses at a time is enough (since you lost me half way through your 1,000,000+ Fast-50's video........)! Regarding the 90's, comparing the Macro wide-open with the Summicron stopped-down is a bit unfair - it's well-known that most lenses perform best 2-3 stops below max and the Macro is no exception. It might have been more objective to compare lenses at their max (which ultimately is what we buy them for) and also at f8, which is a few stops down and still well before diffraction kicks in. Of course for portraiture you might never use f8, but some of us do.....! Keep up the good work, and I look forward to your review of more of the (way cheaper) after-market lenses, especially the Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 (which I found best of the under-$1,000 fast 50's). Cheers
Thanks PP, sorry for some of the more lens videos. It depends how many lenses I have in that FL. (That was only some of the 50s so I’ll have to do more at a later date). Yes I will do a cheap 50s video once I’ve got the planned ones done. I don’t have that Voigtlander but I will share others I have.
Also for these videos I’m testing mostly close to wide open as I rarely stop down and if I do most lenses are sharp by f8-11. Also premium lenses are designed to be great wide open, like the Summilux in the fast 50 video (you get what you pay for with that). Most cheap lenses are sharp by f8 but it takes the designers a lot more effort to get the lens very good at of close to wide open. Also the stopping down rule isn’t always true. The 35-70 f4 R is sharper at f4 then 35&50 Lux and 35&50 Cron at f4 for example (noted by the lens designer, Putts)(that will come in a later video)
I have five 90 mm M lenses - f/2 APO, f/4 Macro, f/2 (Canada), f/2.8, and f/2.8 tele-Elmarit. I think the used tele-Elmarit has the best value. The old f/2 is too big and heavy on M, but better on SL.
Thank you for this review, I would have thought that the 90mm Macro-Elmar-M was much better, now I do know that it not live up to my high expectations.
According Dennis Laney the Summicron-M loses contrast when focused under 2.5 meters, it has the best sharpness from 5.6 to 8.0 (strange for a 2.0 Lens !). I would go for either the 90mm Summicron-R or the 90mm Elmarit-R.
Nice review. I ended up getting the 90mm m mount as the ltm mount one wouldn't focus to infinity unfortunately. I figure the ltm lens might have had focus issues due to my thin silver m39-Leica M adapter over my m-fuji X close focusing adapter
Hi Judith, sorry to hear about your LTM 90. I may have been a bad copy but yes some close focus adapters give no infinity on all lenses like the one I show in many videos.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaComI picked my Summicron today and I can already tell these two lenses are apples and pears. The Tokina is brutally sharp and unforgiving at wide aperture , the Summicron has an amazing glamorous, vintage quality to it. Really quite special, and very hard to copy with a modern lens I suppose.
I have a 2006 90mm Elmarit-M f2.8 which has been good. I suppose it is similar to the R lens in this video but with nine blades. I too would have thought the Macro would have been the sharpest lens and if I had the money to buy any 90mm lens, it would have been that. Now I'm happier with my 90 but I still want a macro for my M10. This video has me rethinking that choice and I may go for an R macro instead as I'll most likely use my Visioflex 020 while shooting anyway.
As a 90cron owner, I'm pretty biased, I don't use it often, but when I do I am always shocked by how good the images out of it are even on my pretty ratty copy.
@@barrycohen311 thanks Allistair, I forgot to mention in the video but at one point the majority of my most liked photos on Flickr were all shot with the Cron.
I don't have that many Leica lenses (Summilux-R 50 E55, Vario-Elmar 35-70 f/4, Summicron-R 90 Pre Asph) but the Summicron-R 90 Pre Asph is the only Leica lens that impresses me. My copy has some well used glass with dust and cleaning scratches, but the sharpness and contrast are still stunning even in its poor state. The clarity and sharpness starting from f/4 is absolutely amazing. The summilux-R I am still evaluating, but performance at close distance at f/1.4 to f/2 is noticeably behind other much cheaper lenses I own. I need to test at infinity. For the price that lens sells for all I can say is Ouch.
I always found the summicron really underwhelming, it’s fine for the size I suppose but the two copies I’ve owned weren’t sharp at all, same with the 35 crons, I’ve had three and they all suck haha.. maybe I was just really unlucky
Hi TJ, oh no, that's not good. A few others said they had soft 90 Crons too but mine seems pretty good. See a video coming tomorrow for the 35 Cron. I'm interested to see how it does!
You can zone focus wide R lenses on M cameras via mount adapter but not critically focus so not good for 90mm. You can pick up a Leicaflex SL super cheap or R5 etc if want to shoot that on film.
Thank you for answeer so much. @@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I will consider it. For now i will stick to my old Sumamr 50 until i save so money. Have a good day ;)
Well clearly you need to jettison that 90/4 Macro. Always thought it was overpriced unless massively sharp, which is clearly not the case. With the classic ltm Elmar the macro capability can be matched with an inexpensive ltm extension tube between the lens and ltm-M adapter. There are also native M versions of the old 90/4 including a chrome collapsible for compactness. Interestingly the M noncollapsible 90/4 is supposed to be the same optical design, but in actual fact it is not. This is not generally known. If you compare the 90/4 ltm with Leitz Ltm- M adapter attached to the rigid M model with both lenses focused at infinity the flange to front element distance is NOT the same. I do not know about the collapsible chrome 90/4-m as I currently do not have one, having traded mine in years ago toward a 90 Tele-Elmarit-M. In all of the 90/4 elmars I refer to the 4 element version(s), not the later (supposedly improved) three element version. The classic 90/2 Summicron rocks. Too bad ltm versions are so dear.
Hi David, if money is not a limiting factor then APO lenses are always more perfect from their design. This limited test only looks at centre sharpness and may include sample variation or user error. APO corner sharpness is likely to be better as an example.
Nice Nick, yes that is either the rigid (silver one in video) or collapsible version of the same lens. I use with the separate finder on the Leica iii cameras (except iiig that has 90 framelines)
@@ofeykalakar1 When you unscrew the front optics you can then remount it in a Leica bellows (mini-screw to "M" mount) for super closeup macro work. The original adapters and bellows unit were designed to marry up the M39 mount with the later "M" (4 prong) mount. Leica made amazingly well-engineered gear back in the 1950-1960s (still do, of course) and your vintage Elmar f=9cm/1:4 was an essential part of that entire system.
Nooo...Please don't do this, people may discover the older, cheaper, unfashionable 135mm's, 90's and 50's are exceptional lenses and the price will rocket. Poorer Leica shooters like myself are barely clinging on! Our...fingers...are...slipping! ;~)
Ha thanks Mark, eek I have a 135mm video planned actually so buy one quick! Yes agree some of the old lenses are great value. Don't worry this is an old video and it didn't affect the price. :)
I predict the Elmarit-R mostly as I own the projector lens version, the 90mm f2.5 Colorplan version 1. To be clear imo, ALL Leica 90's are superior to most other lens designers...so.
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The Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm. is very good, super lightweight ,compact and right up your street, Matt.
Thanks, ah yes a few people have recommended this to me in the past, noted thanks!
I shot last year the most recent version of the Sumicron 2/90 on my Sony a7r2 and was blown away with the results. I see that the previous version is also great, will try and get my copy. Thank you very much for this great comparison Matt, I'm a fan of your videos, very educative and fun.
Thanks so much Hector! Yes a really great lens :)
Well, that's very good news. I bought a 1960's Canadian Summicron f/2 90mm for my M5 a few weeks ago. I haven't tested it yet, but to me it makes so much sense on the M5 - a big lens on a big M camera. The 15 aperture blades don't hurt either. I'm really looking forward to going out shooting with this setup.
Congrats NP! That should be a great setup, enjoy!
I have the 1950's Elmars. The fixed (1957), as you say, is light, as smooth as butter, very quick to focus and has good contrast (I use it with a hood). A joy to use when travelling.
The retractable Elmar is essentially the same, so beautifully made, is shorter when retracted but I'm sure the metal is depleted uranium judging by its weight. It looks great.
Thank you for the video, Matt.
Thanks Alexander, haha I enjoyed the depleted uranium comment!
Thank you for this review! It convinced me to pick up the Elmarit-R. I've been using the 80mm Summilux most regularly on the SL and now CL, as well as the tele-Elmarit f2.8 on the M10. The 80mm is terrific, but a bit heavy for a full day walk about. I was going back and forth between the Summicron-R and Elmarit, mainly because of the Bokeh issues and assumption that the Elmarit wouldn't be as sharp as modern lenses. The fact that it surpassed the 90mm Macro is amazing! That sealed it as a complement to the 80mm. I photograph mainly animals and people working with them, so there is a good balance and logic to owning and using the two.
Thanks James, no problem. Yes it’s a nice compact size / design too with built in hood.
I have the collapsible f4 LTM. I used it recently on my M240 for a portrait group shoot. I resolved any contrast and sharpness issues in Lightroom so as to compete with the modern camera’s and lenses used on the shoot. I was happy with some of the results. Thanks for your comparison video which demonstrates price and modern still have vintages to live up to.
Thanks Alan, great little lens!
Thanks for this Matt. 👌
Yes I too am surprised by the result of the new collapsible Macro 90mm.
I have something to be especially happy with, having the Chrome Summicron 9cm. The lens head screws off for use on the early era Visoflex and macro bellows equipment. It is excellent.
... and I have the Summicron with me now, and a rare as hens teeth original Leitz 48mm yellow/green filter, and the M3 DS, loaded with FP4-Plus.
Cheers, Kevin.
Thanks Kevin! Ah I had the same issue with finding Summitar 50mm f2 beveled filters. A viewer very kindly send me a set!
I always enjoy your reviews and perspective. The one thing you fail to comment much on is the character of the 3D pop the Macro Elmar has. I would’ve thought the macro Elmar would’ve faired better on sharpness. That being said it’s a testament to the quality of 3 of 4 of those lenses certainly. I owned the 90 Summicron on an SL. Pretty heavy and tight focusing. I had trade items so I went Macro Elmar. I hate f4 but love the lens.
Thank you Eric, yes my Cron has firm focusing too. Yes the Macro is a lovely size for a 90 isn’t it.
I have the Tele-Elmarit M and I'm very happy with that one. Super sharp wide open, very nice for portraits. Sort of a happy medium between the older non-asph and the newer M lenses in rendering, I'd say. Very handy size and weight too.
Thanks Don!
On my M9 I use the Summicron 90 for portrait, concerts and homebased photography. And as the Summicron is quite heavy, I love the Tele-Elmarit 90 f2.8 for travel and tours. That's my perfect 90mm combination.
Thanks, I’ve been use the 90 2.8 APO SL version for Nikon F (on film) this week. M version is also excellent (see video)
These reviews are great! Helps so many to decide what they are looking for.
Thanks Lucy, yes hopefully they can help a few people. More videos coming!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Sounds great! Keep up the good work!
you sound precisely like Sir Frank Williams of Williams F1 racing. Awesome video. Thank you. I love my Summicron 90mm f/2 r-mount.
Thanks! That's quite a compliment. I'm certainly not at his level! 90 f2 are all great!
I've got a 90mm Elmar, which I picked up for $125. I had it cleaned and find it to be light, smooth handling, and sharp. It works great on a Sony.
Great! Yes I enjoy it so much I sold the expensive Macro-Elmar 90mm and now use the Elmar for travel instead. (See the next video to come out)
Nice test Matt! I was interested in a Macro Elmar 90mm f4 but somehow i couldn't justify the price for myself for a new f4 lens, i waited and saw a used APO-Summicron f2 lens in a local store and decided to go for that one, yes it's more heavier but the f2 and the price tag was better than the macro f4. Very happy with my 90mm so far.
Very nice Frank! I looked at the APO R for my R6 but the prices were quite high (not Macro high)(I don't buy the really expensive lenses now I finally came to my senses ha)
Thank you for the useful sharing Matt, do you ever try the telelense, like Elmarit r 135mm, 180mm?.. Thank you..
Thanks, yes I have M 135mm and R 135mm, not 180mm
I absolutely love my 90mm/2 Summicron Canada V1, great character, and super sharp.
Thanks John! I love it for portraits but was amazed at how sharp it is! Noted! :)
..I have another video coming that I think you will be able to relate too aswell ;)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom TEASE! But, looking forward to it
@@highlander200107 you won’t need to wait too long 👍🏻😊
I have the Elmarit R and use it on digital - very sharp stopped down, strong 3D pop, flares wildly at the slightest provocation. Good with off camera flash if you’re careful. I’d get the Summicron for M though.
Thanks for confirming the flare Patrick
I had bet on the Summicron, of which I have 2, a 50 mm pre-aspherical and a 75 aspherical. I love the way they render. And although there maybe a cast, when using an M9 it’s just part of the ambiance.
Thanks Irene! I have the 75mm Cron too
The current version of the Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 is incredibly light and compact. It works well on my Leica CL, SL2, and M11. I just started using it on the SL2 to digitize old B&W 35 mm negatives (using the following adapters: Leica M Adapter L + Leica Macro Adapter-M, and a set of Novoflex Macro M extension tubes).
Thanks John, yes a very impressive lens for sure. Great to hear you getting the most from yours!
I am completely happy with the Minolta M-Rokkor 90mm f4. Passed on my elmar f4 in favour of it.
Thanks for confirming, yes I hear it is a good lens. I enjoy my M-Rokkor 40mm, see today's video for that one!
Great test ... a bit desapointed by the results of the Macro Elmar 90 M (I own). I did not go with the Summicron because of the size and the weigth...
And it was a good decision because I always take it with me and I'm very happy with the photos I made with it. So for me winner is Macro Elmar : good performance and perfect size :-)
Thanks Jerome, I was thinking about this when I went for a cycle after posting the video. I would expect the Macro to win for edge sharpness and I've only ever been impressed with mine. On the CL it makes for a really nice compact setup. I rarely take the Cron overseas.
Interesting results. But in my experience I’ve done basically the same test with macro Elmar, Summacron E55 7 artisans 75 1.25 and voightlander 75 3.5 apo.
My cron is so soft it’s a bit of a joke at f2 and is nowhere near the macro till f8.
The 7 artisans is ok was less than 200 quid and performs well considering
Th voightlander is actually very good but I never use it.
The 90 macro is my pick. I think it’s fantastic.
Thanks for sharing Richard, yes I think for overall sharpness edge to edge the Macro will easily win but I was impressed at what my Cron could achive too.
Hi Matt, thanks for your videos, watched a lot. I have never shot a Leica lens, and now and then do some research. I am not sure if I am correct in what I just recently learned. Being a macro photographer, I always look into different lenses. I was tempted to buy a Macro Adapter and a 90mm collapsible. But doing some research, I found that it is sharp in the centre, and seems to be quite less sharp toward the edges. From your photos I have seen, you make beautiful, remarkable and stunning portraits (although I like different subjects, like average looking people, but that is another topic). Your skills in portrait photography are out of this world :) So I can imagine that the centre sharpness combined with this glow and less sharpness on the edges is ideal.
As a macro, and occasional landscape, photographer, this is less desirable. As you have stated previously, that this 90mm f4 is one of the sharpest lenses, does it mean all Leica M lenses are more soft on the edges? Same for R lenses? And what about the lenses for the SL2? Is it a Leica characteristic?
Hi Rex, thanks for your kind words. Actually Leica lenses are normally better at the edges than other brands. We pay a premium for this. Check the new Voigtlander 90 APO video. Being the latest and greatest that might be the best for M. SL lenses are designed to be sharp corner to corner (like Hassy lenses) so that would be optically the best option but you pay for that. I've not noticed the Macro 90 being bad in the corners but i've probably not looked as much as you. M should beat R in the corners being RF vs SLR.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Thanks for clarifying!! I'll see if I can find a copy to test. Did not try it myself yet. Only online research so far :)
I have the 90/2.8-R which I use on a Sony A7rIV and I find that flare is often caused by internal reflections from adaptor rather than off the front of the lens.
If I wasn’t switching to a 90mm-M lens then I’d paint the inside of the adaptor with an ultra-black matt paint.
For travel, I’m currently using a Contax G 90mm rangefinder lens, which is ultra-lightweight (190g), but I’m trying to standardise on M-lenses so that I can reduce the weight of adapters I’m carrying.
Thanks Anthony, good info regarding some adapters, thanks. The 90/4 LTM is very small/light for travel too FYI
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom thx for the tip and the Elmar is vintage too and I love giving these old lenses a new lease of life. Although lightweight the issue is its size for travel. Would be ok in my landscape kit though and give its price its well worth testing. Will let u know how I get on.
Hi matt.Thanks for all your lenses test. Good job.
Here, the 2nd version (E55) of 90/2.8 Elmarit-R is missing. My guess is that it may get the first place. ;)
Thanks GG! I think the Cron R ROM would probably do even better. I looked at that lens but not cheap!
You showed some stunning portraits, Matt!
Thanks Les! Anything to help people watch the videos ha :)
To be honest, in overall image performance, I think the Macro-Elmar is still the winner. The other lenses might be a bit sharper, but this is only one performance indicator. If you compare the contrast and the chromatic aberrations, the Macro-Elmar is still the best choice in this round. But I think there is no bad Leica 90mm at all. I use the last version of the Elmarit M 90 f/2.8, which is also a great performer. This has a very similar case as the Summilux M 50 ASPH but longer.
Thanks Alexander, yes I agree with you, the Macro should easily win on edge sharpness too I would guess.
I have the 90 cron since 1972, I also did not except it to beat the macro but I will never get rid on mine as it is so good for shooting people. It's only issue is size and weight which is silly for me to say as I just picked up a Chinese 75mm f1.25 to play with.
Thanks Bill! Yes I was surprised! I’m currently enjoying the R glass on my SL!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I am using a fp at the moment with all my older M lenses and a couple of the newer Chinese M and L lenses. I picked up the 28mm 1.4, 75mm f1.25 and a 21mm f 1.5 in L mt which is ok after f 2.8
@@billbarton5806 thanks for the info!
Another great vid. Not quite my focal length of choice, but good info to know.
Thanks Juan!
Interesting video - comparing 4 lenses at a time is enough (since you lost me half way through your 1,000,000+ Fast-50's video........)! Regarding the 90's, comparing the Macro wide-open with the Summicron stopped-down is a bit unfair - it's well-known that most lenses perform best 2-3 stops below max and the Macro is no exception. It might have been more objective to compare lenses at their max (which ultimately is what we buy them for) and also at f8, which is a few stops down and still well before diffraction kicks in. Of course for portraiture you might never use f8, but some of us do.....! Keep up the good work, and I look forward to your review of more of the (way cheaper) after-market lenses, especially the Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 (which I found best of the under-$1,000 fast 50's). Cheers
Thanks PP, sorry for some of the more lens videos. It depends how many lenses I have in that FL. (That was only some of the 50s so I’ll have to do more at a later date). Yes I will do a cheap 50s video once I’ve got the planned ones done. I don’t have that Voigtlander but I will share others I have.
Also for these videos I’m testing mostly close to wide open as I rarely stop down and if I do most lenses are sharp by f8-11. Also premium lenses are designed to be great wide open, like the Summilux in the fast 50 video (you get what you pay for with that). Most cheap lenses are sharp by f8 but it takes the designers a lot more effort to get the lens very good at of close to wide open. Also the stopping down rule isn’t always true. The 35-70 f4 R is sharper at f4 then 35&50 Lux and 35&50 Cron at f4 for example (noted by the lens designer, Putts)(that will come in a later video)
I have five 90 mm M lenses - f/2 APO, f/4 Macro, f/2 (Canada), f/2.8, and f/2.8 tele-Elmarit. I think the used tele-Elmarit has the best value. The old f/2 is too big and heavy on M, but better on SL.
Thank you Wilfred and nice collection! Agreed the old 90 M balances better on the SL.
hello matt
you should also look at blur transitions
Yes maybe in a future video. Thanks!
Thank you for this review, I would have thought that the 90mm Macro-Elmar-M was much better, now I do know that it not live up to my high expectations.
According Dennis Laney the Summicron-M loses contrast when focused under 2.5 meters, it has the best sharpness from 5.6 to 8.0 (strange for a 2.0 Lens !). I would go for either the 90mm Summicron-R or the 90mm Elmarit-R.
Agreed, I've only ever been happy with the results so maybe it was just having a bad day.
Interesting thanks!
Nice review. I ended up getting the 90mm m mount as the ltm mount one wouldn't focus to infinity unfortunately. I figure the ltm lens might have had focus issues due to my thin silver m39-Leica M adapter over my m-fuji X close focusing adapter
Hi Judith, sorry to hear about your LTM 90. I may have been a bad copy but yes some close focus adapters give no infinity on all lenses like the one I show in many videos.
I’m gonna pick up a Summicron of the same type next week and compare it against my Tokina AT-X 90mm f/2.5 macro.
Nice! Some Tokina lenses are good. I used a few when I shot Nikon
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaComI picked my Summicron today and I can already tell these two lenses are apples and pears. The Tokina is brutally sharp and unforgiving at wide aperture , the Summicron has an amazing glamorous, vintage quality to it. Really quite special, and very hard to copy with a modern lens I suppose.
Thank you Matt Osborn. You are awesome.
Ah thanks Christopher, I really appreciate the feedback!
I have a 2006 90mm Elmarit-M f2.8 which has been good. I suppose it is similar to the R lens in this video but with nine blades. I too would have thought the Macro would have been the sharpest lens and if I had the money to buy any 90mm lens, it would have been that. Now I'm happier with my 90 but I still want a macro for my M10. This video has me rethinking that choice and I may go for an R macro instead as I'll most likely use my Visioflex 020 while shooting anyway.
Thanks James, the Macro does do well in real life but agree a R lens will be fine and also cheaper for you. Consider the 100mm R macro perhaps.
I have the LTM lens, but I think it flares a lot. Using it on my Zorki 4 and the Z6 😊
Thanks Kim, yes I use a hood all the time on mine. the 5cm Elmar hood fits well and much lighter than the 9cm hood
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I bought a hood from Kamerastore, but it was the wrong one, so now I need a lens for my hood😂 .
As a 90cron owner, I'm pretty biased, I don't use it often, but when I do I am always shocked by how good the images out of it are even on my pretty ratty copy.
Big Cron fan here. IMHO still Leica's best lens, competing in a sea of extraordinary Leica lenses.
Thanks Kevin! Agreed! I don’t use mine enough either.
@@barrycohen311 thanks Allistair, I forgot to mention in the video but at one point the majority of my most liked photos on Flickr were all shot with the Cron.
I don't have that many Leica lenses (Summilux-R 50 E55, Vario-Elmar 35-70 f/4, Summicron-R 90 Pre Asph) but the Summicron-R 90 Pre Asph is the only Leica lens that impresses me. My copy has some well used glass with dust and cleaning scratches, but the sharpness and contrast are still stunning even in its poor state. The clarity and sharpness starting from f/4 is absolutely amazing. The summilux-R I am still evaluating, but performance at close distance at f/1.4 to f/2 is noticeably behind other much cheaper lenses I own. I need to test at infinity. For the price that lens sells for all I can say is Ouch.
Thanks yes I’ve not bought the Lux-R as too soft for me wide open. Love the zoom. The 90s all seem good.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I saw you have a Summicron-R both V1 and V2. Does the V2 perform better at close range?
@@sebastiang7183 yes I think v2 is slightly sharper and for sure less flare
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Does that mean you tested the lux-R? Is the lux-M sharper near MFD?
I thought that my computer was having a heat stroke when I heard your computer taking off the runway. :)
I tried so hard to muffle the noise too lol, it's bad isn't it!
Is the Summarit-M 90mm (most underrated) a bad option ?
Hi Hector, not a bad option for sure. I enjoy the 50mm Summarit but haven't used the 90mm
What’s the difference between the 90mm Summicron and the 90mm Summicron-M ?
Older versions tend to be not called -M. Just check it’s not the R version.
Leica Elmarit-R seems best value overall if you're a mirrorless shooter.
Yes if you don’t need f2 that R lens is nice.
I always found the summicron really underwhelming, it’s fine for the size I suppose but the two copies I’ve owned weren’t sharp at all, same with the 35 crons, I’ve had three and they all suck haha.. maybe I was just really unlucky
Hi TJ, oh no, that's not good. A few others said they had soft 90 Crons too but mine seems pretty good. See a video coming tomorrow for the 35 Cron. I'm interested to see how it does!
Vintage 90mm/2 Summicron vs Voigtlander 75mm/1.5?
Woo that is tough Rick! I use both. 75 is more crisp and contrast. Maybe I’ll do a video one day.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Super!
Lol, you've finally broken me, just bought an early black elmar.
Haha sorry Ryan! Congrats and black too! Nice!
So i can't use r lens to my m4 ? :/ To bad :< I think Elmar 9 cm is in my range right now only
You can zone focus wide R lenses on M cameras via mount adapter but not critically focus so not good for 90mm. You can pick up a Leicaflex SL super cheap or R5 etc if want to shoot that on film.
Thank you for answeer so much. @@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I will consider it. For now i will stick to my old Sumamr 50 until i save so money. Have a good day ;)
Well clearly you need to jettison that 90/4 Macro. Always thought it was overpriced unless massively sharp, which is clearly not the case. With the classic ltm Elmar the macro capability can be matched with an inexpensive ltm extension tube between the lens and ltm-M adapter. There are also native M versions of the old 90/4 including a chrome collapsible for compactness. Interestingly the M noncollapsible 90/4 is supposed to be the same optical design, but in actual fact it is not. This is not generally known. If you compare the 90/4 ltm with Leitz Ltm- M adapter attached to the rigid M model with both lenses focused at infinity the flange to front element distance is NOT the same. I do not know about the collapsible chrome 90/4-m as I currently do not have one, having traded mine in years ago toward a 90 Tele-Elmarit-M.
In all of the 90/4 elmars I refer to the 4 element version(s), not the later (supposedly improved) three element version.
The classic 90/2 Summicron rocks. Too bad ltm versions are so dear.
Great to hear from you Adam! Yes I expected better from the Macro I must admit though in real life terms it seem to always perform.
If I want to buy the 90mm Cron, do you recommend the Apo Asph version or the non-asph one? Which one is sharper?
Hi David, if money is not a limiting factor then APO lenses are always more perfect from their design. This limited test only looks at centre sharpness and may include sample variation or user error. APO corner sharpness is likely to be better as an example.
I bought the one compatible with my iiif
Nice Nick, yes that is either the rigid (silver one in video) or collapsible version of the same lens. I use with the separate finder on the Leica iii cameras (except iiig that has 90 framelines)
You can unscrew the lens portion of that lens from the barrel- kinda cool, but I don’t know why they designed it that way.
@@ofeykalakar1 When you unscrew the front optics you can then remount it in a Leica bellows (mini-screw to "M" mount) for super closeup macro work.
The original adapters and bellows unit were designed to marry up the M39 mount with the later "M" (4 prong) mount. Leica made amazingly well-engineered gear back in the 1950-1960s (still do, of course) and your vintage Elmar f=9cm/1:4 was an essential part of that entire system.
Hi I guess I will stay with my old 90mm F2.0 Summicron and save my money.
Yes! Great lens!
Leica R all the way!!!
Thanks! They offer great value too!
There is one big difference between these, the Macro does Macro ..... The others do not.
Eric! I thought of you after seeing the results then didn't remember to write. Still a great lens of course and yes as you say it offers macro too!
Nooo...Please don't do this, people may discover the older, cheaper, unfashionable 135mm's, 90's and 50's are exceptional lenses and the price will rocket. Poorer Leica shooters like myself are barely clinging on! Our...fingers...are...slipping! ;~)
Ha thanks Mark, eek I have a 135mm video planned actually so buy one quick! Yes agree some of the old lenses are great value. Don't worry this is an old video and it didn't affect the price. :)
I predict the Elmarit-R mostly as I own the projector lens version, the 90mm f2.5 Colorplan version 1. To be clear imo, ALL Leica 90's are superior to most other lens designers...so.
Nice, yes they make great glass!