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Leica Summicron M 90mm pre-APO vs APO


poki
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Hey guys,

 

I'm looking for a fast 90mm lens for my M 240 and maybe later an A7r to use for sports, concerts and portraits (like the stuff you can see on my Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48126456@N05/ ). However, I was not able to find any in-depth comparison of the two main options - the Leica Summicron M 90mm (1980 - 1998) and the Leica Summicron M 90mm APO (1998 - current).

 

I only heard that the newer one is "better", but I haven't seen any proof of that. Does anybody have any experience with one or both lenses and can tell me how big the difference is? Or do you know any online comparison between the two? Full size samples would be incredibly helpful too.

 

My budget isn't endless either, but I could get the non-APO version for about €900 and the APO one for about €1 800 used in very good condition - which one represents better value in your opinion?

 

Thank you in advance for any help!

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The non-apo is one of my favorite 90's for portraits due to its relative softness at f/2 whilst the apo is significantly sharper there but at f/2.8 and on both lenses look very close as far as resolution. The non-apo has more chromatic aberration though.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys,

 

I'm looking for a fast 90mm lens for my M 240 and maybe later an A7r to use for sports, concerts and portraits (like the stuff you can see on my Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48126456@N05/ ). However, I was not able to find any in-depth comparison of the two main options - the Leica Summicron M 90mm (1980 - 1998) and the Leica Summicron M 90mm APO (1998 - current).

 

I only heard that the newer one is "better", but I haven't seen any proof of that. Does anybody have any experience with one or both lenses and can tell me how big the difference is? Or do you know any online comparison between the two? Full size samples would be incredibly helpful too.

 

My budget isn't endless either, but I could get the non-APO version for about €900 and the APO one for about €1 800 used in very good condition - which one represents better value in your opinion?

 

Thank you in advance for any help!

 I don't have either of these lenses, but I do have a Leica 90mm Summicron-R preaspherical (from 1980), which is, as far as I know, basically the same design as the M version.  I don't like it's rendition.  It's certainly sharp, but I just don't like it.  The lenses the rendition of which I do like are all double-gaussian designs, whereas this is a modified triplet.

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Matter of tastes but Summicron M 90/2 v1 & v2 (# 11123) are double-gaussian lenses. Great lenses but significantly more bulky.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Summicron_(I)_f%3D_9_cm_1:2

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Summicron_(II)_f%3D_9_cm_1:2

 

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Matter of tastes but Summicron M 90/2 v1 & v2 (# 11123) are double-gaussian lenses. Great lenses but significantly more bulky.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Summicron_(I)_f%3D_9_cm_1:2

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Summicron_(II)_f%3D_9_cm_1:2

 

attachicon.gifLeicaM_9020_11123.jpg

 

Yes, I understand the old ones are double-gaussian.  I thought I was being careful, but I made a mistake and got the wrong version.

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Thank you for your replies. I already bought the non-APO version III Summicron. And while the rendering is pretty neutral, the optical quality still is pretty great. Used it in a couple of shootings on my Leica M and was amazed at just how "modern" the rendering looks - not necessarily a bad thing, I'd say.

 

25313361126_d76a56c055_c.jpg

 

24661109751_4bae35da46_c.jpg

 

24623696691_3318f895e6_c.jpg

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Nice pics. It's a lens from the eighties (1979 if memory serves). Will match perfectly M lenses from the same period (e.g. 35/2 v4 & 50/2 v4). Less bitingly sharp than the 90/2 apo but still at ease with Karbe's lenses although Mandler's would be its natural companions. Happy snaps :)

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Nice pics. It's a lens from the eighties (1979 if memory serves). Will match perfectly M lenses from the same period (e.g. 35/2 v4 & 50/2 v4). Less bitingly sharp than the 90/2 apo but still at ease with Karbe's lenses although Mandler's would be its natural companions. Happy snaps :)

Thanks! Yeah, the M lens I currently use the most actually is a 50mm v4 Summicron. So both my lenses are designed by Walter Mandler and produced in the mid-80's in Canada. And both lenses render very similar to each other. Actually, since both are not 6 bit coded, I'm sometimes not even sure which lens was used for some photos. The two are a very nice set to own for sure - and very economic, considering the usual Leica pricing.

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