Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/06

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Optimal Portrait Lenses
From: "Peter A. Klein" <pklein@2alpha.net>
Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2000 13:50:02 -0700

> My very early (chrome) Tele-Elmarit 90/2.8 works absolute magic on
> portraits. I also have the Elmarit and Summicron 90's, but there is
> something about the Tele that makes faces glow. For just about everything
> else needing a 90mm, I use the Elmarit. The Summicron is an old SOOZI
> thread-mount, so once in awhile I put it on a IIIg and look for someone to
> take me for a spin in their MG-TD. But if they ever showed up, I would have
> to take their portrait with the Tele-Elmarit!

Interesting.  I've read that the Tele-Elmarit is less sharp in the near
range (6 feet or less) than farther out.  One person's bug is another
one's feature.  This "flaw" would indeed make faces "glow," if we accept
that "Leica glow" is merely uncorrected aberrations that manifest
themselves in a pleasant way  :-) 

What about some of the other LTM 85/90mm rangefinder alternatives? Canon
85/1.8, 1.9 or 2.0?  Nikkor 85/2?  Russian Jupiter-9 85/2?    Anybody
use these?  

- --Peter