Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/12/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have extensive experience with both the 90-C and the "Skinny" Tele-Elmarit-M; they both perform admirably and they are approximately the same size and shape. In the archives you will find extensive discussions of the "Skinny" T-E-M; some people love it...as I do...and many people hate it. It seems to have suffered from huge quality variations over it's production run and they can be subject to fogging, fungus, or unusual flare. Mine, which suffers from none of these maladies and will never be for sale, is German made, serial #3452222. If you favor a lens which is small and light, then a "Skinny" which has no fog or fungus may be the lens for you. It is not as sharp as either the awesome 90 Summicron AA or subsequent f2.8/90mms, but it isn't nearly as big or heavy and is quite sharp enough for most hand-held purposes. The 90-C is equally small, perhaps a tad less contrasty in my experience, but certainly sharp enough for most shooting situations. Obviously, the 90-C suffers from its 4.0 largest stop, but if that is not a problem for you, it is a fine choice for a street kit. The 90-C and some "Skinny" T-E-Ms were issued with a collapsible rubber lens shade which is my candidate for the worst single item that Leica has have put before the buying public. If you gravitate to a 90-C or "Skinny," make sure you substitute the metal shade 12575 or a similar after-market hard shade. Both the 90-C and the "Skinny" T-E REQUIRE A SHADE. I would recommend against using any 90mm Elmarit on the CL because of the short rangefinder base. If you check the archives, you will also find that I recommend against using the Leica CL in general because it is your basic pooch for a lot of reasons which I will be happy to discuss off-list. At the end of the day, one must decide what characteristics he or she wants to optimize; minimum size and weight, maximum aperture, razor sharpness, sparkling contrast, and (of course) price. This is a highly subjective formula which must be devised by the individual photographer. Buzz Hausner - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Steven Blutter Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 8:40 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: [Leica] 90mm 4.0 for CL question This lens is avail for pretty good prices. I've seen more positives about the 2.8 Elmarit, also lower cost. I'm curious if anyone's compared these 2. Thanks in advance, Steven - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html