[Leica] 75-90mm lenses - Opinions

[bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen)]

I'd suggest that the reason the 90 is least used is that it is the length
least suited - other than 135 - to rangefinder photography. A 90 on a
rangefinder is a bit like roller skates on an elephant - they may get the
elephant where it's trying to go, but there are better ways to get there.
;-)

The 75 1.4 is a truly outstanding piece of glass, producing gorgeous images,
and proving non-existent depth of field, which is great when you want to
isolate a subject. However, 75 is a focal length that is neither fish nor
fowl - it gets you a few steps closer to the subject than a 50, but it
doesn't provide the reach of the 90.

So if you really want a rangefinder lens longer than 50, I'd say go for a
90, and if you're going to go for a 90, go for the 90 f2 asph. Don't go for
the 2.8 or 4 - give yourself the faster glass, which allows for better
control over depth of field.


On 5/8/06 8:47 PM, "Jeffery Smith" <jsmith342@cox.net> wrote:

> I have every conceivable possible lens between 15mm and 50mm (with a lot of
> weight skewed toward the 50mm end). However, I have only two lenses past
> 50...a 90/2.8 Hexanon (which is "very good") and a 75/2.5 Heliar (which is
> "very good"). I would like to have something excellent longer than 50. It's
> a length I don't use enough. Since Zeiss Ikon apparently stopped dead in
> their tracks at 50, I pretty much have the following choices in Leica 
> glass:
> 
> 75/1.4
> 90/4
> 90/2.8
> 90/2
> 
> Of course, the faster the glass, the more expensive it is. I doubt that I
> will be shooting smoky, dimly-lit pubs with this. So speed is not that much
> of an object. Does one of these stand out among the others? If the fast
> glass is the glass with hair-raising quality, I will consider [choke!] the
> cost as secondary.
> 
> BTW, 90mm seems to be the length LEAST used by LUGers, at least in PAW
> postings. It isn't THAT long......
> 
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA
> http://www.400tx.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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