philip_pj wrote:
rsolti13, your most recent image pairs place the Summicron clear of the new 90/2 CV for portraiture, in my opinion. It shows greater depth from the soft OOF glowiness (a lovely look) and lower contrast, so it does not force the viewing eye to work as hard. The CV's structure interferes with the focal plane-background relationship, and shadow detail is always a bonus for axial continuity. Balls are less prominent too. A smooth operator.
I agree Phillip. I really like the new CV 90 f/2 APO, but not really for portraiture, and the 90 cron Pre-AA is a good option for portraiture. I think I like the Thypoch 75 f/1.4 or the Voigtlander 75 f/1.5 even more. I think all these lenses have their place, but I often like a very different look for portraiture than I like for other types of shooting.
I'd love to have this Apo Ultron 90mm with AF for my Sony system
I considered the adapter Techart with AF Leica M to Sony E, but it looks like that the image quality of the Apo Ultron 90mm in the current M version suffers quite a bit on a Sony body - according to the excellent test by Bastian.
Maximilian wrote:
I'd love to have this Apo Ultron 90mm with AF for my Sony system
I considered the adapter Techart with AF Leica M to Sony E, but it looks like that the image quality of the Apo Ultron 90mm in the current M version suffers quite a bit on a Sony body - according to the excellent test by Bastian.
I’m glad to see Bastian's test aligns with my findings. Unfortunately, the optical design of the CV 90/2 APO-Ultron leads to image degradation on the thicker Sony sensor stack due to field curvature. https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1886307/6#infinity3
You can always convert your Sony sensor to the thinner Leica version through Kolari. This not only allows you to use the Techart AF adapter but also reduces the lens's native 0.9m minimum focus distance. (which from my measurement is accurate at 0.88m)
Fred Miranda wrote:
I’m glad to see Bastian's test aligns with my findings. Unfortunately, the optical design of the CV 90/2 APO-Ultron leads to image degradation on the thicker Sony sensor stack due to field curvature. https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1886307/6#infinity3
You can always convert your Sony sensor to the thinner Leica version through Kolari. This not only allows you to use the Techart AF adapter but also reduces the lens's native 0.9m minimum focus distance. (which from my measurement is accurate at 0.88m)
Any issues using this lens on SL2/3 w/leica M-L adapter?
I have bought this 90/2 APO-Ultron together with a 28mm Nokton to complete the trio with my newly aquired 50mm Lux ASPH. I had to send the APO back due to a massive back focusing (about 10cm at 4-5m distance, at f/2). Probably a miss-calibration of the APO lens, since I do not have/had this problem with any of my other 10-15 M-mount lenses (and a few LTM).
catacore wrote:
I have bought this 90/2 APO-Ultron together with a 28mm Nokton to complete the trio with my newly aquired 50mm Lux ASPH. I had to send the APO back due to a massive back focusing (about 10cm at 4-5m distance, at f/2). Probably a miss-calibration of the APO lens, since I do not have/had this problem with any of my other 10-15 M-mount lenses (and a few LTM).
Sorry to hear that. This kind of issue can happen with M-mount lenses from any brand, even Leica. Lenses like the 50mm f1.4 or 90mm f2 are especially demanding because they require very tight tolerances...particularly when they have a short focus throw.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Sorry to hear that. This kind of issue can happen with M-mount lenses from any brand, even Leica. Lenses like the 50mm f1.4 or 90mm f2 are especially demanding because they require very tight tolerances...particularly when they have a short focus throw.
It happened to me a lot with Voigt lenses. I even wonder if there was a problem with the body but it was calibrated by a Leica approved operator and is perfect with many Leica lenses.
I had to adjust said Voigt lenses by removing shims, usually just the thinner one and end up with a lens perfectly calibrated from infinity to the shortest focus distance.
Most of the time, this is easy but for some lenses such as the 50mm/1.2, I never found how to do it. Too bad because I liked this lens a lot.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Sorry to hear that. This kind of issue can happen with M-mount lenses from any brand, even Leica. Lenses like the 50mm f1.4 or 90mm f2 are especially demanding because they require very tight tolerances...particularly when they have a short focus throw.
Well, the dealer which I have bought it from said he tested the lens after he received my returned lens, and it was focusing ok. Not sure what to make out of it...
catacore wrote:
Well, the dealer which I have bought it from said he tested the lens after he received my returned lens, and it was focusing ok. Not sure what to make out of it...
It really depends on how the dealer tested the rangefinder alignment at the lens's infinity hard stop. That alone might not be enough. Some lenses can still front or back focus at closer distances even if the hard stop appears accurate. I usually check focus at MFD, mid-distance, and infinity. Perfect RF alignment at every distance isn't always possible without servicing the lens, but for me, the hard stop at infinity matters less as long as the lens still hits focus accurately at infinity.
nehemiahphoto wrote:
Late to this testing--thanks as always for doing it. Looks like a razor type lens, not something I'd prefer for portraits. And here I was all excited about an APO lens with SA.
Oh well. Good option by CV anyway.
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RustyBug wrote:
Wake me up when you find it ... just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
It's undercorrected SA that's creating the mid-to-close differences in the draw between the Summicron and the Ultron, so the APO-Summicron is your answer. Also the APO-Sonnar 135/2, which, like the Summicron, loses some of the secondary SA correction that APO lenses have by definition the closer you focus at wide apertures.
It's undercorrected SA that's creating the mid-to-close differences in the draw between the Summicron and the Ultron, so the APO-Summicron is your answer. Also the APO-Sonnar 135/2, which, like the Summicron, loses some of the secondary SA correction that APO lenses have by definition the closer you focus at wide apertures.
From my tests, the Voigtlander 90mm f/2 APO-Ultron appears to be the most corrected for SA, which makes it a great choice for situations where you want a modern, clean look.
Among the Leica 90mm f/2 lenses, I'd pick the pre-asph for portrait work. I compared it directly with the APO version and, to my surprise, the color correction was about the same. Both show some green/magenta fringing from LoCA, and I couldn't find any examples where the APO version performed noticeably better.
When it comes to overall rendering, the pre-asph has slightly smoother transitions (although higher optical vignetting) and lacks the extra contrast/resolution punch of the APO...which actually works better for portraits.
If I wanted something with real SA character, I'd go with the Sonnetar 73mm f/1.5. It’s not quite 90mm, but with a slight crop it might be the best option in an ultra-compact package.
Fred Miranda wrote:
From my tests, the Voigtlander 90mm f/2 APO-Ultron appears to be the most corrected for SA, which makes it a great choice for situations where you want a modern, clean look.
Among the Leica 90mm f/2 lenses, I'd pick the pre-asph for portrait work. I compared it directly with the APO version and, to my surprise, the color correction was about the same. Both show some green/magenta fringing from LoCA, and I couldn't find any examples where the APO version performed noticeably better.
When it comes to overall rendering, the pre-asph has slightly smoother transitions (although higher optical vignetting) and lacks the extra contrast/resolution punch of the APO...which actually works better for portraits.
If I wanted something with real SA character, I'd go with the Sonnetar 73mm f/1.5. It’s not quite 90mm, but with a slight crop it might be the best option in an ultra-compact package....Show more →
What I love best about the pre-A Summicron is that it's still smoothing out the details at f/4, where the APO has gotten over the worst of its minor problems.
It's undercorrected SA that's creating the mid-to-close differences in the draw between the Summicron and the Ultron, so the APO-Summicron is your answer. Also the APO-Sonnar 135/2, which, like the Summicron, loses some of the secondary SA correction that APO lenses have by definition the closer you focus at wide apertures.
This.
I actually shot a 90 Cron APO years ago, but of course I preferred the 90 cron pre-asph, so I never picked to the 90 cron APO. And the 90 Cron pre-asph lead me back to the 80 Lux.
I am hopeless.
I have always like the 135/2 Sonnar draw though—at the time it came out, I liked the ZA 135/1.8 better from what I could tell, but I’d still like to try the 135/2 Sonnar. The 135/1.8 can get some pretty decent LoCal.
graytrekker wrote:
Why are so many Leica lenses reviewed on the Sony Forum? Am I missing something?
Fred posted many Leica lens reviews and he crossposted those threads in both Leica and Sony forums. It would have been cleaner and more streamlined if would limit to just a single and specific forum. I understand that there are folks that use and shoot both platforms but those folks are tech savvy and can easily go to the particular forum with just a single click, rendering cross-posting superfluous in my honest opinion.
graytrekker wrote:
Why are so many Leica lenses reviewed on the Sony Forum? Am I missing something?
I only cross-post M-lens reviews on the Sony board when I've tested them on a Sony sensor. A lot of Sony shooters enjoy adapting M-lenses to their cameras, so I figure it's helpful for them to see the reviews directly without needing to jump over to a different board.
I actually shot a 90 Cron APO years ago, but of course I preferred the 90 cron pre-asph, so I never picked to the 90 cron APO. And the 90 Cron pre-asph lead me back to the 80 Lux.
I am hopeless.
I have always like the 135/2 Sonnar draw though—at the time it came out, I liked the ZA 135/1.8 better from what I could tell, but I’d still like to try the 135/2 Sonnar. The 135/1.8 can get some pretty decent LoCal.
Yeah, none of the Zony A mounts were really well corrected, but that is what makes the 85 and 135 so special. Unfortunately, their LoCA is what often made me think, "Yeah, that'll make a stunning monochrome shot." Still, I think spherochromatism must be the hardest type of CA to correct optically. Neither the APO-Sonnar nor APO-Summicron are entirely free of it wide open, just like CV's APO-Lanthar 35 and the new Otus 50. It's easier to count the f/2 or faster lenses that are mostly free of the problem.
Eh, I think the hopeless label applies to a lot of us here. I'm still kind of hopeful Zeiss and Tokina will reignite the Loxia line and give us an APO-Sonnar 135/4, which, I'm sure, just makes me hopelessly hopeful.
freaklikeme wrote:
Yeah, none of the Zony A mounts were really well corrected, but that is what makes the 85 and 135 so special. Unfortunately, their LoCA is what often made me think, "Yeah, that'll make a stunning monochrome shot." Still, I think spherochromatism must be the hardest type of CA to correct optically. Neither the APO-Sonnar nor APO-Summicron are entirely free of it wide open, just like CV's APO-Lanthar 35 and the new Otus 50. It's easier to count the f/2 or faster lenses that are mostly free of the problem.
Eh, I think the hopeless label applies to a lot of us here. I'm still kind of hopeful Zeiss and Tokina will reignite the Loxia line and give us an APO-Sonnar 135/4, which, I'm sure, just makes me hopelessly hopeful....Show more →
I owned the 24/2, 85/1.4 and 135/1.8 in A-mount, and the ZA 85/1.4 was by far the worst offender in my experience. Having said that, I think unless you are in relatively harsh light WO, the LoCal is a bit overrated. But that's just my estimation.
The CA thing I think really is the last level (or hardest). Having said that, in just the last 5 or so years, seems like many lenses have tamed it, or diminished it the point of insignificance.
And don't worry, I am sure the Loxia line will continue. They are just a bit distracted by the RX1r3 revamp.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I only cross-post M-lens reviews on the Sony board when I've tested them on a Sony sensor. A lot of Sony shooters enjoy adapting M-lenses to their cameras, so I figure it's helpful for them to see the reviews directly without needing to jump over to a different board.
