Ty....from what I have seen/heard the two are very different lenses. It really comes down to what you are looking for. The 90 Cron pre ASPH has a more dreamy look to it wide open where the 90 Elmarit-M is supposed to be razor sharp wide open. The Elmarit-M is also much smaller than the 90 Cron. Stopped down to f/5.6 or so it doesn't seem that there is much if any difference in sharpness. Some people want the sharpness and some want the speed......
Ryan, great set - I especially like the first one.
Ty, the APO-ASPH one is the fourth in a series. The V3 Crons were made from 1982-1998.
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My last series consisted entirely of stopped down shots, so here are a couple all wide open:
I've packed down my M9 now - it will go on its trip to Solms tomorrow. I had big communication problems with Leica customer service as the rep's English was as bad as my German. After careful bi-lingual deliberations and a clarifying email I got a UPS label emailed to me and it was almost correct. Unfortunately they did not seem to understand that the express service I wanted was the one they described on the home page. There they promise a two day turnaround yet they ordered a UPS standard transport. So instead of the three day roundtrip they promise I'll probably get it back early next week - which is really cutting it short as I'm going to Norway next week.
Still haven't really shot all that much with the ZM 50 f/2 or the CV 75 f/1.8, but here are a couple of the same thing with each lens from today. Both wide open, minimal LR PP, just a bit more contrast and a touch of curves to get it looking a bit closer to the Leica JPEG output.
50:
75:
I didn't intende the images to comparison tests when I shot them, rather realized the similarity afterwards. It's possible I moved a bit between shots, though should still offer a pretty reasonable comparison.
Luka, very nice shots! Excellent examples of what the 90 Cron v3 can do. I just love the rendering to #1. Hopefully Leica turnaround your M9 quickly
Joe, very nice shots! Your street shot are amazing
Ty, if you after the 90, the difference between the Cron v3, APO and Elmarit, are so different in rendering. Yes all the lenses are very sharp when stopped down, but the colours and feel as so very different. I think the biggest problem now is finding a lens, and then deciding whether that style of lens suits. I have doubled up some FL's for no other reason, than lenses can be so scarce and I have snapped up the opportunity. The other most important factor, is the design of the lens and how it lends itself to calibration and ease accurate and consistent focusing. IMO this is a big factor. The best 90 lens, for consistency and ease of use is the 90 Elmarit. This lens is so easy to focus, even as a 90mm.
Ron, very nice capture of the light and rendering on both shots. The ZM50 has an extra Zeiss "pop" to it. I've been very impressed with this lens from all the shots I've seen posted here.
rsolti - thanks for the explanations on the 90 Cron and the 90 ElMarit. I guess it is speed vs sharpness.
Luka - I guess V3 is the one that I've been looking at on eBay because of you guys. Thanks! I hope you get your M9 back before the Norway trip. I guess the turn-around time is something you just have to gamble on since the Norwegian landscapes really deserve sharp focus.
Charles - thanks for the response! Since my favorite FL is the 35, and I believe you got me buying into the 35 Lux ASPH (the new one), which of those 90's would have a similar rendering to the 35? I am thinking that as I move into the Leica lenses, I would like for them to have similar renderings. I'm thinking a 90 would be my next purchase. Then switch from my ZM 35 2.0 to the 35 Lux ASPH II later.
More beautiful shots everyone. Of course, I'm partial to the boat pictures! Nice to see the LR vs. SEP2 comparison, too.
I'm also in the midst of angsting over which 90mm to get. I'll take the extra stop over a smaller lens- either is a lot smaller than the Canon 85 1.2 it replaces! It seems a used cron AA, if you can find one, is at least twice the price of a pre-asph cron. Beyond that, without shooting with both for a while I don't think I can grasp the real differences, if any, and what they might mean to my work. Which would you choose for shooting tropical travel, docked yachts at dusk, interior architectural details, and occasional portraits?
Ron, beautiful lighting in these shots! I really like the ZM 50/2 Plannar, and how it is sharp wide open, yet renders differently than some of the other ZM's.
Ty, the closest in rendering to the 35 Lux, would be the 90 Cron Apo. I would not discount the 75 Lux either as it is marginally shorter, but with a MFD of 0.7m, and is easier to use than the 90 on the M9.
Cory, similar line, the 90 Cron AA is a brilliant lens, but so is the 75 Lux. The 75 Lux is about the same size, but having f/1.4 for travel it is amazing. The 75 Lux closed down, is a very sharp and renders beautifully too. IMO it most closely replaces the Canon 85/1.2. What it may come down to, is which lenses are available! It may be opportune to grab an excellent 90 Cron v3, as you will have no problems reselling a this lens, should you wish to upgrade.
Joe, great captures and I really like the B/W conversion. Nice end to the series with the pigeon
Ron, you've captured some very nice light there
Ty, I hope so too. It's funny, I never thought I'd be bothered by the possibility of not having my M9 with me for something that is going to be mostly landscape photography. I would normally consider it to be a cut and dried job for my 5DII. In fact however, it does bother me. Even though the 5DII + Zeiss ZE glass are going to be the main tools for the tripod based photography, I still want to use the M9. If the latter only had live view and wasn't so very sensitive to impacts I'd get rid of the DSLR altogether. It will have to be the M10 that will accomplish that, I suppose
Silken, the 90 Cron is a lot smaller than the Canon 85/1.2. The 90 AA is sharper wide open and its optical aberrations are much better controlled than with the 90 Cron III. The latter is far from optically perfect but its drawing style is really excellent with exceptionally high micro contrast (I think it even outdoes the Zeiss 100/2 Makro Planar at/near infinity in that respect) and the colors it produces are just superb.
As Charles says, the 75/1.4 Lux may also be of interest - it's one of Leica's all time bests. The 75 Cron AA on the other hand you may want to think a bit about. I have it but I'm not unreservedly crazy about it. As a portrait lens (headshot or head and shoulders) it can be fantastic but it does have some drawbacks. It's exceptionally neutral - it doesn't have a distinct signature. Near MFD the contrast drops noticeably and at infinity it's pretty mediocre. If you are looking for a portrait lens, then it can be a good choice but for an all round lens the 90 Cron AA or the 90 Cron III may be a better choice.
Nice street photos Joe. When looking at the street photos from you and others in this thread I must say I find the 35 mm to be a superior focal length compared to the longer ones. The 35 mm are more intense and gives a greater feeling of being there while photos taken with the longer focal lengths are more neutral, more observing. This is of course ironic since I would rather use a longer lens myself so I can keep a distance.
joakim wrote:
Nice street photos Joe. When looking at the street photos from you and others in this thread I must say I find the 35 mm to be a superior focal length compared to the longer ones. The 35 mm are more intense and gives a greater feeling of being there while photos taken with the longer focal lengths are more neutral, more observing. This is of course ironic since I would rather use a longer lens myself so I can keep a distance.
100% agree here Joakim.....but I am going to try the closer with 35 approach
Luka - more great shots with the 90 Cron. I don't see much in flaws at all with that lens. I hope the Elmarit-M I have coming can provide just as stellar results
Joe - definitely not your style but I still like the shots. The one with the baby and the bird are my favorites. Your b/w conversions are excellent!
Ron - I would love to see more of your work with those lenses. The 50 Planar looks to be an excellent performer.
Great shots with the 90 Cron. Just love the abstract form and punch.
