M9 Portrait lenses

[horosu]

Hey,

How about a Konica 90/2.8 M-Hexanon? A Sonnar-type lens and quite a good performer. Ah, and one more little thing: it is cheap!

 

[robsteve]

The cheapest lens is the one Mike already has, the 90mm APO ASPH.

Robert

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I would buy the 90 apo for the speed more than anything else. But that lens for me would be used for mainly podium stuff, so i would need it. I agree with Robert just use that for now and see how you like it.

 

[jlancasterd]

I like using the 1.25x magnifier, but it makes the 28 cron tough to use on the M9, and the 28 cron is my favorite wide lens. But I'm not usually too critical on my framing anyway, so it might still work..

Can you still see the 35mm frame with the 1.25 magnifier?

 

[Mozbee]

Can you still see the 35mm frame with the 1.25 magnifier?

I guess so! 1.25 is mathematically the equivalent of the 28mm without the magnifier.
From what I remembered when I tried one in the past, it is harder to see the information at the bottom, outside of the viewfinder glass part. You need to move your eye balls purposely to be able to see the data.

 

[carstenw]

Megaperls makes a 1.15x magnifier, which I have considered getting more than once:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/31938-megaperls-1-15x-magnifier.html

 

[simonclivehughes]

I used the Megaperls 1.15X on one of my M8s and it was excellent.

Cheers,

 

[markowich]

90mm cron asph.
peter

 

[otumay]

Beautiful, Peter.
Osman

 

[carstenw]

Very nice portrait, Peter!

 

[Lloyd]

Great one, Peter.

 

[johnastovall]

I'll use my 75 'Lux and for a different look the Canon 85/1.5.

 

[fotografz]

Mike, my personal favorite is the 90/2.8 latest version.

It's very sharp at the plain of focus, but has a gentle focus fall off (see the ears in the attached M9 shot), and a bit more forgiving of skin imperfections ... creamy Bokeh that doesn't call attention to itself. Small, fast to focus.

I had a 75/1.4 and it was great ... when I could focus it. I think it's harder to critically focus wide open than the Noctilux. Missed too many fleeting expressions with that lens even after getting it calibrated and using a mag.

As you know, the 90AA is a great lens ... in many ways without peer. Yet I found it "to truthful" for portraits of anyone over 10 years old and spent too much time adjusting in PS.

Just ... IMO.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I mentioned the 90 2.8 elmarit also Marc. It's a sweet lens for portraits

 

[ampguy]

I'd go with the 75 lux. I find the longish throw, not needing a magnifier, where with fast 50s, and 90s with short throws, a magnifier helps a lot.

The 75/1.4 does a lot more than portraits, here are low light museum photos here

 

[carstenw]

I love my 75 Lux, but for low light museum photos, I find that the glow it has wide open gets in the way of the rendition. I prefer the 50 Lux ASPH for this.

 

[ampguy]

Yes, the lux ASPH would be ideal.

Here are some photos from the same museum (mostly different exhibits) ~3 months ago, with the E46 pre-asph 50 lux. the E46 version was needed for the close-focus.

here

I love my 75 Lux, but for low light museum photos, I find that the glow it has wide open gets in the way of the rendition. I prefer the 50 Lux ASPH for this.

 

[Eoin]

Mike, having owned the 75 Summicron AA, 90 Summicron (pre asph) and 85 Summarex all at the same time trying to find the perfect portrait lens, I settled with the 90 Summicron pre asph as my most used.

I prefer the smoother and slightly softer look of the 90 over the 75 AA. The summarex was a beautiful lens in it's own right, better suited for B&W than colour with it's old coatings. However the real nail in the Summarex's coffin is the aperture ring is integrated into the focus ring and an aperture change often results in the need for a two hand operation. Also it is very heavy and ungainly with the hood attached.