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Short telephoto lenses of the R system
Presentation
There are four "short" telephoto lenses available for the R system:
- ELMARIT-R 90 mm
- SUMMICRON-R 90 mm
- APO-SUMMICRON-R 90 mm ASPH.
- SUMMILUX-R 80 mm
Dilemma
Topics about which one to choose appear quite often... I've been confronted to this issue myself, and spent some hours trying to find some clues to decide whether a 'Lux or a 'Cron would suit my needs the best.
Adding to the difficulties is the fact there's no "bad" lens in these focal lengths. Neither among the current overall line-up and rarely in the past one, by the way.
That led me to regroup different informations I found on forums; hope it will be useful.
APO-SUMMICRON-R 90 mm ASPH.
Usually called "90AA".
The latest one to date (introduced at Photokina 2002), which has the same optical formula as APO-SUMMICRON-M 90 mm ASPH.
As a Summicron, its widest aperture is ƒ/2. Being both APO and ASPH, it is respectively apochromatically corrected and possesses an aspherical glass. It focuses down to 70 cm, is tiny and light (520 g). E60 filter size.
This lens is referred as being a "killer": it delivers very high performance in terms of vignetting, contrast, color at every aperture and its render is "razor sharp".
SUMMILUX-R 80 mm
Its optical formula is next to SUMMILUX-M 75 mm's one.
As a Summilux, its widest aperture is ƒ/1,4. It focuses down to 80 cm, remains quite compact despite its density (700 g). E67 filter size.
The focussing ring is longer than 90AA's one, so it takes more time to focus.
Due to its great aperture and its much appreciated bokeh, it is recommended for portraits. Competes well against Zeiss 85 mm ƒ/1,4 (Contax, Nikon, Sony) and Canon 85 mm ƒ/1,2 (EOS mount).
Be aware that wide open the DOF is ridiculous therefore it takes time to master this configuration; the render is also a bit "soft" at this aperture. Maximal sharpness is reached by stopping down a bit.
SUMMICRON-R 90 mm
A.k.a. "Pre-ASPH".
No longer in product.
As a Summicron, its widest aperture is ƒ/2. It focuses down to 70 cm, is tiny and light (520 g). E55 filter size.
This 'Cron is seen as a compromise between the 90AA and the 'Lux: light and not "very" sharp.
ELMARIT-R 90 mm
No longer in product.
Note there were two versions: Type I was produced until 1983, Type II afterwards.
As an Elmarit, its widest aperture is ƒ/2.8. It focuses down to 70 cm, and is light. Type I: 515 g, Series VII filter size. Type II: 450 g, E55 filter size.
Recommended for landscapes.
So?
That's obvious, the final choice depends on the kind of pictures one needs/likes, weight requirements, desire to buy a new or used lens and the budget.
If you still couldn't decide which lens to pick up, consider this summary:
Summilux: bright but quite heavy, "creamy" at wide apertures.
Summicrons: dimmer but lighter, sharper at FA (especially for the AA).
Elmarit: the dimmest but also the lightest.
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