Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/90mm ASPH.

I have to blog my joy for a moment.

On Friday I happened to see a used Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/90mm ASPH in the Leica cabinet in a camera shop in Hamburg. That in itself is surprising. It was the first time I saw this lens in a camera shop. In forums all over the world there is talk of a one to two year wait to get hold of such a lens. Before I could even ask myself why someone was selling this lens, my ears heard my mouth politely asking the seller if I could screw the lens onto my M.

The fact is that no matter who you read, everyone raves about this lens. The optimal portrait lens with supposedly incredible edge sharpness. Not that that strikes me as Noctilux owner somehow influenced. However, I have been looking for a lens that has better "head shot" capabilities. Thanks to the minimum distance of one meter for the 50mm Noctilux, there is always a bit too much around the head when it comes to close portraits, for example. With a 90mm lens, this is no problem.

Long story short: after two shots from the Summicron-M, the lens spontaneously found its way into my non-existent camera bag. Especially since I apparently got a bargain, because a very well-preserved lens for almost 50% of the new price can definitely be seen as such at Leica.

In my happy excitement I had not seen the reason for the relatively low price. The lens does not have 6-bit coding. This coding is used to tell the digital Leica bodies which lens is attached. It sounds very technical, but it certainly is. In fact there are only 6 color markings that can be retrofitted very easily. There are even instructions online on how you can do this yourself with a little paint. Because that's all it really is: color. Of course, I can also specify on the camera exactly which Leica lens is currently taking pictures. So no problem. If the serial number lists online are correct, the lens is from 2003. Digital Leicas have only been around since 2008, so the lens is not yet coded. By the way, it has been built in this form since 1998.

Of course I used the lens in a different way during yesterday's roller derby. More pictures from this sporting event can be found here. But I wanted to briefly show you something about the sharpness of the lens. Please take a look at the picture above and pay particular attention to the red shoelaces on the far left edge of the picture. OK, the image is a bit noisy, but that's due to ISO1600. In addition to the sharpness, I am once again fascinated by how the APO-Summicron-M 1:2/90mm ASPH can display the dimensionality of the shoelaces. You can almost untie the knot. That surprised me with the Noctilux. I have no idea how Leica manages that.

In any case, the picture was taken with the aperture wide open, i.e. aperture 2. With Nikon I only have such edge sharpness when the aperture is open 200/2 experienced, but then not with the plasticity. The one that is comparable in focal length AF-S 85mm f/1.4G Can't do that even dimmed down. By the way, the Nikon 85mm lens is a good 100g heavier. If you want to experience this sharpness with Nikon or Canon, you have to use Zeiss lenses. (OK, I haven't tried the new lenses from Sigma from the ART series yet.)

Still not convinced? Ok, then the resolution: the above image is a section. This is the complete picture...

You'll excuse me for grinning...