Hi,
I would like to share my experiences with the 90mm Summicron Pre ASPH on my Ricoh GXR body. This is my first time writing something like this, and do forgive me for my poor English and the very amateurish photos. It's not a lens review with extensive testing and charts but just my feelings on my growing love for a "sometimes forgotten" lens.
I bought this lens from a dear Bro from CS. Its the third version of the 90mm Summicron Pre ASPH and i believe they are all Canadian-made. It comes in lighter and more compact than the previous 2 versions (from 600+ grams to 400+) and another difference is the retractable hood. With a production life span of 1980 to 1998, it has since been replaced by the 90mm Summicron APO ASPH. Though huge in size for a rangefinder lens, it feels perfectly balanced and nice when holding it on my Ricoh which is light. It's very well built as expected of Leica lens and focusing is tight on my copy. Focus throw is pretty long when focusing from 1m to 3m but on the good side, it does give you very precise focusing. After a few outings with it, it no longer feels as heavy and is certainly very usable even for a walk-about lens.
Was greeted with choruses of dismay and boos when my friends heard about my latest acquisition. Branded a coward and a wimp, they threaten to impose their physique before me with their wide-angles, when we go out for shoots.
Well, at least i found something good about shooting with a 90mm (or in my instance, a 135mm on my GXR). Everyone has a personal space or radius, and sometimes it does not bode well, when we enter that zone to capture a picture. Yeah, it does provoke a reaction when we go near, but most people will stop being their natural self, when they know they are being imprinted onto a sensor or a film. By being further away, i have more of a chance to capture a true fleeting expression, or an act that would probably stop if the subject knows he is being watched through a lens. I even have more time to wait for a decisive moment. Shooting from far should not stop the communication process. There is nothing stopping one from walking over to converse.
Well, it's not a totally safe experience always too. I was shooting a uncle who was selling "kinky" toys in Little India and was confronted. Well, my fault for sure, (hard to believe), but i thought he was just selling magazines at first.
Here are some photos to share from the lens.
Above two images are totally unedited jpegs straight from cam. Both shot at full aperture at f2. Contrast isn't the highest but certainly acceptable, with quite a classic look of older Leica lens.
A future model! Love her naturalness! Also unedited and shot at f2. Not very sharp at f2 but great for portraits and especially children.
Contrast and sharpness improve from f2.8 onwards to f4. I like the pop out of the subjects too.
I would like to share my experiences with the 90mm Summicron Pre ASPH on my Ricoh GXR body. This is my first time writing something like this, and do forgive me for my poor English and the very amateurish photos. It's not a lens review with extensive testing and charts but just my feelings on my growing love for a "sometimes forgotten" lens.
I bought this lens from a dear Bro from CS. Its the third version of the 90mm Summicron Pre ASPH and i believe they are all Canadian-made. It comes in lighter and more compact than the previous 2 versions (from 600+ grams to 400+) and another difference is the retractable hood. With a production life span of 1980 to 1998, it has since been replaced by the 90mm Summicron APO ASPH. Though huge in size for a rangefinder lens, it feels perfectly balanced and nice when holding it on my Ricoh which is light. It's very well built as expected of Leica lens and focusing is tight on my copy. Focus throw is pretty long when focusing from 1m to 3m but on the good side, it does give you very precise focusing. After a few outings with it, it no longer feels as heavy and is certainly very usable even for a walk-about lens.
Was greeted with choruses of dismay and boos when my friends heard about my latest acquisition. Branded a coward and a wimp, they threaten to impose their physique before me with their wide-angles, when we go out for shoots.
Well, at least i found something good about shooting with a 90mm (or in my instance, a 135mm on my GXR). Everyone has a personal space or radius, and sometimes it does not bode well, when we enter that zone to capture a picture. Yeah, it does provoke a reaction when we go near, but most people will stop being their natural self, when they know they are being imprinted onto a sensor or a film. By being further away, i have more of a chance to capture a true fleeting expression, or an act that would probably stop if the subject knows he is being watched through a lens. I even have more time to wait for a decisive moment. Shooting from far should not stop the communication process. There is nothing stopping one from walking over to converse.
Well, it's not a totally safe experience always too. I was shooting a uncle who was selling "kinky" toys in Little India and was confronted. Well, my fault for sure, (hard to believe), but i thought he was just selling magazines at first.
Here are some photos to share from the lens.
Above two images are totally unedited jpegs straight from cam. Both shot at full aperture at f2. Contrast isn't the highest but certainly acceptable, with quite a classic look of older Leica lens.
A future model! Love her naturalness! Also unedited and shot at f2. Not very sharp at f2 but great for portraits and especially children.
Contrast and sharpness improve from f2.8 onwards to f4. I like the pop out of the subjects too.
Many thanks for reading.
