Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH
***Check out my update on the Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH on FILM!***
My previous blog entry was suppose to be my second last. But just as I was about to close up shop, I received a message from the Leica Store New York Soho. Apparently, my Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH had just arrived. Frankly, this was completely unexpected. Still, the lens was in New York, and I was in Hong Kong. I did not think that I was going to receive the lens in time before my annual retreat to Northern Japan. But wouldn’t you know it, Ol’ Kris Kringle delivered it to me just in the nick of time.
Still, I really did not have time to do a proper review, nor did I even have the proper gear. I mean, I can only imagine that the bulk of Leica enthusiasts would want to see this review done with the Leica M10. Unfortunately, I no longer have one anymore. And for those readers who are practitioners of analog photography, they would have undoubtedly wanted me to conduct the review in film. But sadly, I am leaving Hong Kong tomorrow morning. That means I will not have enough time to develop and digitize my film.
So for the sake of expediency and convention, this review will only be shot with the Leica M10. In order to do that, I had to borrow one from someone else. And since this blog will be ending in less than two weeks, I will not be conducting my usual follow-up comparison - in this case - with the Leica APO 90mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH, the Leica 90mm f/4 Macro Elmar-M ASPH, and the Leica 75mm f/1.25 Noctilux-M ASPH. Because of that, this lens review will just be your garden variety vanilla gear testimonial.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH - ISO 400, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 1600, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 1600, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5. Shot via optical viewfinder.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
So what do I think about the Leica 90mm Summilux? Well, it is a heavy lens. On the Leica M10, it does not feel balanced at all. Then again, does it really matter? For those well heeled enough to splurge on such a lens, the Leica 90mm Summilux feels like you got your money’s worth in a block of precision glass encased in solid aluminum… which of course isn’t the case, practically speaking. But of course, nothing about the Leica 90mm Summilux is practical. In my opinion, the 90 Summilux is a vanity acquisition.
Mind you, that does not mean that the 90 Summilux is all for show. It is a remarkably sharp lens. In fact, the 90 Summilux is sharp throughout the frame and aperture range - even when shot wide open. For a fast lens at 90mm, that is quite an accomplishment. That said, for this review, I only stopped down once to f/8, and twice to f/2. I mean, why would I possibly want to stop down with this lens? If it is your plan to regularly shoot this lens at smaller apertures, then you will be better off with the 90 Summicron or 90 Macro Elmar.
The only reason to justify a lens like the 90 Summilux is to shoot wide open all the time. I mean, why else pay for the premium over the 90 Summicron? Logically, it only makes sense to shoot wide open - that is - until you begin to shoot wide open. That is when you discover just how difficult it is to hit tack focus with the 90 Summilux, when focusing with the optical viewfinder, given the tiny frame lines relative to the focusing window. Of course, anyone with good eyesight and a properly calibrated rangefinder should have no problem.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/2
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/8
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5. Background has been darkened for the sake of composition.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/2. Demonstrating corner sharpness.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5. Demonstrating corner sharpness.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
In my case, I do not have good eyesight. Moreover, the Leica M10 I borrowed is a little off in focus accuracy. Mind you at shorter shooting distances, I did not experience any issue in focusing. But at further shooting distances, shooting wide open on the 90 Summilux was a hopeless undertaking. And when you put into consideration low light shooting conditions - which is one of the primary reasons for shooting a very fast lens - getting tack focus wide open can only be regarded as wishful thinking.
Because of that, it only makes sense to shoot the 90 Summilux with the assistance of live electronic viewing, focus magnification, and focus peaking for those who will consider the acquisition - either via the Visoflex 020 on the Leica M10 or adapted on the Leica SL/SL2. Failure to do so will result in immense frustration, given how sharp the 90 Summilux is at maximum aperture. There is just so much definition of detail, that even if focus is off by a hair, the resulting image capture will look completely wrong.
And trust me - the demographic who can reasonably afford such a vanity acquisition - they generally have poor eyesight. I mean, the typical Leica enthusiast who will get the 90 Summilux is not going to have the 20/20 vision typical of one whose eyesight has yet been ravaged by age. Knowing that, no amount of focus calibration will optimize the likelihood of hitting tack focus at maximum aperture with the 90 Summilux, when one is depending on poor eyesight to get the job done with accuracy.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
So in summary, the 90 Summilux is heavy, can only be justified if you shoot wide open all the time, and is next to impossible to focus through the optical viewfinder when shooting wide open. And since the 90 Summilux has a narrow focal length, it requires noticeably more shooting distance than a wide or normal focal length lens. As such, that makes the 90 Summilux a rather impractical lens to carry around. That means the 90 Summilux is a special purpose lens - making it essentially a one trick portrait pony.
That said, the 90 Summilux is still very exceptional in image reproduction when shot wide open. The out of focus region in the background just melts away. And where the image is in focus, the 90 Summilux is sharp - very sharp. But what I find most remarkable about the 90 Summilux is its richness in micro contrast. Because of all these factors, there is a noticeably three-dimensional pop in the way the 90 Summilux reproduces images. As such, this makes it more than just a vanity lens - that is - when it’s actually used.
And I suppose that is the main point of the 90 Summilux. Will it ever be used? Given its value, its impractical focal length for regular use, and its overall difficulty to focus wide open, no one will ever use it beyond a vanity acquisition for grown-up show and tell. Because of that, the 90 Summilux will inevitably end up as nothing more than an asset class locked up in a dry box for the purpose of speculation, given that the folks in Wetzlar will not be making many copies of it. Why would they, if no one is going to buy this lens!
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5. Demonstrating corner sharpness.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Once you regard the 90 Summilux as an asset class, it changes your view on the lens. Yes, it is an exceptional lens, and yes, it is a prima donna of a lens to handle. That said, the 90 Summilux is a beautiful lens - much like the 75 Noctilux. It makes you want to covet it like jewelry. Still, if I must be perfectly critical, the 90 Summilux with a maximum aperture of f/1.5 for a 90mm lens really isn’t all that special. I mean, Canon, Nikon, and Sony all have user friendlier 85mm lens with autofocus that are comparatively faster than the 90 Summilux.
Mind you, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, and the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM will all depreciate in value over time, with no hope of ever appreciating. As for the Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH, it probably will appreciate over time, given its future rarity. So from a practical perspective, the 90 Summilux is a horrible lens to get and should be avoided at all cost. But from the perspective of a speculative investment, the 90 Summilux actually does make some practical sense - albeit not without risks.
That said, if the future second hand prices of the 90 Summilux does fall, those suffering the paper loss can still at least enjoy shooting that lens from time to time. Like I have already said, the 90 Summilux is very exceptional in image reproduction, despite being a one trick portrait pony. Still, if you do intend to get the 90 Summilux to shoot from time to time, just remember to shoot it with electronic viewing and assistance - that is - unless you have 20/20 vision and a perfectly calibrated rangefinder.
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5. Minimum focusing distance at 3.3ft (or 1m).
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5. Maximum focus distance at infinity (∞).
Leica M10 + Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M ASPH @ ISO 800, f/1.5
By the way, from an optical perspective, the 90 Summilux has much better micro contrast than the Canon, Nikon, and Sony autofocus equivalent. In my book, that makes the 90 Summilux a better lens - that is - if you can actually hit tack focus when shooting wide open.
Some images have had their exposure and/or white balance tweaked in Adobe Lightroom. Images have not been cropped. Images with more extensive editing for the sake of presentation have been disclosed under its caption.
PS - I will try to shoot the 90 Summilux in film when I return from my retreat.
This is the last post until New Years Eve.
