The long-anticipated Leica 90mm f/1.5 Summilux-M is announced today. It is a super-fast portrait lens with high-end optical performance and a very shallow depth of field. Leica claims the DOF is half that of the 50m Noctilux-M. It is the first Summilux lens with a 90mm focal length and it will be the most expensive M lens in the current Leica stable.
The lens weighs a hefty 1055g and has a 67mm filter thread by way of an indication of its girth. As far as we are aware, it is available immediately at a retail price in the UK of £10,700, including VAT. The 75mm Noctilux-M is the next in line at £10,500.
Leica information
The new Summilux-M 90 f/1.5 ASPH enables portraits with a breathtakingly shallow depth of field — allowing for the subject to be emphasised in perfect focus whilst rendering the background in an appealing blur.
The optical design of the Summilux-M 90 f/1.5 ASPH. is at the cutting edge of lens technology, delivering outstanding levels of optical performance even at fully open aperture; in addition, its short telephoto focal length not only facilitates perfect portraits but also enables Available Light photography, while its minimum focus distance makes it possible to bring out intricate details for unique compositions.
The combination of the extremely shallow depth of field (which facilitates the three-dimensional isolation of the subject from the background) and a focal length that still allows the photographer to maintain a certain distance, clearly sets the Summilux-M 90 f/1.5 ASPH apart from classic portrait lenses.
have you forgotten the masterpiece, summilux 75mm f1.4? what a lens this is being near magical in display of details with such color.
I agree, great lens and I do tend to have an affinity with 75mm rather than 90mm. At one time I had both Summicrons but I found myself using 75mm much more than 90mm and eventually sold the 90mm.
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“..The combination of the extremely shallow depth of field (which facilitates the three-dimensional isolation of the subject from the background) and a focal length that still allows the photographer to maintain a certain distance, clearly sets the Summilux-M 90 f/1.5 ASPH apart from classic portrait lenses..”
It does? ..Silly me; I’d have thought that it wouldn’t look much different from the Canon 85mm f1.2 ..which is so easy to focus in any light just by half-squeezing the shutter button on any interchangeable-lens autofocus Canon.
Perhaps they mean “..clearly sets the Summilux-M 90 f/1.5 ASPH apart from classic Leica portrait lenses”.
It’ll be interesting to see how ‘clearly set apart’ it looks from the one-tenth-of-the-price Voigtländer 75mm f1.5. (I’ll just hurry and finish this little article for Macfilos about the differences between them and a few others..)
By all means do work on a comparison! I should just emphasise that those are Leica’s (marketing department’s) words and not mine.
I agree with you but the owner of this wants to put it on his Leica and not have to buy a plastic Canon or other camera to take pictures. I would buy it but my wife thinks I lack judgment. However, I am glad we have choices! Anyway, all manufacturers of even antiperspirant, are guilty of over zealous marketing departments so I will give Leica a break on the promotion front. I will not give them a break on their terrible service front – 5 months to fix out of box M240 rangefinder inaccuracy.
Sorry for disagreeing a bit, but my wife was late on giving me my niceness medication.
As much as the Voightlander 75/1.5 is a great value lens it will still not have a leica rendering much less than it is certainly not a 90mm.
Also it will not have build quality. I had my amazing Zeiss ZM 35/1.4 suddenly stop having great image quality ( gently used). I took it to a local competent camera repair place and they were astonished to find it had PLASTIC bushings. I complained to Zeiss and they gave me a new lens. The repair place told me that they expected this for Voightlander but were surprised by Zeiss. I am an engineer and enjoy craftsmanship. I know it silly but I an entitled to my eccentricity after 65 years and being married (yes dear) for 39 years. Anyway, the Leica will have secret sauce rendering which
I appreciate but one has to make choices unless you are blessed with a bulging bank account. Unfortunately i have a daughter that I like to help get out of the nest. Anyway, I am saving up for the Leica Thambar which almost everyone but discerning intellectuals love…..
Dear Brian,
Most ‘Zeiss’, and all ‘Voigtländer’, lenses are made in the same Japanese Cosina factory. Cosina has the contract with Zeiss to make and assemble the ‘Zeiss’-branded lenses ..hence your repair place expecting it, perhaps, of Voigtländer ..and hence, perhaps, ‘plastic’ bushings in your ‘Zeiss’-branded lens.
But ‘plastic’ covers a multitude of materials, and shouldn’t be necessarily derogative. We’ve a pair of ‘plastic’ bodied Zeiss binoculars at home, the artificial lens in my right eye is plastic (and behaves better than my natural lens did), and plastic ‘Teflon’ is great for bushings and guides, though my ‘plastic’ Canon(s) material is actually plastic-covered metal alloy ..rather like the plastic ‘Vulcanite’ on so many Leica bodies.
‘Plastic’ is often lightweight, can often bend instead of denting or fracturing, doesn’t usually degrade in the rain (but may in sunlight) and just imagine taking your goods home from the supermarket in an iron bag!
How do you focus this? It’s hard enough to nail focus with the F2.8 Elmarit-M 90mm.
If the answer is, “use the EVF”, then it’s not really a rangefinder lens, is it?
A lovely lens but not on my list as I find no need for that narrow of depth of field in a 90mm plus. However, it will be a lovely lens for those that have the skill to use it. I am surprised they did not do a 75 summilux first.