Focal Lenght: 90mm
Max Apeture: 4
Lens Mount: LTM / М39
Min. Focus: 1 m
Filter Size: 33mm (?)
Weight: Around 300 g
Coated: Yes
Preset Aperture
LENS STORY
I’ve spent almost a year, with photography taking a back seat in my life. I didn’t take that many photos, I didn’t buy or try many new lenses. The photos for this review took months. I wasn’t feeling it.
I got this lens in a bundle with a few other Leica lenses. All you could see on the ad was a leather bag and a sliver of a few silver cylinders visible. It was the color that piqued my interest. I dropped a note asking for photos of the lenses and got them. The price was extremelly low for what they were, so I asked the person to ship them. (He later said he got a ton of offers, but honored mine, since it was the first. Kuddos!)
It all arrived in really good condition and that’s how I got this lens!
HANDLING
It’s a tiny thing. Looking at it I can’t help, but think, this is a lens with a metal tube at the end of it. The back element is recessed waay back into the lens barrel.
Both finish, handling and build quality is really good, as expected. (Although this isn’t the priciest or most sough after Leitz lens.)
15 aperture blades is a nice surprise.
The only real issue with this lens is – if you have big hands it might not be the most comfortable. If you’re shooting it on a LTM leica, you’ll need a separate viewfinder.
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE
At the beginning of my journey with this lens, I wasn’t too impressed by it. It flared way too much, it was a weird type of soft wide open.
Adding on a hood improved things tremendously, reducing flare (especially wide open) by a ton.
With time I started appreciating the colors more and more, and in the end, that’s what I’ll remeber about this lens.
Bokeh was busy at times and I wouldn’t call it a strong suit for the lens, but the slightly softish rendition and nicely pastel-ish colors make it a good portrait choice.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even though it was a bumpy ride, I’ll remember this lens fondly. It was a fun experience overall and I had a blast using it for portraits.
It’s on the low spectrum in terms of pricing for Leitz lenses and if you’re looking for a small portrait lens, that doesn’t turn heads, but gets the job done – why not give the little Elmac 9cm a try?
