Re: [Leica] Portrait Lens: Summicron, Elmar, Elmarit

[D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>]

Bill Caldwell wrote:
>Dan and others:
>
>Dan, I agree with your observations and your use of an older Kodak Xenon
>50/2.8 lens on a 1954 Retina IIc for portraits.  Just returned from
>Italy, where I shot 30+ rolls of Portra 400VC & NC-36. One of the lens I
>was using is great for material (statutes, buildings, towers, with
>people in the background, etc.) shots, but not so great for just
>"people," and that is the APO f/2.8 100 mm Macro Elmarit-R (on a R7). 
>For my friends and shots of them (8 other couples) I really wish that I
>had had the f/4 100 mm Macro Elmarit-R that I had last year in France
>and Italy. 
>
>The f/4 100 mm Elmarit-R is a more "friendly" lens for close-ups as it
>does not show all the "blemishes."  The lens that does surprise me is
>the f/1.4 35 mm Summilux-M; it is very people friendly but probably
>because you are not quite as tight as the the 100 mm, and that the f/1.4
>allows you to obtain photos in very difficult shooting conditions. For
>"people" shots (especially over 30 years of age) the older lens are
>probably the better choice.  And no I don't want to use a filter to
>soften the APO f/2.8 100 mm.
>

Bill

I did not mention the 35 summilux purely on the grounds that I do not use
it for portraiture (i.e. head and shoulder shots).  Yes, as a "people lens"
it beats the Kodak Xenon and IMO is second to none.

Dan K.
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