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Leica 90mm f/4 Macro-Elmar-M

MTF

Performance is hardly a nudge away from peak performance wide open at f/4.

Stopping down to f/5.6 does improve matters slightly (as well as reducing vignetting) and providing some depth of field as a buffer against slight focus errors and/or subject matter not quite in a geometric plane. Going to f/8 reduces central contrast in a minor way, but maintains corner performance and improves it ever so slightly.

Peak micro contrast (40 lp/mm, lowest line pair) is eminently consistent across the frame, but it does not reach the peak ~80% level of many M lenses, hovering rather around 70%. This is still outstanding, and very similar to the Zeiss Milvus 100mm f/2, but not in the same class as the Zeiss Otus 85mm APO-Planar. Moreover mild color fringing does exert a drag on outer-zone performance.

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Diglloyd Guide to LEICA contains in-depth coverage of Leica M system cameras and lenses, with additional coverage of Leica M Monochrom, Leica Q.

Special emphasis is placed on Leica M lenses and certain Zeiss ZM lenses.

  • Make better images by learning how to get the best results right away.
  • Save money by choosing the right lens for your needs the first time, particularly the Summilux/Summicron/Elmarit choice and/or Zeiss ZM.
  • Make better images, a sort of “cheat sheet” saving yourself months or years of ad-hoc learning. Processing parameters are discussed and shown.
  • Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops [past 2 years or so].
  • Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
  • Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
  • Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.

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