Leica Apo-Summicron-R 90 f/2 ASPH, SUMMILUX-R 80 mm f/1.4, APO-SUMMICRON-R 90 mm f/2 ASPH, APO-MACRO-ELMARIT 100 mm f/2.8 User Manual

Leica R-Lenses

August 2003
Chapter 2: 80 mm and 100 mm lenses

__ LEICA SUMMILUX-R 80 mm f/1.4
__ LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-R 90 mm f/2 ASPH.
__ LEICA APO-MACRO-ELMARIT 100 mm f/2.8

by Erwin Puts

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

1

In older textbooks about photographic techniques there is
much space devoted to the choice of a lens. At first one
should buy a 50mm lens and use it for an extended period of
time. Having learned the language of photography, one is pre­pared, and only then, to buy a second lens. The 90mm lens, or
as it was called when focal lengths were measured in centime­ters, the 9cm lens, was the next step. Having bought this lens
and after studying the laws of perspective, one was ready for a
wide angle lens. And finally a 135mm telelens could be conside­red. The first Leicaflex was introduced was only four focal
lengths (35-50-90-135) and this was done on purpose. Much of
what was known in the past, is still valid today. Lenses are like
persons. Only after a long period of companionship, the true
character can be seen and appreciated. A 90mm lens is a more
versatile tool than can be gleaned from the usual catalog des­cription (useful for landscapes, architecture, snapshots,
animals). The 'ninety' is a lens that enables you to really investi­gate the Leica style of photography. If you look at many pictu­res, you will discover that often the image works overloaded as
so many parts of the image ask for attention. A ninety millime­ter lens forces the photographer to a selective choice of sub­ject matter and thus to exploit the space provided by the quite
small negative format to its best. Selective enlargement should
be avoided as much as possible, as any additional magnifica­tion will degrade the optimum image quality. In this sense the
90mm is an excellent teacher

__Artistic reflections

The natural perspective is one where the viewing angle in natu­ral space is identical to the angle of view when looking at the
picture. The eye has a viewing angle that is close that of a fish­eye lens, but in practice the field of vision is much narrower.
Fundamental requirement for the correct perspective demands
that the eye should be positioned at the same location as the
entrance pupil of the lens. There is a simple equation that tells
you that the viewing distance (e) for the correct perspective
should be the focal length of the lens (f) times the negative
enlargement (v). As a formula: e = f times v. If you make a pictu­re with a 50mm lens and wish to look at the negative directly,
your eye should also be 50mm from the negative. But the mini­mum distance of distinct vision is 250mm and so the negative
must be enlarged 5 times. We need a 5x magnifying glass to
see the picture with the correct perspective. Or you should
enlarge the negative 5 times to a print to a size of 13x18cm.
The well known picture format of 10x15cm requires a 4 x enlar­gement and is too small. It implies that you will look at the pic­ture with an extended space perception. You look at the picture
with a wide angle perspective so to speak. When a format of
13x18cm is used and the picture is made with a 50mm lens,
then this 5 times enlargement will provide for a correct and
natural perspective. The picture format of 13x18cm has a dia­gonal with a length of 222mm and that is quite close to the
minimum distance of distinct vision of 250mm. The angle of

view is now about 50 degrees and this corresponds to the
angle of view of a 50mm lens (45 - 47 degrees). But this mini­mum distance is very often quite uncomfortable in many situa­tions. You may not be able to view the whole picture at once
without moving your eyes and the distance of 250mm is quite
short, if you are above 20 years old. Many studies have found
that he most comfortable viewing distance is twice the value of
the minimum distance. If you want to keep the natural perspec­tive, you need a lens with a focal length that is twice the value
of the diagonal of the negative format, thus 2 x 43mm. A focal
length of 86mm, then would be the ideal lens. This somewhat
surprising conclusion can be supported by the following obser­vations. The focal length of 90mm is often described as the
best for portraiture. This is true, but why? Let us make a head
and shoulder portrait at a distance of 2 meter with a 100mm
lens, and enlarge this negative to a print size of 13x18cm. The
formula tells us that we need to look at the picture from a
distance of 5 x 100mm, or 50cm. If we now take the same pic­ture with a 50mm lens at one meter distance, the viewing
distance should be 25cm. But we look at the portrait often at a
distance from 50cm as this is more comfortable. Then we look
at the portrait with a wide angle perspective and the impact of
the image will be different from that taken with the 100mm
lens.

Perspective is independent from the focal length. If we photo­graph a subject from the same position with a 28mm lens and a
300mm lens, the perspective is not changed, only the rate of
magnification. We can verify this, when we enlarge the 28mm
picture ten times. Let us now compare both pictures and we
see that they are both identical in size and perspective (depth
cues). The vertical angle of view of the 28mm lens is 46
degrees and that of the 300mm lens is 4.6 degrees. The vie­wing distance for the enlargement of the negative with the
28mm lens is 28cm (10 times 2,8cm) and for the (not enlarged)
picture with the 300mm lens it is 30cm (1 times 30cm).
If we take pictures with lenses of different focal lengths at diffe­rent distances to keep the size of the main subject at equal
size, the perspective will change of course. The perspective for­mula tells that the perspective impression is only then a natural
one, if the viewing angle of the camera in space is the same as
the viewing angle of the eye at the picture. You can ensure this
when you carefully adjust these three important aspects: enlar­gement factor, viewing distance and focal length. This is true
also when you project slides. The choice of the focal length
should always take into consideration the expected enlarge­ment factor and the normal viewing distance. It cannot be a
coincidence that the 90mm lens was very popular with expe­rienced photographers. And Leica has always offered a wide
selection of 90mm lenses, carefully tuned to different tasks. It
might be a fine exercise to use the 90mm exclusively for one
month and enlarge all pictures to a size of 13x18cm. The vie­wing distance should be about 50cm. Then you really get used
to the correct perspective. A portrait taking with a 90mm has a
'flatter' perspective that is 'flattering' for the sitter.

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

2

__Optical considerations

Within the R-System we have three lenses with a focal length
between 80 and 100mm. Every lens has its special use and
character. We will look at first at the optical properties. Almost
every high speed lens with focal lengths from 35 to 100mm are
derived from either the Sonnar or Biotar basic form. The num­ber of lens elements ranges from 5 to 8. With this amoint of
options the optical designer has an abundance of choices.

Basically the following options exist:

- split a lens in two single lenses
(distribution of refractive powers)

- create a single lens as a compound of two lenses

- change the refractive index of the glass types

- use aspherical surfaces

- split a compound element in two separate elements

- use glass types with anomalous dispersion

The optical designer can use all of these options in any combi­nation to design a lens that delivers optimum performance
according to his set of standards.

The Summilux-R 1:1.4/80mm (from 1980) has the construction
we already know from the Summilux-M 1.4/50 from 1961.
Three single lenses before the aperture and two compound lens
groups behind the aperture. Leitz used two versions of this
design: the last group is constructed as a compound doublet or
as two separate single elements. For high speed lenses the
compound version is better suited, if this group is designed as a
new achromat. It is in fact remarkable how well this design has
served the demands of generations of users. Even from todays
elevated demands we can evaluate the performance as outst­andingly good. With some effort you may detect in the design
the vestiges of a Double-Gauss lens.

A true Double-Gauss design we find in the Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R
1:2.8/100mm. Here we have a six element construction with
two separate thick elements at the rear end. As with the 60mm
macro lens, the computation is designed for universal usage.
When focusing the lens, the whole front lens with six elements
moves and the rear group is stationary. The apochromatic cor­rection is very important when slides or negatives need to be
magnified substantially. The disturbing color fringes are elimi­nated, because of the reduction of the secondary spectrum.
The apochromatic correction is often restricted to the long
focus lenses as the chromatic errors grow proportionally with
the focal length. It was a remarkable decision by Leitz to
employ this correction type in a lens with a focal length of
100mm. The optical qualities have not been surpassed to this
date, although we have some others who are quite close in per­formance. With the 100mm lens, you can take pictures at a
magnification of 1:2 without supplementary tools and still keep
some distance from the subject. The image quality is equally
high at close ups and at infinity. The special construction with
the two thick rear lenses is partly responsible for this behavior.
The use of special glasses with anomalous dispersion helped
the apochromatic correction substantially. The optical design
gas been optimized for the specified task, especially the homo­geneous quality level over the whole distance range. The first
version of the Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 1:2.8/100mm used a
mount with a double thread, later changed to a single thread, as
the previous mechanism created a less smooth movement.
(from serial number 3469285)

The first Summicron-R 1:2/90mm has been introduced in 1970
and has held the flag for this classical focal length during 30
years. It is a five element design from the Midland optical con­struction department. It has some reminiscence to the Sonnar
design. The system is nose heavy as most elements are in front
of the aperture. The performance is good, but the Summilux-R
is as good and has twice the speed to illuminate the negative
area.

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

3

The Summicron-R 1:2/90mm displays the typical veil of soft
flare over the whole image at full aperture, that is the characte­ristic of almost every high speed lens of the older generation.
The typical use of the 90mm as a portrait lens could serve as
an explanation and defense of this behavior. The soft reproduc­tion of image details and subject outlines created a more
friendly image of most faces of the sitters. But one did the
90mm lens an injustice as it restricted its potential universal
use.

The current Apo-Summicron-R 1:2/90mm ASPH (2002) raised
the level of optical quality substantially. The size is very com­pact and almost equal to that of the current Summilux-R
1:1.4/50mm. Based on size it can be classified as a standard
lens. The optical quality is superb and a revelation. The aspheri­cal surface is grinded by CNC-equipment in a lengthy and ela­borate way. Grinding and finishing takes many hours per ele­ment and is so time consuming because of the many
inspections and checks during the manufacture. If a lens is
manufactured with such accuracy, you need a very careful
assembly. The Leica-typical construction with metal parts of
exact dimensionality is a necessary condition for a high quality

product. This aspherical surface with a large diameter and com­plex shape has to be assembled with utmost care to ensure
that the theoretical capabilities can be practically available.
The optical construction shows a five single elements, and the
first surface of the third lens has the aspherical shape. True
mastery can be seen in this elegant design. Some time ago one
needed seven or eight lens elements and could not get this high
performance. The low number of elements, the choice of glas­ses for transparency and color transmission, the effective type
of coating, all work together to provide the remarkably clear
and crisp rendition. The image quality is very, even at full aper­ture and veiling glare and secondary reflections are absent. If
you take pictures with the sun, directly shining into the front
lens, some aperture reflections can not be avoided.

This layout may be indicative for new designs from Solms. The
classical design with seven or eight elements may be in its final
stage. The current demands have become too high, especially
in relation to the new method of digital capture.

__Three lenses of medium focal length

These three lenses do not only differ in their effect on perspec­tive but also in their performance at full aperture. Everyone of
these lenses could be described as a general purpose lens, with
exception of the special macro facilities of the Apo-Macro­Elmarit. The angles of view are close together with 30, 27 and
25 degrees. In reality the differences are bigger. If we take a
picture of a person and a face in vertical format, the subject
distances are as seen in the table below.

Person 1.76 Meter

6.57 Meter

2.08 Meter

1.86 Meter

7.33 Meter

Summilux-R 80 mm f/1.4
Apo-Summicron-R 90 mm f/2 ASPH.

Face 50 cm

Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 mm f/2.8

7.93 Meter

2.25 Meter

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

4

At these distances the image size of the person is always the same, but the background is clearly different and has its pictorial
effect on the subject. For formatfilling figure photography, the 100mm is a bit uncomfortable as the distance to the person is quite
large and here the 80 or 90 are better suited. The most important selection criterion is the performance wide open. In the next
table I have compared the three lenses in this respect.

Aperture 1,4 Aperture 2,0 Aperture 2,8

Summilux-R 80 mm f/1.4

Medium contrast, some flare.
In the center good resolution,
in the outer zones medium
resolution, some astigmatism
is visible.

Medium contrast, low flare.
In the center very good resolu­tion, in the outer zones good
resolution, some astigmatism
is visible.

High contrast.
In the center very good resolu­tion, in the outer zones good
resolution with some softness,
astigmatism is very faint.

Apo-Summicron-R 90 mm f/2

ASPH.

High contrast, very high edge
sharpness, high resolution
from center to edge.

Very high contrast, very high
edge sharpness, very high
resolution from center to edge.

Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 mm

f/2.8

Very high contrast, high edge
sharpness, very high resolution
from center to edge.

This evaluation is based on very severe conditions. The testsli­des were enlarged to a size 0f 2.40 meter, that is a magnifica­tion of 66 times. Under these conditions, even the minutest
error can be seen, especially as the observer is close to the
screen, where he should not be to be honest! The Summilux-R
shows some characteristics, that are not visible at all at smaller
magnifications. From aperture 2.8 all three may be considered
equal in image quality. The performance of the Summilux is in
absolute terms excellent and should be related to the very high
speed. It is not always the case that a very high speed lens can
be compared favorably to a dedicated macro lens of stunning
performance.The MTF graphs are very informative for the
appreciation of optical performance. These graphs show the
maximum resolution of 40 Lp/mm. That is more than needed
for most picture assignments. The new Digital Back for the
R8/9 has a theoretical resolution of 75 Lp/mm. It is interesting
to know if these lenses meet the requirements.
The Summilux-R reaches at full aperture a value of 100 Lp/mm
in the center of the image and 40 to 50 Lp/mm in the outer
zones. The edge is weak with 16-25 Lp/mm. At aperture 2
these values may be raised by +10 Lp/mm and at 2.8 we have
a center resolution of above 100 Lp/mm and in the outer
zones above 70 Lp/mm. The Apo-Summicron-R ASPH at full
aperure has a value of above 100 Lp/mm over the full image
area, excepting the corners where we still have a stunning 50

Lp/mm. On the optical axis we even see more than 150
Lp/mm. From 2.8 we have a uniform resolution of more than
100 Lp/mm with the edge now at 80 Lp/mm. The Apo-Macro­Elmarit-R has the same values as the 90mm lens at aperture

2.8.

Overall we may declare that all three lenses can exploit the high
resolution of the future digital back and they even have some
reserve capacity.

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

5

With 700 grams the Summilux-R has somewhat less weight
than the Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R. The discussion whether mass
does support the stability of the lens will presumably never end.
But a high mass also asks energy from the photographer to sup­port the weight and this may counteract the stabilizing effect of
mass. You need to hold the lens immobile for a longer period.
The Summilux-R has been classified as a ultra-high speed
reportage lens. The brightness of the focusing screen is very
high, indeed and the focusing is fast and accurate. The speed of
focusing can be improved when you pre-focus at the anticipated
distance and move the camera slightly to and from the subject
for fine tuning,without larger focusing movements. The true
focus snaps into position on the bright screen.

Distortion is surprisingly low with only 0.2% and is even suitable
for architectural photography.

Vignetting is relativley high with 2.5 stops as a measured value.
In practical use, these values should be treated with some
caution. Even landscape pictures with clear sky show only a
slight darkening in the corners.

__ LEICA SUMMILUX-R 80 mm f/1.4

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5.6

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Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

6

At aperture 1.4 the overall contrast is medium, as can be seen
from the graph, where the low frequencies are below 95%. The
important 20 Lp/mm are clearly defined with 60% in the center
and 40% in the outer zones. The edge sharpness is a bit soft as
can be seen from the low position of the line for the 40Lp/mm.
High contrast scenes with many light sources and deep shadow
areas are reproduced with a slight veil of softness, but quite
low halo around bright spots. You will use the wide aperture of

1.4 to capture scenes in low light situations that are intere­sting, moving or informative-documentary in character. For this
kind of photography, the Summilux is eminently suited. The per­formance wide open is better than can be captured on modern
high speed emulsions . Stopped down to 1:2 the overall con­trast improves visibly, as internal reflections are effectively
reduced.

Aperture 2.8 again improves contrast and now performance in
the center is very high. In the outer zones the quality lags a bit
behind, but for this type of photography that is not so impor­tant. Here you should look at the 20 Lp/mm as the guiding line.

0 5 10 15 20

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Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

7

Aperture 5.6 can be regarded as the optimum. The edges stay a
bit soft in the definition, but you need a high magnification to
discern this. In the center of the image where the main subject
or action is being located, very fine textures are reproduced
with crispness.

The MTF graphs should be studied with some caution. You can
overrate the values that are displayed. I have made comparison
pictures with all three lenses at all apertures on ISO100 slide
film. The distinctive differences as described above, can be
seen only when the magnification is 20 times or more. You
should also take care of your photographic technique. Wrong
focusing distance and a slight movement of the camera create
more loss in the picture quality than the inherent optical cha­racteristics. The unsharpness gradient is quite pleasing and
adds to the impression of depth and space. Specular highlights
are reproduced with finely nuanced hues and that again impro­ves the plasticity of the image.

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[%]

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

8

__ LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-R 90 mm f/2 ASPH.

Since Photokina 2002 the R-photographer can deploy an optical
crown juwel. Every lens line from every manufacture is built up
from lenses with differing characteristics, performance levels
and deployment possibilities. There is not one manufacturer
where all lenses exhibit identically high performance. The rule
is still valid that a lens has to be designed with a large set of
requirements that are often conflicting an every designer has
his own ideas about what should be the best solution for a
given task. Anyway, sometimes we have a lens that is very diffi­cult to fault and seems to show a very happy synthesis of requi­rements. The Apo-Summicron-R 1:2/90mm ASPH is such a
lens. It is really difficult to criticize this lens.

At full aperture the performance is already as good as that of
the Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 1:2.8/100mm at aperture 2.8. For an
aperture of 1:2 this is a most remarkable feat. More important
perhaps is the transparency of the colors and the clarity of the
details. Extremely fine details are reproduced with very good
crispness from center to edge. The 40 Lp/mm have an average
contrast value of 60%, and there is no race of astigmatism of
coma in the outer zones. The previous version of the Summi­cron 90mm had a contrast of 30% for the same 40 Lp/mm. A
doubling of the contrast of the fine textural details is more than
just visible: it is a new experience for high speed lenses. Stop­ped down the performance improves only slightly.

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Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

9

The graphs for 2.8 and 5.6 indicate an improvement for the
20Lp/m and the 40Lp/mm, but the jumps are quite small.
Compare the jumps in performance of the Summilux. The resi­dual aberrations of the Apo-Summicron are already so low at
full aperture that stopping down only improves the depth of
field. At smaller apertures the internal reflections are reduced

and the extreme edge rays are blocked. If you look carefully,
you may see the result of the diffraction at aperture 5.6: the
overall contrast for the 5Lp/mm is slightly reduced compared
to the values at 2.8.

Distortion is low with 1% but may be visible on critical inspec­tion and suitable subjects. The Summilux is better here.

0 5 10 15 20

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Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

10

Vignetting amounts to 2 stops wide open, but can already be
neglected at 2.8, and is even lower than that of the Apo-Macro­Elamrit at 2.8. The apochromatic correction is effective from
aperture 1:2 and can be seen from the non existant color frin­ges at high contrast edges. Still the correction is not perfect. At
very steep black-white borders (and color-white or color/black
borders) a very small color fringe can be detected, but only
just and in high magnification. The unsharpness gradient is not
as smooth as can be seen with the Summilux 80mm. Some vei­ling glare can be detected in strong back light and large areas
of sky that work as a light box. At distances below 1.5 meter
the definition of very fine structures sof tens a bit at the wider
apertures. Stopping down to 5.6 will save the day. Using the
Apo-Extender-R 2x, you get a very fine 4/180mm lens, that
should be stopped down to smaller apertures at distances
below 2.5 meter for best quality.

These remarks should not be interpreted as nitpicking. As
tester you simply stumble across some limits, how far off they
may be, and these should be noted. The Apo-Summicron-R
1:2/90mm ASPH is a superb lens in any sense of objectivity,
that beraks all previous limitations. With a weight of 520 grams
and a small size it may be sen as the ideal standard lens.

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Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

11

There are persons who always seem to operate at maximum
efficiency, show a uniform performance, never get angry and
never say never. Such persons you meet only once in a lifetime.
You may jealous of such a person. Some lenses have this cha­racter too. The Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 1:2.8/100mm is such a
lens. In direct comparison to the Apo-Summicron-R 1:2/90mm

ASPH, the maximum aperture is slower by a stop, the perfor­mance over the entire distance range uniformly high. These
parameters define the choice. If the near focusing range
(1 meter to 20cm) is not important, the Apo-Summicron-R is the
better choice (better ergonomics, less weight and more speed).

__ LEICA APO-MACRO-ELMARIT-R 100 mm f/2.8

Chapter 2

Leica R-Lenses

12

At aperture 2.8 the performance is uniformly high: high con­trast and clarity of details are even better than what you expect
from medium format systems and this verdict indicates the pre­ferred domain of the 100mm. On tripod and with carefully
selected emulsions, the R-System reaches distinctive studio
quality. The MTF graphs indicate the performance potential.
The 5,10 and 20 Lp/mm are at all apertures equally high. At 5.6
you note the unavoidable effect of diffraction. Only the best
lenses can 'suffer' from diffraction at this aperture. The 40
Lp/mm, responsible for the reproduction of the fine details and
the crispness of the subject outlines, show an interesting shape
of the curve. At apertures of 5.6 and 8 the shape bulges out a
bit. This is the result of some focus shift. When you stop down a
lens, the rays at the edges are blocked and the plane of best
focus shifts a little bit. Often this shift will be compensated
with a correction state that plays out third and fifth degree
spherical aberration. But then contrast drops a bit too at full
aperture.

The Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R has hardly any spherical aberration
and already a high contrast at full aperture. Then you will see a
slight focus shift more easily. You should also look at the
design with the two thick single lenses at the rear. The front
group (six elements) moves in relation to the rear group (two
elements). Tis is not the same mechanism as with zoomlenses,
but a kind of internal focus mechanism. This is also responsible
for a slight reduction of focal length at the 1:1 macro position:
the focal length is here 92mm. You will hardly notice it.

The Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R is one of the very few lenses that per­forms at its best already at full aperture and does not improve
on stopping down.

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Chapter 2

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13

The distortion is close to zero, and the lens can be used with
good effect for architecture and reproduction.

Vignetting is low with a drop of 0.7 stops. My comparison pictu­res indicate that in practical use the difference in light fall off
between one and two stops is less important visually than the
numbers seem to indicate. The apochromatic correction has
been described in the Summicrons ection and the same applies
here too. Without supplementary equipment the Apo-Macro­Elmarit-R reaches a magnification of 1:2. With the Elpro lens it
is possible to get to 1:1. This lens has been calculated specifi­cally for the Apo-Macro-Emarit-R. Still one will see a slight drop
in contrast at the wider apertures and when maximum magnifi­cation is required you could stop down to the middle and smal­ler apertures.

The Apo-Extender-2 creates a focal length of 200mm and an
aperture of 5.6. This is fine for emergency situations, but the
relatively small aperture will not give much pleasure.
You sometimes can read the statement that the Apo-Macro­Elmarit-R is too sharp for portraiture. I do not share this view.
The superb image quality already at 2.8 allows for a clear defi­nition of the finest modulation of color hues and brightness dif­ferences on film. This aperture has limited depth of field and
both effects work together to create images with high realism
and good depth impression. Paul Wolff and Renger-Patch would
love to use this lens!

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Chapter 2

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__To summarize

These three lenses are on the one hand very similar and on the
other hand represent very different worlds, optically and in
practicaluse. The best optical performance we find with the
Apo-Summicron-R 1:2/90mm ASPH. If the close focusing abili­ty is not important, this should be the first choice, as the 90mm
focal length gives the most natural perspective and forces one
to concentrate on the photographic language. The performance
at 1:2 boosts the available-light photography with current high
speed films. The photographer who needs or wants to make
documentary and emotional pictures at very wide apertures
and expects excellent quality in all lighting situations and at
smaller apertures should look at the Summilux-R 1:1.4/80mm.
Versatile usability, outstanding performance at all apertures
and distances till 1:1 are the specifics of the Apo-Macro-Elma­rit-R 1:2.8/100mm. It has not the best ergonomics, but has
excellent built-quality and is capable of amazingly good pictu­res when using a tripod and medium speed films.