XCD 90mm f3.2 and X2D

[pflower]

I bought the 45mm 3.5 along with the X1D when it was first announced and it has been my only XCD lens. I did buy the 21mm but it was too wide for what I do so sold it and put it towards buying an X2D.  I do have an old HC 80mm plus the adapter but it is cumbersome, no autofocus and my eyes are not great at hitting precise focus.

I have started to covet something longer - the original 90mm f3.2 is now available second hand at a pretty attractive price.  So anyone got any experience of this combo?  I don't need the (unobtainable and very expensive) new 90mm V and shoot mostly handheld landscape, street and cityscapes at around f5.6 to f8.  The IBIS on the X2D is great and the 90mm looks relatively light and compact.  So any observations anyone would care to share?

Thanks

[MGrayson]

I am a huge fan of the XCD 90/3.2. It is very sharp and has lovely bokeh. I don't find f/3.2 to be too small an aperture as I usually use it for cityscapes or landscapes.

I feel no desire for the XCD 90/2.5. If I had to buy a 90 today, it would be the older one.

However, the one feature lacking from the older XCD lenses is the manual focus ring. I find focus-by-wire to be a real pain for manual focusing, and, time permitting, I always check focus in magnified live view.

Matt

PS. My walk-around kit used to be 21/4, 45/3.5, 90/3.2. Now I can get lazy and just go out with the 28P, but I often regret it.

[tenmangu81]

I really love the 90 f/3.2, for its sharpness, bokeh, relative light weight, but I agree with Matt Grayson that the manual focus by wire is very cumbersome to use. However, AF works well, rather silently, and very precisely.
Actually, I use this lens very often, as it is a 71mm (about) FF equivalent, whereas I didn't use very much 85 or 90mm lenses with my FF cameras.

[pflower]

Curious how perceptions change.  I also use Sony A7rs and the 35mm Zeiss has basically been attached to the various bodies I have had permanently (although I also have the 55mm, 90mm and 20-70mm zoom).  Seldom change.  With the X1D I bought the 45mm and that has been my main and basic lens since the X1D was launched.

I did buy the 90mm f3.2 and have been kicking myself for not having gone that route earlier.  Optically it is great, AF is fine for my purposes but the revelation is that this is focal length that really opens up a range of possibilities that I hadn't noticed before.  I am having a great time with it.

[o2mpx]

Added the 90mm f3.2 and the 135mm f2.8 + the 1.7 teleconverter recently. Very happy with the legacy XCD lenses and not finding a need for the V lenses. Additionally, based on most comments, the newer lenses don't seem to perform better, other than being more light weight. Do have the 45p and the newer 28p with some occasional use.