Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 I

Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 I

Among modern Leica M telephotos, the Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 stands out for being collapsible, a trait it shares with almost no other lens of its generation. When retracted the barrel shortens dramatically for storage, and unlike older collapsible Leica lenses its extension tube does not intrude into the camera body, so it can be used without restriction on digital bodies such as the M8 and M9 [1]. Leica positions it as a compact long lens that, paired with the separate Macro-Adapter-M, gains close-focusing capability reaching a reproduction ratio of about 1:3[3]. It is among the smallest and lightest 90mm lenses Leica has offered for the M system.

The optical layout is a four-element, four-group telephoto design, meaning the physical barrel is shorter than the focal length. The aperture runs from f/4 to f/22 using a ten-blade diaphragm with click stops and intermediate half values, and the lens focuses to 0.77 m on its own, extending closer when the Macro-Adapter-M is fitted. It uses non-rotating E39 screw-in filters and couples to the rangefinder for normal use. The barrel is built from anodized aluminum on the black version and chrome-plated brass on the silver version, which accounts for the difference in weight between the two finishes.

The lens has been produced from 2003 onward and carries order numbers 11633 for the black version and 11634 for the silver, with a set including the Macro-Adapter-M sold under its own number. The actual focal length of each sample is engraved as two small digits rotated ninety degrees on the focus ring between the feet and meter scales, a Leica practice that aids precise focusing. A later barrel revision often called the "big top," introduced in 2014, uses a wider front section and a different entrance-pupil position but retains the same basic concept. The matching dedicated hood is the IUFOO (12575), which can be reversed for storage. Because the black and silver versions differ in material and weight while sharing the same optics, finish is the main practical distinction between the two catalogue numbers.

Optical qualities

Rendering The lens is single-coated and built on a simple long-focus telephoto formula, and reviewers describe it as very sharp across its range, on par with Leica's other modern 90mm lenses.

Bokeh and transitions Out-of-focus rendering is regarded as smooth and unobtrusive at the wider apertures, with soft-edged blur circles at f/4 and f/5.6.

Distortion and vignetting The telephoto construction introduces minor pincushion distortion, more than Leica's conventional long-focus 90mm designs but slight enough to go unnoticed in most images.

Digital use The collapsing mechanism does not protrude into the camera, so the lens can be mounted and used fully on digital M bodies including the M8 and M9 without restriction.

History

Development and Launch Leica introduced the Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 in 2003, reviving a long line of f/4 ninety-millimeter Leica lenses that stretches back to the original screw-mount Elmar of the 1930s and the later Elmar-C made for the compact CL. Earlier 90mm f/4 Elmars and the Elmar-C were rigid designs, which makes the modern Macro-Elmar-M the only collapsible 90mm in the family [2]. The new lens combined a compact collapsible barrel with optical performance described as exceeding the older 90mm lenses, while adding close-up capability through the optional Macro-Adapter-M.

Production Evolution The lens has remained in the catalogue with black anodized aluminum and chrome-plated brass finishes. In 2014 Leica introduced a revised barrel, commonly nicknamed the "big top," which changes the front of the lens and the entrance-pupil position while keeping the four-element optical concept.

Collector Notes Buyers should confirm which finish they are handling, since the aluminum black and brass chrome versions differ in weight despite identical optics. It is also worth verifying whether a given lens is the original barrel or the later "big top" revision, and whether the Macro-Adapter-M and the IUFOO hood are included, as the adapter is what unlocks the lens's close-focus and macro capability. The small engraved focal-length digits on the focus ring are a normal Leica feature rather than a defect.