Leica Tele-Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 "Fat"

Leica Tele-Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 "Fat"

When Leitz wanted a 90mm lens that could ride inside an ordinary case rather than protruding from the camera, the answer was a genuine telephoto computation rather than a long symmetrical design. The Tele-Elmarit 90mm f/2.8, introduced in 1964 and sold alongside the larger and longer Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 of the period, used a true telephoto layout so that the physical barrel is shorter than the focal length [1]. Leitz marketing leaned into this compactness, and the lens was pitched as a small companion to the standard 90mm Elmarit at the same price, intended above all to keep the kit portable. The nickname "Fat" is retrospective collector shorthand, used only to distinguish this first version from the much slimmer Tele-Elmarit-M ("thin") that replaced it in 1974.

Optically the lens is a five-element design in five groups, credited to Walter Mandler and produced at the Leitz facility in Midland, Canada[2]. It is single-coated, with the characteristic magenta cast of coatings from that era. The aperture uses ten blades and runs from f/2.8 to f/16 with half-stop detents, and minimum focus is one meter. Focus travel from infinity to one meter covers roughly 180 degrees, which suits the rangefinder coupling well. The lens takes E39 screw-in filters and the snap-on 12575 hood (also catalogued as IUFOO). Unlike the contemporaneous Elmarit, the head of this Tele-Elmarit does not unscrew for Visoflex reflex use. It mounts on Leica M bodies and is reported to function on the full range of M cameras, with screw-mount examples existing for LTM bodies as well.

The first-version Tele-Elmarit was offered primarily in black, and the Leica Wiki also notes silver and titanium finishes among the variants recorded under order number 11800 and related catalogue numbers. Production ran from 1964 to 1974, and serial-number records compiled by collectors indicate a relatively limited output of fewer than about 14,400 lenses across that decade. Because the later "thin" Tele-Elmarit-M shares the same name, focal length, aperture, and order number 11800, buyers should identify this version by its noticeably larger barrel diameter and overall heft relative to the slimmer successor.

Optical qualities

Rendering Documented impressions describe a classic single-coated short telephoto that is gentle wide open and tightens up on stopping down. At f/2.8 the center is somewhat soft and lower in contrast, with softer edges; by f/4 the center reaches its optimum and overall contrast improves markedly, though far corners remain a little soft through f/5.6. Out-of-focus rendering is regarded as pleasant, with smooth, round blur circles from roughly f/4 to f/8. Distortion is described as effectively absent, and corner falloff is reported as negligible on a full-frame digital body. As a single-coated optic, it has fewer anti-reflection layers than modern multicoated lenses, which is a factor to weigh against strong light sources.

History

Development and Launch The Tele-Elmarit appeared in 1964 as the compact alternative within Leica's 90mm f/2.8 offering, joining rather than immediately replacing the standard Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 that had been introduced a few years earlier. The two were sold concurrently at the same price, with the Tele-Elmarit positioned for photographers who valued a smaller package, while Leitz suggested the larger Elmarit for the most demanding work. Both designs persisted until 1974.

Production Evolution This first-version lens was built in Canada throughout its run. In 1974 it was superseded by the redesigned Tele-Elmarit-M, the so-called "thin" version, which was lighter and more compact and which absorbed the role of both earlier 90mm f/2.8 lenses; that successor was made mostly in Canada with later production in Germany.

Collector Notes The most common point of confusion is the shared name and order number 11800 between this "Fat" first version and the later "thin" Tele-Elmarit-M; the two are most reliably told apart by size and weight, since the first version is the bulkier of the two. Sources differ slightly on a few figures: the Leica Wiki lists the optical layout as five elements in three groups and a rated weight of 355 g, whereas measured and cross-section data describe five elements in five groups and roughly 340 g, so prospective buyers may encounter conflicting published numbers. As with any single-coated lens of this age, internal haze and coating condition are worth checking, along with the correct snap-on 12575 hood and E39 filters when completeness matters.