Leica Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8

Leica Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8

Among Leica's short telephotos, the Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 stands out for being unusually compact, and the version produced from 1974 is the one collectors usually mean when they refer to the "thin" Tele-Elmarit [1][2]. At 68 mm long, 52 mm in diameter and 225 g, it is far smaller and lighter than the 90mm Summicron of the same era, which is the main reason photographers continue to seek it out as a portable portrait and detail lens for the M system[3]. The "Tele" in the name reflects a true telephoto construction, in which the optical length is shorter than the focal length, an approach Leica did not apply to its other 90mm lenses of the period.

The lens uses a four-element, four-group design with all elements air-spaced rather than cemented, a layout credited to designers including Walter Mandler and developed at Leitz. It carries a 10-blade diaphragm with half-stop clicks, a 39 mm filter thread, and focuses to one metre, and it is fully rangefinder coupled through the M bayonet. Handling is conventional for a Leica M lens of the era: a damped focus ring with a relatively short throw and a positive, audible aperture ring, though some users note the aperture action feels lighter and less smooth than on older brass-barrelled Leitz lenses. As a non six-bit-coded lens, it requires manual lens selection or coding on modern Leica digital bodies.

The four-element Tele-Elmarit-M succeeded the earlier five-element, five-group "fat" Tele-Elmarit, and the two are easy to tell apart: the later lens has a slimmer black anodised aluminium barrel with a straight-line grip, a 10-blade diaphragm, and engraving reading TELE-ELMARIT-M 1:2.8/90 with either LEITZ LENS MADE IN CANADA or MADE IN GERMANY. The majority were produced at Leitz Canada, with German examples also made. All examples share the order number 11800.

Optical qualities

Rendering The thin Tele-Elmarit-M is single coated and generally described as sharp and contrasty even wide open, with a compact rendering that suits portraits and travel work. Distortion is negligible, amounting to a very small amount of pincushion.

Flare resistance Flare is the most frequently cited weakness. The design's small image circle is reported to make it prone to flare, which is part of why Leica supplied a relatively large dedicated hood; some accounts also mention internal flocking on later copies to reduce stray light. Because much of the available information comes from forum discussion rather than controlled testing, it can be difficult to separate inherent flare from haze on a neglected sample.

Collector and user notes A recurring concern is haze forming on the rear element, which is described in collector discussion as difficult or impossible to clean because of the lens's construction, so the condition of the rear glass is worth checking carefully.

History

Development and Launch Leica introduced the four-element Tele-Elmarit-M to replace the earlier five-element Tele-Elmarit, continuing the goal of a 90mm that was markedly smaller and lighter than the contemporary Summicron while keeping the f/2.8 maximum aperture. The optical work is attributed to a Leitz design team that included Walter Mandler.

Production Evolution The lens was built largely at Leitz Canada, with examples also produced in Germany, and the country of manufacture appears in the front engraving. Over its life Leica is reported to have made detail changes such as interior flocking to address flare, and the lens has been offered both uncoded and, on later examples, with six-bit coding for digital M bodies.

Special editions A small commemorative run of the lens was produced for Leica's 1913 to 1983 anniversary, reportedly limited to around 200 units and carrying the standard 11800 order number. Beyond that anniversary batch, no widely documented factory special finishes of this particular version are commonly recorded.

Collector Notes Buyers should distinguish the "thin" four-element Tele-Elmarit-M described here from the earlier "fat" five-element Tele-Elmarit, since the two differ in size, optical formula, blade count and barrel style. The most important originality and condition checks are the rear element for the known, hard-to-remove haze and the glass generally for cleaning marks, while verifying the country-of-manufacture engraving and whether a given example is six-bit coded. The correct dedicated hood is worth seeking, both because the lens benefits from it against flare and because original accessories add to collector value.