Dan Kerin

 Leica 90mm F/2.8 Elmarit

Leica telephoto lenses can often be overlooked and while they can sometimes be more challenging to use on a rangefinder system Leica has made some stunning tele lenses over the years. Introduced both for the Leica screw mount and newly introduced M mount in 1959, the Leica 90mm f2.8 Elmarit is a short telephoto lens with a relatively fast aperture of f2.8. Up until this point, while Leica had been making 90mm’s they were f4 lenses which when shooting in lower light or with slower film does have its limitations. They did produce lenses such as the 85mm f1.5 Summarex and the 90mm f2.2 Thambar, but these were specialised lenses and only a few thousand were ever produced. The design of the 90mm Elmarit is very simple. Just fives elements in three groups. While this does mean the lens may suffer from some flaring or loss of contrast in direct sunlight (that I would soon find out) it does mean the lens can be very small measuring 94 x 53mm and only weighing 330g, making it a great travel lens. The lens also has 12 aperture blades which means when stopping down you get perfectly round bokeh balls!

The copy I was using was heavily used but I found the lens to be a great match on Leica M bodies. Where the older 90mm f4 Elmar lenses can sometimes feel a little small and out of place on a M body the Elmarit pairs very well and feels well balanced in the hands. Being an older Leica lens there are just full stop aperture stops which some may find to be limiting but as I usually use lenses from this era anyway it did not bother me. Using a 90mm on a Leica M isn’t as bad as many make it out to be. It does take some practice but I did not have any issues nailing focus even wide open.

Once I developed and scanned the negatives, I was very pleased with the results. This lens is a sharp and characterful lens that outperforms its mundane specification. When shooting stopped down I was amazed with the sharpness. You would not think this is a nearly 65 year old lens! When shooting wide open you do loose some of that sharpness but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it soft. What you do get though is buttery smooth backgrounds that just melt away from your subject. As alluded to above because of the simple design this lens does lack contrast but as with most other Dr Walter Mandler lenses I personally like this as it gives you a flatter image to work with and it is easier to increase contrast in development or the darkroom than trying to remove it. This being said there were a couple of instances where I was shooting a backlit subject and the contrast dropped dramatically. Newer lenses would not struggle as much in these conditions due to the modern coatings and more complex lens designs.

I think having a 90mm is a must in any Leica M photographers kit and while it won’t always be used there are times where having the extra reach really helps. I think the Elmarit is a sweet spot between size, weight and portability. While the 90mm Summicron is a portrait beast being an f2 lens it is almost double in weight and size and can take up a lot of space in your bag. Contrasting this the 90mm Elmar is super small light and compact but being an f4 lens can sometimes be limiting in certain situations. The Elmarit is a perfect goldilocks lens being in the middle. Due to this lenses age it can often be found for £300 or less depending on the condition. Unfortunately like with many Leica telephoto lenses it can be harder to find a good example but if it’s a lens which won’t be used all the time I would argue do you need a perfect copy?