For anyone looking for information on the older 90mm tele-elmarit M lens, the LHSA has this previously print-only article in their web site now. Take a look at the link below for the story and several photos:

90mm info

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), November 09, 2001

Answers

Al: Thanks for the information on the 90. I have been looking for good information on this lens since I have one and only rarely use it. Maybe this article will prompt me to take it out of hiding and actually make some photographs with it.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), November 09, 2001.

Thanks Al, good article.

I don't view the M as a telephoto camera, but sometimes it would be nice to have some "reach" as they say. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of going with a late model "thin" Tele-Elmarit". Small is good in the Leica world, for sure. Maybe I'll start watching Ebay for the right sample...

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), November 09, 2001.

4 or 5 years ago, people were practically giving away the tele elmarit, as the performance of the current Elmarit 90 was given to be superior. Now it seems everyone is looking at the smaller TE again, as prices for nice ones on EBAY have been reaching $600. The Leica mail order sellers have also knocked their prices up a couple hundred dollars from a few years ago as well. Take a look at this auction here.Expensive 90TE That's nearly as much as the current Elmarit goes for used. By the time you stick the needed IUFOO hood on the flare prone TE, I'm not sure it is that much more compact then the current Elmarit with the built in hood. Also, don't forget all the discussions about element seperation and front element pitting, as well. I'll keep my current Elmarit, and live with the extra few ounces.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), November 09, 2001.

Has anyone compared size and sharpness of the Voigtlander 90 f/3.5 to the Tele-Elmarit?

-- Bob (robljones@home.com), November 09, 2001.

I had a TE and found it very flare prone. I sold it and bought a Elmarit-M which has much better performance wide open and does not flare. It is bulkier and heavier but it makes better negs and that is what really matters.

I was disappointed in the article as it mentioned none of the faults of the TE. Haze and rear element problems, which cannot be repaired, are not uncommon and deserved to be discussed.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), November 09, 2001.

The thin 90/2.8 TE is a controversial lens, as is evident in the archives of the various Leica forums, but this article doesn't really address that. Anyone considering this lens should be made aware of the problems some of them have exhibited. Most users seem to be happy with the last ones produced in the 80's, but reviews are all over the place for earlier ones. Also, I mentioned this in an earlier TE discussion, but forgive me for repeating: I don't think small and light is necessarily an advantage for hand-held photography with a telephoto. The tiny lens is great in your pocket or bag, but there's a trade-off when it's on the camera, IMHO---the larger and heavier Elmarit-M is easier to hold steady at lower shutter speeds. The VF article soft- pedals the flare issue, but it is significant for many users.

-- Tim Nelson (timothy.nelson@yale.edu), November 09, 2001.

Speaking of which...

I'm going to take delivery on my NOS Tele-Elmarit next week but I want to get ahold of the 12575 hood. Anyone know of places to source out such an item besides Don Chatterton? (already tried him out).

-- John (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), November 09, 2001.