Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/04/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Curt, > >Take a look at the 4-element f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit. It is about the size of >a 50mm Summicron, only slightly longer. This lens was made from about >1974-1990; as far as I know, they are all black and all Canadian. They >don't get any smaller than this. It should be the least expensive of the >f/2.8 90mm lenses, since it's realatively recent (but not current), not >too old and not especially rare. > >I traded one of these when I got a recent 90mm Summicon. I love the >Summicron, but sometimes I miss the small size and light weight of the >older lens. I was always very happy with the quality of this lens; I used >it for about 15 years. > >I was surprised at Leica's new f/2.8 90mm Elmarit-M; the Tele-Elmarit >offered a very different alternative to the Summicron if you didn't want >the speed; the new lens is almost the same size and nearly as heavy, so >between new 90mm lenses the only real issue is price. Perhaps the Leica marketing gurus know, that people like impressive-looking lenses (penis envy?) or it's just another "must have" lens. >There was an older, 5-element version of this lens, normally referred to >as the "fat" Tele-Elmarit. This is not considered to be as good as the >4-element version, and is somewhat bigger and heavier and is more >expensive because of collector interest. This lens looks kind of like an >elongated 50mm Summilux in shape; it's a fat cylinder that tapers at the >end. The "fat" lens had a removeable lens head; the 4-element lens has a >fixed head. Sorry, a hairsplitter: the " fat" Tele-Elmarit (chrome or black) was a true tele-construction with a fixed head as well. >The 1960s f/2.8 90mm Elmarit is also a pretty good lens; I have been >using the lens head of one on a Visoflex. It's quite a bit longer. I love this one and sometimes use the lenshead via a Novoflex LEIMAR adapter and Novoflex bellows on my Nikon from infinity to closeup. - -otto- otto w. rath, 504-633, northcliffe blvd. toronto on. M6E 3M3 canada (416) 783 5128