Elmarit, Tele-Elmarit, "Fat" etc 90mm on M9

[rkglover]

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I do not think Ken Rockwell's information can be correct. My Tele Elmarit M was made in Germany and its serial number is 3378813.

 

I looked again at Rockwell's site and I suppose I should've quoted his disclaimer:

 

Notes

 

This is not exact.

 

Serial number blocks are reserved, and then lenses may or may not be made with these numbers.

 

Serial numbers after 2000 are less accurate.

 

Leica loves to do crazy things like pull out an old, discontinued design and make twenty of them in Persian Pink as a special order for the Sultan of Brunei to hand out as party favors. When Leica does this, you will find serial numbers disconnected from the normal run of a product.

[DwF]

Following lots of good input here, I have owned and used:

Elmarit 2.8

Fat Tele

Thin Tele

Elmarit M

Pre-Apo Summicron (the last version with built in lens hood and no tripod mount!)

 

They are all nice lenses in their own way. The Elmarit M is a fabulous lens and perhaps the only one that really excels wide-open. If you need the speed, the Elmarit M is best.

 

I have, after all was said and done, held on to my Thin-Tele because I like the size, it is pretty good at f3.5 and very sweet at f4.

 

Forgive me if I missed this in the thread here, but peculiar to this "thin" version of 90mm, the elements may be etched by the lubricant that comes off from the blades. Watch for that because it will render the lens optically unusable!

 

DwF

[Guest malland]

I bought a new thin Tele-Elmarit in 1988 and within a few years it developed the infamous "etching" on the back element that this lens was prone to owing, apparently, to the adhesive Leica used at the time. When I phoned Leica USA they said it couldn't be fixed and offered me a new Elmarit-90 at a very good price if I returned it to them. This was even though I had bought the lens in Hong Kong. I never liked the weight of the replacement lens and, although it was very sharp, I found it somewhat more "clinical" in look compared to the Tele-Elmarit, so I sold and eventually bought another Iused) Tele-Elmarit, which I think is an excellent portrait lens. One needn't fear buying one because, it's so many years since these lenses were manufactured that there is no longer that they will develop the etching if they have not done so to date, Here is a portrait shot at f/3.4 and a picture shot at f/8, both with the GXR M-Module and "developed" using the RPP (Mac only) raw developer that I swear by and wrote about on the Digital Post-processing Forum.

 

—Mitch/Bangkok

Tristes Tropiques? No, They Have a Strip Mall in Chiang Mai Too

[DwF]

I bought a new thin Tele-Elmarit in 1988 and within a few years it developed the infamous "etching" on the back element that this lens was prone to owing, apparently, to the adhesive Leica used at the time. When I phoned Leica USA they said it couldn't be fixed and offered me a new Elmarit-90 at a very good price if I returned it to them. This was even though I had bought the lens in Hong Kong. I never liked the weight of the replacement lens and, although it was very sharp, I found it somewhat more "clinical" in look compared to the Tele-Elmarit, so I sold and eventually bought another Iused) Tele-Elmarit, which I think is an excellent portrait lens. One needn't fear buying one because, it's so many years since these lenses were manufactured that there is no longer that they will develop the etching if they have not done so to date, Here is a portrait shot at f/3.4 and a picture shot at f/8, both with the GXR M-Module and "developed" using the RPP (Mac only) raw developer that I swear by and wrote about on the Digital Post-processing Forum.

—Mitch/Bangkok

Tristes Tropiques? No, They Have a Strip Mall in Chiang Mai Too

 

Thanks for that follow-up Malland -both on the condition of the Thin-Tele, and your story about Leica offering the newer lens at a discount. I have to agree that while I got some good results with the Elmarit M, it felt clinical to me as well. I figured it was just me, because that lens is so loved by Leica users. Nice portrait too!

 

DwF

[nelly]

I have a german late edition Tele-Elmarit 90mm 'thin' 342xxxx which I managed to find in perfect condition and I agree with other posters it is the perfect easy to travel with portrait lens and would never be without it.

[pelagia]

Thank you everybody for your inputs. I finally bought a "thin" Tele-Elmarit, made in 1987 (Germany), lately adjusted for M9 and 6-bit coded by Leica. Yesterday had the first photo session with it and I am very happy about the image quality of the lens. Ergonomically, I would have liked a coarser focusing ring for better grip, or even a focusing lever. Was happy to learn that the lens accepts the hood of my summicron 50. Have not tested yet against the light.

[lars_bergquist]

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A better hood (if the original is gone) is the 12575 that was introduced in 1956 and which is still the hood used with the Macro-Elmar. It can of course be ordered as a spare part. It is much deeper than a 50mm hood and gives better protection against stray light.

 

The old man from the Age of the 9cm Elmar

[algrove]

A better hood (if the original is gone) is the 12575 that was introduced in 1956 and which is still the hood used with the Macro-Elmar. It can of course be ordered as a spare part. It is much deeper than a 50mm hood and gives better protection against stray light.

 

The old man from the Age of the 9cm Elmar

 

Just as a follow-up to "the old man" comments, they are available at B&H in NYC. Not cheap though at US$125.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Personal Opinion is a funny thing. Recently I had a German tele-elmarit "thin" and a fat as well as a new Summarit. After owning all three for a couple of months I ended up keeping the Summarit I much preferred it over the older lenses, especially wide open.

 

Gordon

[ayewing]

Just as a follow-up to "the old man" comments, they are available at B&H in NYC. Not cheap though at US$125.

 

If that seems rather expensive you can get this Metal 39mm Screw-In Hood for Leica 90mm 135mm & Cap E39 | eBay if it is not regarded as sacrilege to attach a modern imitation to a Leica lens.

[algrove]

If that seems rather expensive you can get this Metal 39mm Screw-In Hood for Leica 90mm 135mm & Cap E39 | eBay if it is not regarded as sacrilege to attach a modern imitation to a Leica lens.

 

Agree the price is crazy. Just checked it again and it is US$179!! for a lens hood.

[gjames9142]

Agree the price is crazy. Just checked it again and it is US$179!! for a lens hood.

 

 

My Leica guy in Montreal just sold me a replacement hood for a V4 28 Elmarit that cost more than I care to tell anyone. He said it was his Robin hood.

[sblitz]

i know this thread is all about 90mm elmarit -- why not the 90mm summarit instead? something i am missing?

[algrove]

i know this thread is all about 90mm elmarit -- why not the 90mm summarit instead? something i am missing?

 

I believe this thread is about older, out of production 90's. Why not start a new thread on the Summarit?

[Double Negative]

I have - and reviewed the Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 lens. I totally lucked out and bought it almost two years ago, when it was still one of the biggest bargains in Leicaland - now it's getting quite pricey. First with the M8 and now the M9 and film, it just never disappoints. Small, compact and shares 46mm filters with other lenses as it's a common size. From wide open on down, it's very sharp and has a lovely bokeh. The built-in lens shade is icing on the cake. Great lens.

 

I thought about "upgrading" to the APO-Summicron-M 90mm f/2 ASPH but it's a huge jump in price, size, weight and uses E55 filters (of which I have none, nor plan to). While the extra stop in speed is tempting, I'm not convinced I'd gain that much more in ultimate IQ to make it all worthwhile.

 

I'm sticking with the Elmarit-M!

[asiafish]

I just bought aTele Elmarit-M (thin) and sure enough, it has very slight etching. The seller offered to refund half of the cost, which is enough to cover a full CLA so I decided to keep the lens, and off to Sherry Krauter it went.

 

Hopefully I'll get it back clean and nice, otherwise I'll just return it for the rest of what I paid (and be out the cost of the CLA).

[pfhrased]

If you check out a 90 2.8 it's worth checking for back/front focus or just getting it CLAd / 6bit coded.

The silver-chrome version is ridiculously heavy.

 

I ended up passing one up because I prefer the more modern rendering of the ASPH lenses, but if it focuses properly I can't see why it wouldn't be a good lens - everything else about it was wonderful.

[semi-ambivalent]

Any idea where the Made in Germany lenses serial numbers start?

 

Sun question answer, TOD, just TOD.

 

TOD - Definition by AcronymFinder

[egrossman]

I owned both the Elmarit with the slide out hood and the Summicron APO. The rendering of these lenses (for all intents and purposes) was nearly identical in terms of bokeh (except at f2 obviously). Clearly the APO was more corrected, but in everyday use for portraits the Elmarit one hands down. It's not quite as clinically sharp as the Summicron and hence more flattering for portraits. The Elmarit is also much easier to focus since it's a 2.8 lens.

 

In the end, I sold the APO and haven't looked back.

 

Erik

 

If you check out a 90 2.8 it's worth checking for back/front focus or just getting it CLAd / 6bit coded.

The silver-chrome version is ridiculously heavy.

 

I ended up passing one up because I prefer the more modern rendering of the ASPH lenses, but if it focuses properly I can't see why it wouldn't be a good lens - everything else about it was wonderful.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Adrian Lord]

Another vote for elmarit m 2.8 here. Got a lovely user this week with perfect glass and well worn in ergonomics and cosmetics. It's a stress - free lens.