The Leica M system has several great portrait lenses. The Leica Macro Elmar 90mm f4, however, is often overlooked. While it doesn’t have the f2 of the Summicron, this 90mm is incredibly tiny, focuses in closer, and comes in a little less expensive. The build is a bit different than most M mount lenses, with a collapsable design that also helps the lens achieve infinity focus.

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Macro photographers will need to play close attention to that spec sheet, however. The lens needs the macro adapter to get in real close. Even then, the lens has only 1:2 reproduction ratio. What the Leica Macro Elmar 90mm really excels in, however, is portraits. I shot a portrait session with this 90mm lens, and here’s what I found.

Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Focus

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Bokeh

Sharpness

Lens Character

Color Rendering

Extra Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Macro in the name of Leica Macro Elmar 90mm is a bit misleading. But, even without the macro adapter, this lens is a great portrait tool with marvelous color and beautiful yet controllable flare. It’s also super tiny and incredibly well built.

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Pros and Cons

Pros

Compact and lightweight

Compatible with macro adapter

Easy to lock in focus

Focuses close enough for headshots, making it a great portrait option

Great color

Sharp centers

Beautiful, controllable flare

Cons

Reproduction ratio is only 1:6.7; a macro adapter is needed for 1:2

Collapsible design and push pull focus means a little more to learn

Softer edges

No weather sealing

Expensive

Gear Used

I used the Leica Macro Elmar 90mm with the Leica M10R and a Leica UVa II filter. I did not use the macro adapter with this lens.

Innovations

The Leica Macro Elmar 90mm is the M-mount system’s smallest 90mm lens. Longer focal lengths and metal lenses tend to be heavy and large. But this 90mm weighs just over eight ounces and only takes up about two inches of real estate in a camera bag.

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Tech Specs

Lensrentals lists the following tech specs for the 90mm f4:

Angle of View27°AutofocusManual Focus OnlyBrandLeicaDiameter2.3″DimensionsLength: 2″Filter Size39.0mmFocal Length90.0-90.0Groups/Elements4/4Hood IncludedYesImage StabilizationNoItem TypeLensLens TypeNormal RangeMax Aperture4.0Maximum Reproduction Ratio1:6.7Minimum Aperture22.0Minimum Focusing Distance2.6feetMountLeica MWeight0.5 lb.

Ergonomics

When I first pulled the Leica Macro Elmar 90mm out of the box, I thought they had sent me the wrong lens. Surely, the tiny metal lens must not be a telephoto. I was wrong — Leica has indeed managed to fit a mid-telephoto focal length into a lens that folds down to just over two inches long. The lens is also narrow and doesn’t widen from the size of the M-mount itself. Despite a metal build, it weighs just a touch over eight ounces.

The Leica Macro Elmar 90mm is collapsible. This is both for size reasons and function, as pushing the lens back in slightly allows the lens to focus at infinity. The front of the lens pulls out, exposing a thumb-width of a metallic silver barrel. The lens can then be locked in this position with a clockwise turn to the front.

The front of the lens accepts 39mm filters. Moving the front of the lens towards the mount, the tiny aperture ring is just as narrow as the metal edges of a Leica filter. The ring turns with a satisfying click. It’s easy to use, so long as you remember to twist-lock the front of the lens so that doesn’t also try to turn when adjusting the aperture.

After that sliver of silver that extends from the lens is the focus ring. This has the classic look of other M-mount optics with a depth of field scale and focal length indicators with feet noted in yellow and met...