Triplet lens const. ELMAR M 90mm F4
A review and Photo example of the LEICA ELMAR M 90mm F4 (Triplet) with the LEICA M9 on VISOFLEX.
Table of contents
Gallery
The sample photo were taken with the LEICA M9
Review
1．Overview
The ELMAR M 90mm F4 (Triplet) is an M-mount 90mm telephoto lens that was produced for only three years, from 1962 to 1965.
The lens is a triplet of three elements in three groups, with a minimum shooting distance of 1m.
The lens and the M-mount helicoid can be separated, and the separated lens can be attached to the VISOFLEX II or VISOFLEX III by attaching the VISOFLEX M-mount helicoid ring “OUAGO” (16467, 16467N).
The VISOFLEX mentioned here is not an external electronic viewfinder (EVF) for the Leica M typ240, M10, or M11, but a mirror box system for turning a Leica rangefinder camera into a single-lens reflex camera.
2．Usability
The ELMAR M 90mm F4 (Triplet) is a lens with three elements in three groups, and I have seen reviews saying that its depiction is clearer than the old Elmar 90mm with four elements in three groups, but even with three elements in three groups, if the lens is in good condition, it will still produce a clear depiction, so I didn’t notice any noticeable difference between the two.
Also, 90mm lenses are not that bad, no matter which manufacturer makes them, and I didn’t notice any big difference in depiction from the CONTAX G 90mm that I had been using.
When I first bought it, I tried using it with the M mount on a LEICA M9 with double image overlap, and when I enlarged the results of the shots taken at F4 with the aperture wide open on my PC, I found that about half of the total shots were perfectly in focus, although this may have been due to the photographer’s lack of training.
Based on this result, I decided to use the VISOFLEX with a focal length of 90mm, since it is difficult to use a rangefinder camera. The results of shooting in SLR style through the VISOFLEX III were satisfactory, with about 80% of the images being in focus, and the yield was quite good. For medium telephoto lenses, it is better to use them in SLR style. There is no doubt that in the 2020s, shooting with the electronic viewfinder of a mirrorless camera will produce better results. If the camera has in-body image stabilization, it can also prevent camera shake, so technological advances are a blessing for photographers in many ways.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the ELMAR M 90mm F4 (Triplet), although there were nearly 10,000 units produced, it is being sold at a premium price of 3 to 4 times that of the regular ELMAR M 90mm, probably because of the short manufacturing period of 3 years. I am not sure if it is worth the price when you use it.
Specification,Study and more
This lens has a simple configuration of three elements in three groups; this change is thought to be because the early Elmar 90mm had four elements in three groups, but advances in glass materials and lens coatings mean that the cemented lens in the rear group is no longer necessary.
In order to attach an Elmar M 90mm lens to the VISOFLEX II or VISOFLEX III, the focusing unit “OUAGO” is required, and the “OUAGO” should be compatible with both the regular Elmar 90mm and this triplet Elmar 90mm.
I say “should” because I have encountered a phenomenon where the “OUAGO” and lens could not be attached.
Specifically, I brought the lens to a certain camera market and looked for an “OUAGO” to attach to the VISOFLEX.
However, when I checked the lens and “OUAGO” at a store that had “OUAGO” in stock, I found that there were “OUAGO” where the lens could be screwed in all the way, and “OUAGO” where the lens only stopped screwing in halfway, and the “OUAGO” where the lens could only be screwed in halfway could not be used at infinity.
I have also experienced the above phenomenon with the old Elmar 90mm with 3 groups and 4 elements, so when using the Elmar M 90mm or 9cm with the VISOFLEX, it is necessary to check that the focusing unit and lens can be connected correctly.
| Items | TRIPLET-ELMAR | ELMAR |
| focal length(mm) | 90 | 90 |
| Maximum aperture | 4 | 4 |
| Minimum aperture | 32 | 32 |
| Leaf blade | 10 | 15 |
| Lens configuration | 3 elements in 3 groups | 4 elements in 3 groups |
| Minimum distance(m) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Lens length(mm) | 82 | 72(L39) |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 43 | 45 |
| Filter type | E39 | E39 |
| Weight(g) | 300 | 279(L39) |
| Hood | IUFOO | IUFOO |
| Lens mount | M/L39 | M/L39 |
| Release date | 1964 | 1933 |
| Production numbers | 9,400 | 107,480 |
Reference links
- Leica Wiki ELMAR 90mm F4
- It describes the specifications and the differences between the specifications, and there is no mention of lens description.
- A lens configuration diagram is included in the appendix.
- Leica lenses around the world Part 1 (Shashin Kogyosha)
- Triplet Elmer has a review by Jiro Nozaki on page 86
Update history
- 2025.7.11
- 2024.05.02
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