The compact fat-free 90mm M lens — classic portrait length in a small barrel.
The Leica Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 is the compact telephoto alternative to the standard Elmarit-M 90: a true tele design that squeezes the same speed into a dramatically shorter, lighter barrel.
Two generations exist — the 1964 'fat' version and the slimmer 1974 'thin' redesign — both M-mount, both prized for making a 90mm feel like a 50 on the camera.
Its significance is portability: for travel and street shooters the Tele-Elmarit made the 90mm focal length carryable, and the thin version remains one of the smallest 90/2.8s ever made.
Used buyers should identify fat vs thin (sellers usually say), check for the haze and element-separation issues the early fat version is known for, and confirm clean aperture blades — clean thin examples carry a premium over the standard Elmarit-M.