The LEICA SUMMARIT-M 90 mm f/2.5 is a versatile telephoto lens that rounds off the new lens speed class of Summarit-M lenses. Despite being much more handy and lighter than the comparable 90 mm Summicron lens, it offers outstanding optical and mechanical quality.
Handy telephoto equipment
The 90 mm telephoto lens is a perfect demonstration of how Leica’s Summarit-M class is setting new standards in spherical lens design. A Leica M camera with a LEICA SUMMARIT-M 90 mm f/2.5 fitted is an extremely compact and handy unit. Compared to other 90 mm focal length lenses, there is hardly any intrusion into the viewfinder image.
Total perfection
The new lens is an impressive demonstration of the realworld benefits of our expertise with exclusive types of glass, minimum mechanical tolerances and sophisticated image error minimization techniques. It is a portrait lens that can also provide outstanding close-ups of landscapes or architecture and corresponds to a full-fedged 120 mm telephoto lens when used on the LEICA M8.
Sophisticated telephoto construction
Even at full aperture, this lens demonstrates excellent imaging capability with outstanding contrast over the entire image field. A slight reduction in quality can only be seen in the corners – which are not even captured by the slightly smaller format of the digital LEICA M8 – but even this can be improved significantly by stopping down to f/5.6
Distortion is very low
The LEICA SUMMARIT-M 90 mm f/2.5 has five lens elements in four groups, one of which is made of a type of optical glass that not only has anomalous partial dispersion but also has extremely low dispersion overall. Maximum light falloff in the corners is around 1.6 f-stops at full aperture in the 35 mm format. Stopping down to f/4 substantially reduces this light falloff at the periphery of the image. The extremely low distortion of just 0.75 % is only significant in a limited number of specialized applications.
Angle of view (diagonal, horizontal, vertical):
For 35 mm (24x36 mm): 27°, 22.6°, 15.2°
For LEICA M8 (18x27 mm) : 20.4°, 17.1°, 11.4°, corresponds to a focal length of approx. 120 mm with 35 mm-format
Optical design
Number of elements / groups: 5 / 4
Focal length: 91.0 mm
Entrance pupil: 54.8 mm (related to the first lens surface in light direction)
Focusing range: 1 m (3.3 ft) to Infinity
Distance setting
Scale: combined meter/feet-increments
Smallest object field: for 35 mm: approx. 213 x 320 mm, for LEICA M8: approx. 160 x 240 mm
Highest reproduction ratio: 1:8.9
Diaphragm
Setting / Type: Preset, with clickstops (including half values), manual diaphragm
Smallest aperture: f/16
Bayonet: Leica M quick-change bayonet
Filter (type): Non-rotating, internal thread for screw-on filters size E 46, external thread with stop for lens hood
Lens hood: protection ring for external thread included in delivery, screw-in lens hood available as accessory
Dimensions and weight
Length: 66.5 mm / 2.6 in
Largest diameter: 55 mm / 2.2 in
Weight: approx. 360 g / 12.7 oz
