An expansive telephoto zoom carrying with it an apochromatic design, the APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-4 Lens from Leica is designed for full-frame and APS-C-sized L-mount mirrorless cameras. An intricate 23 elements, 17 groups optical design incorporates seven anomalous partial dispersion elements to significantly reduce chromatic aberrations throughout the zoom range and provide faithful color accuracy that is void of fringing. The f/2.8-4 maximum aperture benefits working in a variety of lighting conditions and also offers greater control over focus position for working with shallow depth of field techniques. Designed as an apt-performing tele zoom covering a broad array of focal lengths, this well-corrected optic maintains consistently high clarity and sharpness throughout the long-reaching zoom range.

Complementing the optical attributes, this 90-280mm is also characterized by its fast performance due to internal focusing and zooming. The optical design is broken into seven distinct moving groups, including with two dedicated focusing elements that are driven by linear stepping motors, to expedite focusing accuracy and speed throughout both the zooming and focus ranges. Also benefitting sharpness, an optical image stabilization system compensates for up to 3.5 stops of camera shake to better enable handheld shooting in difficult lighting conditions. When working from a tripod, a removable rotating tripod collar is included for increased stability, and it incorporates firm detents at 90 positions for seamless switching between horizontal and vertical shooting orientations. Additionally, this lens features Leica's AquaDura hydrophobic coating on the front and rear elements, to guard against moisture and smudging, and a fully dust and water-sealed design to protect the lens during use in inclement conditions.