The Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 is a short telephoto prime characterized by its retractable design and compatibility with the Macro-Adapter-M for close-up shooting. It features a simple but effective four elements in four groups optical design, which maintains sharpness and even illumination throughout the aperture and focusing ranges. A multi-layer anti-reflective coating has also been applied to individual elements to control lens flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color fidelity. Its manual focus design permits working with subjects as close as 2.6' away with a reproduction ratio of 1:6.7.

When coupled with the optional Macro-Adapter-M and used on a camera featuring live view, this lens is also able to achieve a minimum focusing distance of 16.1" with a reproduction ratio of 1:2. The lens' retractable design also enables it to maintain infinity focus when used with the Macro-Adapter-M.