[Leica] the new kid on the block and question #1

[GERALD HAUSSLER <GHAUSSLE@email.usps.gov>]

     LUG nuts;

     after lurking here for several days, this seems like a place where i
     could learn from and occasionally contribute to so...onward. by way of
     introduction i pay the light bill by toiling as a computer geek and
     have been shooting 35MM since '71. got my first DS M3 a few years
     later, but didn't start using leicas as the primary platform until
     about 5 years ago. i shoot mostly music from clubs to major festivals.
     'encyclopedia of the blues' (university of arkansas press - 2nd
     edition) contains the largest single sample of my work, about 50
     shots. i'm known for making obscure references, which is sometimes
     mistaken as elitist and a sense of humor so disfigured it can only be
     identified by it's dental records. now that you know more than you
     need...on to question #1.
     i've always wondered what the difference between the 90MM tele-elmarit
     and the 90MM elmarit was. can anyone relate the digest version ? also,
     i was told in the not too distant past (chatterton ?) that the
     tele-elmarit is spot welded together and can't be disassembled for
     maintenance. is this true of all vintages ? i'm considering a 'tele'
     and the price is right, but it "...needs to be cleaned..."
     any help greatly appreciated. question #2 to follow.

     regards
     jerry haussler
     p.s. anyboby going to the photo show this weekend ? (s.f. bay area)