The zoom range of the fast APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 f/2.8–4 follows on directly from that of the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 f/2.8–4 ASPH. Together, these two lenses cover a full range of focal lengths extending from 24 to 280 mm.

The newly developed dual internal focusing (DSD®) concept enables a fast autofocus. Its optical image stabilisation (OIS) compensates for up to 3.5 stops of camera shake.