800mm f/6.3 Telyt-S

[rubidium]

Any experiences, references or comments to offer on this beast? One was recently offered on eBay as "like new in case". It was claimed that the lens was overhauled to factory new condition by LEICA AG, whereby they essentially replaced everything, including all three glass elements. The closing high bid was 4215 USD, but apparently the bidder was unable to complete the transaction. After surveying the close-up photos of the item, I had bid 1000 USD very early on in the bidding - simply on a whim. I was quickly overtaken, as I expected, but l "let sleeping dogs lie." Well just today, the seller is extending a "second chance offer" to sell it to me for the 1000 USD I had bid, given that the winning bidder defaulted. I am seperately checking on the legitimacy of this offer, etc. But the question I pose here is "Is it worth owning this lens at this price?" Or should I continue to "let sleeping dogs lie."
Thanks,
Jim

[garyp]

Supposedly, second chance offers are frowned upon. However; if the lens is in decent condition, then 1000 is probably a very good price.
There are not many of these around, as you probably know.
Gary

[rubidium]

Please disregard this thread, and thanks to Gary who has already replied and to other helpful folks who will read it up to this point. After doing some investigating, the "Second Chance Offer" turns out to be a fraud. As my mother once said, it pays to do one's homework ...

Sorry for the inconvenience to the board ...
Jim

[ddp]

Jim,

If you are interested in obtaining one of these, I do know of a used one available. It is not mine, I have merely seen it on display.

- dan

[pierovitch]

I have a distant memory of Leica offering a volkswagen passat as part of the original package. Did anyone out there ever take up the offer?

Cheers Pierre

[ddp]

I believe it was a Volkswagen Fox that was offered at the time. It is a monstrous lens...

[prince_alfie]

Why not just use a teleconverter? it's lighter and easier to deal with!

[telyt]

Originally Posted by prince_alfie

Why not just use a teleconverter? it's lighter and easier to deal with!

Alfie you can't be serious! We might as well just use a 28-300mm f/4-f/9.7 zoom for all our photos and never mind the image quality..

[leicanewbie]

I too had such an experience.

Was outbid at the last minute then got an unsolicited "second chance" offer from someone who wasn't the seller. Turned out to be fraudulent, and eBay sent messages around warning about this practice.

Just a friendly tip, no matter how appealing, IMHO it doesn't make sense to place such
a large bid days away from the end of auction. It's a sure way to get outbid and end up paying more than you would have to. But hey, it's your money.

Unless of course it is a "buy it now" item and the price is too good to pass up, or it is an item that rarely comes along.

[paulja]

this lens is huge and requires the use of a stabilizer bar on the front of the lens to the tripod body i did take some test shots with one at e.p.levines in boston about 2 years ago there was also one for sale at newtonville camera in newton mass. last year they may still have it the shots i took were real nice .both prices were about 5k in each store if i could have picked one up for under 3k i might have taken one home ,they would at least make a good conversation piece ,i now own a 400 2.8 telyt with a 1.4x and a 2x the 400 is probably heavier but more compact.........paul