Mascarpone Posted March 31, 2009 Share #1 Posted March 31, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) This is an invitation to discuss about lenses with a focal length beyond 400mm. Today, I read an interesting sentence: "There's one thing good about being poor - its inexpensive." But it does not make life easier. Not everybody wants to spend much money on the new great super telephoto lenses that some manufacturers offer. They are excellent, but very expensive. When it comes to focal lengths of 500mm these primes cost a fortune, beyond 600mm they cost even more. Nice features like autofocus and stabilizers make them even more expensive. I use an old Novoflex lens with a Leitz Telyt 6,8/560mm head, often with a 1.5x or 2x converter. This lens is long and heavy, but that does not bother me as sharpness and contrast are quite good. The main problem is that f6.8 is not much. Focussing at 6.8 is well possible, an adapter with "focus confirmation" for my EOS 5D Mark 2 helps focussing. But the world beyond 560mm is different...enter the converters. Imagine a focal length of 1120mm at f/16. The image quality of the Telyt which is pretty good at 560mm turns into 'acceptable but not great', and it really takes times and energy to use this combo. Just imagine me carrying two big wooden tripods (6 Kilos each), a 5 Kilo lens plus the camera. MLU, a wind deflector, cable release. It takes 10 minutes to setup and 10 more minutes for focussing one single shot, it's like using a 4x5" camera. Here is an old, analog, unsharpened example: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3382916500_6ef7a7e669_b.jpg 1/30 at f16, 3,600 feet distance. I could imagine that I am not the only one looking for sharp, affordable alternatives. What do you use for long distance shots? Are there any old Leitz lenses you can recommend? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Hi Mascarpone, Take a look here Very, very long focal length lenses.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
imported_peter_m Posted March 31, 2009 Share #2 Posted March 31, 2009 How about this set up Bertrandt AG - AMG G55 XXL - Mobiles Objektiv in der Wüste Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mascarpone Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted March 31, 2009 Nice, but probably one tire costs more than my Telyt... :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted April 1, 2009 Share #4 Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) Now that's what I call a proper sunroof! Didn't Zeiss produce a 1500mm f/4? It's probably beyond the means of all but the Sultan of Brunei and Bill Gates though. Pete. Edited April 1, 2009 by farnz Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_x2004 Posted April 1, 2009 Share #5 Posted April 1, 2009 Guess it was for co...co...cov...covert sur.......Posing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psquared Posted April 1, 2009 Share #6 Posted April 1, 2009 How about this set up Bertrandt AG*-*AMG G55 XXL - Mobiles Objektiv in der Wüste Peter I don't think that system has enough vibration dampening. Can't be good. Getting back to the OP's topic, I do use the 800/5.6 modular. I have used it with the 1.4x and 2x APO extenders. However, almost all the shots (except for those moons shots I take occasionally when I'm bored) have been at close distances. I certainly see a role for compressed landscapes/city scapes, but I don't think these long-focus lenses are good for those, because of air turbulence. Around here (Los Angeles), even on a great day (cool day after a rain), I hesitate to use even a 400mm lens. Here's a stitched panorama of Los Angeles I took using the 800/5.6. That's the only lens I had at the time, coming back from a bird shoot. Doesn't look too bad at web size, but at actual pixel level, it's not so good. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! The resolution is still good, but the lines are not really straight as they're supposed to be. This was manually focused on R9/DMR. For the 5D2, I would definitely use live view for this purpose. I found live view focusing much more accurate on 1Ds3 than any focus confirmation. Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! The resolution is still good, but the lines are not really straight as they're supposed to be. This was manually focused on R9/DMR. For the 5D2, I would definitely use live view for this purpose. I found live view focusing much more accurate on 1Ds3 than any focus confirmation. Peter ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/81056-very-very-long-focal-length-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=859306'>More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 1, 2009 Share #7 Posted April 1, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) The above post points out well the basic issue, on which I agree: at long distances, sharpness as one usually consideres the term, is simply not achievable, regardless the lens. Surely the modern modular Telyts are generally better than the classic long focus 6,8 or 5,6, but the effect of atmosphere cannot be cancelled by magic of glass:PP can someway adjust the attenuated contrast but the lack of sharpness due to the mass of fluid (air) in front of the subject cannot be avoided, period. Of course, the more the air is clean, the less the effect is annoying: here is an example of a 400 6,8 in high mountains, a crop of a scanned print that makes about a 600-700 mm effective FOV, at infinity. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/81056-very-very-long-focal-length-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=859378'>More sharing options...
Guest flatfour Posted April 1, 2009 Share #8 Posted April 1, 2009 Many moons ago I borrowed a very long focus Telyt lens for my Leica III to try it out on some landscapes. As you say focussing was diabolically difficult. In the end I got some reasonable pictures by using a rock solid wooden tripod and f13.5 and a very long exposure with Kodak Panatomic X. Quite a paraphernalia. Not worth it in my opinion and I am now not very keen on landscapes. I prefer pictures with people in them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amoebahydra Posted April 8, 2009 Share #9 Posted April 8, 2009 (edited) I am using 1280mm F5.0 lenses as well as Leica Apo-Telyt-R 1:5.6/800mm and Telyt-R 400/6.8. In comparison with 1280 lenses, the latter two looks like dwarf... Picture taken with Apo-Telyt-R 800/5.6 Picture taken with MR-Telyt-R 500/8 Picture taken with the 1280 F5 lenses Edited April 8, 2009 by amoebahydra Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
santila Posted April 8, 2009 Share #10 Posted April 8, 2009 I have Telyt 560mm lens, shooting slides w/R8. Sharpness does not come easy at ISO100 because the slow shutter speed even if one use a sturdy tripod (which I have w. Arca BH). IMO shutter speed should exceed the FL or above 1/25oth at least to get decent result. The other factor is that one needs to almost feel the frame, just alone to reduce atmospheric distortion. This lens mandates to use ISO400 film or the DMR. I have use the lens on the Canon 1DMKII, I don’t like the result. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabasis Posted April 8, 2009 Share #11 Posted April 8, 2009 Who makes that 1200 f5 lens? I've never even heard of it before, let alone seen one. i've always wanted a telyt system but when the cost is $10K for a 280 f2.8 and well over $10K for the larger head alone, I can't justify it. I use a nikkor 800 f5.6 along with a 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters. I try to minimize subject difference to alleviate the atmospheric problems, but you always run into vibration issues. I tend to use a heavy tripod, gimbal head, and a monopod on the body for support. I also use a cable release and MLU. With my 1.5x cropped "DX" camera, the effective 35mm focal length FOV is 2400mm (I've never stacked the TC's however) is quite a challenge to use. JCA Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amoebahydra Posted April 9, 2009 Share #12 Posted April 9, 2009 (edited) I have Telyt 560mm lens, shooting slides w/R8. Sharpness does not come easy atISO100 because the slow shutter speed even if one use a sturdy tripod (which I have w. Arca BH). IMO shutter speed should exceed the FL or above 1/25oth at least to get decent result. ... In my humble opinion, a sturdy tripod alone is not enough and one of the most important factor is maintaining exact weight balance of the system; otherwise the system will be vulnerable to external forces like wind. The balance of the system should adjust such that when all knobs are freed and the system should not drop or move at all when stand alone. This can be done and adjusted by using heads like Wimberley. Edited April 9, 2009 by amoebahydra Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amoebahydra Posted April 9, 2009 Share #13 Posted April 9, 2009 (edited) Who makes that 1200 f5 lens? I've never even heard of it before, let alone seen one.... JCA The 1280 F/5 is made by Takahashi, a famous telescope company of Japan, with sufficient image coverage to 4x5". I also got 530mm F/3.3, 3000mm F/12.5 and fluorite apochromats lenses of 800mm F/8, 530mm F/5, 500 F/5.5 made by the same company. Edited April 9, 2009 by amoebahydra Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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