Visoflex lens on a Canon DSLR- Telyt 400mm f/5 sample photos

[fWord]

Almost a year ago I turned to this good forum to get more information on an old Visoflex lens, a Telyt 400mm f/5. The lens was successfully attached to a Canon DSLR via an easily available M39-EOS adapter. For the purposes of closure on that thread, and for those seeking to buy this lens or view its results, I've decided to post a few pictures here. Arguably these should have gone into photo forum, but a jumbled mass of wildlife and people photos wouldn't find a good home anywhere.

The lens itself weighs in at around 2.3kg, and hooked onto the Canon 1Ds MKI the whole setup weighs around 3.9kg. With only manual focus and no image stabilizer it was not a setup for the fainthearted. It is however entirely possible to use handheld and I've only ever used the lens this way.

When the lens first arrived there was a cake of fungus on the rear element. It was positively disturbing and I was somewhat dismayed to find it there. Nevertheless I took it out for some pictures straight away:



Despite the fungus the lens gave me a pleasant surprise by delivering pleasing results. As luck would have it an online search lead me to an ex-Leica technician (now professional photographer) in Melbourne, not far from where I lived. He did an excellent job on the lens, removing all the fungus and lubricating everything as necessary. The fungus came off well, but not without damaging some of the soft coating. The glass elements however were absolutely pristine.

Since then I'd taken the lens out for a spin on a number of occasions but didn't get any photos worth keeping. A number of days ago I used it on my Canon setup (in conjunction with another camera and a standard zoom) for a special photo shoot for a friend, whose dog had been diagnosed with cancer. The long focal length gave me plenty of distance and allowed more quiet and thoughtful photos to emerge:







A heavy lens no doubt, with a propensity to demonstrate flare and CA in difficult lighting conditions. The contrast is low but the resolution seems absolutely phenomenal, a feat considering the lens is probably over 40 years old. While many other lenses have come and gone, this Telyt is one of those that's stayed. I have no regrets buying this and the results really surprise me everytime. It is a lens that's both challenging and rewarding to use. I also thank the technician for breathing new life into this lens and thank the members at this forum for sparking my interest in these old Leica lenses.

[dkpeterborough]

Interesting combination and just goes to prove that lens test reports in books without sample pictures do not reveal everything. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

dunk

[fWord]

Originally Posted by dkpeterborough

Interesting combination and just goes to prove that lens test reports in books without sample pictures do not reveal everything. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

dunk

Thanks for viewing, Peter. Indeed I hope the samples will provide a little help to anyone who (for whatever reason) might be keen to buy this old lens.