Rate R telephoto lenses from best downward excluding module from your own experiences

[jaapv]

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[adan]

Regarding the 400 f/6.8 -

 

At the time it was introduced (pros only, 1968 for the Mexico City Olympics, general consumers, 1970), it was unsurpassed for center image quality and light weight. Appropriate for news, sports, wildlife and other genres where a central subject isolated against a soft background, and easy mobility, are the main goals. Very low in CA due to the simple 2-element construction.

 

Downsides - fuzzy corners due to curvature of field, and physical length.

 

More recent designs match or exceed it in center sharpness, and far exceed it in corner sharpness in a flat plane - with a corresponding increase in weight and price.

 

All of the "long shots" in this news event coverage (aircraft and flames) were with the 400 f/6.8 (mostly cropped about 1.5x) - and in this setting it pulled its weight:

 

ColoradoSeen - Stories Index - Wildfire near Boulder, June 26,

[robsteve]

All your posts make sense. I like all the lenses, that's my problem.

 

After reading Puts Lens Compendium (Rob was kind enough to send me the link) it seems he likes the APO Vario-Elmarit 2.8/70-180 very much too.

 

No one seems to be too enthralled with this lens here. Why? It is an APO. Not a long enough reach?

 

Have any of you ever used one of these beauties?

 

I remembered the name of the 70-180mm APO user that commented on flare and Leica fixed it for him. It was Eric Welsh and this was back in 1999.

 

[Leica] 70-180 Apo fixed!

 

A local photographer also had one and I have seen his slides shot with it and the colours and sharpness are stunning. Either of the 180mm APO would be better, as would the 100mm and 90mm APO, but with the zoom you cover a full range with one lens. I think it is heavy though and not much lighter than the 105-280mm.

[robsteve]

Regarding the 400 f/6.8 -

 

At the time it was introduced (pros only, 1968 for the Mexico City Olympics, general consumers, 1970), it was unsurpassed for center image quality and light weight. Appropriate for news, sports, wildlife and other genres where a central subject isolated against a soft background, and easy mobility, are the main goals. Very low in CA due to the simple 2-element construction.

 

 

 

Ted Grant used to tell a story of using this lens to cover a visit from the Queen and getting looked at very closely by the RCMP security detail. You wouldn't want to be seen using this lens with the pistol stock mount in some places or situations.

[sheikhrafiq79]

plz read ernst report all about r lenses, i m using 28 to 90, this lens is state of the art batter than prime lenses only speed is issue

[naturephoto1]

Hi Rob,

 

Thanks. But, normally things sold on Craig's List are done in person so that the buyer can see and handle the item. The seller wanted me to pay by Bank Wire, but I will not do that.

 

I just had a bad experience with a sale on ebay of an f4 80-200mm Vario Elmar lens that I discovered after the purchase was a cut and paste of a lens that had already sold and was as it turns out was on sale again at the same time on ebay. Paypal had been alerted of this right after my discovery. They just returned the money to my account today. That was a relieve. I was very pleased that j.liam on Fredmiranda.com saw my post that I was looking for another one and sent me a PM about one in M/M- at Igor's Camera Exchange for even less than the one that was the ebay scam. I ordered it from Igor yesterday and it should ship tomorrow. I expect to have that lens on Wednesday.

 

So, maybe I should just live with what I have if Leica USA gives the lens a clean bill of health. I ran a 15W BLB UV fluorescent light through the lens for about 4 hours and then placed the lens inside a sealed Crock Pot with ground Thyme for about 4 1/2 hours. The odor is definitely dissipating. I will see how it smells and if I want to run it for more time with the ground Thyme. I placed the case, box, and paper work in a plastic box with the ground Thyme for about 10 hours.

 

Rich

 

I stopped by Leica USA earlier today. Though the expert tech repair gentleman on the lens was not in, another repair rep looked at the f4 280mm Apo Telyt lens. He indicated that there was no fungus in the lens and everything operated quite well and the lens was in really excellent order.. Only some dust inside the lens that should not have any affect on the lens performance. I also spoke with Justin Stailey about the new M camera and he also looked at the lens and indicated that it was in really fine condition and should work quite well.

 

So, I will be keeping the lens after all of this. I will post photos of this lens and also the f4 80-200 Vario Elmar after it arrives.

 

Rich

[algrove]

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Has anyone ever owned or currently owns an APO-Elmarit-R 2.8/180 latest model commonly referred to as Number II, Leica #11357?

 

It appears to be quite light in weight versus Model I.

 

Tried to Google "ernst report all about r lenses", but nothing. Please expand. Thanks.

[wildlightphoto]

Has anyone ever owned or currently owns an APO-Elmarit-R 2.8/180 latest model commonly referred to as Number II, Leica #11357?

 

I'm not sure what the catalog number is but I have a 180mm APO-Elmarit-R.

[Alon]

Both APO Elmarit 180/2.8 namely the 11273 and 11357 are supposed to have the same weight of 970 g.

 

However, I just put mine on a digital scale with caps on and it showed a weight of 948 g.

 

So I double checked and tripled checked and realized that my APO 180/2.8 (11357) is Leitaxed and hence the weight difference.

 

Maybe you are getting a similar experience and the weight is different with a Leitax or other branded mounts?

[wildlightphoto]

Mine is about 940g with both caps. It has its original R mount mit ROM und SL metering cam.

[algrove]

I stand corrected. I now see they are both the same weight. So what is the optical difference between the two models of the same lens? To you guys, how does this lens stack up against other 180 APO's?

 

Have you heard of anyone interested in parting with theirs?

[masjah]

Has anyone ever owned or currently owns an APO-Elmarit-R 2.8/180 latest model commonly referred to as Number II, Leica #11357?

 

It appears to be quite light in weight versus Model I.

 

Tried to Google "ernst report all about r lenses", but nothing. Please expand. Thanks.

 

I think the 11357 is the later modified design which will also accept the 1.4X Extender. Mine is one of those. On my kitchen scales (no guarantee of complete accuracy) it comes in at 965g with caps, and 935g without caps (after I remembered first to remove the UV filter that I always keep on the front). The instruction booklet says that its weight is "approx 970g". (Looks as if my kitchen scales are not quite dead on!)

[rsh]

I own the pre 1.4 X version and I do not see a difference in weight. Certainly there is no optical difference.

[naturephoto1]

I believe that Leica at least used to offer changing the rear of the earlier version to allow the usage of the 1.4X Apo extender. I am not sure if that is still the case since the R system went out or production.

 

Having spent so much money on the f4 280mm Apo Telyt and the f4 80-200mm Vario Elmar and already owning the f3.4 180mm Apo Telyt I am not looking to purchase one of these at least for the time being.

 

I am not sure which versions these are, but here are 2 listed as being in M condition for what appears to be a reasonable price on ebay right now:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-Apo-Elmarit-R-ROM-180-mm-F-2-8-Lens-MINT-condition-/170959756614?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item27cdfedd46

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apo-Elmarit-R-2-8-180mm-E67-3815230-Rom-Mint-/251194085284?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item3a7c558fa4

 

I purchased my f4 280mm Apo Telyt lens from the latter seller.

 

Rich

[phocus.org]

Among the R tele lenses I have/had the

 

2,8/100 APO Macro,

2,8/280 APO,

4,8/350,

4/80-200,

4.2/105-280,

the 2,8s and the 105-280 with the 2x APO Extender sometimes,

and I could play with the 4/280 APO of a friend.

The zooms and the macro on R8 (slides), EOS 5DI&II (via Novoflex) and D800 (via Leitax). All the others on the R8 (slides) only.

 

The 2,8/280 is stellar but too big and heavy for my demands. The 4,8/350 can't compete with the three 280s listed above. The 4/80-200 is very handy and competes with quite a few primes. I used it 10 years but sold it recently for two reasons: (1) As for versatility I use now the new Nikkor AF-S 4/70-200 VR. (2) As for shooting with Leica teles, the 105-280 performs better than the 4/80-200 and I prefer its longer range. So, Leica-tele-wise, I still have, and will go on with, the Macro (with Elpro) and the 105-280.

The 4/280 outperforms them all more or less but, again, I prefer the versatility of the 105-280 (which I got for less than half the price of a 4/280 ).

 

Btw, since it was pointed out earlier in this thread, focusing on my 105-280 is as smooth as it was on the 4/280. As for the zoom ring, however, it is a bit 'unven' somewhere in the middle. For a short period of time I also had the R 28-90 ASPH, which had the same problem. I've read somewhere in the Leica literature (forgotten where) that with both lenses this is a design related problem.

The 80-200 also has a design related issue: You mustn't put it on its front end. Otherwise you may end up with play in the focusing mechanism. I had been with Leica in Solms/Germany with my 4/80-200 and an engineer told me so. The 105-280 isn't prone to that.

 

Another 'btw', for all of you who also have or want to acquire the 105-280, there is a neat solution for a 2-point tripod support, I think... (see pic below):

I found the original single-point solution to be too wobbly. So I attached a second tripod mount ring to the rear end of the 105-280's barrel (you have to pop off the little plastic red hemisphere to do so). It measures 65mm in diameter here and I found an Olympus tripod mount ring fitting perfectly (the Olympus tripod mount ring of the OM Zuikos 4,5/300, 6,3/400, 5/85-250, and the OM 65-116 Telescopic Auto Tube). A CNC-made aluminum spacer under the OM mount compensates for the different heights. The now two tripod mount rings are fixed to a long Arca Swiss compatible rail. This two-point tripod mount is stable like a tank now. You can't comfortably rotate the lens anymore though, but on tripods I mainly shot in landscape orientation anyway.

 

Pics:

- 105-280 2-point tripod mount

- 105-280

- 2,8/100 APO Macro

 

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[algrove]

@ phocus

 

That 105-280 setup is so ugly I seems to me you should sell it immediately. Just joking of course. If you tire of it, contact me, please.

 

Both shots are very gorgeous. If have the 100 macro, but have not had a chance is put it through its paces yet.

 

When I showed the gorilla shot with your 105-280 to my wife, she said, "Wow, get one!". As she grew up in French Central Africa, she adores wildlife shots.

[algrove]

I believe that Leica at least used to offer changing the rear of the earlier version to allow the usage of the 1.4X Apo extender. I am not sure if that is still the case since the R system went out or production.

 

Having spent so much money on the f4 280mm Apo Telyt and the f4 80-200mm Vario Elmar and already owning the f3.4 180mm Apo Telyt I am not looking to purchase one of these at least for the time being.

 

I am not sure which versions these are, but here are 2 listed as being in M condition for what appears to be a reasonable price on ebay right now:

 

Leica APO Elmarit R ROM 180 mm F 2 8 Lens Mint Condition | eBay

 

APO Elmarit R 2 8 180mm E67 3815230 ROM Mint | eBay

 

I purchased my f4 280mm Apo Telyt lens from the latter seller.

 

Rich

 

Rich-Thanks again for your comments. I was a bit worried about dealing with a Polish seller and now I am glad to hear you have had good dealings with him. I just might give him a try.

[naturephoto1]

Rich-Thanks again for your comments. I was a bit worried about dealing with a Polish seller and now I am glad to hear you have had good dealings with him. I just might give him a try.

 

Just remember on that purchase from Poland, the case, paperwork, and to a lesser extent the f4 280mm Apo Telyt lens had the mildew odor. He did ship within a few days and the lens was delivered in just over a week from Poland. You can make an offer for the price with this seller. The lenses that he sells are listed for export out of the European Union (no VAT listed). I had to pay a foreign transaction charge through my Credit Card Company after the Paypal purchase.

 

I am not sure as to where you are living, but the other lens is in the US. That lens is a bit less expensive. And you would avoid any foreign transaction charge if you are in the states.

 

Good luck. I am sure these are fine lenses.

 

Rich

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[Alon]

 

I am not sure which versions these are, but here are 2 listed as being in M condition for what appears to be a reasonable price on ebay right now:

 

Leica APO Elmarit R ROM 180 mm F 2 8 Lens Mint Condition | eBay

 

APO Elmarit R 2 8 180mm E67 3815230 ROM Mint | eBay

 

Rich

 

It seems that the one you mentioned above is a real bargain!

 

The price of the APO 180/2.8 is rocketing sky high. I found these at a price of $6,550 and $6,319.

 

I think they come with gold dust. Go figure!

 

Leica APO Elmarit R 2 8 180mm ROM Sehr Schöner Zustand 4022243112797 | eBay

 

Brand New Leica APO Elmarit R 180mm F 2 8 ROM Telephoto Lens 180 F2 8 Tele | eBay

[algrove]

Well, I have to say that I just received the APO 70-180-R and is it short and gorgeous. Shorter than I had first thought it would be. The weight with an RRS plate on my RSS B-55 and tripod makes it easy to use. Hand held might be a different story. Have only shot some in house stuff I like to test (that term should be taken lightly) and it is very easy to focus on my Ricoh GXR so I assume the M-240 will also be easy for me.

 

Next for me is the focus with the GXR + M mount + LER/LEM and then switch over to my MM to see how it works since I will have to rely on the GXR sparkling, whitish lines for in focus subjects. Should be interesting.