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

[k-hawinkler]

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I would rate them this way.

 

280mm f4 APO

 

180mm F2 APO, rated above the 2.8 APO only because of the speed and Bokeh, stopped down they are the same. Needs to be stopped down with the extenders as the extenders are designed for f2.8 telephotos or f2 short to normal lenses. Works well with the extenders as this and the 2.8 APO have lots of resolution.

 

180mm f2.8 APO When used with the 2x APO, it had little change in quality. The 3.4 APO dropped in quality slightly with 2x.

 

400mm f2.8 APO still great with the 1.4x and 2x APO extenders, but tough at 800mm unless you have a high shutter speed or good tripod head and good general practices.

 

100mm f2.8 APO

 

90mm F2 APO

 

180mm f3.4 APO It is good for landscape but not great for people. Small but still heavy.

 

Of the above lenses I have owned them all except the 280mm f4 APO and still have the 100mm APO and 400mm APO.

 

Of the zooms, I settled on the following three and considered them a good enough compromise to sell some of the above APOs in the same range. On a M you could probably get away with the M lenses and just a 105-280mm for the telephoto shots if shooting with a tripod or monopod.

 

35-70mm F2.8 Probably almost as nice as the 90mm APO when shot at 70mm and very good macro position. This lens just got sold to a RED camera user.

 

105-280mm This lens is stellar in the 180mm range and focuses quite closely.

 

21-35mm Better than the equivalent R primes in that range.

 

I also had the 80-200mm f4, but the 105-280mm performed better and has a longer range.

 

 

Hi Rob,

 

Many thanks. Such a nice list. It takes some effort to work through it though.

Oh, BTW, the APO 280/4 also does portraits, :D

 

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Olympus OM-D E-M5 + KIPON L/R-m4/3 + Leica APO-Extender-R 2x + Leica APO-Telyt-R 1:4/280 @ ISO=1600, f=5.6?, 1/180 s

[algrove]

That is some nice image. Taken in NM?

[k-hawinkler]

That is some nice image. Taken in NM?

 

Thanks. Yep, In my back yard! :)

NM is surely an enchanted place this morning.

It snowed a little bit last night.

[wildlightphoto]

BTW, the APO 280/4 also does portraits, :D

 

It sure does (DMR, 280mm f/4 APO, extension tube):

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[algrove]

If possible kindly indicate the part number of the extension tube. Thanks.

[wildlightphoto]

If possible kindly indicate the part number of the extension tube. Thanks.

 

It started out as a 3-cam 14198 dedicated 1:2 - 1:1 extension tube for the 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R but I removed the shroud that covers the aperture ring (interferes with most lenses) and had DAG modify the flange to accept R-only lenses. I call it the Herr/Leitz UET-R (Universal Extension Tube-R). Unlike the 14256 it works on ALL Leica reflex bodies, and nearly all R lenses, with 3-cam metering connections with any lens that will fit.

 

Here are a couple more portraits made with the 280 and UET-R, these on Kodachrome in a Leicaflex SL:

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[jc_braconi]

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I will rate as this for the ones I use :

80 Lux

35 Lux

50 Lux

[robsteve]

Rob-Solms is too cold for me this time of year. Guess my timing was right. I have sent in a 280/2.8 to have CLA'd. Do not know if they send it to Solms or do that in NJ.

 

Typically, any lens with APO or ASPH in the name goes to Solms.

 

Btw, I was in Florida this past weekend and it wasn't that warm their either

[algrove]

Where you in Daytona or did you visit Dr. Rohde?

[robsteve]

Where you in Daytona or did you visit Dr. Rohde?

 

I was helping a friend drive his car down to Miami and took in a day of the boat show. There must have been a sports car race at Dayton a as well. I remember seeing a couple Porche race cars go by on trailers either Thursday or Friday.

 

My 400mm APO just arrived back at NJ from its trip to Solms for a CLA/refurb. I haven't heard back about the 105-280mm yet, but I told the lady at Leica NJ that she should check and see if it is on the way and just ship both of them back to me at the same time.

[algrove]

I was helping a friend drive his car down to Miami and took in a day of the boat show. There must have been a sports car race at Dayton a as well. I remember seeing a couple Porche race cars go by on trailers either Thursday or Friday.

 

My 400mm APO just arrived back at NJ from its trip to Solms for a CLA/refurb. I haven't heard back about the 105-280mm yet, but I told the lady at Leica NJ that she should check and see if it is on the way and just ship both of them back to me at the same time.

 

Now you tell me. Heck you could have brought a lens or two for me since you went within 3 miles of my house in both directions. End of January there was a 3 day Porsche Club race at Sebring. The big boys use transporters and you never see the cars.

[dkCambridgeshire]

It started out as a 3-cam 14198 dedicated 1:2 - 1:1 extension tube for the 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R but I removed the shroud that covers the aperture ring (interferes with most lenses) and had DAG modify the flange to accept R-only lenses. I call it the Herr/Leitz UET-R (Universal Extension Tube-R). Unlike the 14256 it works on ALL Leica reflex bodies, and nearly all R lenses, with 3-cam metering connections with any lens that will fit.

 

Here are a couple more portraits made with the 280 and UET-R, these on Kodachrome in a Leicaflex SL:

 

I've just seen a 280/4 APO R lens with a 14256 Macro Adaptor R listed as a package by a UK dealer for £3899! This would only be usable with R cameras and the 14256 would not require any modification for use with the 280/4. I've never seen such a high price asked for the lens but perhaps M 240 users might be prepared to pay the premium price.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

[naturephoto1]

I've just seen a 280/4 APO R lens with a 14256 Macro Adaptor R listed as a package by a UK dealer for £3899! This would only be usable with R cameras and the 14256 would not require any modification for use with the 280/4. I've never seen such a high price asked for the lens but perhaps M 240 users might be prepared to pay the premium price.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

 

You haven't seen the asking prices for the 280mm f4 Apo Telyt on Ebay lately. I paid $4700 for my lens from a seller on Ebay in November. That was down from his initial asking price of $5500. There were only 2000 of these lenses ever made. A premium price for a premium lens in much demand and in short supply.

 

Rich

[dkCambridgeshire]

You haven't seen the asking prices for the 280mm f4 Apo Telyt on Ebay lately. I paid $4700 for my lens from a seller on Ebay in November. That was down from his initial asking price of $5500. There were only 2000 of these lenses ever made. A premium price for a premium lens in much demand and in short supply.

 

Rich

 

You are correct - I have not followed 280/4 APO Ebay prices partly because IME so many Ebay vendors list Leica items at crazy prices compared to Leica dealers. Last night I checked Ebay for Leitz Elpro R c/u lenses and was amazed to see OTT 'Buy It Now' prices of eg £89. Last time I saw a 280/4 APO listed by a UK dealer was in 2011 and the price was £2500.

 

dunk

[wildlightphoto]

I've just seen a 280/4 APO R lens with a 14256 Macro Adaptor R listed as a package by a UK dealer for £3899! This would only be usable with R cameras and the 14256 would not require any modification for use with the 280/4.

 

A disadvantage of the 14256 is that it will not meter correctly on R bodies if used with a 1-cam or 2-cam lens.

[masjah]

I've just seen a 280/4 APO R lens with a 14256 Macro Adaptor R listed as a package by a UK dealer for £3899! This would only be usable with R cameras and the 14256 would not require any modification for use with the 280/4. I've never seen such a high price asked for the lens but perhaps M 240 users might be prepared to pay the premium price.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

 

A strange pairing for a job lot, if I may say so, since Leica specifically say in their 280/4 instruction book, that the use of the Macro Adapter is not recommended for this lens.

 

I saw the advert, and wondered if the photograph was an error, since the Macro Adapter didn't seem to be mentioned in the text of the advert.

[k-hawinkler]

A strange pairing for a job lot, if I may say so, since Leica specifically say in their 280/4 instruction book, that the use of the Macro Adapter is not recommended for this lens.

 

I saw the advert, and wondered if the photograph was an error, since the Macro Adapter didn't seem to be mentioned in the text of the advert.

 

 

Hi John,

 

Which R lenses is the Macro Adapter intended for?

Which R lenses can it be used with?

Thanks.

[dkCambridgeshire]

A strange pairing for a job lot, if I may say so, since Leica specifically say in their 280/4 instruction book, that the use of the Macro Adapter is not recommended for this lens.

 

I saw the advert, and wondered if the photograph was an error, since the Macro Adapter didn't seem to be mentioned in the text of the advert.

 

Doug's photos using the modified 14198 show that it is a good combination and maybe whoever owned the 280/4 APO on offer with the 14256 discovered its virtues too. The Macro Adaptor R can be sourced reasonably cheaply so I'll probably try one with my 280/4 lens.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

[wildlightphoto]

A strange pairing for a job lot, if I may say so, since Leica specifically say in their 280/4 instruction book, that the use of the Macro Adapter is not recommended for this lens.

 

Depends on the version of the instruction book. Mine recommends it.

 

The Macro Adaptor R can be sourced reasonably cheaply so I'll probably try one with my 280/4 lens.

 

It's part of my 'never leave home without' kit. I've used it with 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R, 135mm Elmarit-R, 90mm Summicron-R, 180mm APO-Elmarit-R, 250mm and 350mm Telyt, 400mm & 560mm f/5.6 and f/6.8 Telyts and the 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt. The 90mm Summicron-R shows very significant field curvature with this extension tube so for most uses it should be stopped down several stops for best image quality. Long-focus lenses like the f/6.8 and Televit Telyts will show some vignetting with full-frame cameras due to the constricted throat of the extension tube. I have another extension tube for the long-focus lenses without the internal baffles and aperture linkages which does not cause vignetting with the f/6.8 Telyts. The Televit itself will cause some vignetting even with the tube modified for the f/6.8 Telyts.

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[masjah]

Hi John,

 

Which R lenses is the Macro Adapter intended for?

Which R lenses can it be used with?

Thanks.

 

K-H

 

Sorry I don't have a list; I sold my Macro Adapter when I got my 100/2.8 + dedicated Elpro, so I don't have its instruction booklet any longer. The 60/2.8 Macro lens works well with it, and I've used it with my 50/2 Summicron.Some of the modern Apo lenses are not suitable, according to their instruction booklets, for example the 90/2Apo Asph, though the 180/2.8 Apo is OK stopped down.

 

Doug

 

That is very interesting! I've no idea why they should change the recommendation with regard to the Macro Adapter and the 280/4. Could it conceivably be that mine is the booklet for the ROM version and it has something to do with the ROM chip?