televit with 400mm f6.8 purchased

[docmaas]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Someone somewhere sometime converted a televit to take the 400 and 560 f6.8 lensheads. I bought it with a 400 on it and it works very well.

 

Here's a pic:

 

 

I've always wanted to use these lenses but never been able to focus them easily because I am fully stretched out just to touch the slide mechanism. This mount with the focussing knob works great on a tripod with my new sony a7r.

 

Another nice side benefit is the close focus effect I get by fully extending the lens using the slide mechanism in effect creating a built in macro tube.

 

I have a 560mm I have rigged up a focussing rail on but I haven't been able to get it to work without just enough backlash in the knob to make focussing still very difficult. The lens is at home and I'm on the road but I am looking forward to using it when I return.

 

Mike

[docmaas]

I've had a closer look at the conversion. It looks like they cut the front of the back tube from the 400 f6.8 retaining the threads and mounting ring and fashioned a spacer ring to make the diameter the same as the 14138 then mounted the ring on the telyt f6.8 tube via 3 screws, then the 14138 onto the ring also via 3 screws. That tube fits into the telavit via the normal locking flange and the focus end of the 400 f6.8 is locked on in the normal manner.

 

I tried to remove the ring that I think is a 14138 but only one screw loosened up and the other two started to peel away at the slot so I stopped before I completely munged them up. I wanted to see if the 14138 like device had the expected threads inside. That will remain an unanswered question for the time being. I may have a repair shop try to remove it but then again maybe not since it works fine as is.

 

Mike