dkCambridgeshire Posted September 12, 2015 Share #1 Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Many months ago, I purchased from Ffordes, a s/h Novoflex Noflexar 640mm lens, and s/h Novoflex Noflexar 400mm lens - both 'as seen', for just £69 the pair i.e. £34.50 each. 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! Both lenses' coatings have a flaky, worn appearance, and the 640mm has balsam separation - hence the low price. These are 'telescope' doublet lenses i.e. achromats - they're not of telephoto construction. Because of the simple doublet lens design, there are only two air/glass surfaces - so the compromised lens coatings are unlikely to have much effect (if any) on image quality. Both lens tubes screw onto my existing vintage Novoflex Follow Focus Mount. However, the mount is intended for use with a Visoflex - and I wanted to use the combination with a Leica T. Initially I tested the 'T' with a Visoflex mounted to the 'T's' Leica M adaptor - it worked OK, but the 'T's' electronic Viso finder gives a brighter image than the original Visoflex's reflex finder. Luckily I already had a 'Viso lens to R 14127 adaptor' - for mounting Viso lenses onto Leica R series cameras. By adding a Novoflex R to M adaptor to the 'Viso lens to R 14127 adaptor', the T's electronic Viso could be fitted to the camera and infinity focus could be achieved. Additionally, I decided to try the combination with a Leica 2x APO extender R which doubles the focal length to 1280mm but reduces the max aperture from f9 to f18 The Viso adaptor's aperture ring serves no purpose when used at the rear of the Noflexar lens tube. The combination is far from ergonomically perfect - but perseverence eventually paid off. This is me using a similar combination to photograph an Egret perched in a tree approx 80 feet distant … here I'm using a 600mm Noflexar lens. The combination's extreme focal length magnifies any vibration and shake - hence the need for Novoflex 'Y' support at the front of the lens … plus the ball head under the squeeze trigger. Photo was taken by Leica Forum member Mike J who introduced me to the Egret earlier this week. cont'd ... Edited September 12, 2015 by dkCambridgeshire 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Both lenses' coatings have a flaky, worn appearance, and the 640mm has balsam separation - hence the low price. These are 'telescope' doublet lenses i.e. achromats - they're not of telephoto construction. Because of the simple doublet lens design, there are only two air/glass surfaces - so the compromised lens coatings are unlikely to have much effect (if any) on image quality. Both lens tubes screw onto my existing vintage Novoflex Follow Focus Mount. However, the mount is intended for use with a Visoflex - and I wanted to use the combination with a Leica T. Initially I tested the 'T' with a Visoflex mounted to the 'T's' Leica M adaptor - it worked OK, but the 'T's' electronic Viso finder gives a brighter image than the original Visoflex's reflex finder. Luckily I already had a 'Viso lens to R 14127 adaptor' - for mounting Viso lenses onto Leica R series cameras. By adding a Novoflex R to M adaptor to the 'Viso lens to R 14127 adaptor', the T's electronic Viso could be fitted to the camera and infinity focus could be achieved. Additionally, I decided to try the combination with a Leica 2x APO extender R which doubles the focal length to 1280mm but reduces the max aperture from f9 to f18 The Viso adaptor's aperture ring serves no purpose when used at the rear of the Noflexar lens tube. The combination is far from ergonomically perfect - but perseverence eventually paid off. This is me using a similar combination to photograph an Egret perched in a tree approx 80 feet distant … here I'm using a 600mm Noflexar lens. The combination's extreme focal length magnifies any vibration and shake - hence the need for Novoflex 'Y' support at the front of the lens … plus the ball head under the squeeze trigger. Photo was taken by Leica Forum member Mike J who introduced me to the Egret earlier this week. cont'd ... ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/249994-t-harnessed-to-vintage-640mm-noflexar-follow-focus-mount/?do=findComment&comment=2886721'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 12, 2015 Posted September 12, 2015 Hi dkCambridgeshire, Take a look here 'T' harnessed to Vintage 640mm Noflexar & Follow Focus Mount. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dkCambridgeshire Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) continuation … And these are two of the Egret photos taken with the Noflexar 640mm plus extender combination: 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 second photo was actually taken using stacked 2x APO and 1.4x APO extenders … and a resultant focal length of 2688mm* The feather detail is not as good as i'd hoped - but that's more to do with the light than the lens. Old Noflexars never die … and they can be bargain buys compared with the cost of e.g. 600mm marque telephoto lenses ... … and they adapt relatively easily to the Leica T. Best wishes dunk *FF equivalent … 640 x 2 x 1.4 x 1.5 = 2688mm … and what might Freud have to say about that ? … Edited September 12, 2015 by dkCambridgeshire 10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! The second photo was actually taken using stacked 2x APO and 1.4x APO extenders … and a resultant focal length of 2688mm* The feather detail is not as good as i'd hoped - but that's more to do with the light than the lens. Old Noflexars never die … and they can be bargain buys compared with the cost of e.g. 600mm marque telephoto lenses ... … and they adapt relatively easily to the Leica T. Best wishes dunk *FF equivalent … 640 x 2 x 1.4 x 1.5 = 2688mm … and what might Freud have to say about that ? … ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/249994-t-harnessed-to-vintage-640mm-noflexar-follow-focus-mount/?do=findComment&comment=2886722'>More sharing options...
TheHobbit Posted September 12, 2015 Share #3 Posted September 12, 2015 Awesome, simply awesome. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted September 12, 2015 Sharpness could be better and hope will improve next trip - there was a strong wind yesterday and the Egret was visibly swaying on its chosen perch as the tree branches caught the wind. Also I should have underexposed by half a stop to capture better plumage detail. It's a learning process; this was the first time I'd tried the Noflexar lenses for bird photography. dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° Posted October 2, 2015 Share #5 Posted October 2, 2015 Sharpness...hell NO! One must appreciate the soft details. It's elegant and distinguished. Anyone (well...) can get a "sharp" shot. Yours are pleasing to the eye with just the right bokeh and such a contrasty look. The plasticity is just incredible, and those are pics I'm watching on my phone, thus low res. Hmm..maybe that's why? You tell me! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted October 2, 2015 Sharpness...hell NO! One must appreciate the soft details. It's elegant and distinguished. Anyone (well...) can get a "sharp" shot. Yours are pleasing to the eye with just the right bokeh and such a contrasty look. The plasticity is just incredible, and those are pics I'm watching on my phone, thus low res. Hmm..maybe that's why? You tell me! Thanks Willie … it's an ongoing experiment and a learning process …. On another day with better light / different light and no wind / less wind I'm hopeful of sharper results. The 640mm lens with 2x extender on the T's APS format has a FF equivalent focal length of 1920mm - which requires a very stable support to eliminate camera shake … and no wind and a relatively high shutter speed to eliminate subject movement. But results so far suggest that the bloomed lens coating and balsam separation are of little consequence and do not compromise the image. Best wishes dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° Posted October 2, 2015 Share #7 Posted October 2, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Good luck with your ongoing endeavors and don't forget: keep'em pleasing and not necessarily sharp only ;-) I'm certainly a fan of yours now. Never thought I could find any interest in nature (bird) shots. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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