APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 mm f/2.8–4 —Just the facts please

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The elderly Telyt Visoflex lenses are not great, other than in the dead centre of the frame and I think you might find the whole set up too cumbersome and slow to use on safari. I tried changing the focus screen on the Visoflex to a modern split image surrounded by micro prisms and it was faster but less accurate than the original ground glass. I am selling off my Visoflex III and its 400 and 560mm Telyts. The 400/6.8 would probably be fine on a tripod from a hide but not otherwise. I was trying to use a more modern but still manual focus set up with either Olympus EP-5 or M240 with Vario Elmarit R 80-200 and 2X extender on a boat safari in India and my focus hit rate was disappointing low. I was still getting camera shake even with the excellent 5 axis stabilisation on the Olympus. I ended buying an Olympus 75-300 AF Mk.2 lens (150-600 EFOV) and my hit rate has improved to close to 100%, with far less camera shake. I would hope to get similar results but with even better optical quality with the 90-280 SL I have on order. I would recommend going with the modern Nikon set up if you will not have the 90-280, which my suspicion is that we will not see before June or July. 

 

Wilson

 

 

One year ago My wife and I was in the Serengeti. She had the Olympus OM-D E-M1 with the Olympus 75-300 and I had my M240 with the Vario-Elmar-R 105-280 with an 1.4 extender. I had more hits than she had if you look at both focus and image quality. Manual focusing was not a big deal, so I had very few misses. With the Oly I believe the new 40-150 with extender is a better choice though. The 75-300 is kind of crappy.

 

My dilemma is, should I keep the Vario-Elmar-R 105-280 and use it on the SL, or exchange it with the SL 105-280 when available. And will the SL come with an extender?

 

From Serengeti:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/241695-those-boring-photographers-the-serengeti/

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/241918-topis-scouting-over-the-plains-the-serengeti/

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/241743-gaselle-for-dinner-serengeti/

[wlaidlaw]

One year ago My wife and I was in the Serengeti. She had the Olympus OM-D E-M1 with the Olympus 75-300 and I had my M240 with the Vario-Elmar-R 105-280 with an 1.4 extender. I had more hits than she had if you look at both focus and image quality. Manual focusing was not a big deal, so I had very few misses. With the Oly I believe the new 40-150 with extender is a better choice though. The 75-300 is kind of crappy.

 

 

 

 

The Mk.2 version of the 75-300 is a big improvement, especially when used with one of the latest Oly MFT cameras, with in camera corrections and vitally, the latest FW for both camera and lens. It is better than my Zeiss Contax Tele-Tessar 300/4 on the M240 and nearly as good as my Vario Elmarit 80-200, so no slouch. However I expect the SL 90-280 to be considerably better than the Olympus lens. On the basis that in life, you usually get what you pay for, it would be desperately disappointing if it was not a whole lot better. 

[Jeff S]

 

 

Jeff S: Since I have access to the Nikkor  70-200/2.8 and the TC1.4, and like and have good experience with this setup, I doubt that I would want to switch over to the new Canon 70-300 L version ii, thought it sounds very good from what you say.

 

 

 

 

Understood.  FWIW, the new version of Canon's 100-400L offers all the same benefits, albeit a bit bigger, but it also focuses extraordinarily close...enough to use it for macro.  And, as lenrentals found out when they took one apart, it's built like a brick s**thouse... http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/02/canon-100-400-is-l-mk-ii-teardown-best-built-lens-ever

 

Jeff

[jaapv]

OT DISCUSSION MOVED INTO BARNACK'S BAR

[CorpRoadie]

What did you end up taking/using?