(Very) long lenses on the CL and TL. -Please add your experiences.

[Dopaco]

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DNG with photoshop. (Camera RAW).
In sports, for some 6-image burst photos.

 

[rob_w]

These are great, Dopaco.   Fascinating that the colours are quite 'old school' -- I would have said, taken on film were it not a TL2

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[jaapv]

Well, just to contradict myself, here is one that I processed yesterday. sigma 150-600 @ 600

 

 

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[Dopaco]

On 2/7/2023 at 7:09 PM, rob_w said:

These are great, Dopaco.   Fascinating that the colours are quite 'old school' -- I would have said, taken on film were it not a TL2

Thanks for comment.

[Dopaco]

12 hours ago, jaapv said:

Well, just to contradict myself, here is one that I processed yesterday. sigma 150-600 @ 600

 

 

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What does the Sigma 150-600 lens look like on camera?...

[Dopaco]

The Tele elmar 135 f4 lens is too short for me, I want to enlarge it and I need answers to the following questions:

1.- Has anyone tried the Leica Vario-Elmar-R 70-210mm F4 E60 in CL or TL2?...

2.- In case I decide to buy it... would I have to buy an adapter from R to L?

3. Can I add a 2XAPO extender to the Tele Elmar 135mm f4?

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[dkCambridgeshire]

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2 hours ago, Dopaco said:

The Tele elmar 135 f4 lens is too short for me, I want to enlarge it and I need answers to the following questions:

1.- Has anyone tried the Leica Vario-Elmar-R 70-210mm F4 E60 in CL or TL2?...

2.- In case I decide to buy it... would I have to buy an adapter from R to L?

3. Can I add a 2XAPO extender to the Tele Elmar 135mm f4?

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Vario Elmar R 70-210/4 is a Leitz badge engineered Minolta lens manufactured 1984-1996. Would not contemplate trying or buying myself because it's so old (zooms do not improve with age) and at 720g a little heavy and maybe unbalanced on a CL or TL2. Yes you'd need an R to L adapter. 

Not possible to add a 2x APO extender to the M Tele Elmar 135/4. The Leitz R 2x APO extender is only compatible with Leitz / Leica R lenses. There are no Leica extenders available for M lenses 

For a long lens on your CL /TL2, you could consider a manual focus Canon FD 300/4 L lens which has 2 ED glass elements, an accessory tripod collar (enabling good balance on a tripod) and would offer the FF equivalent of 450mm on your APS-C cameras . Not to be confused with the 'non-L' version. And can be used with the Canon FD 1.4x extender 'A' for conversion to a 420mm (630mm FF equiv) lens.  Canon FD 300/4 L is usually reasonably priced and has been recommended by Doug Herr.  

You could also consider Leitz R 180/2.8 Mk I (has a tripod bush) or Mk II ... or the Leitz R 250/4 Mk I or Mk II (both have tripod bushes) .... all are compatible with the R 2x APO and 1.4x APO extenders.  There are also the R 400/6.8 and R 560/6.8 'telescope' lenses to consider – both very under-rated and can be obtained relatively cheaply. 

There is a new Leica Pocket Book 9th Edition due for publication shortly which lists the specifications of all Leitz / Leica lenses of all types (including R lenses) released up until  2022. 

[wlaidlaw]

The Leica 80-200 f4 Vario-Elmar R is a far better lens than the 70-210 and works well on the CL and M cameras with live view. A better choice might be the Panasonic 70-200 L Mount lens, which has the very significant benefit of having optical image stabilisation in the lens and very good auto focus, with subject tracking. I can confirm this works very well with both the CL and SL bodies. It is about half the weight and a third of the price of the Leica 90-280, which I had and found too heavy. The downside of this lens is that due to its short flange focal distance, it cannot be used on M bodies. 

Wilson

Edited April 1, 2023 by wlaidlaw

[Dopaco]

Thank you friends for your prompt and complete information.
Data that I am going to study to see which of them best suits my budget.

[Dopaco]

For bird photos, does this combination work well?:
Novoflex 400mm f5.6 T-Noflexar + PIGRIFF B Pistol Grip Follow Focus + Leica M Mount Adapter + Adapter L

 

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Edited April 1, 2023 by Dopaco

[jaapv]

17 hours ago, dkCambridgeshire said:

There are no Leica extenders available for M lenses 

There is, however a third-party one. The quality is reasonable, but it might do better on an APS-C sensor.

Komura 2x extender

 

 

[tommonego@gmail.com]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Dopaco:

For bird photos, does this combination work well?:
Novoflex 400mm f5.6 T-Noflexar + PIGRIFF B Pistol Grip Follow Focus + Leica M Mount Adapter + Adapter L

 

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The Novoflex is supposed to be a good lens, slightly better than the Leica Telyt 400 f5.6, which I have. My question would be if it is a Visoflex lens, if so Camera Quest has an M adapter, though it is not listed on their sight. I asked and they sent me one. 

[wlaidlaw]

I suspect an 80-200 R with a 2X APO extender would be better than the elderly Novoflex (a 1950's design). Saying it is better than the Leica 400/f5.6 is no great recommendation. Another thought would be the excellent Zeiss Contax long lenses with a Contax to Leica L adapter (Novoflex). They are very reasonably priced compared with the Leica equivalents. 

Wilson

[Dopaco]

22 minutes ago, tommonego@gmail.com said:

The Novoflex is supposed to be a good lens, slightly better than the Leica Telyt 400 f5.6, which I have. My question would be if it is a Visoflex lens, if so Camera Quest has an M adapter, though it is not listed on their sight. I asked and they sent me one. 

It has a very cheap price, its size and appearance scares me a bit because of the resemblance to a firearm.

On the page it says it measures 177mm x 83mm.
and weight 734g.
It looks bigger in the photo. It comes with everything ready, I just have to add the adapter from M to L that I have.

I am going to travel to Extremadura "Monfrague National Park" (Spain), where there are many birds and wild animals, the 135 f4 tele lens falls short for me, unless I could enlarge it 2x.

It doesn't scare me that a lens is old, I have some very old lenses that give me better photos than many modern ones.

[Dopaco]

2 hours ago, jaapv said:

There is, however a third-party one. The quality is reasonable, but it might do better on an APS-C sensor.

Komura 2x extender

 

 

Thank you very much, I'll check it out to see if it still exists

[Dopaco]

1 hour ago, wlaidlaw said:

I suspect an 80-200 R with a 2X APO extender would be better than the elderly Novoflex (a 1950's design). Saying it is better than the Leica 400/f5.6 is no great recommendation. Another thought would be the excellent Zeiss Contax long lenses with a Contax to Leica L adapter (Novoflex). They are very reasonably priced compared with the Leica equivalents. 

Wilson

Thank you.
I'm looking at the Leica R 80-200 F4 lens and if it can be magnified to x2 it would be a good fit.

[dkCambridgeshire]

3 hours ago, jaapv said:

There is, however a third-party one. The quality is reasonable, but it might do better on an APS-C sensor.

Komura 2x extender

 

 

 

31 minutes ago, Dopaco said:

Thank you very much, I'll check it out to see if it still exists

I have the Komura 2x extender. Never used it because reviews suggest it's better to crop the original image rather than use the Komura doubler. It's an older design

dunk  

[tommonego@gmail.com]

vor 35 Minuten schrieb Dopaco:

It has a very cheap price, its size and appearance scares me a bit because of the resemblance to a firearm.

On the page it says it measures 177mm x 83mm.
and weight 734g.
It looks bigger in the photo. It comes with everything ready, I just have to add the adapter from M to L that I have.

I am going to travel to Extremadura "Monfrague National Park" (Spain), where there are many birds and wild animals, the 135 f4 tele lens falls short for me, unless I could enlarge it 2x.

It doesn't scare me that a lens is old, I have some very old lenses that give me better photos than many modern ones.

Yes, my 400 Telyt looks a little scary too. I haven't been using it much as if I go out with it I think I scare the birds. You do need 1/500 of a second to use the lens I use a leica table top tripod as a support, I try to use f8. If it is cheap enough it might be just the thing for your trip. If you want to stay with the 135, there is a Komura M-mount extender, not Leica and kind of rare, and even as a 400, APS-C equivalent, it may not be enough for birds. I find the 400 Telyt to be a little short at times.

[dkCambridgeshire]

5 hours ago, Dopaco said:

For bird photos, does this combination work well?:
Novoflex 400mm f5.6 T-Noflexar + PIGRIFF B Pistol Grip Follow Focus + Leica M Mount Adapter + Adapter L

 

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Should work very well with any L mount camera provided the lens group is clean 

https://www.novoflex.de/en/products-637/lens-adapters/adapter-rings/adapter-rings-products/adapter-rings-for-follow-focus-lenses.html

Use the Novoflex adapter LETA which bayonets onto the Novoflex Universal bayonet A .... after removing whichever adapter is currently fitted 

The whole system is explained in https://www.camera-manual.com/novoflex-400/-followfocus-manual-18036-gbp

Sometimes the Noflexar lenes are hazy / dusty but it' fairly easy to dismantle and carefully clean, the lens group. BUT .... beware of 'speckled' lens coatings. 

I've seen several examples with speckled / deteriorating lens coatings 

The Novoflex Noflexar lens 'optics' were made by the Agfa subsidiary Staeble who also made the 1960s to 80s Leitz Elpro close-up achromats. 

The 400mm Noflexar T is 3 element achromat; the regular 400mm Noflexar is a 2 element achromat; both are telescope lenses as distinct from telephoto designs.  

My own Leica SL 601 / T Noflexar 400/5.6 set-up used with Novoflex follow focus mount - but with Leitz R bellows added for finer close-up focus .... also with a 2x R APO extender . Combination used for dragonflies with an R to SL adapter but could also be used with the LETA adapter without the R bellows 

Handholding not recommended . The 'follow focus grip' is attached to an ARCA plate which slides into a gimbal tripod mount . Low seat next to the apparatus. 

BW, dunk

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by dkCambridgeshire

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Jacek.PL]

And what about sigma L 100-400 or 150-600 ?