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400mm Lens for SL?


peterbob67

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Hi there

 

I am a (very average) landscape photographer and am looking for a long lens - longer than the 90-280, I have been advised I need up to 400mm... so assuming the advice is correct...

 

Are there any options for the SL?  The Nikon 80-400 with adapter could be one option, although it seems functionality can be an issue?  AF is not an issue as I use manual focus.  Are there any better alternatives? I sometimes wonder if the SL is right for landscaped but then I use it and know it is!

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

 
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There are some excellent R-glass:

 

"Budget":

Leitz Telyt-R 350mm f/4.8

Leitz Wetzlar Telyt 400mm f/6.8

 

Top of the line:

Leica APO-Telyt-R 400mm f/2.8

Leica APO-Telyt-R 400mm f/4 Module

 

The last two are very heavy, hard to find and very expensive . The 350 is very good and can be found quite easily. All of them are of course discontinued since many years, but nevertheless, they are still extremely good. Another option would be a Apo-tely 280 with extender (either 1.4x or 2x). The Apo-Telyt 280 is still one of the sharpest lenses ever made by any manufacturer.

 

This is a good source of information on Leica R-glass:

https://www.apotelyt.com/photo-lens/leica-r-catalog

 

Otherwise Nikon 200-400 is suppose to be extremely good. The 200-500 could maybe also be an option. I have personally no experience with these two Nikon lenses, but I have used several of Nikon 300 and they have all been very good.

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If you are familiar with Nikon lenses and manual focus is not an issue, may I suggest the Ai-s 400/5.6 IF-ED?

 

As for Leica lenses, the old Telyt 350 is (not stellar by today's standards, but) very good, but perhaps the leap in reach from the native AF 280 is not huge.

 

If you're not on a budget, Apo-Telyt 4/280 with apo-extender(s) might be the best choice, IQ wise.

Or Apo-modulars (400/2.8 or 400/4 etc.), of course... if you don't mind the bulk.

Edited by Steve McGarrett
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My alternate choice will be to get the Leica CL together with the SL 90-280 lens and you will be able to reach 420 without having to buy alternative lens.

 

 

Plus the bonus is that you will get a nice new camera.  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes: 
 

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My alternate choice will be to get the Leica CL together with the SL 90-280 lens and you will be able to reach 420 without having to buy alternative lens.

 

 

Plus the bonus is that you will get a nice new camera.  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes: 

 

 I agree ...... the cheaper option is add a CL - that way you get the full benefits of best in class optics, OIS and AF .... which will be missing on all the other adapted solutions ......

 

.... this was handheld through a rather dirty window a few days ago ...... @ 420mm equivalent on the CL

 

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Thank you all for being so helpful. I remain unsure! One option put to me is to buy the 80-400 nikon lens and get a nikon camera to go with it as it'll be cheaper and (in my friends opinion!) better than the leica lens!!

 

I am tempted to stick with my system, get the leica 90-280 lens, and crop if I need to. I would prefer a zoom so this really limits my options to the novoflex adapter with nikon lens, the leica lens, or the nikon lens plus nikon body (eg 800e - even an old camera has no anti aliasing filter and 36mp).

 

Sometimes it is hard being a leica user, there seems to be compromises all the time - other than quality and ease of use. That is possibly the point, I love using the SL, I have hated using other camera systems...

 

Thanks again

 

Pete

 

PS love the robin!

Edited by peterbob67
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I haven't used SL but routinely use 180APO3.4 combined with X2APO extender on my M240. This gives you 360mm for less than 2K US$. I also use 400mm Telyt 6.8 with good success for birds etc. However now I have switched to 180APO3.4+X2APO.

 

Canon FD glass is also excellent (Doug Herr uses it on Sony FF), however your main issue will be image stabilization to get full advantage of long lens. This is why native Canikon system or adding CL to 90-280 SL may be a better choice if you want to do more than just dabble.

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Pete,

If your choice is non AF and no need for stabilisation then your choice is wide so long as you can locate the appropriate adapter. Try out the 90-280, it is one of the best when it comes to image quality. Sharp & construsty second to none with fast AF and stabilisation.

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A telephoto for landscapes will give you compression perspective. 

 

Many landscape photos however utilize wide angle lenses. 

 

I would love to see the types of photos you are trying to take - maybe you should consider the Sigma/Tamron/Canon/Nikon telephoto zoom lenses. In Canon mount, you have the Novoflex adaptor that lets you set the aperture as well as AF (but no IS). Like the 150-600. 

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I haven't used SL but routinely use 180APO3.4 combined with X2APO extender on my M240. This gives you 360mm for less than 2K US$. I also use 400mm Telyt 6.8 with good success for birds etc. However now I have switched to 180APO3.4+X2APO.

 

Canon FD glass is also excellent (Doug Herr uses it on Sony FF), however your main issue will be image stabilization to get full advantage of long lens. This is why native Canikon system or adding CL to 90-280 SL may be a better choice if you want to do more than just dabble.

 

There is some chatter in regard to image degradation using 2X APO extender -- fact or fiction?

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There is some chatter in regard to image degradation using 2X APO extender -- fact or fiction?

I don't think so. I have done tests with 180APO3.4 and 80-200vario with 2XAPO on FF and found the result without any degradation.

 

The only loss is 2 stops of aperture.

 

Edit: don't confuse it with non APO 2X extender which will have some degradation.

Edited by jmahto
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I don't think so. I have done tests with 180APO3.4 and 80-200vario with 2XAPO on FF and found the result without any degradation.

 

The only loss is 2 stops of aperture.

 

Edit: don't confuse it with non APO 2X extender which will have some degradation.

Thanks .... I am heading for a trip and have the 80-200 and am thinking of trading in my Q for an SL, CL, or just buying a GX8 (Jaap likes it a lot for safari work, it also has IBIS). Will take my R6.2 and something wide along as well. Just bouncing back and forth with ideas. Downside of SL is weight and FF, so I can't get quite the same reach as a CL or GX8. OTOH, the SL is camera that I will use long after the trip whereas the other two, not so much (I think!).

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