Leica Telyt M f/4.8 280 mm on M10

[JonathanWallace]

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Dear Friends:

 

In hopes of getting into tele/zoom photography with my M10, I recently bought a Leica Telyt M f/4.8 280. The series number is 234XXXX. My lens arrived and I naively stuck it onto M10 hoping that I am good to go. Now I see that something is missing.

 

By surfing the web, I realized I need some kind of an adapter. Would any one of you what should I do to make this work?

 

Your help on this much appreciated.

 

-JW

 

 

 

 

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[a.noctilux]

You need to place 41mm ring or Visoflex II or III (the orginal mirror chamber).

 

The lens was designed for Visoflex use : see Wiki https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Visoflex.

Edited July 7, 2018 by a.noctilux

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[luigi bertolotti]

Is a set I enjoy time to time with M240 : the ring I use is the Novoflex LEM/VIS, easy to find and not too costly, which provides the thickness equivalent of the Viso II/III for which the 280 was designed (the current LEM/VIS is composed by a series of stacked rings… my one, the first version,  is a single piece)

 

Your lens is the so called "version III", not exactly of the last variant, but optically is the last and definitely the best of the Telyts 280 : here are a pair of pics taken with it, on M240

 

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Edited July 7, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[JonathanWallace]

Is a set I enjoy time to time with M240 : the ring I use is the Novoflex LEM/VIS, easy to find and not too costly, which provides the thickness equivalent of the Viso II/III for which the 280 was designed (the current LEM/VIS is composed by a series of stacked rings… my one, the first version,  is a single piece)

 

Your lens is the so called "version III", not exactly of the last variant, but optically is the last and definitely the best of the Telyts 280 : here are a pair of pics taken with it, on M240

 

Myrsdal_d_jpg_r.jpg

 

Sassopiatto_2_jpg_r.jpg

 

 

Thank you for the quick response! This is great! It points me to the right direction.

 

I checked the Novoflex website and it seems like a *new* version called LEM/VIS-III adapter set is a workable solution. Right now, I find it a bit expensive. But from the photos it seems clear that the Telyt 280 f/4.8 would work.

 

I went to the local Leica Store here and tried their adapter ring. It seems to me that with the adapter ring, I was already getting the focus in particular range. For infinity, I guess Novoflex would be needed as it meets the right distance requirement.

[jaapv]

To be pedantic, this  is not a Telyt-M, but a Telyt-V. The V -or Visoflex- mount is identical to the M mount, but, as others say above, 41 mm shorter. . Look on eBay, Visoflexes come up regularly and adapter rings sometimes as well.

[JonathanWallace]

To be pedantic, this  is not a Telyt-M, but a Telyt-V. The V -or Visoflex- mount is identical to the M mount, but, as others say above, 41 mm shorter. . Look on eBay, Visoflexes come up regularly and adapter rings sometimes as well.

 

 

Thank you for the information. I am just starting out and this forum is amazing. I have also gone through other people's posts. People enthusiastically share knowledge. What more could a beginner ask for! 

 

Just to be sure, is there any Telyt-M? I would guess the answer is no because such lenses would not have the range finder capability.

[jaapv]

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There is just the Apo-Telyt M 135 and previous 135 mm lenses. Due to the nature of a rangefinder, 135 has always been the longest focal length. The Visoflex turned the M into a primitive SLR and had focal lengths up to 800 mm.

 

The best affordable way to get into longer lenses, using the M240 or M10 + EVF, is to buy a cheap but good - the old OM Olympus springs to mind- other brand long lens and a cheap adapter. The off-brand adapters sold by many camera shops are mostly excellent quality.

Otherwise, if you want to stay with Leica, an M-R adapter and R lenses.

Despite Luigi's justifiable enthusiasm, the V-lenses are getting long in tooth.  More recent R lenses in general outperform them.

[lct]

[...]  if you want to stay with Leica, an M-R adapter and R lenses.

Despite Luigi's justifiable enthusiasm, the V-lenses are getting long in tooth.  More recent R lenses in general outperform them. [...]

 

Sure but the R 280/4 is much more expensive and is also 50% heavier. I use it only on tripod for this reason while the V 280/4.8 can be used with Televit and does pretty well when cranking up contrast in PP. Now i use more my Nikon 300/4 to be honest.

[luigi bertolotti]

Sure but the R 280/4 is much more expensive and is also 50% heavier. I use it only on tripod for this reason while the V 280/4.8 can be used with Televit and does pretty well when cranking up contrast in PP. Now i use more my Nikon 300/4 to be honest.

 … and infact that's the configuration I use :

 

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Good to handle and to focus, but damn HEAVY and space-consuming to carry with you…   (but the whole assembly is really robust)

Anyway… agree with Jaap that those long focals are really for the ones who are sentimentally tied to old original Leitz gear…  : nowadays , with EVF, you have lighter alternatives which probably have nothing less than the Telyt 280 in terms of image quality… but, Jonathan, you have your Telyt, and be confident that (once taken an adapter) you will enjoy it  : my advice is that, given its length and weight… is better to find the way to work at 1/500 MINIMUM when Handheld .. so better if more… btw, is a lens that, for far subjects, does perform vey similar Wide Open and at, say, f8.

Edited July 8, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[jaapv]

Sure but the R 280/4 is much more expensive and is also 50% heavier. I use it only on tripod for this reason while the V 280/4.8 can be used with Televit and does pretty well when cranking up contrast in PP. Now i use more my Nikon 300/4 to be honest.

Yes, I have a version 3 in Televit-V. I find the lens pleasant, reasonably shap, excellent colour rendering but somewhat lacking in resolution and microcontrast.

[luigi bertolotti]

Yes, I have a version 3 in Televit-V. I find the lens pleasant, reasonably shap, excellent colour rendering but somewhat lacking in resolution and microcontrast.

 

...boring comparision of crops from home, at 30-40 meters around… the painted ornament is something like 40cm high… jpg OOC (M240) ,250 resampled to match 280...

 

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(the 250 is 8-10 years older than the 280)

Edited July 9, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Luigi,

 

Nice photos.

 

What aperture were they taken at?

F11?

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[luigi bertolotti]

_{You mean the two at #3, I suppose (hard that the test pic is "nice"  )…}

_{I frankly don't remember… probably both at 5,6 / 8.. I seldom close more than this, because exposure time is always a critical factor… moreover, I tend not to use the diaphragm pre-set facility and  focus at real aperture, so wider is better for clarity of image in EVF. Btw… this is a lens for which I'd REALLY appreciate a better EVF...   but haven't any whish to buy an M10 just for this...}

[Michael Geschlecht]

_{You mean the two at #3, I suppose (hard that the test pic is "nice"  )…}

_{I frankly don't remember… probably both at 5,6 / 8.. I seldom close more than this, because exposure time is always a critical factor… moreover, I tend not to use the diaphragm pre-set facility and  focus at real aperture, so wider is better for clarity of image in EVF. Btw… this is a lens for which I'd REALLY appreciate a better EVF...   but haven't any whish to buy an M10 just for this...}

 

Hello Luigi,

 

Sorry for the confusion. I meant the 2 in # 11, Just above.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[luigi bertolotti]

Hello Luigi,

 

Sorry for the confusion. I meant the 2 in # 11, Just above.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Uh, Ok : both were taken wide open, 4,8 for the Telyt, 4,0 for the venerable Sonnar 250... (*)

 

(*) this one - with M adapter

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Edited July 10, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Luigi,

 

Is it possible to do that set again at F8 & F11 on a big, heavy tripod?

 

That way we can get a good idea of how good the lenses are.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[DirkR440]

I've tested the 280mm once with the Visoflex III. You can make nice pictures with it like for example:

 

Zürich by Dirk Raffel, auf Flickr

 

Zürich by Dirk Raffel, auf Flickr

 

Zürich by Dirk Raffel, auf Flickr

 

Zürich by Dirk Raffel, auf Flickr

 

But I also had a lot of pictures that have not been good. Sometimes out of focus (of course somehow that is my fault and the fault from the lens) but it is not an easy one to focus especially on moving targets. Pictures agains the sun or in strong sunlight have not been good as well.

 

And I also have to say that it is quite heavy, you really feel it in your camera back. I prefer the 200mm Telyt.

[luigi bertolotti]

 

Hello Luigi,

 

Is it possible to do that set again at F8 & F11 on a big, heavy tripod?

 

That way we can get a good idea of how good the lenses are.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

You LIKE to go in depth, eh, Michael ?   OK, I've done it this evening… tripod and both at f11, ISO 320, time resulted to be 1/12... jpg OOC... only processing the resampling of 250 to 280 (in PS) ...of course, reduced the whole final twin image to a decent LUF format… (an easy and quick taking.. is a nearby home to mine.. years ago I took this view, for test, even with the Telyt-S 800... )

 

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[luigi bertolotti]

 

…  but it is not an easy one to focus…

YES, DO CONFIRM... it's someway problematic EVEN not wide open… misteries of lens design… just as an absolutely recent example : to make the test  I posted before (on Michael request…  ) I did shot (M 240) 3 frames for each lens, with minimal focus movements around the "best on EVF" (oh.. would it be better…  ) , and choose the best from 280 (and there was a best one) ... on the 250 the choice was casual.. they were factually identical takings, which isn't strange at 30 meters or so, at f11...

Edited July 10, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[gyoung]

There is just the Apo-Telyt M 135 and previous 135 mm lenses. Due to the nature of a rangefinder, 135 has always been the longest focal length. The Visoflex turned the M into a primitive SLR and had focal lengths up to 800 mm.

 

The best affordable way to get into longer lenses, using the M240 or M10 + EVF, is to buy a cheap but good - the old OM Olympus springs to mind- other brand long lens and a cheap adapter. The off-brand adapters sold by many camera shops are mostly excellent quality.

Otherwise, if you want to stay with Leica, an M-R adapter and R lenses.

Despite Luigi's justifiable enthusiasm, the V-lenses are getting long in tooth. More recent R lenses in general outperform them.

Many years ago I had some Olympus OM stuff, and the 200mm f/4 was not impressive. My memory is that the Tamron 70-210 zoom I replaced it with was better.

The Nikon 200/4 has a good reputation and I have a 180/2.8 AiS which is very good but heavier. The 200mm f/4 Telyt is nice as they have preset diaphragms too, but its also heavy.

 

Gerry