Leica R 80-200mm f4.0 or 135mm f2.8 with 1.4x/2x extender

[stam6882]

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Hi, 
Thinking about my tele lens to complement my 35-70mm f4 zoom. Currently shooting my R6.2 but next step is to digital SL2-s for the future. The 80-200mm f4 ROM seems the logical choice while R135mm/2.8 is attractive with faster aperture.  Would anyone have some experience on either lens?  The 135mm/2.8 seems to be very good price these days.

 

 

[Sandokan]

I can vouch for the 80-200, especially on film. The 90-280 is maybe sharper but a lot heavier. Until the 90-280 SL zoom, the 80-200 was my goto long lens. I do not know the 135 so cannot advise. 

[spydrxx]

the 80-200 is a really good lens, IMHO very comparable to Canon's L lens of the same focal length. Good colors and relatively high contrast.

[farnz]

12 hours ago, stam6882 said:

Hi, 
Thinking about my tele lens to complement my 35-70mm f4 zoom. Currently shooting my R6.2 but next step is to digital SL2-s for the future. The 80-200mm f4 ROM seems the logical choice while R135mm/2.8 is attractive with faster aperture.  Would anyone have some experience on either lens?  The 135mm/2.8 seems to be very good price these days.

 

 

The title of your thread seems to mention the 135/2.8 with 1.4x or 2x extender.  I assume that you're aware that a 1.4x extender will 'cost' you 1 stop in speed and the 2x extender will 'cost' you 2 stops in speed so with the 135/2.8 you'd have either a 190/4 or a 270/5.6?  (It will pay you to check whether the 1.4 extender works with either or both of these lenses but the 2x adapter certainly will.)

I use the 80-200/4 Vario-Elmar-R on my SL2-S and it's a superb manual focus lens that belies its age.  I also use it with a 2x APO-Extender-R on a tripod (giving me a 160-400/8) and it's equally good.  I use a collar and tripod foot that's similar to the STA-1 so that the weight of the camera, lens and extender is better distributed and rests on the lens tube rather than on the mount.

I don't have the 135/2.8 so I can't comment on that.

Pete.

[davidmknoble]

@stam6882, several important things.  First, the Leica R 1.4x extender will not work with the 135mm f/2.8 R lens.  It works with very few lenses, one is the Leica R APO 280mm f/2.8 lens ( a beast, but I like it).

Also, the 135 f/2.8 is an ok lens but not one of the later R lenses that are really well designed.  It has an ‘ok’ MTF graph and I believe you will be disappointed in that lens.  If you want a shallow depth of field, the 80 Summilux, the APO 90 summicron and the APO Macro 100 f/2.8 are significantly better and shallow depths of field.

That said, the 80-200 is very good (a Kyocera design?) and excels in the mid range but is very very good in the outside ranges.  It is my go to travel lens going over seas.  I will also take some wider and mid range lenses, but the 80-200 does very well, especially on the SL system and is easier to get in great condition.

Just my 2 cents!

[stam6882]

Thanks for the above. Has anyone with experience with the APO 2x extender on the 80-200 f4? Is it  a good combo to extend the reach?

[erudolph]

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I've used the 2XAPO-R extender ROM with that lens.  Here's two examples, the musician taken with a 240, the seagull with an SL. 

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[stam6882]

I will buy it 

[farnz]

6 hours ago, stam6882 said:

Thanks for the above. Has anyone with experience with the APO 2x extender on the 80-200 f4? Is it  a good combo to extend the reach?

 

On 7/13/2024 at 5:43 PM, farnz said:

I use the 80-200/4 Vario-Elmar-R on my SL2-S and it's a superb manual focus lens that belies its age.  I also use it with a 2x APO-Extender-R on a tripod (giving me a 160-400/8) and it's equally good

Pete.

[davidmknoble]

In general the APO 2x extender is a great extender and doesn’t degrade the attached lens by very much.  I used it with the R APO 90mm f/2 lens in Antarctica last January.  The thing to remember is that it doubles the aperture and wide open, many of the Leica R lenses are not bad, but they are better 1 or 2 stops in.  So, the 80-200 f/4 lens is f/8 wide open, and closer to f/11 if you stop down a little.  The light needed for f/8 and f/11 is high and use of a tripod would make a big difference.

My personal rule of thumb is that I do not use a 2x extender for an f/stop that is more than f/2.8 and hand hold the lens.  I also use that limit with film and with digital worry a little less because the high ISO’s are generally pretty good.

[Eclectic Man]

The other thing to consider is that the 135 f/2.8 R lens is really quite heavy.  I quite liked mine, but did not use it much once I got the 70-210 zoom.