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Leitz Telyt 400/6.8
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:40 am    Post subject: Leitz Telyt 400/6.8 Reply with quote

These old long focal Telyt are strange lenses. They are true long focal lenses, and not telephotos, meaning they are as long as their focal length -- in fact, even longer. The main advantage of this optical formula is simplicity: the Telyt 400/6.3 is built with only two elements. That's an achromatic doublet.

What, a lens with only two elements? The idea may seem laughable but it makes a lot of sense. First, the lens is very lightweight, because glass is heavy and saving on the number of elements means also saving on weight. Then, the contrast is unbelievable, because the contrast of a lens drops at each air/glass interface, even with the best multicoating. This lens has only two air/glass interfaces, so its contrast and resistance to flare are second to none.

As for sharpness, the sharpness in the center of the frame is superb. It degrades slowly towards the edge of the image circle, but it is not really a problem on a crop format DSLR. Anyway, it is rare to shoot plane subjects with a 400mm lens. Except for the idolaters of the Mighty Brick Wall Laughing.

The lens also exhibits very little chromatic aberrations and strictly no purple fringing.

The only drawback is the limited aperture (F/6.8 ) but it is less of a problem with modern DSLRs, where high ISO settings are usable.

The 400/6.8 also has a very easy to use quick focusing device: you just press a button and rack the focusing tube in and out until the image appears sharp in the finder.

Here are a few pictures taken today with this lens (at F/8 ):











Cheers!

Abbazz


Last edited by Abbazz on Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:05 am; edited 3 times in total


PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Love #3.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Outstanding!


PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting...

I recently purchased a William-Optics Zenithstar 70ED for around $350 new. It is a 70mm (diameter) f6.0 ED doublet. Unlike camera lenses, it doesn't focus quickly (it has a 10:1 gear reduction crayford focuser). And I've only used it on the moon.

But this gives me an idea... (it's just really heavy due to the mechanicals)


PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Smile

I just ordered a digicam converter that will link my Leica D-Lux to my recently acquired Leica Televid scope; as far as I can figure out this will give me the equivalent of a roughly 2000 mm lens...

If this qualifies as a manual lens (it probably does, even if the camera is on autofocus...) I will post the results in a net thread.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great! I'm dying to get a red dragon some day.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone for the kind comments.

This lens has become my most used 400mm because it is light and sharp, but also because it's so easy to focus. I have already stated that the quick focus button was really easy to operate but, what makes focusing even easier, is the high contrast of the image. In the viewfinder, the sharp image literally pops out of the screen and there is no need to bracket.

This lens is incredibly useful for birding, because it allows the photograph to focus quickly and precisely on a tiny bird lost in the twigs a few meters away -- try that with an autofocus lens! The minimum focus distance is also quite low, contrary to most super-tele lenses of that era.

I live in an equatorial country, which means hot and humid weather (30-35°C and 75-90% humidity) all year long. I have a few nice super-tele lenses that are much faster than the Telyt, but they never leave home, just because they are too heavy to carry around in this kind of weather. When I need some reach, I grab the Pentax 300/4.5 or the Leitz 400/6.8, because I know I can carry them for miles without risking a sunstroke -- or injuring my back!

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am in love with this mighty lens too, this sample shows the sharpness and clarity it delivers:



I also expected it to be good for close up shots but i didn`t succed, all I got by using this lens with bellows were slightly blurry pics.



Timo


PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

timo832000 wrote:
I am in love with this mighty lens too, this sample shows the sharpness and clarity it delivers

Wow, a seagull, this one is for Luis Wink. Great capture! You're right, there's plenty of clarity in that picture.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Superb quality images


PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Please accept that I added an image too




Wink


PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rolf wrote:
Please accept that I added an image too

A beautiful picture with great colors, Rolf. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!

Abbazz