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searching for a long telephoto lens 300 / 400mm
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:41 pm    Post subject: searching for a long telephoto lens 300 / 400mm Reply with quote

Currently I do the most of my animal shots with a Leica Elmarit 2.8/180 with Pentax mount conversion (leitax), it is a top lens but especially for wildlife or bird shots it's focal length is to short.
I think there are many ways to solve my problem:

1. I could buy a tele-converter e.g. a kenko 1.5 in pentax mount so I would turn my Elmarit 180 into a 4.8/270. But would the results be satisfying?

2. I could by a (not to big / heavy) 300mm lens. I got an offer for a SMC-Pentax-K 4/300. I think this lens can't reach my Elmarit but it's quality should be okay.

3. I could buy a Leica telyt 6.8/400. This lens is very old and not easy to use but all example pictures i saw from this one really looked good.

What would you do? Do you think the SMC Pentax - K 4/300 is a good performer? How about CA does it produce as much CA's as the Super Takumar does?

Thanks for your advice.

Timo


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Leica 400!

I saw also.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Recently got a Vivitar 300 f5.6 TX and its a belter


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does anyone know a good source for buying an old telyt-r 6.8/400?
Everything that appears on ebay Germany seems to be very expensive.

Greetings

Timo


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tamron SP 2.8/300 is a very good lens, one from the best between 300mm


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/top_lenses/long+tele/


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

timo832000 wrote:
Does anyone know a good source for buying an old telyt-r 6.8/400?


Keh.com: http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/ProductList.aspx?Mode=searchproducts&item=10&ActivateTOC2=false&ID=&BC=LR&BCC=1&CC=6&CCC=2&BCL=&GBC=&GCC=&KW=


PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not a good time to go with Tamron to ZOO, so squirrel only, they are not enough polite to sit and wait.
I had to delete photos, they were pretty ugly, maybe conversion to B/W looks better



PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

These are some shots with a 400 Soligur 6.3. All shot at 11. They were taken very early in my ownership of the K10D & I hadn't gotten to the instructions on sensor cleaning. Sad

It was a very windy day but plenty of light. Tripod used, obviously.

The price I paid was about $US100 but I've seen them cheaper on e-bay.





I'll let others more knowledgable than me comment but I can take some more shots if anyone is interested further.

The second shot was at a considerable distance while the bouy was about 300 metres or so, from memory. It's a T-Mount.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really think that the Leica is the better choice. It's usefull from the maximun aperture without any lost of contrast nor definition.

IT'S LEICA, please, no more words.

Rino.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps just a few more, estudlion.
This is a crop from my above post. Remember that this is a very considerable distance away.

I think that I might start using this a bit more.



PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Jibbonpoint,

Is this Soligor 400/6.3 the type with an 0<-.->C marking on the aperture ring ?

If not, could you post a picture of the lens ?


PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a pre-set, luisalegria. I will certainly post a 'photo later in the morning. It's quite early here & I'm getting yelled at for making a noise. Shocked


PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

voytek wrote:
Not a good time to go with Tamron to ZOO, so squirrel only, they are not enough polite to sit and wait.
I had to delete photos, they were pretty ugly, maybe conversion to B/W looks better



How lovely!


PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jibbonpoint wrote:
Perhaps just a few more, estudlion.
This is a crop from my above post. Remember that this is a very considerable distance away.

I think that I might start using this a bit more.



Of course, all the words that you want, Jibbonpoint.

And you show us that your soligor is a very good lens, endeed.

But LEICA is, well, is LEICA. I think that perhaps is better than soligor.

Rino.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

estudleon wrote:
Of course, all the words that you want, Jibbonpoint.

And you show us that your soligor is a very good lens, endeed.

But LEICA is, well, is LEICA. I think that perhaps is better than soligor.

Rino.


The Leica will not be much better than jibbonpoint's Soligor, both being achromatic doublets -- that is a lens that comprises only two elements grouped together. All the old Leica Telyt super-telephoto lenses, like the Novoflex Noflexar lenses, were achromatic doublets. Because doublets are not good at fast apertures, these lenses had quite limited maximum apertures. They were quite sharp, but only in the center of the field, the corners being soft. This is not a big drawback, because when using a telephoto the main subject is usually located in the center of the frame and the corners are out of focus. Furthermore, when used on a crop format camera, only the center of the 24x36 frame is imaged, and the soft corners get cropped.

From an usage point of view though, I would recommend the Novoflex follow focus lenses. Optically, they are just as good as the Leica Telyt lenses, but the Pigriff quick focus contraption is easier to operate and more reliable in my experience.

Cheers!

Abbazz


Last edited by Abbazz on Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:54 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Soligor may not be a simple doublet.

I have several of these cheap 400mm's of different makes, like Spiratone.

They are usually 4-element lenses, with two elements in front and two way in the back.

I have a simple doublet, a Piesker 400/5.5


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pictures of Soligor 400 - 6.3

If there's further interest, let me know how I can check if doublet/triplet.





PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
The Soligor may not be a simple doublet.

I have several of these cheap 400mm's of different makes, like Spiratone.

They are usually 4-element lenses, with two elements in front and two way in the back.

I have a simple doublet, a Piesker 400/5.5


Thanks for putting it straight, Luis. I have this lens in its Spiratone incarnation. It's not bad for a 400mm and quite light as well. The very long minimum focus distance is the real bummer.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Jibbonpoint,

Hot over there ain't it ?

Thats a Tokina - Tokyo Koki made lens, also sold by nearly everyone back in the 1960's. You will find them under dozens of brands, including big camera makers like Petri, Mamiya and Yashica as well as no-name store brands. This line was ubiquitous.

I don't have one (yet), but I have its little brothers, 300mm and smaller. I didn't know these were also sold under the Soligor brand, but I'm not too surprised.

The smaller ones are quite good, so its nice to know this one isn't a dud, for when I get one. I think its a 4-element job also.

Hi Abazz,

That minimum focus is my only problem with the 300mm of this line. I guess the 400mm also has something like 30ft/10m minimum.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your not wriong about the heat,luisalegria. I've never known so many days to exceed 40deg in a row. We're about to cop it again later in the week but today a balmy 27deg presently.
Cool

Anyway, the Lens depicted weighs in at just under 900gms & thanks for the information.

See ya

Graeme


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Abbazz wrote:

All the old Leica Telyt super-telephoto lenses, like the Novoflex Noflexar lenses, were achromatic doublets.
Abbazz


FYI, the Noflexar-T 400/5.6 is a triplet.

Abbazz wrote:

Because doublets are not good at fast apertures, these lenses had quite limited maximum apertures.
Abbazz


The older version of the Leitz Telyt, used with the Televit focus system, is a 560mm f/5.6. Fairly fast for a 560mm I'd say. It doesn't have quite the optical reputation of the 560/6.8 though.

Abbazz wrote:

They were quite sharp, but only in the center of the field, the corners being soft. This is not a big drawback, because when using a telephoto the main subject is usually located in the center of the frame and the corners are out of focus. Furthermore, when used on a crop format camera, only the center of the 24x36 frame is imaged, and the soft corners get cropped.
Abbazz


These lenses have a large image circle, some people even use them on 6*6 medium format systems. So even 24*36 gets rid of most of the softer corners.

Abbazz wrote:

From an usage point of view though, I would recommend the Novoflex follow focus lenses. Optically, they are just as good as the Leica Telyt lenses, but the Pigriff quick focus contraption is easier to operate and more reliable in my experience.

Cheers!

Abbazz


I've never used the Leitz Telyt with a fixed R mount version, but I've got the Novoflex follow focus system and I've tested the Leitz Televit system. Both require some getting used to, but the Novoflex is far more user friendly in my view. And I've got both Leitz Telyt and Noflexar-T heads to go with this system, so I'm quite happy. I actually bought another set (Leitz 560/6.8 + Novoflex PiGriff) to get some more included accesories (PiStock, EF mount). Even for me, two 560/6.8s is a bit excessive, so I'll probably sell one again.

Cheers,

Dick


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for your advice. I personaly expect the Leica lenses to be better than the Soligor.
I will try to get a Leica Telyt-R 6.8/400 but i dislike the follow focus system so i have to find a telyt with usual manual focus.
Does anyone of you have a Telyt-R 6.8/400 for sale?

Greetings from Germany

Timo


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Novoflex 40cm f5.6 that is doublet lens, produce excellent results.
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/novoflex/novoflex_40cm_f5_6/


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

timo832000 wrote:
Thanks for your advice. I personaly expect the Leica lenses to be better than the Soligor.
I will try to get a Leica Telyt-R 6.8/400 but i dislike the follow focus system so i have to find a telyt with usual manual focus.
Does anyone of you have a Telyt-R 6.8/400 for sale?

Greetings from Germany

Timo


Hi Timo!!

In my humble opinion, your election is of the best ones.

Good luck

Rino.