400mm 1:6.8 Telyt R

I couldn't resist!<div></div>

I have this same lens. By the way it has better contrast and sharpness than the Canon L 300f4 and 100-400f4 IS. Nice find !

Ok. Now we want to see a selfportrait taken with this lens!

 

Cheers

 

Roland

Once upon a time it was my most-used lens, displaced recently by the 280 f/4 APO with 1.4x APO-Extender (at insane cost, with equally insane performance). Lightweight, quick-handling, delightfully sharp in the center with rich color saturation and very pleasing bokeh:

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Look up David Douglas Duncan's "Self-Portrait U.S.A." (speaking of self-portraits) in which he credits this lens with giving him the 1968 political conventions "on a platter". Even at f/6.8, it was just fast enough, and just hand-holdable enough, to shoot at 1/125th wide-open under the TV lights.

My favorite long lens.

Any suggestions for Quick Release plate, clamp & monopod?

Are there different version of this? I've been considering one for a long time, but have no idea what to look for.

Paul Neuthaler wrote: "<I>Any suggestions for Quick Release plate, clamp & monopod?

</I>"

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The QR plate I use has a ridge on one side to prevent it from rotating on the shoulder

stock. I don't know which model it is but it's a Really Right Stuff product, probably (if I

know my sources) was originally for a Leicaflex SL The QR clamp I'm using is an RRS

model, my monpod is an older Bogen 3218 with the Bogen/Manfrotto 3232 tilt head.

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Jan Brittenson wrote: "<I>Are there different version of this?</I>"

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Optically, no. The camera end of the mount tube can have either a nul cam for the SL &

SL2, or nul cams for the SL/SL2 and for R bodies. The latter is usually referred to as a 3-

cam lens even though it only has two fixed cams. There are also several versions of the

shoulder stock. The one shown with Paul's lens is the early 14188, which is the easiest to

attach a QR plate to, but has not socket for a release on the pistol grip and limited

adjustments. The second model of the 14188 has a handgrip and socket for the shutter

release, no mounting point for a QR plate, and limited adjustment. The third (last) model

of the 14188 shoulder stock has the handgrip and socket for the shutter release, a good

range of adjustments, and at least the possibility of attaching a QR plate (but I haven't

found the right model QR plate yet). The current model shoulder stock 14239 is unlikely

to be bundled with this lens.<div></div>

Oops, sorry about the file size!

Doug's an "R" guy

 

- so he neglected to mention that there was also a Visoflex version of the 400 f/6.8, to be

used on M rangefinders. Much less common than the R version. Some of those were

converted for use on Nikon SLRs, because the lens tube was shorter to accomodate the

extra depth of the Viso+body, and thus left room for a little adapter tube to be mounted

with a Nikon flange on the back.

 

The first experience I ever had with the 400 6.8 was with one of those Nikon-conversion

jobs on my Nikon F.

DDD wrote:"E.Leitz Inc. in New York all but handed me the conventions on a silver platter when they load me with a Leicaflex SL, fitted with what might be described with considerable understatement as the sharpest, lightest, easiest-to-focus telephoto lens with which I am familiar-the Leitz Telyt 400mm f/6.8"- Self Portrait: U.S.A, p238.