Long Telephoto - which one is a good choice?

[leo_cavanha]

dear friends,

 

I had to come back with a new question since I have had some

opportunites to buy tele lenses for my 500C/M and I didn´t know what

to do. Okay, I know that Wildy´s book is a handfull reference, but I

am waiting for my copy and it is always nice to listen to the day-by-

day user´s opinion.

 

Okay, the point is that: I like to take both colour and BW photos and

both handheld and tripoded - these not so frequently. I wanted to

have a longer telephoto option also - something like a 500mm

or so.

Since I can´t afford to spend huge money on lenses - and I still want

to buy a 50mm and maybe a prism - I am considering to buy a

tele+converter option since a short tele + 500mm is obviously not an

option for me.

 

I am considering to buy a 250 or 350mm CF lens (not-apo), since I

think that an older C T* lens will not be so easy to repair in the

years to come, in conjunction with a teleconverter - my options are a

2x converter with a Sonnar lens a 1,4x (maybe with a cheaper 2x mutar

later on to have a 700mm f11 lens, which should be useful with the

80mm as well) with the Tessar lens. So, I have plenty of options,

since I could buy either the old or new (2xe) mutar converters. So,

which shoulb be the best combination for a 500mm lens:

 

- C T* Sonnar + 2x old mutar: f11

 

- CF Sonnar + 2x old mutar: f11

 

- CF Sonnar + 2xe: f11

 

- CF Tessar + 1,4x: f8 and a somewhat more difficult handling?

 

 

I understand that, with the Sonnar, I will have a very useful 250mm

lens, but the 350mm could be useful as well, wouldn´t it?

 

thanks for your help!

[kornelius_j._fleischer]

Focusing anything of f/8 and darker is quite difficult = time consuming. I compared the Tele-Apotessar 500 f/8 and the Telephoto Power Pack (Tele-Superachromat 2,8/300 plus Apo-Mutar 1,7x special converter) which builds a 500 mm f/5,6. Focusing with the f/5.6 was easily and precisely possible with the split field indicator, whereas f/8 was not.

 

If you settle for f/8 and slower, you will limit yourself to static motifs.

[roland_haid]

Leonardo, The Hasselblad 500 series are not best suited for tele shots because of the optical limitation induced by the the leaf shutter. There are not plenty of good options. A lot of people use and love the Sonnar 250mm which has not optically changed since the indroduction of the lens in the late 50's. It is compact and can be used without tripod, but it is comparably slow. I agree that the CF version is the best option. This lens is comparable with a 140mm or 160mm tele-lens only, if you think in 24x36, depending on the calculation of 6x6 or 4.5x6 format. I have summarized the following options, the prices here are roughly and tight estimations in $ or �, if bought used.

 

1. CF250 + 2x (Vivitar, Kenko) = 1100 + 300 = 1400.

2. CF250 + 2XE (Hasselblad) = 1100 + 600 = 1700.

3. C250 + 2x (Vivitar) = 400 + 300 = 700.

4. CF350 + 2x (Mutar Zeiss) = 1500 + 600 = 2100.

5. C350 + 2x (Vivitar) = 1200 + 300 = 1500.

6. C500 = 1200.

7. 2000 FC/M + 8/500 Jap. lens = 700 + 300 = 1000.

 

So, C250 plus a Vivtar converter (3) is a low cost option. It is good for tripod work but forget wildlife. The Mutar Zeiss converter was designed for the C350 and CF350 (4 lens Tele-Tessar design) and therefore optically the best option if used with the 350mm lens. The advantage of a 2XE Hasselbald converter is small against a Vivitar and Kenko converter, if you do not have a 203 FE camera and CFE lens. Interestingly, the C500 is in the same category as the C350, and sometimes cheaper. But it is slower and not as conventient as the 350mm Tele-Tessar. It can be a good solution for some photographer.

 

Option 7 is to buy a second focal lens body which comes cheap today. Be carefull with the titanium shutter, this is Achilles heal and there no remedy for a dead one. You can attach a 8/500 via T2 adapter. As a result:

 

Option 1. - best option if you like the 250mm and the converter get used rarely.

Option 4. - best for wildlife (for 500C/M, not generally).

Option 7. - optically comparable with the 250mm + 2x and you have a second body.

 

If you wish to buy a new lens, the 350mm CFE Tele-Superachromat is the one and only option, but an overkill for an old 500C/M. There are plenty of good, used Sonnars around, so there is no need for a new CFi 250mm.

[ulrik]

Leonardo,

there is one problem with the 500 CM and long telephotos and that is vignetting in the viewfinder which makes composition very uncomfortable. The new 500 series cameras 501 CM and 503CW as well as more recent motorized bodies (500 ELX, 553 ELX, 500 ELD) and all 200- and 2000-series cameras have bigger mirrors that do not vignette. As has been suggested above, a 2000-series body (they are cheap because people do not like them because certain spare parts are not available) is an option. You can adapt all sorts of funny lenses to these cameras. I had a 4,0/300 mm Pentacon (there is also a 5,6/500 Pentacon) adapted to it recently. My personal Telephoto Power Pack.

 

Apart from this more exotic setup, the low cost option is a to add a 250 mm C-lens (watch out for lens separation on very old silver ones, this seems to be common) to your 500 CM and a Vivitar 2x converter. Good quality but not very fast to use (dark vignetted viewfinder image).

 

Ulrik

[leo_cavanha]

Thanks very much for your help, guys!

 

I have already found an excelent 2x mutar for good price, and I think that I am staying with the 250mm choice. Unfortunately, Kornelius, your pack is not an option for me! Unfortunately, also, the 2000 series cameras are very difficult to find in Brazil. I heard that there are some brighter screens to use in place of the original ones, shouldn´t they relieve the problem (with a 500 ELM which has interchangeable screens - is this the only difference between the 500 EL and elm?) or is vignetting only associated with the mirror size?

 

I am finding it very difficult to buy a 250 CF lens - i havent found no one avaliable in Brazil and the import taxes are 60% over the value of a new one. I´m wondering what to do...!

 

Thanks very much again, guys!

[leo_cavanha]

Returning to this subject... I have just bought a 250mm CF and I realized that maybe this is the longest lens I would take anywhere to use handheld with a 'blad. Most guys complain about the sharpness of the sonnar CF (I haven't shoot a single roll to prove if it is true or not), and I'd expect to lose some more sharpness with a teleconverter. What you guys think about the quality of the Sonnar CF? Fact or myth?

 

 

I have read very much about the 180 qualities and sharpness, maybe one day I could afford to have a 40/80/180/350mm set? (ok, first of all i must buy one or two good tripods, a good lightmeter, a gliding mirror body... and a 4x5)...