Almass wrote:
A couple of lenses for you from my collection.
The Saint-Emilion was kind of decent but easily eclipsed by the Chateau La Louviere
aaah, a connaisseur of french wine
seems like your 280/4 is just collecting dust there, you better just sell it to me
just imagine how many new bottles you can buy for that
rdst wrote:
If you can get any Leica APO lens for a reasonable price and condition you should buy it.
Concerning the 180 mm I own the 4/180, the 2.8/180 and the APO 3.4/180 which is the "best" of these 3 lenses. I would rate the 4/180 better than the 2.8/180. It is sharp with great IQ and perfect for travel.
Below you will find 2 images (#1 and #2) with the 4/180mm and #3 and #4 are images with the 2.8/90 latest version which isnīt bad either. Personally I prefer the 180mm but this more a question of focal length. My faves are the 180mm and the 8/500mm MR-Telyt-R mirror. ...Show more →
thanks Rolf, yes those 4/180 images look indeed very interesting. I will see how the prices are for that lens. The light weight is a plus and will it make jump into by bag more often then not I guess. (I have a 80-200/2.8 Nikon ED which I hardly use due to its weight). I will look into the f4 version some more. #4 is also a 180mm image according to exif. Those 3 look more interesting than the on by the 90mm lens. I might skip that focal length since I am rather happy with my Zeiss 100 and also my 85, don't need it all 2 fold.
Do you (or anyone else) have any landscape type shots or nature in general with the 180/4?
thanks for the link, you? or someone else mentioned it a few pages back, and I studied the lenses already - it doesn't give any clue about the IQ or rendering though
It's my most-used lens for birds, but keep in mind most bird photographers use much longer focal lengths, often with extenders, and usually on crop bodies. You will have to be very skilled at approaching wild birds to get frame-filling photos on a full-frame body. I use a 1.4x extender often and I'm using a crop body.
The difference in sharpness is apparent even through the viewfinder. I find the 180 APO-Telyt easier to focus quickly and accurately than the 180/4 or non-APO 180/2.8.
This is IMHO a significant weakness of the 180/3.4 APO. Its minimum focus distance is 2.5 meters.
cyra wrote:
... 4/180 images look indeed very interesting...
Its IQ is OK but not spectacular. Its primary advantages are its light weight and very handy size. I find it flares readily OTOH bokeh is very smooth and unobtrusive.
The 180/2.8 APO has all the advantages of the other lenses and very few disadvantages:
Advantages:
small and lightweight
excellent image quality
close focus
smooth bokeh
good flare resistance
can use a tripod collar
Disadvantages:
older models can't use the Leica 1.4x APO-Extender
focus ring has very little resistance
aperture blades at wider settings (between f/2.8 and f/5.6) can show 'ninja-star' shape
initial cost
cyra wrote:
thanks Rolf, yes those 4/180 images look indeed very interesting. I will see how the prices are for that lens. The light weight is a plus and will it make jump into by bag more often then not I guess. (I have a 80-200/2.8 Nikon ED which I hardly use due to its weight). I will look into the f4 version some more. #4 is also a 180mm image according to exif. Those 3 look more interesting than the on by the 90mm lens. I might skip that focal length since I am rather happy with my Zeiss 100 and also my 85, don't need it all 2 fold....Show more →
telyt wrote:
It's my most-used lens for birds, but keep in mind most bird photographers use much longer focal lengths, often with extenders, and usually on crop bodies. You will have to be very skilled at approaching wild birds to get frame-filling photos on a full-frame body. I use a 1.4x extender often and I'm using a crop body.
oops, last time I tried 100mm was to long (Zeiss 100 MP)
Telyt, for years I was stuck with a (Sigma Apo Macro) 400 on FF and I know how painful that often is. I didn't mention, but I will also get a crop body, probabely D7000 (pondering about a NEX 5n, but I doubt that would work for birds very well, maybe some other Sony body, not sure yet), and I'd Leitax the extender and use it with extender either on the D700 (close to 400mm) and D7000 (588/5,6), mostly the crop body I suspect.
If I find I can work ok with all manual focus, I will probabely get the 2x extender as well and leitax that too. Do you think this combination (on crop body) will still deliver? I know that you are using it with very good results. But on a D7000?
The difference in sharpness is apparent even through the viewfinder. I find the 180 APO-Telyt easier to focus quickly and accurately than the 180/4 or non-APO 180/2.8.
This is IMHO a significant weakness of the 180/3.4 APO. Its minimum focus distance is 2.5 meters.
ah, thanks. I usually hate it when not able to focus close, especially with tele lenses, and I am spoiled by all those close focusing Zeisses...
Its IQ is OK but not spectacular. Its primary advantages are its light weight and very handy size. I find it flares readily OTOH bokeh is very smooth and unobtrusive.
The 180/2.8 APO has all the advantages of the other lenses and very few disadvantages:
Advantages:
small and lightweight.
it weighs 970g right? I don't consider that light weight any more compared with 540g...
I am also dismissing the 80-200 due to the weight.
I think I am leaning more towards the 180/4 now for a start. Can always upgrade later...
initial cost
I am not using the focal lenght to much, therefor cost is even more of a factor.
thanks for all the detail, makes it easier to choose...
cyra wrote:
thanks Rolf, yes those 4/180 images look indeed very interesting. I will see how the prices are for that lens. The light weight is a plus and will it make jump into by bag more often then not I guess. (I have a 80-200/2.8 Nikon ED which I hardly use due to its weight). I will look into the f4 version some more. #4 is also a 180mm image according to exif. Those 3 look more interesting than the on by the 90mm lens. I might skip that focal length since I am rather happy with my Zeiss 100 and also my 85, don't need it all 2 fold.
Do you (or anyone else) have any landscape type shots or nature in general with the 180/4?
thanks for the link, you? or someone else mentioned it a few pages back, and I studied the lenses already - it doesn't give any clue about the IQ or rendering though
All R 180/2.0 at F2.0. This is not the ideal lens for shooting moving subject but certainly makes for some interesting pics. The depth of field is so narrow, probably less than a foot, that it's very difficult to use for such subjects (cars).
cyra wrote:
thanks Rolf, yes those 4/180 images look indeed very interesting. I will see how the prices are for that lens. The light weight is a plus and will it make jump into by bag more often then not I guess. (I have a 80-200/2.8 Nikon ED which I hardly use due to its weight). I will look into the f4 version some more. #4 is also a 180mm image according to exif. Those 3 look more interesting than the on by the 90mm lens. I might skip that focal length since I am rather happy with my Zeiss 100 and also my 85, don't need it all 2 fold.
Do you (or anyone else) have any landscape type shots or nature in general with the 180/4?
thanks for the link, you? or someone else mentioned it a few pages back, and I studied the lenses already - it doesn't give any clue about the IQ or rendering though
carstenw wrote:
JohnJ, neat shots with the 180/2. I haven't used mine so much yet, but as soon as it starts getting warmer I shall.
Btw, I really like the smoking tarmac shot!
Ta. Some times the bitumen catches fire too. Have fun when you get some nice weather and a chance to get out more.
By the way, I shoot a lot of drag racing but hardly ever with the 180/2, it's too limiting. The best combo that I have for drag racing is the R 80/1.4 (at F2) on a FF body. The 1ds2 and the R80 where the "go-to" combo for this kind of work, which I've done quite a bit over the years. Unfortunately the 5d2 is not quite as nice to focus manually.
cyra wrote:
...
JohnJ - the first shot is my favourite, interesting perspective
Anybody tried Mamiya 200/2.8 APO + nikon adapter on a FF body??.. Itīs relatively cheap for "APO" lenses with an excellent reputation. Itīd be interesting to compare it with Leica 180 lenses.
I don't know about 200/2.8 APO, but I own 120/4 Macro and 80/4 Macro. From what I've seen (including 200/2.8 APO), I'd say Mamiya lenses may not be the sharpest, but they do have the most smooth bokeh in both foreground & background.
- it doesn't give any clue about the IQ or rendering though 
)