cyra wrote:
--the 280/4 is on the wish list for bird shots
It\'s my most-used lens for birds, but keep in mind most bird photographers us 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.
cyra wrote:
the 180s: the lightest seems to be the Elmar 180/4 with 540g, and next in the row come 180/3.4 APO Telyt at 750g and 180/2.8 Elmarit ver.2 at 755g.
Is the APO superior in terms of sharpness and IQ or is it a rather subjective choice?
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.
cyra wrote:
how close does the 180/3.4 focus? (1,8 m for the 2.8 Elmarit v. 2).
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
Feb 01, 2012 at 05:54 PM
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