Evil New Toy - 500mm F8 Tele Tessar

[Nokton48]

Last month I bought this lens from KEH, and the speeds above 1/15 were not working at all. I returned it to them, they refunded all my money, including return shipping. Now, the lens has been repaired, and is offered again, at the same price, so I bought it a second time. 😛

This is old chrome-shutter original version, has a bit of chromatic abberation, but not bad, to my eye. I use my 350mm F5.6 Tele-Tessar quite a bit, hand-holding it. This one really needs a solid tripod, or a gunstock. Surprisingly, it is extremely light and easy to carry around. Not a bad buy at all at $369, especially since I will not use it as much as my 350mm.

Note the accessory finder, it really does work well:

 

[Al Kaplan]

The longest lens I've had for 6x6 was a 300mm f/4 Zeiss Jena Sonnar for Pentacon-Six with an adapter for Pentax thread mount. It was way to big and heavy to hand hold with any ease. I had a 280/4.8 Telyt for awhile on my Visoflex IIs but the one long lens I still have is a cheap 400/6.3 Sterling Howard Tele-Astranar. It listed for under $40 new when I bought it in the late sixties, but I got it second hand. I also modified it to work on a Visoflex II.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com

 

[FrozenInTime]

Note the accessory finder, it really does work well:

You could be right there: this guy certainly seems to be struggling a bit while trying to use the lens without the finder 😀

from: http://www.myspacemuseum.com/apollocams.htm

 

[Nokton48]

The lens arrived yesterday, it is looking like it's never been used. But, like the first one, the shutter dosen't open above 1/15th! Just blackness. Not the same lens as previous (see above), which was a bit of a beater. Called them back today and they say it's under warranty, and they can fix it. They will also refund my return shipping, if it is found to be defective. Yes, it's defective, if I can't take pictures with it.

So I'm sending it back to them, for a warranty repair. What have I to lose? I can always get another full refund, and I'm not in a hurry, to have a 500mm Tele-Tessar. Just want one that's working properly, for a decent price. If I needed one right away, there's one for $1400
on Ebay right now (same lens), wonder if the speeds 1/30 and above are stuck on that one? 🙂 Probably are.

 

[Nokton48]

Talked to the repair guy at KEH today, they have my lens, and the 500mm is no problem to repair. So it's getting a -free- CLA, I have nothing to lose.

What would probably -help- the guy in the above photo, and I know it will help me with this lens, is the -Hasselblad Gunstock- which I am also buying from KEH. They are holding it until the the lens is repaired and ready to ship. It's made for the 500mm F8 Tele-Tessar.

Here's a photo that gives you a good idea of the Hasselblad Gunstock:

http://www.clubhasselblad.com/hasselblad-platform-gunstock-500-mm-tele-tessar

 

[Nokton48]

I called KEH yesterday, they were holding the Hasselblad Gunstock for me. I told them to go ahead and ship it, it's a bit of a beast. What a deal for $139, it probably cost thousands originally. Made to specifically suspend the EL/M, so I'm pleased about that (I have two EL/M's).

In "The Living Daylights" Bond (Timothy Dalton) has one of these that takes sniper bullets. Several of my friends have commented, Yes, the Hasselblad Gunstock is "James Bond Enough". It will be very fun to play with this stuff, just not around any high-security areas 🙂

 

[Nokton48]

No Luck with the 500mm Tele-Tessar

No Luck with the 500mm Tele-Tessar

Well the KEH repair department has determined that the mint 500mm F8 cannot be repaired. So I am getting a full refund. I will continue to look for a good one, at a decent price.

Meanwhile, the Hasselblad Gunstock arrived. Here it is, with the 350mm F5.6 and 500C/M. Works very well, I'm glad I have it!