Leitz 800mm f6.3 Telyt S / Leica R9/DMR

[Dunk]

Ongoing experimental project with a 1972 Leitz 800mm Telyt S lens fitted to a Leica R9/DMR:

Leica Society pal John Dodkins trying the Leitz 800mm f6.3 Telyt S lens via a Leica R to EOS adaptor with his Canon 5D Mk III … photo taken with my Leica X1

Tripod is a heavy duty wooden Berlebach purchased from a Bulgarian eBay dealer who invariably has a good supply of various types of s/h Berlebachs at reasonable prices. Wooden tripods cannot be beaten for stability and vibration absorption; note additional Manfrotto long lens telescopic monopod support clamped to front of tripod and screwed into lens' front tripod bush. Head fitted is a Jobo Black Widow gimbal made in Canada … one of the better gimbal heads and capable of handling a good load. Lens and camera weighs approx 7 Kilos.

Me using the lens with my Leica R9/DMR … missing teeth caused by 'dental implant overload’ thus temporarily without bridgework.


Lens' rack and pinion manual focus is very smooth and precise. Lens has a Series VII drop-in filter slot at rear; optical train requires a filter to be fitted at all times so a UV is usually in situ … but with a Series VII green and yellow and a polariser also on hand … camera can be converted back to a film SLR anytime by attaching the film back.

Lens is a true ‘long Tom’ … not telephoto construction … thus tube length = 800mm focal length ... plus the length of the substantial hood. Lens module is at the front of the tube - a 3 element cemented APO group - each element made with special rare earth glass mixtures in the former Leitz Wetzlar optical glass factory. Lens was made for the 1972 Munich Olympics when it was also used to photograph terrorists in their hideaway. At that time the lens was probably the fastest long focus 800mm optic available - and 43 years later is still one of the long focus speed kings. When current, Leitz USA provided buyers with a complimentary VW Fox car - the mid 70s Fox model - not to be confused with the recently discontinued Brazilian manufactured Fox. The 800mm Telyt S was the most expensive ‘R’ lens ever made by Leitz (Leica) and less than 100 were made. I was very fortunate to spot this example on a dealer’s used list and spent hours trying to contact the dealer to try and reserve and buy it when he was on holiday. Perseverance paid off when he just happened to pop into the office for a few minutes and answered the phone. His business partner was rather upset that I bought it because he had a buyer lined up in the USA.

Communication tower on the horizon on LHS above trees in Caldecote Road Stilton approx 200 metres from camera position - photo taken with Leica X1 with 35mm FF equivalent lens.

Same communication tower taken with the 800mm lens

Crop of above … pleased with the detail obtained with the lens

BT Concrete Tower and adjacent Morborne radio mast transmitter on horizon approx 800 yards from camera position at top of hill, Caldecote Road, Stilton near Peterborough … taken with Leica X1 35mm FF equiv lens

Same BT Concrete Tower and adjacent Morborne radio mast transmitter taken with 800mm Telyt S lens … note perspective compression to foreground trees and relatively small DOF


cont'd …

 

[Dunk]

continuation ….

Using Leica X1 35mm lens: Looking towards Yaxley and Farcet from the top of the hill, Caldecote Road Stilton - one of the few high areas of Peterborough’s surrounding villages and townships - and from where the city centre and surrounding industrial areas are just about visible several miles distant.

Crop of above with St Peter’s Church spire Yaxley just visible and distant wind turbines

St Peter’s Church Yaxley taken with 800mm … last of the evening Sun illuminating the church

Another view of the horizon with distant Peterborough City Centre and Peterborough Cathedral just visible several miles distant … St Peters Church Yaxley on LHS

Close up from same position taken with 800mm Telyt S showing city centre … Peterborough Cathedral West Front visible

And again from same position looking approx 3 miles distant: Stanground and Farcet industrial area - McCains factory sign visible.


The lens is currently in use for several projects; all above photos taken last Wednesday 22 April between 18.30 and 19.30hrs. All 800mm images taken at f8 , ISO 200 and longish exposures in fading evening light via self timer set to 2 seconds and sometimes 12 seconds.

Project will continue using 1.4x and 2x APO extenders and initial tests with same suggest that they can be stacked to provide a 2.8x extender.

Native focal length is 800mm but with DMR's 1.37 crop the equivalent focal length is 1096mm … which can be extended via 1.4, and 2x converters to 1534mm, 2192mm and 3068mm - with resultant reductions in aperture to f8.8, f12.6 and f17.6.

I am well pleased with the results so far. Hopefully the lens will soon be used after a rainstorm when the atmosphere will be clearer.

My friend John Dodkin's results with his Canon 5D Mk III are not as sharp as those from the 10 megapixel Leica DMR.

… And should I / would I replace my Leica R9 / DMR with a Nikon?

… not on your nelly duff Mr H … would not be half as much fun … and could not risk ruining an 800mm Telyt S with a Leitax adaptor …

… that would be pure sacrilege !!

Best wishes

dunk

 

[dave lackey]

Good grief!!'

That is really cool!

Thanks for posting, that is so very interesting...

 

[sc_rufctr]

Great lens and considering it's age wonderful results.

How does it compare to anything more modern?

Thanks

 

[raid]

On a 4/3 camera it is s 1600mm lens

 

[Montag006]

Now that's a lens!

Now that's a lens!

Dunk,

thanks for sharing the photos.

I've lusted and dreamt about the 800mm Telyt-S
since the mid 70's.

Congrats on your new lens and please share more

David

 

[maddoc]

Very cool rig!! I also hope to see some more photos especially with the extenders.

 

[Tom A]

I sem to remember that when you bought this lens in the US from Leica, they gave you a VW Fox Wagon with it! It is impressive - and BIG.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

It's a simply gorgeous piece of kit, and I'm enjoying the information and images greatly—but surely we are long past this "equivalent focal length" nonsense, by now? It's an 800mm lens. No matter what you attach it to, the focal length is always going to be 800mm. Looking forward to seeing more images, thanks for sharing these—truly impressive.
Cheers
Brett

 

[Dunk]

It's a simply gorgeous piece of kit, and I'm enjoying the information and images greatly—but surely we are long past this "equivalent focal length" nonsense, by now? It's an 800mm lens. No matter what you attach it to, the focal length is always going to be 800mm. Looking forward to seeing more images, thanks for sharing these—truly impressive.
Cheers
Brett

Not everyone realises that for any given lens' focal length, the angle of view is different for each different format on which the lens can be used - and the actual angle depends on the crop factor when compared to full frame 24mm x 36mm format. On my R9/DMR the lens is always an 800mm but because of the DMR's 1.37 crop, the angle of view is that of a 1096mm focal length lens on full frame.

Quoting equivalent FF focal lengths can be very helpful - especially with unusual crop factors.

dunk

 

[mfogiel]

Nice perspective compression, to say the least.

 

[oftheherd]

I sem to remember that when you bought this lens in the US from Leica, they gave you a VW Fox Wagon with it! It is impressive - and BIG.

When I was in Korea the first time, my office got a Spotmatic and several lenses. One was a 1000mm. I found it worked best mounted on a jeep.

But it sure did reach out and sharply at that.

The photos above are great. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nokton48]

I seem to recall that this was produced when Minolta & Leitz were doing a lot of joint projects. I also seem to recall that you could order the lens in Minolta SRT mount.

Now that would be cool hooked on to my SR-M's.

 

[Dralowid]

I've had a lot of fun with the 560 Telyt (originally on an SL now on a Nex). Mostly seascapes making use of the ability to emphasise the horizon and objects, be they ships, boats or land, that go down behind it, ie 'hull down'.

Problem has been that most of these have been taken from a small, rocking boat.

I always use full aperture (6.8) and as a fast a shutter speed as I can.

This thread encourages me to have another go!

 

[Dralowid]

A few samples playing with the 560 Telyt on Nex 6, I think the darkened sky was due to the lens barrels being incorrectly joined together. All taken from a moving boat. To put it mildly these long lenses change one's 'perspective' in a big way and atmospheric conditions come into play. Something is probably in focus somewhere but often difficult to find where. Surprisingly focus peaking is a help! Camera sensor has plenty of dust on it...

DSC00393 by dralowid, on Flickr

DSC00444 by dralowid, on Flickr

DSC00379 by dralowid, on Flickr

 

[Dralowid]

...and another...

DSC00364 by dralowid, on Flickr

Of course the OP was shooting around Peterborough which is about as flat as the English Channel (no offence)...quite what a few hundred mms worth of focal length would be like in the hills is another matter.

 

[Dunk]

...

Of course the OP was shooting around Peterborough which is about as flat as the English Channel (no offence)...quite what a few hundred mms worth of focal length would be like in the hills is another matter.

Watch this space … more trips planned including to high vantage points

dunk

 

[presspass]

Thanks for the wonderful photos. I recall this lens being offered new and always wondered how many were sold. I think this lens could also be used on a Visoflex for a truly cumbersome 'SLR'.