Dunk
Established
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 …
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 …
