Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/09/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Following are some photos taken with an old Pentax telephoto and a Leica 350 Telyt. It's not a good idea to buy something just because, "I've always wanted one of those!" But... I did it anyway and I'm now on a beer budget again: http://www.hemenway.com/TheCanon.jpg It's a Takumar 4.5/500mm circa 1965+, screw mount M42. I took these photos about 5 weeks ago, a day or so after I received the lens. I mounted it on the isDS and I was less than 1/4 mile from the subjects. Shot at around f11 and f16. http://www.hemenway.com/Takumar500/ The following were taken a month ago on Telegraph Hill in Hull, MA. It was very humid and hazy... I couldn't even see the background lighthouse until I downloaded the photos from the camera. I've been told since that the sensors generally pick up just enough infrared so that some items lost in haze will show up in the digital image. I think that the hazy conditions caused the "softness" of the distance shots because the photo of the tower and of the other photographer, (about 100 feet from me) are pretty clear in comparison. Shot wide open at f4.5 so that I could have very fast shutter speeds because of the wind shaking the rig a bit. The large aperture may have also contributed to the softness. The first lighthouse, Boston Light is about 2 miles from where I was standing and the distant lighthouse, The Graves is almost 3.5 miles. http://www.hemenway.com/Takumar500-Hull/ I returned to the hill the following Wednesday to shoot some 11x14, and also to unscientifically compare the Takumar shots taken earlier, with some from the Leica Telyt 350mm lens. The weather was less humid and hazy, I could easily see The Graves lighthouse. The cropping factor of 1.5 on the isDS gives a 750mm result with the Takumar 500mm... while using the 2x doubler on the 350mm is just a little less at 700mm on the Leica R8. http://www.hemenway.com/TakumarandTelyt/ Both sets were shot using a tripod, but there was a little breeze apparent on both days as I composed in the viewfinder. If I try this again, I'll do it on a clear, dry fall day and I'll use the heavy Ries tripod from my 11x14 kit. I think that these lenses are best for closer subjects like sports and wildlife. Jim