[Leica] the Novoflex 400/5.6

[Doug Herr <71247.3542@compuserve.com>]

On Sun, 21 Jun 1998, Patrick G. Sobalvarro wrote:

>But when the results showed up, my misgivings about using this lens
>handheld vanished.  This is a nice lens.  I'd used it some on a tripod
>when I bought it a couple of years ago, but one doesn't have call for
>400mm lenses very often, and so it's languished in the closet.  But if
>you want a head-and shoulders shot of a lion, or a portrait of a gorilla=

>mother and child cuddling and they're a long way away, you need a long
>lens, and this one does not disappoint.  Very nice color rendition, and
>nice and sharp.  It's slightly less contrasty than, say, the 135/2.8
>Elmarit-R, but for the subjects I was photographing, this was a bonus. =

>Of course "nice and sharp" with ISO 400 film is not necessaily all that
>sharp, but I've also used the lens to photograph bits of refineries on
>Kodachome 25, and it is sharp.
>
>There are some things about the lens I don't like.  First, getting it
>through airport security.  Second, the stares I get when other people
>see me using it.  Third, it's bulky, although it doesn't weigh much.  I
>think these disadvantages are probably enough to convince me to look
>into something else, like the 350/4.8.  Still, it's a cool lens.  Bulk
>alone would not convince me to get rid of it -- it's the interactions
>with people over it that are a real problem.
>
>I know that other people on the list have used Novoflex 400's -- can
>anyone compare the 350/4.8 Telyt-R to the Novoflex, or tell me anything
>about the 350?
>


Patrick,

The Novoflex I used 20+ years ago was undoubtedly far older than yours an=
d
of an older design.  I wasn't impressed by the color quality of mine, but=

its hand-holdability was exceptional.  To get the same hand-holdability i=
n
the 350 you'll need the Leica shoulder stock, which makes it look as
formidable as the Novoflex.

I have a friend who used the Leica 400 f/6.8 for a number of years, then
switched to the 350 for faster speed.  After a year or two he switched ba=
ck
to the 400 f/6.8, claiming that selling the 400 was just plain stupid. =

He's presently living in the the Canyon country of Utah without a telepho=
ne
or modem but if you want a better idea why he switched back I can ask him=
=2E

IMHO, if you're going to use the lens hand-held then either the Novoflex =
or
f/6.8 Telyt is unbeatable.  If you're going to use it on a tripod the
reduced bulk of the 350 would be more than offset by the bulk of the
tripod.

I get the same kind of reactions from other people with my f/6.8 Telyt (a=
nd
more with the 560 f/6.8) but for me the hand-holdability of these lenses
more than offsets the negative of other people's reactions.

- -Doug