[Leica] 350/4.8-R opinion... more than you ever wanted to know.

[Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>]

I bought my 350 in the early 80's. Just after they were introduced. I saw
it at the 1980 Photokina. I subsequently used the 350 and the 350 + 2x for
all of my long lens work.

Sometime during the late 80's (probably 88 or 89) I bought a 280/2.8 APO. I
started using the 280 instead of the 350. I decided that I should sell the
350. But I didn't.

After a few years of lugging the 280 around, I went back to the 350. What a
breath of fresh air. It was manageable and very easy to use. I even had a
112mm Circular polarizer for the 280. It was nice to get back to 77mm
filters on the 350.

I sold the 280 and never looked back. None of the images taken with the 280
were recognizably better than those taken with the 350. And the 350 was so
much easier to carry and use.

I am not a sports or "wildlife" photographer. So f/4.8 and smaller is never
a problem for me.

The first "fine art" photograph that I ever sold was/is a 16x20 Cibachrome
photograph of the sun, at sunset, over Drakes Bay and estuary, at Point
Reyes National Seashore, CA. Taken with my 350/4.8 Telyt. Gisela Hartmann
(Ernst's wife) bought it. I had printed, matted, numbered, and framed
several of these. Gisela saw it and bought it on the spot. Made me very happy.

This was fun photographic outing as I ran into Art Wolfe while
photographing. He was standing about 20 feet away from me, photographing
the same sunset, and we started talking... only to discover it was Art.
Really nice guy.

The 350 is an f/4.8 lens. f/4.8 is half way between f/4 and f/5.6. With the
2x extender, it is an f/9.5 lens. f/9.5 is half way between f/8 and f/11.

The whole point of this story is... I really like my 350 and would not
trade it for a 280/2.8 or 280/4. With a 2x, the 350 is a 700mm very sharp
lens. The 350 is made with some special glass in the elements. I can look
it up if anyone wants to know more.

Jim


At 07:03 AM 3/13/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Jim;
>
>Thats right, I remember you mentioning this lens some time ago.  Do you
>find it better in the near range or closer to infinity or is it great
>throughout?  Is the focus throw long or short?  When you say sharp, can you
>compare it to anything I may have experience with???  (not sure how you
>would do that, but I thought I'd ask).
>
>How slow does this lens become with the 2X-Apo?
>
>Thanks!
>
>MH
>
>
>
><<I've had one of these since they were available. It is a dynamite lens,
>some special glass, extremely sharp, and is unbelievable with a 2x APO
>extender. I will never sell mine. It is a treasure,
>
>Jim>>