Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/12/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 08:37 PM 12/28/96 -0700, you wrote: >LUGs, > >Would someone comment on the history of the APO Telyt 180mm/3.4. Why would >Leitz come up with this lens, which appears to be in competition with the >Elmarit and Elmar lenses of the same focal length. Why is it that the new >version of the Elmarit (2.8) lens appears to command a higher price on the >used market than the APO?? > >Thank you and Best of Light, > >Chris I can make a start--others will know more, I am sure. The 180 APO began life, I believe, as a military lens. As such, it's great at infinity--better than Leica's other 180's--and so has a spectacular reputation. But it is less good close up, as Leica has made a point of saying in their own literature over the years. So it's a bit less of a general use lens than the Elmarit, which is also a very good lens and much lighter and smaller. BTW, the Elmar 180 is wonderfully small and light, but I found it noticeably less good than the 2.8, and that's borne out by reputation as well.--Charlie Happy New Year! Charles E. Love, Jr. CEL14@CORNELL.EDU