Re: [Leica] Leica Vario-Apo-Elmarit 70-180 vs. Vario-Elmar 105-280

[TM <spaniel@pacbell.net>]

I bought a used (mint condition) APO 180 f/3.4 from Jim Kuehl early last
year and have used it often since. Though manufactured in Canada, it
reproduces outstanding apochromatic color renditions. The latter have
astonished everybody who have seen my slides and prints stemming from
its usage. A few months ago I went to a classic car show in South
Pasadena with a client. While I used my R7 with the APO 180 and other R
lenses, he used a Leica CL with a lens I don't remember, which was
definitely not an APO lens. Nontheless, we shot scenes at the same time
and later compared the results. Both of us were blown away at the
perfection in the colors from the APO versus his standard lens: the
reds, blues, and greens, for example, were impeccable via the former
whereas the same colors from the latter were muted, dull, and
uninteresting. I highly recommend the APO 180. BTW, if I currently had a
scanner, I'd scan some of my pics and send them to the LUG for proof of
the APO's magnificence.

Terry



Pascal wrote:
> 
> Hello friends:
> 
> I was looking in a brochure on both high-end Leica zoom lenses: the
> Vario-Apo-Elmarit 70-180 f/2.8 and the Vario-Elmar 105-280 f/4.2.
> How do these two lenses compare qualitywise? I heard that the Apo is
> truly outstanding and in line with the prime Apo teles. Is this also the
> case for the Elmar although is not called Apo?
> 
> Apart from optical quality, how do these lenses behave in practical use?
> The both weigh almost 2 kilos, and together with R8 and winder, that
> would be around 3 kilos. Is it still possible to handhold these "beasts",
> or are you practically obliged to always use a tripod? Are they a joy to
> use or a burden to take? If the latter were the case, there would be not
> much use in getting either one of them (I would be using them especially
> for holiday-travel purposes).
> 
> Would it be wiser to go for a prime lens like the new Apo-Elmarit 180
> f/2.8 or the Apo-Telyt 180 f/3.4 which is now somewhat discounted,
> instead of one of both zooms?
> If a zoom is the way to go, which one would suit me best: I have at
> present following R lenses: 28 f/2.8, 50 f/2.0, Macro 60 f/2.8 and 80
> f/1.4. It would seem I could either sell the 80 f/1.4 and get the 70-180
> f/2.8, or keep it and go for the 105-280 f/4.2 which will give more range.
> 
> Thanks for any advice on the matter.
> Best greetings,
> 
> Pascal
> Belgium
> 
> P.S. The Belgian importer could not help. Can you believe it, but they
> said they don't have even one sample of these lenses in stock, and they
> added that no dealer in the country had such lens!!! How could you
> reasonably be expected to spend such big money on a lens (they are among
> Leica's most expensive ones) without even trying or holding them?
> 
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