Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/23

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Subject: [Leica] Re: 180/3.4 APO-Telyt-R and TCs
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 18:24:10 -0700

The 180/3.4 was commissioned, designed, and provided as a military
surveillance lens. It is a marvelous lens when used as it was intended.
Distance photography. It is NOT filter friendly. It has a propensity for
noticeably degrading the image with filters. I cannot comment on it's use
with a 2x APO converter. It will work with one however.

A few years ago I owned both the 180/3.4 and the 180/2.8 . I like to use
long lenses for reasonably close photography and I use filters. For my
purposes, the 180/2.8 outperformed the 3.4 in both respects. I therefore
sold the 180/3.4 and have never been sorry. I have 1.4x and 2x APO
converters which both work (extremely well) with my 180/2.8.

The 180/3.4 has an exemplary reputation when used in the manner for which
it was designed. And in this respect, was the outstanding 180 until the
current crop of 180 APO came along.

I would borrow a 2x converter and test its comparability with the 180/3.4
before buying. Even Leica says that there are some lenses that do not work
well with the converters. The 100/2.8 APO is one.

In My Humble Experience,

Jim

At 05:30 PM 5/23/99 -0700, you wrote:
>I have done the usual Listquest research on the usage of 180/3.4 and 
>teleconverters.  I'm thinking of getting the 2x APO teleconverter to make 
>this lens do double duty as my sports and wildlife lens.  I have found out 
>that it cannot take the 1.4 APO TC because the lens' rear element protrudes 
>too far back.  Does this problem also exist with the 2x APO TC?  My other 
>question is, was the 180/3.4 ever released in other filter sizes besides 
>E60?  Thanks in advance...
>
>
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