[Leica] Leica Wildlife glass

["GBicket" <GBicket@email.msn.com>]

Hi LUGgers,

I have begun preparations for my annual January trek to Florida's Captiva
Island, and the Ding Darling Wildlife Sanctuary.  My f4 280 APO will see
lots of use on the R8, but I am wondering if there are any solutions other
LUGgers have discovered to Leica's high cost of long glass.  I end up with
an f8 560 with my 2X extender, and that gives me something that's too slow
and just at the short end of being long enough.  I tried the squeeze
focusing Novoflex 400/560, and could not come to like the focusing
mechanism.

Anybody successfully figured out how to accomplish Leica quality long
telephoto without spending enough to buy a ranch and the cattle to go with
it?  Or is it as simple as pay huge or do without?

Anybody got one of those large, cumbersome carrying cases with too long
Leica R glass that is cluttering up storage, and doesn't use it much
anymore?  [Hey, miracles -do- happen!]  If so, please contact me.

Those wild water birds aren't too keen on letting a skiff with camoflauge
get too close, and long glass off of a bobbing skiff is a skill I have not
perfected.  And I am still working on the ultimate alligator shot, too, but
giving them room seems prudent.  So it's stalk through the mangroves, slap
the 'skeeters, and bring a much telephoto "reach" as you can put your hands
on.  If anybody has come up with affordable Leica telephoto solutions, clean
or beat up, with perfect glass, or is interested in selling same, please
contact me directly.

...one of the four aspheric elements in the Leica R 6X APO teleconverter in
black paint that I bought from Trust Us camera supply for $49.95 seems to
rattle when you shake it, and it just doesn't give me the results I'd hoped
for...a little slow at f24 wide open, with a slight tendency towards
softness and vignetting...it has a red dot, but I just don't think I can
recommend it to the LUG.

Enjoy the light.

Greg Bicket