[Leica] Telyt 400/560mm f5.6 with Televit R

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

Hi LUGgers,

To all those who provided so much help in my search for these two lenses,
sincere thanks.  Your thoughts and advice and encouragement were useful to
me as I searched.  Special thanks to Doug Herr, Jim Brick and Ted Grant who
added to the process.

I tracked down a set which came today from KEH Camera in Atlanta, Georgia,
USA, and folks, when KEH says "Excellent +" for their condition rating, you
can rely on it in my experience.  Not even tripod marks on the black paint
around the mount.  Beautifully made.  Absolutely as new.  The glass is
perfect, and no scratches.  Even the aperture leaves are perfect.  They
arrived quickly, were packed carefully, and function perfectly.

Need a little light to try 'em out, though.  And while they aren't the newer
and no doubt more than wonderful modular APO Telyts, I bought the two lens
set and would have enough left over for two new R8's versus the price of
just one of the new modular APO Telyts!

So New Year's Day will find me out making photos with my new old lenses from
the Sixties or early Seventies.  They'll be a good reminder to me that we're
all just passing through!  Wonder who'll be making pictures with them when
I'm gone?  "Who's-taking-shots-with-your-old-lenses,
when-your-shutter's-tripped-its-last?"

The 560 f5.6 is massive.  For those of you who find the R8 too big, just
hang it off the back of this lens, it changes your perspective.  i have
never seen one, but that 800mm f6.3 must really have been an enormous thing!
In the old catalogs, next to this 560, it is much larger.  Maybe size does
matter.  Thanks again to all, I think I have found a great solution to
affordable Leica long glass.

May the New Year be your best yet; enjoy the light.

Greg