[Leica] advice on 180mm lenses

[SthRosner@aol.com]

Sorry for the sending error. 

I am getting back to some telephotography. For many years was using 280/4.8 
Telyt on Visoflex. Sold both 6-8 years ago. For SLR work, I have had an R6 
for some years and have been limited to the 135/2.8 Elmarit, occasionally 
with the 2X extender. I want a 180; it's a very useful focal length and, with 
the extender, gives that much more reach, almost a 400mm.

I cannot justify the new Apo-Elmarit at over $3,000, a bit less used, and 
wouldn't want the 180 Summicron; apart the price it's simply too heavy and 
bulky. The old 180/4 has a great weight/size advantage - important to me - 
and I could probably live with the f/8 extender speed - others live 
comfortably with the 400/6.8. My question has to do with the optical quality 
of the f/4 compared with that of the 180/2.8 lenses, both alone and with the 
extender. Given the constraints of purse, limiting me to these lenses, 
optical performance is what concerns me most.

Incidentally, I had been considering the 180/3.4, a truly excellent lens, but 
have heard that it does not perform well with either the normal 
(understandable) or the apo  extender (not quite so understandable).

Help.       Seth     LaK 9