[Leica] 280 telyt--words and pictures (LONG!)

[Rei Shinozuka <shino@ubspw.com>]

               the 280mm f4.8 leitz telyt and viso III
                   a neophyte's first impressions

never before in my life have i owned a 280mm lens.  my longest ever was
the long end of a 80-200 n*kk*r i owned years ago.  and certainly since
making the M my primary 35mm system, i've been using focal lengths far shorter
than even that.  but recently, a 280/f4.8 telyt knocked on my door, and
to acquire more than two and a half pounds of mint leica glass for under
five C-notes... who could resist?

my observations follow.  forgive me if they are elementary, but my
first SLR was an electronic n*k*n, so my findings are all revalations
to me!

i am also new to the visoflex III, so using this fabled accessory was also
an experience for me.  in general, i find the viso concept handlier than you
might think.  the hookup of mirror and shutter is just masterfully executed;
very ingenious and precise.  the viso and m6 when attached feel welded together
and give the impression of a single unit.  adding to this fun is that the
lens, OUBIO coupler and viso all have tripod sockets, so in the end, you're
carrying around a piece of equipment with 5 tripod sockets in total!  

the two practical deficiencies of the system are: 1) lack of automatic
aperture stop-down and 2) a mildly complex metering procedure.

the aperture is pre-set, which means you set the aperture with a
thin ring with detents, but the aperture blades are actually linked to
a wider ring that freely travels between wide open and the preset.
in practice you'd focus with the lens wide open and then stop down prior
to making the image.  this can be done with a forefinger and without
taking your eye off the finder.  it's different and slower for those of
us who used SLRs in the modern age (since the 70's), but by no means
unworkable.

through-the-lens metering is possible with the m6 and the viso III.  in fact,
it's possible to push the shutter arm so as to flip the mirror and touch the
m6's button but not trip the shutter.  This allows you to take a through-
the-lens reading by looking at the arrows in the camera's (otherwise
unused) viewfinder.  for anyone who uses a 21 or 24, switching between
viewfinders is something you can get used to.  just remember to stop down
the lens for making the exposure reading.  

oddly enough, though the lens apertures appear in the same order left-to-right
as the M optics, the aperture ring *action* is actually reversed, as the 280's
numerals are on the lens barrel whereas on the M's they are on the ring.  so
you need to get used to turning the lens in the opposite direction that the
m6's arrows tell you.

all told, the whole rig makes for a slower and more deliberate style of
shooting, but by no means is it restricted to static objects while mounted
on a tripod.  i shot my first (and so far only) roll this weekend of my
kids, all handheld.

http://www.shinozuka-family.com/20020126/

i like the quality of the images, though my framing with this focal length is
a bit unpracticed.  the out-of-focus rendition in the top photo is pleasing
to my eye.  while i missed some of the action due to focusing, i was happy
to see that at 1/250 i didn't have problems with vibration or mirror slap.

in conclusion, i'm pretty pleased with this optic and the rig in general,
and it's fun to work with such quality equipment of mid-60's vintage.  not
bad for under $500, particularly when one considers the outlay included the
complete viso III and OUBIO coupler in addition to the telyt.

there's only one downside for me.  this could herald the beginning of 
the slippery slope into a hitherto unexplored world of vintage
leica equipment.  :-)

- -rei
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