Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/11/26

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Subject: [Leica] 400mm, cheap!
From: rsphotoimages at comcast.net (Bob Shaw)
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:52:31 -0800
References: <8278491.1353800436903.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net>

Gee Doug, too bad about the lens.

Not!!

That lens is a keeper.  Great exposure viewed full screen on my MacBook Pro 
13".

Will we be seeing more from this lens?

Bob



Bob Shaw
rsphotoimages at comcast.net


On Nov 24, 2012, at 3:40 PM, Doug Herr <wildlightphoto at earthlink.net> 
wrote:

> Last spring I purchased a 560mm f/6.8 Telyt on the PIGRIFF-C focussing 
> grip and at the same time I bought (separately) a Novoflex 400mm f/5.6 
> T-Noflexar (3-element) lens head to fit the PIGRIFF-C. The 400mm lens head 
> was supposed to be a 'fun' lens and was very inexpensive.
> 
> A few weeks passed before I could test the T-Noflexar, and once I tried 
> making photos with it I found out why it was so inexpensive: the image 
> quality was TERRIBLE. I couldn't even discern a plane of focus. Oh well, 
> it was inexpensive and supposed to be fun, so I just put it back in its 
> bag and forgot about it for a while.
> 
> But... it kept nagging at me. My previous experience with two samples of 
> the T-Noflexar was quite good, there had to be something wrong with this 
> lens and I couldn't image it left the factory working that badly, which 
> suggested that someone took the lens apart and mucked it up somehow.
> 
> A few days ago I started disassembly and once I had a good view of the 
> rear of the optical unit my suspicions seemed to be confirmed: the 
> retaining ring holding the rear element in place has some scratches on it.
> 
> I removed the rear element and flipped it around, re-assembled and the 
> difference through the viewfinder was startling. The lens now has a very 
> clear, sharp plane of focus and stuff pops in and out of focus just like 
> it ought to.
> 
> I took it into the field today and found a willing subject, a Cattle 
> Egret. The lighting was variable fog and the egret wanted me to make 
> backlit photos (I was shooting from the shadow side).
> 
> The image detail is't APO but still quite good, contrast is a bit on the 
> low side which meant that stretching the histogram to get a rich deep 
> black and bright white might in some circumstances result in a loss of 
> tonal gradation. Its color balance is clearly cooler than that of the 
> 560mm f/6.8 or 280mm f/4 APO but can be corrected most of the time.
> 
> Files made with the 280mm f/4 are much easier to work with, hold shadow 
> and highlight detail better and the color quality is richer with fuller 
> gradation, but for the price I paid for the T-Noflexar, about 1/20 the 
> current market value of the 280 APO, I can't complain.  Sample:
> 
> http://wildlightphoto.com/temp/egret.jpg
> 
> a detail crop:
> 
> http://wildlightphoto.com/temp/egret_crop.jpg
> 
> Doug Herr
> Birdman of Sacramento
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
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In reply to: Message from wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (Doug Herr) ([Leica] 400mm, cheap!)