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500 f8 Tele Tessar on S2

GMB

Active member
I am looking for something longer than the 180mm that Leica has to offer for the S2. A dealer showed me a 500/8 Tele Tessar for Hasselbald V mount. Assuming the S2 to Hasselbald adapter would work, do you think that lens makes sense on the S2? I am a total newbie to MF, and know close to nothing about the MS lenses? Also, what do you think would be a fair price for the lens?

Thanks.
 

fotophil

Member
Years ago I tried the standard (non-APO) version of the 500mm lens and found poor performance on chrome films but O:K on black & white. I switched to the APO version of the 500mm lens with improved performance. If your dealer's lens is the APO version, it is worth a try on the S2.
 

atanabe

Member
The early non APO versions of this lens (500) would not be my choice for a long lens in film or digital, it had a lot of CA. There are several options such as the Zeiss 250 SA or Zeiss 350 SA that are stellar performers. The 250 is hard to find and the 350 even harder. Mark Gowin borrowed my Zeiss 350 non SA for his S2 and the results were very good, not stellar, like the Leica 180 but at 1/5th the cost, okay. You can also wait and see if Leica will come out with a tele convertor or even a long lens of their own.

Here is a link to a web site with the old data sheets from Hasselblad on all of their lenses:

http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HW/HWLds.aspx

Al
 

Bernard

Member
If I recall, the APO 500 was discontinued because the 350 APO + 1.4xE converter provided better results. Of course, the extremely rare 2.8/300 Telephoto Power Pack with it's matched 1.7x converter would be even better. None of those three option are cheap or easy to find.

The earlier non-APO 350 and 500 lenses aren't all that great by modern standards.

I think that Pentax offered ED lenses in 400mm and 800mm for their 6x7 cameras which may be interesting (no personal experience). You may need to use two adapters (67 to Hasselblad and Hasselblad to Leica S2) if a direct adapter isn't available.
 

gogopix

Subscriber
I agree the 250SA is great, the 350SA is spectacular (it is a candidate for 'one of the best lenses Zeiss ever made, by the lens designer!)

I hAve the 500/8 APO teletessar and is a VERY respectable lens. Except for the speed, I use with my P65+ and is is pretty good. EVen works better with sensor +

No reason it shouldnt be quite good on the S2, but will need at least 400 or even 800 ISO to get any decent shots, since you will want to shoot at 1000th

regards
Victor
 

atanabe

Member
The problem is finding those gems! The 250 SA and 350 SA seem to live in China for the most part if ebay is any index. I have not seen one show up at any of the Hasselblad haunts lately. I am sure that if one puts out a tickler at several dealers a copy could be found. The best price on a 250 SA CF that I have seen is ~$2800 and the 350 SA CFE ~$10,000, I don't even want to guess on the 300 2.8 TPP!
 
...Mark Gowin borrowed my Zeiss 350 non SA for his S2 and the results were very good, not stellar, like the Leica 180 but at 1/5th the cost, okay. You can also wait and see if Leica will come out with a tele convertor or even a long lens of their own...
Very well said Al. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give it a try. It was easier to use (manual focus and stop-down metering) than I expected. I got some good images with it.

George, I posted some of the photos I shot using Al's 350mm over in the Show Us Your S2 Shots thread.
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
I can confirm that the Pentax 67 300mm f4 EDIF lens is stunning in quality. Simply better than anything else I have ever used at the focal length - without exception. From what I have heard, I believe that the 400mm EDIF is just as good.

If you look into this, make sure you get the EDIF versions if quality is your concern!

I think suitable adaptors exist, but not sure on this point.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
How about the more affordable (and less rare) Hasselblad 350CF f5.6 lens? Marc (Fotografz) has quite a bit of experience with this lens and could offer his opinion re use on digital. I bought his 350CF....but I'm embarrassed to say I haven't acutally used it yet. Like Ed Hurst, I have the Pentax 67 300mm EDIF lens and it is outstanding....although I've never used it on a digital back.

Gary
 

surfotog

New member
If I'm not mistaken, Leica plans to make an adapter to allow use of Pentax 67 lenses on the S2. If so the M* 300/4 EDIF and M*400/4 EDIF lenses are well worth considering. Pentax glass is often overlooked on high end forums, but the EDIF telephoto's are excellent and perform very well with the 1.4x converter. The hard part is finding one. I suspect they're more easily obtained in Japan.
 

dick

New member
I have a Novoflex 640 follow-focus lens, and a ¿Leica made? T-Noflexar f5.6 f=400 mm lens head for it. Novoflex sold 2 400 lens heads, and the ¿Leica? one on was much more expensive...

These are long focus no-telephoto lenses, and have no elements behind the aperture, so I think it should be easy to fit a shutter to use on a view camera.

Does anyone know anything about these lenses?
 

GMB

Active member
Skip it IMHO.


-Marc
Thanks to all who replied. I decided to skip it. It's the non APO version and has been sitting at the dealer for some time now and he reduced the price from 1,500 to 1,000 Euros. While the price is attractive, I think that if I get it, it would be very hard to sell later. Also, if I get the Leica 180mm, I am unlikely to loose more than 1,000 Euros, should I decide to seel in a couple of years. (Indeed, if S lens prices develop like the M lens prices, I may even make money on the lens).

OTOH, the Pentax glass seems worth a look.
 

dfarkas

Workshop Member
We've tested a wide variety of alternative lenses on the S2 over the past several months. We have the Pentax 400mm EDIF and it is a good lens on the S2, although the 350SA is noticeably better. The 350 CF non-SA that Al owns and Mark G borrowed for his Everglades trip is very sharp, but does show a fair amount of CA, even when stopped down. The Pentax 400 isn't as sharp as the non-SA Zeiss 350 wide open but has zero CA. It is also a full stop faster. The Zeiss has more inherent contrast vs. the Pentax, but this can be boosted with a simple S curve in LR.

We haven't tried the 500 Zeiss or the 600 Pentax yet. Most of the interest seems to be in the more manageable 350-400mm range.

when Leica releases their 350mm f/3.5 APO S lens in a year or two it will most likely best any of these lenses. If we assume similar performance to the 180 and 120: With fast max aperture, high contrast and resolving power, APO correction, amazing sharpness with smooth bokeh, weather sealing, auto aperture control and AF, the Leica lens will probably be one of the best tele lenses ever made for MF. Of course, they have to make it first. :)

For now, the alternative lens route makes a lot of sense. These lenses hold their value extremely well and have taken their depreciation hit years ago. Buy it, use it until the Leica glass comes out, and if you decide to go for the S lens, sell the alternative lens for the same price you paid for it. And, in the meantime, you have a focal length that isn't currently offered. Seems like a good proposition. This might be why so many of my customers have done this, and not just for telephotos. With a wide 82mm diameter bayonet, short flange to focal plane distance and a focal plane shutter, almost any MF lens can be mounted on the S2 (except the ones with fully electronic apertures).

David
 

atanabe

Member
A 350 f 3.5 APO? Now that would be an amazing accomplishment, fast and Leica quality.

Just to add my $0.02 on the value proposition that David brought up, the cost of MF glass is very reasonable. I have seen great lenses from Hasselblad going for less than prosumer Nikon or Canon lenses. So use and recycle when the Leica copy comes out, or you have enough saved up. The examples that I have seen from the Leica 35, 70, 120 and 180 are by far the best resolution that I have seen. But if you need the longer reach, for now you do not have an alternative.

You could look at the cost of a Hasselblad lens in terms of Leica accessory pricing,
1 180mm CF = 3 Leica 70mm Summarit lens hoods :)

Al
 
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