© jmse
In 2006, Leica Camera AG
manufactured two prototypes of a new true one of a kind lens: the huge
Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6, featuring a weight of 60 kg and dimensions of 1.2 m
long (1.55 m with the lens hood attached) x 42 cm barrel diameter.
The origin of this
behemoth extreme telephoto lens came from an order by Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed
Al-Thani, former Minister of Culture of Qatar (demised in 2014), who wished the
creation of this massive and exceedingly heavy out of parameters lens, whose
use must be something really cumbersome,
© jmse
to such an extent that it
has two big handles, taking it for granted that a minimum of two men will be
needed to transport it.
© jmse
Both from a cosmetic and
optomechanical viewpoint, the Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 is impressive, not only
because of its colossal size but also regarding the amazing thoroughness with
which it was built, paying attention to every detail, with stunning machining
of the metallic surfaces and elegance to spare.
It is really a riveting
sight to behold and the last manual focusing R lens made, belonging to the
legendary breed of Leica R lenses manufactured between 1964 and 2006 and which
had its peak qualitative years during the 1990-2002 halcyon days of the Leica
Design Department created by Lothar Kölsch (who turned it into a competence
center for aspherical technology) and which had in its staff three further
world-class optical designers : Sigrun Kammans (designer of the fabulous
Vario-Apo-Elmarit-R 70-180 mm f/2.8), Peter Karbe (currently the best optical
designer in the world) and Horst Schröder (creator of the 01, 02, 03 and other
analysis programs which were important tools for optical designing), without
forgetting Wolfgang Vollrath (optical designer of the extraordinary
Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 mm f/2.8 in 1988).
© jmse
Therefore, the Apo-Telyt-R
1600 mm f/5.6 oozes class and top-notch construction everywhere.
Pictures made with it
haven´t appeared until now, but this truly apochromatic lens has to undoubtedly
feature a tremendous potential in terms of image quality, as to resolving
power, sharpness, contrast, correction of optical aberrations, commendable
uniformity of performance between center, borders and corners at every
diaphragm and distance and so forth.
Anyway, for obvious
reasons, to get that potential of optical performance in real photographic
contexts is virtually impossible, because you would need a more than giant
tripod to support it, and achieving a minimum adequate shooting stability would
be something mostly unattainable.
In addition, any attempt
to change shooting position moving the lens would mean a rather strenuous
effort.
Even, it was known thanks
to Danish Leica expert Thorsten Overgaard that the Sheikh Al-Tani commissioned
a specially equipped Mercedes-Benz with four wheel drive to carry the
Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 and move it around.
On the other hand, the use
given by Sheikh Al-Tani to this whopping lens has remained unknown, though
bearing in mind that apart from being an art collector he was a wildlife
enthusiast, perhaps his aim was to photograph animals from very far distances.
© jmse
But evidently, also in
that regard, the Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 wouldn´t be useful at all, not only
because of the aforementioned factors, but also because its size would make it
easily spotted by any animal or bird which, scared, would run away much before
any chance of pressing the shutter release button of the camera, and if
shooting from inside a hide, it wouldn´t work either, since living creatures
move, and to modify the position of this lens by only a man becomes something
inconceivable.
As a matter of fact, the
Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 makes up along with the 256 kg Zeiss Apo-Sonnar T*
1700 mm f/4 for medium format Hasselblad cameras the club of behemoths in this
scope, clearly beating in size and weight the kings in this sphere until their
introduction, which had been:
- The 18 elements in 13
groups Nikkor 1200-1700 f/5.6-8 P IF-D zoom from 1990, with 237 mm diameter x
880 mm length, weight of 16 kg and minimum focusing distance of 10 meters.
- The 13 elements in 10
groups Canon 1200 mm f/5.6L EF USM from 1993, with 228 mm diameter x 836 mm
length, weight of 16.5 kg and minimum focusing distance of 16 meters.
The upshot of it all is
that obtaining sharp images with the Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 is simply out of
the question in a very high percentage of real photography assignments.
Back view of the
Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 exceedingly sturdy R bayonet mount, whose flange
distance is 47 mm. The presence of the nine golden contacts of ROM chips in
symbiosis with the R cam, suggests that this lens was designed and manufactured
to be coupled to Leica R8 and R9 cameras with the Leica Digital Module R
attached, to correct lens vignetting. On top of the R mount is the scale of
diaphragms between f/5.6 and f/22.
© jmse
Regarding its potential
connected to digital full frame cameras, image quality should be great, as
happens with most of Leica R lenses (particularly the aspherical or truly
apochromatic ones, delivering remarkable resolving power, sharpness and
contrast with both analogue and digital models ), even with the 1.4x Leica Apo
Teleconverter (turning it into a 2240 f/8 lens), but the unfeasability of
achieving acceptable steadiness for such a huge lens would prevent if from
getting good results.
Diagonal lateral
view of the Apo-Tely-R 1600 mm f/5.6 cross-hair sight to spot subjects,
animals, etc. The machining of the metallic surfaces is stunning.
© jmse
Front view of
the Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 cross-hair sight.
© jmse
Back view of the
Apo-Telyt-R 1600 mm f/5.6 cross-hair sight.
© jmse
In addition, to get
accurate focus with such a hugely long focal distance lens sporting a
relatively slow f/5.6 wider aperture would be exceedingly difficult, something
even more apparent if a professional digital Micro Four Thirds camera like the
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is connected to the behemoth through adapter to get a
3200 f/5.6 lens.
Whatever it may be, the
amazing digital technology has brought with it the possibility of achieving
great results at high sensitivities (while in the analogue era using films
beyond iso 800 usually meant excessive grain and loss of detail), expanding
very much the use of relatively low luminosity super tele objectives connected
to digital cameras to avoid trepidation or blurred images, to obtain very good
sharpness.
Therefore, though the
gorgeous German behemoth is the beyond 1000 mm world reference-class lens ever
made in opto-mechanical performance potential (albeit virtually impossible to
draw because of its size and weight) and plays in another league, in my opinion,
infinitely much cheaper, and far better choices than the Leica Apo-Telyt-R 1600
mm f/5.6 to get good photographic results in real photographic contexts,
approaching as much as possible to so long distances, would be:
- A 3 elements in 3 groups Takahashi TSA-102S
Triplet Super Achromat 816 mm f/8 refractor telescope (diameter of 114 mm, tube
length of around 795 mm and a weight of 5 kg) connected to a professional
digital camera. The reach could be increased to 1142 mm f/11 with an 1.4x
converter and to a 1632 mm f/16 with a 2x converter. This superb telescope
delivers an extraordinary optical performance and features a price tag of
between 2,000-3,000 euros.
- The Olympus M. Zuiko
Digital ED 300 mm f/4 IS Pro (equivalent to an incredibly handholdable 600 mm
f/4 lens with a very efficient stabilizer), featuring a 92.5 mm diameter x 227
mm length and a weight of 1.27 kg, with a price of roughly 2,000 euros.
Attached to the excellent MC-14 1.4x teleconverter it turns into a 840 mm f/5.6
lens with barely loss of image quality, and if coupled to the MC-20
teleconverter it becomes a 1200 mm f/8 lens.
- The 19 elements in 11
groups AF-S Nikkor 500 mm f/5.6E PF ED VR (with a length of 237 mm and weight
of 1460 g) coupled to a 1.4x converter, turning it into a 700 mm f/8 lens or
attached to a 2x converter turning it into a 1000 mm f/11 lens. Its price is
around 4,500 euros
- A manual focusing 4
elements in 4 groups Takumar SMC 500 mm f/4.5 from 1966-1971 in M42 mount
coupled to a professional digital camera through adapter. With a 1.4 x
converter, the reach would be a 700 mm f/6.3 and with a 2x it would be a 1000
mm f/9 lens
This isn´t obviously a
stellar performer lens, but delivers good image quality, features a 126.5 mm
diameter x 440 mm length, its weight is 3,500 g and can be found at prices
between 300 and 500 euros in good condition.
- The Leitz Telyt-R 560 mm
f/6.8, featuring two elements cemented together to make a single optical group
with only 2 air/ glass interfaces. It has a length of 530 mm and a weight of 2
kg.
It isn´t a telephoto, but
a long focus lens, and in spite of its apparent field curvature, delivers a
great image quality in the center and simply acceptable in corners.
It yields very natural colors, its contrast is slightly lower than the also excellent Leitz Telyt-R
400 mm f/6.3 and can be found in very good condition for approximately 500
euros.
Connected to the superb
APO-Extender R 1.4 x teleconverter it turns into a 784 mm lens with barely loss
of image quality and connected to the also superb APO-Extender R 2x
teleconverter becomes a 1120 mm lens, there will be a significant drop in
luminosity and optical performance.
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