Ai and K Nikkors 400mm f5.6 ED "non-IF"

[Akira]

Wish it were so, Akira. I do have the 800/8 ED lens head though, which is even more elusive. Very very sharp and very very cumbersome to use.

It is a long-focal not telephoto design thus the overall contraption is nearly 1m long and heavy. Using it demands the very best of tripod support. Funny this came up as I retrieved the lens head from its storage yesterday and set it up for use wih the PrimaLuce Z5 today (or tomorrow, my plans involve a more conducive weather than at present).

I do own the 1200mm f/11 ED-IF, which is much smaller and lighter.

Oh, yes, the 800mm ED.  It is easy to suspect its cumbersomeness is twice as much as that of my 400/5.6 with the totally dry helix.   

I won't urge you but am looking forward to seeing some images with the 800 ED!

[MEPER]

It seems a good test is to check how the lens can render stars at full aperture like this test?
https://www.astropix.com/html/i_astrop/eq_tests/n400mm.html

....if lens can render stars as round dots without any CA.....at full aperture it is well corrected?
.....at least at infinity.....and that may be the "problem" designing a tele for normal photography that it should not only perform well at infinity?

Even that Nikkors is not perfect many still use them for star captures so probably still among the best?

[Akira]

It seems a good test is to check how the lens can render stars at full aperture like this test?
https://www.astropix.com/html/i_astrop/eq_tests/n400mm.html

....if lens can render stars as round dots without any CA.....at full aperture it is well corrected?
.....at least at infinity.....and that may be the "problem" designing a tele for normal photography that it should not only perform well at infinity?

Even that Nikkors is not perfect many still use them for star captures so probably still among the best?

In general, long lenses of non-IF design wouldn't be good at closer ranges anyway.  I bought mine with the premise of shooting distant scenes.

I was also attracted to its simplistic 3G5E design and I'm very much interested in Leica's Telyt 800mm/f6.3 lens which is of 1G3E design.

[richardHaw]

this is 田代's lens

how is it? is it all scratchy and ugly? I asked the guy at the counter he told me that someone bought it. we agreed that the price was reasonable

the people there are friendly with me, except for the owner who never smiles. he's just like that according to his staff but he greets me anyway.

[MEPER]

What about the Leica Apo-Telyt 1600 f/5.6?

I also wonder how good the Nikkor 1200 - 1700 zoom really is.....?

About 1600mm is needed on a FX camera to get the moon to fill the whole frame?

[Akira]

this is 田代's lens

how is it? is it all scratchy and ugly? I asked the guy at the counter he told me that someone bought it. we agreed that the price was reasonable

the people there are friendly with me, except for the owner who never smiles. he's just like that according to his staff but he greets me anyway.

I don't know who ”Tashiro” is.  There are scuffs here and there on the lens barrel, but there are no dents.  The optics are clean and the image quality turned out to be just as expected.  And yes, it was a good deal.

[Akira]

What about the Leica Apo-Telyt 1600 f/5.6?

I also wonder how good the Nikkor 1200 - 1700 zoom really is.....?

About 1600mm is needed on a FX camera to get the moon to fill the whole frame?

Apparently, yes:

https://www.nikon-image.com/products/compact/lineup/p1000/features01.html

I'm interested in Telyt 800/6.3 is more for its simplistic optical design than its focal length.  Up from 300mm or so, the atmospheric turbulence and haze often degrade the image quality.  Also, you have to use a big sturdy tripod to make the best of the lens.  So, 400/5.6 would be about the upper limit of practical usability.

[Roland Vink]

I also wonder how good the Nikkor 1200 - 1700 zoom really is.....?

My guess: pretty good. From http://183.181.162.36/about/feelnikon/recollections/r16_e/index.htm:

In order to obtain high-quality images, the surface of this large-diameter lens had to be polished to a hitherto unprecedented degree of precision ... At the assembly stage too, an unprecedented level of precision was required with regard to the camera lenses. Accordingly, at the suggestion of the person in charge of assembly, adjustments were carried out using equipment used to adjust IC steppers and scanners. The technology of IC steppers and scanners—dubbed the "most precise machines in history"—was thus applied to the 1200-1700mm.

[MEPER]

Maybe Nikon will donate a 1200-1700 til NikonGear.......
By reading the article I can understand that the AFS 200-400 /f4 zoom was also high quality. I remember that it was expensive.

[Akira]

What about the Leica Apo-Telyt 1600 f/5.6?

I wonder if the Minister of Qatar who ordered this 1600/5.6 is the same person who ordered that 1600/4.0 lens to Hasselblad?

[MEPER]

He likes 1600mm lenses?

If it is small birds then even with a 1600mm you need to be close......if not the "dot" in picture is just a bit larger.....?

[Akira]

He likes 1600mm lenses?

If it is small birds then even with a 1600mm you need to be close......if not the "dot" in picture is just a bit larger.....?

You won't be able to small agile birds with those monsters!

[dibyendumajumdar]

I'm interested in Telyt 800/6.3 is more for its simplistic optical design than its focal length.  Up from 300mm or so, the atmospheric turbulence and haze often degrade the image quality.  Also, you have to use a big sturdy tripod to make the best of the lens.  So, 400/5.6 would be about the upper limit of practical usability.

https://nbviewer.jupyter.org/github/cameragossip/cameragossip.github.io/blob/master/lensdesigns/Leitz-Telyt-S-800mm-f6.3-US3536379.ipynb

Its available here:

https://www.mwclassic.com/product/leitz-wetzlar-800mm-f6-3-telyt-s-c1971-complete-lens-system-in-makers-carryig-case-one-of-only-400-units-made-in-1971-uncommon/

[Birna Rørslett]

Here is the elusive (and imposing) Nikkor ED 800mm f/8, combined with the focusing "adapter" AU-1, on my beefy Sachtler ENG 2 CF HD tripod. The total makes for a less than compact package ordinarily I would mount the lens directly to the fluid head using a Sachtler video plate, however the outline of the 800 makes the fit very tight so difficult to remove the lens without splitting the assembly. Thus an all-metal sandwich to give Arca mount is provided.

This 800 ED Nikkor is among the sharpest long lenses I have ever used.

[Akira]

https://nbviewer.jupyter.org/github/cameragossip/cameragossip.github.io/blob/master/lensdesigns/Leitz-Telyt-S-800mm-f6.3-US3536379.ipynb

Its available here:

https://www.mwclassic.com/product/leitz-wetzlar-800mm-f6-3-telyt-s-c1971-complete-lens-system-in-makers-carryig-case-one-of-only-400-units-made-in-1971-uncommon/

Unfortunately, it is way beyond my reach...