Just a note to advise that I currently have a 280/4 APO-Telyt-R listed on the famous internet auction site. Search Leica 280, or e-mail me for the item#. It's a 3rd-cam, non-ROM, w. box, strap, rear clear filter and case. Glass/mechanics perfect, physical condition mint minus (all mint except some bright marks surrounding the strap lugs). (Tony, you can delete this in a few days).

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 12, 2002

Answers

Just curious, Jay - what made you decide to drop the lens?

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), February 12, 2002.

I guess you mean "drop" as in a colloquialism for "sell"? The lens has never been physically dropped! I had been shooting Nikon AF for wildlife, wanted to condense to just one 35mm SLR system, hence the Leica 280. Recently bought into Canon EOS so that I could share the Leica primes (with adaptors) between Canon and Leica. I did get a couple of Image Stabilizer lenses, making the Leica 280 redundant. I'm really going to be sorry to see it go, it's such a breathtakingly superlative lens, but just too much $$ to have sitting for an occasional use.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 12, 2002.

Thanks. Yes, I did mean "drop" as in "delete from your lens lineup". The implication hadn't occurred to me.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), February 12, 2002.

Jay

Does this mean you have found the IS equivalent to be better, or is it just the IS feature that you prefer? I assume switching the IS "on" will not be the equivalent to having either the IS lens or the 280mm APO on a tripod in terms of ultimate resolution, or am I mistaken? Do you hand hold a 280-300mm lens a good deal? I am just curious as I have never owned such a long lens, but imagined that, except for paparazzi, one spent most of ones time with such a lens on a tripod. Is the IS lens with IS on superior to 280mm APO plus a monopod? Thanks for your help here.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), February 12, 2002.

I have never handheld any of these lenses. For me, wildlife photography is done 100% on a tripod, but with the controls just loose enough to follow action. I also rarely use 280/300mm by itself. In fact most of the time I use a 2x or a 2x+1.4x. At those magnifications, the IS makes a difference even on a solid tripod (in my case a Gitzo 320 with Arca B2 head). The Canon lens I am now using for wildlife is the 300/2.8L IS and I have used it with *two* of the new 2x-II teleconverters stacked (1200mm @ f/11)and even added the 1.4x to that (1680mm @ f/16)and it is incredible to watch how the IS smooths things out. I've been shooting a *long* time and my long- lens technique is down pat. IS is nothing short of amazing.

Perhaps the 300/2.8IS is not quite up to the 280/4 APO in optical performance (that's what Erwin says in his book)but at least with teleconverters, especially multiple TC's, the IS allows much sharper images to be made no matter how heavy the tripod or well-executed your technique.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 12, 2002.