[LRflex] Re: Leica 180 APO versus Nikkor 200

At 31/03/2007, you wrote:
>In '84(?) here in Italy Tutti Fotografi magazine published an MTF
>analysis reporting that its best working aperture was 3.4, i.e. full
>aperture! So, as Tom was saying, the 180 f:3.4 Apo Telyt was designed
>to work in the night, probably for military purposes.


It was, indeed, designed, under contract, for the US Navy, who wished 
to keep it "secret". However, they wrote the contract with E. Leitz 
(Canada) so badly that there was nothing to prevent Leitz from 
releasing a consumer version.  When released, resolution was 
specified as only being "limited by available film" !!!!

As has been mentioned, the only limitations are close focus, and that 
is because of the optimization for distance/wide aperture use.  Not a 
bad compromise, at all!

Cheers!
---

David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA

Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt




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