Qualitative and quantitative information on photo gear

Photography is fascinating, independent of whether it is pursued professionally, as a pastime, or casually. This website presents a diverse set of photo gear resources, analytical articles and user reports concerning different types of imaging equipment that you will hopefully find interesting and useful. Welcome to ApoTelyt!

Here are summaries of some recent resource articles:

The Leica APO-Telyt-M 1:3.4 / 135mm: the long portrait lens for the M-system
The Leica APO-Telyt-M 135mm f3.4 is the longest focal length lens available for the M-system. It has been apochromatically corrected for color aberrations to achieve superior sharpness, contrast, and color accuracy. The lens produces sharp images across the frame and across all apertures. However, framing and focusing a 135mm lens on an M-camera can be challenging due to the small viewing area, so that the use of a viewfinder magnifier is often advantageous. Overall, the 3.4/135mm is a very well-made, compact lens that has made many friends in the Leica community.

The Leica APO-Telyt-R 1:3.4 / 180mm: the lens that set new standards
The Leica APO-Telyt-R 180mm f3.4 is an apochromatically corrected optic that set a new benchmark for contrast, sharpness, and color accuracy in its class when it was first released in 1975. This compact telephoto lens produces stunningly detailed images already wide open. Perhaps owing to its origin as a military reconnaissance tool, it performs best when focused at infinity. It has proven very popular with Leica shooters, and nowadays seems one of the best Leica bargains on the used market. A classic lens that is of interest for collectors and active photographers alike.

The Leica APO-Telyt-R Module System
Leica's system of long telephoto lenses employs an unusual modular design. The six manual optics with focal lengths ranging from 280mm to 800mm each consist of separate head and focusing units that are connected through a bayonet fitting. Different combinations of the two heads and three focusing modules give differing focal length, maximum aperture, and size specifications. Mechanically and optically the system is fully in line with Leica's high quality standards, but it also carries a heavy price tag...

Leica APO-Telyt-R 1:5.6 / 1600mm: the world's most expensive camera lens
Leica is widely known as a producer of exceptional camera lenses, but also as a brand that commands premium prices. The Leica APO-Telyt-R 1600mm f5.6 seems to be the ultimate reflection of this high-end, niche marketing strategy. The lens was old for no less than two million US dollars. This super-heavy price tag is related to the fact that the lens was produced on special order, so that all the research and development expenses had to be recovered from the sale of just one copy of the lens.

Photography resources

The links below lead to resource pages that contain specific information on particular imaging gear. Many of the linked pages also contain a collection of issues, tips and tricks based on user experiences, as well as galleries of product pictures.

Cameras

Lenses

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