What is the lens choice for 800mm to 1000mm with medium format?

wilco23

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Since GFX comes out, I want to know what are the lens options for reaching 800mm to 1000mm focal length? I do not need AF, but I want best optical quality. I need 800mm or above reach for still subject at infinity with best result. If GFX with alternative lens options can give better than Nikon 800mm f/5.6 E, I would like to look into GFX options.
 
Since GFX comes out, I want to know what are the lens options for reaching 800mm to 1000mm focal length? I do not need AF, but I want best optical quality. I need 800mm or above reach for still subject at infinity with best result. If GFX with alternative lens options can give better than Nikon 800mm f/5.6 E, I would like to look into GFX options.
Pentax 67 system has M* 800mm F6.7 that may be mountable on the GFX. Not sure how that compares to the Nikon:

 
Since GFX comes out, I want to know what are the lens options for reaching 800mm to 1000mm focal length? I do not need AF, but I want best optical quality. I need 800mm or above reach for still subject at infinity with best result. If GFX with alternative lens options can give better than Nikon 800mm f/5.6 E, I would like to look into GFX options.
Pentax 67 system has M* 800mm F6.7 that may be mountable on the GFX. Not sure how that compares to the Nikon:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-M-Star-67-800mm-F6.7-Lens.html
Yes, that is the only solution but I have never seen sample photo of someone trying with Pentax 67 800mm with any digital back. I would like to see the optical quality of the Pentax lens. The longest FL sample that I saw is from Brian Hirschfled test with Mamiya 645 500mm apo. If Pentax can give same image quality like Mamiya 500 apo, it will be my choice.

So far I saw only one sample photo from Pentax 67 800mm and it is soft. Does not look good for my expectation.

 
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Since GFX comes out, I want to know what are the lens options for reaching 800mm to 1000mm focal length? I do not need AF, but I want best optical quality. I need 800mm or above reach for still subject at infinity with best result. If GFX with alternative lens options can give better than Nikon 800mm f/5.6 E, I would like to look into GFX options.
Pentax 67 system has M* 800mm F6.7 that may be mountable on the GFX. Not sure how that compares to the Nikon:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-M-Star-67-800mm-F6.7-Lens.html
Yes, that is the only solution but I have never seen sample photo of someone trying with Pentax 67 800mm with any digital back. I would like to see the optical quality of the Pentax lens. The longest FL sample that I saw is from Brian Hirschfled test with Mamiya 645 500mm apo. If Pentax can give same image quality like Mamiya 500 apo, it will be my choice.

So far I saw only one sample photo from Pentax 67 800mm and it is soft. Does not look good for my expectation.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/8851630484_61d4dccf1b_o.jpg
Most FF (24 x 36 mm) long tele lenses cover MF, in particular the small MF of 33 x 44 mm. Since you need an adaptor anyway, you can look at any FF lens catalogue, eg, Nikon, Canon FD, Leica. Here is an example of somebody adapting Leica APO Telyt modules to the Leica S (which is more difficult because the Leica S has a longer flange distance than the Leica R, whereas the GFX has a shorter flange distance than the Leica R).
 
For Pentax 645Z which is also 50M pixel sensor, I have tried using following long focal length that are all have very good resolutions:

1. Pentax 67 - 800mm f6.7 (Pentax 67mount)

2. Carl Zeiss Jena 1000mm f5.6 mirror lens ( Pentacon six mount)

3. Nikon 2000mm f11 Mirror lens ( Nikon F mount, but can modified to Hasselblad V mount, then use adapter for Pentax 645, but with slight vignetting)

All are manu focus, and can add 1.4x TC and still get good resolutions.

I can find some photos for you to see, here is the one with Zeiss Jena 1000 f5.6



View attachment 2f6bccd01eab400d915a9be266db1fb6.jpg
Carl Zeiss Jena 1000 f5.6 with Pentax 645Z
 
For Pentax 645Z which is also 50M pixel sensor, I have tried using following long focal length that are all have very good resolutions:

1. Pentax 67 - 800mm f6.7 (Pentax 67mount)

2. Carl Zeiss Jena 1000mm f5.6 mirror lens ( Pentacon six mount)

3. Nikon 2000mm f11 Mirror lens ( Nikon F mount, but can modified to Hasselblad V mount, then use adapter for Pentax 645, but with slight vignetting)

All are manu focus, and can add 1.4x TC and still get good resolutions.

I can find some photos for you to see, here is the one with Zeiss Jena 1000 f5.6

View attachment 2f6bccd01eab400d915a9be266db1fb6.jpg
Carl Zeiss Jena 1000 f5.6 with Pentax 645Z
Distance is 71 meters
 
Not really a GFX solution, but if you need current technology there's the Hasselblad 300mm with a 1.7x converter, giving you 510mm and on the Phase One side the 240mm with a 2x converter, resulting in 480mm focal length. You could "just" get a 100Mpx back and crop by half and you're there (after auctioning off your BMW or Benz).

MF was never a long tele play...
 
Not really a GFX solution, but if you need current technology there's the Hasselblad 300mm with a 1.7x converter, giving you 510mm and on the Phase One side the 240mm with a 2x converter, resulting in 480mm focal length. You could "just" get a 100Mpx back and crop by half and you're there (after auctioning off your BMW or Benz).

MF was never a long tele play...
You are talking about HC 300/4.5? Thanks for advising auctioning off BMW and Benz :D

What about Hasselblad 500/8 APO-Tessar performance with those phase one back?
 
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Honestly, find an Apo Artar or similar process lens of 30-40"FL "in barrel" and adapt it to a sliding sleeve extension tube. It will be sharper than anything at less than 1/10 the cost.
 
Honestly, find an Apo Artar or similar process lens of 30-40"FL "in barrel" and adapt it to a sliding sleeve extension tube. It will be sharper than anything at less than 1/10 the cost.
Sounds interesting. But it will be hard to find.
 
Couple of hundred bucks on Ebay.
 
My best result with a long lens has been the 1000mm f5.6 Zeiss East Germany mirror tele made for the Pentacon 6X6. You'll need a pretty good tripod though as the lens weighs 16Kg. For something more compact the 500mm zeiss hasselblad apo tessar is quite a good performer although it show a little chromatic aberration on the edge of frame.
 
So far I saw only one sample photo from Pentax 67 800mm and it is soft. Does not look good for my expectation.
The original 800/4 pentax 67 lens is very soft. The new 800/6.7ED version is a different beast all together. One of the few big teles I haven't had a chance to try myself yet.

In theory the old Leica 800/6.3 telyt should easily cover with an enlarged rear lens opening. Has anyone here ever tried one on digital?
 
So far I saw only one sample photo from Pentax 67 800mm and it is soft. Does not look good for my expectation.
The original 800/4 pentax 67 lens is very soft. The new 800/6.7ED version is a different beast all together. One of the few big teles I haven't had a chance to try myself yet.

In theory the old Leica 800/6.3 telyt should easily cover with an enlarged rear lens opening. Has anyone here ever tried one on digital?
I have the Pentax 67 800/4 , it is soft at f4, so need to step down and loss the merit, i.e. only good as a collection.

I also have the Leica Telyt-S 800/6.3 , it is very sharp and as good as the Zeiss Jena 1000 f5.6, but the Leica 800/6.3 body is very long, so will need to have a strong tripod plus additional means to avoid vibrations by wind and mechanical shutter ( better use silent shutter). Good thing of this Leica lens is that there is aperture to step down, should IQ and contrast is a concerns while light is good. I tried it on A7rII, but not on Pentax 645Z, as I do not have adapter for Leica R to Pentax 645, I may need to find a Leica R to Leica M39, then using the M39 to Pentax 645 adapter if to try.
 
My best result with a long lens has been the 1000mm f5.6 Zeiss East Germany mirror tele made for the Pentacon 6X6. You'll need a pretty good tripod though as the lens weighs 16Kg. For something more compact the 500mm zeiss hasselblad apo tessar is quite a good performer although it show a little chromatic aberration on the edge of frame.
I found that my Hasselblad/Zeiss 500/8 Apo couldn't keep up with my 5.3 um pitch GFX, and sold it. A Nikon 400/2.8 on an a7RII gave me much better results.

In general, I think that trying to use 800-1000 mm lenses on MF camera is a heck of an uphill battle compered to the highly evolved CaNikon long lenses on a high-pixel-count FF body.

Jim
 

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