My current M lens lineup is from an old never-owned-but-always-wanted-to-try list. Not that the previous slate had any slouches in it, but once one tries a lot of options, the most useful choices become more evident.
One under question is the 135mm APO-Telyt-M, through no fault whatsoever of its own. I had the Mandler 135mm Tele-Elmar for years and it seldom left the dry cabinet. Outside of testing the current 135mm, first with the CL and lately with rangefinder focus, I haven’t had much practical purpose for it.
Now with the R 180mm APO in the arsenal, it hardly seems worth carrying the shorter lens when I also have a blistering sharp 90mm that can well tolerate upsampling a little if needed. There’s also a growing yen for a reunion with a 90mm APO ‘cron, 6-bit this time around, to see if I can harness its magic better than I did with my first copy, with which I never bonded.
Currently being unable to consistently exploit the sharpness of the 135mm APO with either rangefinder or Visoflex is another push factor. Maybe the magnifier will solve that, maybe not—if it ever arrives.
Otherwise, the other M glass in the arsenal is ironclad safe . . . unless I wake up tomorrow with the wind blowing in a different direction!
Further clarification on local 6-bit coding:
As I now understand it, the “4-8 weeks” is to get a coded mount from Wetzlar, “subject to availability.” Once it arrives, it’s another “7-10 days” to install it. Didn’t confirm the following, but I’d bet the farm that advance payment in full is required. Thanks, but no thanks.
Seven to ten days to change the mount??? Just give it to me; I need only about 7-10 minutes!
