Leica built this one-of-a-kind 180mm telephoto lens over thirty years ago under contract to the US Navy. Intended for surveillance photography, a civilian version became available a few years later. The sharpness of the lens is legendary, especially at long distances, for which the optics were optimized. On the Olympus E330, it makes the equivalent of 360mm - a fairly long telephoto. This is one Leica-Olympus combination that makes an interesting "Lympa", especially for a long reach in aerial photography.

To show the remarkable resolution of the APO 180/3.4, the photos below are a bit larger than usual, so please be patient with downloading.

Over downtown Eureka, California, the lens foreshortens city blocks with a 35mm equivalent lens focal length of 360mm. Highway US101 goes through town at the lower left. The Leica APO-Telyt-R can be shot a its widest apertures with virtually no loss in sharpness. That allows for fast shutter speeds, so important to stop motion in aerial photography.

Olympus E330 with Leica APO-Telyt-R f3.4/180mm, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, ISO 100, RAW capture, Ken-Labs K-6 gyro stabilizer.