Makinon 500/8 mirror lens (samples)

enzodm · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 350 Location: Italy

I'm spending time trying to use my first mirror lens, which is a Makinon 500/8 Contaxt/Yashica adapted to Canon EOS. It is a pain to focus, at least for me, and also I discovered my cheap tripod is... cheap. Using Live view at max magnification, I have to wait the camera stops oscillation Smile

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Anyway, a couple of sample shots. The moon is on tripod; the mushroom is handheld, in a very sunny day (last saturday). Nice donut bokeh Smile

. Contrast and sharpness seem relatively low (I did PP), but perhaps it's just me.

martyn_bannister · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 1151

You are right, sharpness does seem quite low. Might be worth taking a shot along a fence so that at least something will be in focus and just check it isn't a focusing issue.

Something I found on one of my mirror lenses was the mirror was literally covered in a fine fungus, almost like a cobweb. Worth checking for that too.

nemesis101 · Expire: 2015-01-22

I don't think you can really blame your tripod's 'flimsy' construction if, as you say, you had the Moon on it? Smile

Doug

Interesting test though.. though no-one has responded to my post about my new Minolta mirror efforts... Sad

Doug

wupdigoj · Joined: 18 Mar 2010 Posts: 85

I think these are pretty standard results for a cheap mirror lens. My Listar 500 f8 performance is similar (perhaps a tad sharper). I think the main quality of these lenses are size and weight. I could carry a light mirror when I would leave at home a bigger lens.

Javier

enzodm · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 350 Location: Italy

enzodm · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 350 Location: Italy

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

This looks like a good mirror lens to me. It seems to have good resolution and I don't see the softness that the Samyang 500/8 has. The moon shot is very similar to what I got from the Tokina 500/8 - these moon shots seem to need a lot of post processing to get the best out of them (look up the page in the other mirror/moon thread to see mine - I didn't work on it more because I had the better result from the longer mirror).

I think what you need most is good light. Then you'll get really nice results. Also, try to avoid busy backgrounds, as in the mushroom shot. Some of my shots with the Tokina can be found here.

I think your Makinon is a keeper. Do you have any shots showing the lens?

enzodm · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 350 Location: Italy

Laurentiu: I'm slowly learning how to use it. Comparing the last moon shot with the first, some difference is perhaps in the different atmosphere, but perhaps the rest is in my hands. By the way, I found some sensitivity to flare, so that is better if I avoid lateral light. Your shots seem however better (birds in particular).
I'm also following the other thread; Beroflex shots are impressive.
I bought the Makinon after having found here a comment saying that those with fixed mount (in my case, Contax/Yashica) were not bad, while older T2 mount versions were not as good.

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

Thanks for the photo of the Makinon.

If flare is an issue, have you tried using a hood? My Tokina came with one and I always use it with a hood. You should be able to find a nice hood online, or just manufacture one from some thick dark paper.

My flickr bird shots were all taken during the summer, on nice sunny days. Before that, I only had one or two good shots, then summer came with sunny days and in one day I got all those heron and crow shots. Slow long lenses will catch new life when there is plenty of light.

enzodm · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 350 Location: Italy

Laurentiu: I had lost your answer. Yes, I tried also with a self-made hood, at a certain point, but I'm lazy Smile

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However, light is growing, so today I played a little with DoF in my mother' garden. I like pictorial effects that sometimes bokeh may give.

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

Very nice. Especially that first shot, because the background is more colorful.

Valenten · Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Posts: 1

Hi,

I found a similar Makinon 500mm mirror lens which I'd like to mount on my recently-acquired Canon EOS 550D.

I've seen various references to various stuffs on several forums, but I'd like to be sure how I can mount it on my DSLR ?

Thanks by advance,

Valenten

fuzzywuzzy · Expire: 2013-11-30

martyn_bannister · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 1151

buerokratiehasser · Joined: 12 Jun 2011 Posts: 470

Sorry guys, the photos are nice to look at, colors nicely red, and the O bokeh makes for some interesting art too if that is your thing, BUT I do think I can see the haze even in these downscaled photos. As a pixel-peeper I suppose this lens would be terribly soft to me (20 lp/mm?)