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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 1:04 am Post subject: Maksutov 3M-6A 500mm f6.3 Mirror |
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woodrim wrote:
I was very cautiously optimistic when I purchased this lens because I don't have great respect for mirror lenses. Today was my only opportunity to give it a good test. Took some quick one at the creek, handheld at various ISO, finally settling on ISO400 in favor of fast shutter speed. The light today was harsh, even maxing out my 1/4000 limit. Easier to focus than I had expected but still difficult to do perfectly without a tripod. The pelican seems to be perfectly focused but not all shots were spot-on. With the dog picture, seems the post and bottle on it are in focus. Click on images for larger. No post sharpening.
_________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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Himself
Joined: 01 Mar 2007 Posts: 3209 Location: Montreal
Expire: 2013-05-30
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 3:50 am Post subject: |
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Himself wrote:
I like what I see. I mean, for a hand held mirror you have stunning results.
Put it on a tripod and give it a try. _________________ Moderator Himself |
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edri
Joined: 26 Oct 2014 Posts: 315 Location: walking in the air
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 7:52 am Post subject: |
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edri wrote:
Surprisingly good images for handheld shots with such a lens. _________________ http://www.adlightstill.smugmug.com |
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Teemō
Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Posts: 586 Location: Australia
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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Teemō wrote:
Great results! |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 57840 Location: Hungary
Expire: 2021-11-18
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
Yes, Pelikan is so great !! Once if you have a chance to try Tamron or Canon lot more expensive normal lenses in this focal length , none of them will better for cost of fortune. _________________ -------------------------------
Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Not as hard to handhold as I expected, but still difficult when the depth of field is so shallow (close up pictures). Using the magnification feature on NEX for focusing makes it that much more difficult to steady. I got what I was looking for - a test of sharpness. Most images I took were too much out of focus, so these were the successes, even though only some are perfect focus. I need to use a tripod for my intended purpose of photographing the birds at the swamp rookery. The tests tell me the quality is good enough with careful focusing. Better than I expected from a mirror. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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Rolf
Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 4123 Location: NRW/Germany
Expire: 2015-12-26
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Rolf wrote:
I like to take pics with mirror lenses and I like your images too.
I sold such a lens with Nikon mount few weeks ago to a German customer. Unfortunately this mount doesn't work with new digital Nikons because their prism are too large. 2nd image with a Nikon F5. You can see the limited space between lens and prism.
_________________ Rolf |
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Lloydy
Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 7776 Location: Ironbridge. UK.
Expire: 2022-01-01
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Lloydy wrote:
I think that when we use a mirror lens we have to expect a higher failure rate, and the joy of digital is we aren't paying for processing so just keep shooting. If we get a few shots as good as these, especially the Pelican, then the lens justifies its place in our armoury.
Many years ago my wife bought me a Canon 500 mirror for Christmas that I used on my A1 and AE1 P ( I still have the lens ) and on a visit to my brother in Nova Scotia I used the lens on a boat tour of the sea bird colonies. I rattled my way through about four 36 exposure rolls of film and got maybe ten really good pictures, which might have seemed a waste of money back then. But today 144 shots is nothing when you're on a once in a lifetime event.
I didn't want to change lenses on a boat on a rough day, and the next lens down I had was a Canon 80-200 / 4, which would have been OK, but 500 was better. So I like 500 mirror lenses, I've got three of them, but it is "a frame of mind" thing when you're using them - they aren't easy. The joy of digital is being able to rattle off as many pictures as you can and accepting the higher failure rate of a mirror lens. And when a mirror lens is as sharp as this, it's worth it because you get pictures that otherwise you'd miss. _________________ LENSES & CAMERAS FOR SALE.....
I have loads of stuff that I have to get rid of, if you see me commenting about something I have got and you want one, ask me.
My Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/mudplugga/
My ipernity -
http://www.ipernity.com/home/294337 |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
You are so right, Lloydy. I can't tell you how many times I waited impatiently for my slides to come back only to find the picture I had such high hopes for was a bust. Click away on digital. I do that frequently to increase my chances of hitting focus, especially when photographing flowers in a breeze. I fully expect this mirror experience to be exactly what you described. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Rolf wrote: |
I like to take pics with mirror lenses and I like your images too.
I sold such a lens with Nikon mount few weeks ago to a German customer. Unfortunately this mount doesn't work with new digital Nikons because their prism are too large. 2nd image with a Nikon F5. You can see the limited space between lens and prism. |
Thanks for that information, Rolf. My lens came from Poland and had a Canon adapter. I replaced it with a Nikon which was the only other T2 I had. I didn't have a NEX adapter for Canon. Both my brother and a friend here were looking forward to trying the lens until I learned what you just reported. I presume all mirror lenses are a problem on Nikons. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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Rolf
Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 4123 Location: NRW/Germany
Expire: 2015-12-26
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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Rolf wrote:
No, my most used mirror lens is the Leica 8/500. I replaced the original Leica mount by a Leitax mount for Nikon without any problem with any digital cam. Furthermore I own a Tamron mirror with Nikon Adaptel2 too. Also no problem with a modern Nikon.
Unfortunately the search function didn't work well here within the forum but there are many pictures which I have taken with the Leica lens (in fact a Minolta) over the years here.
_________________ Rolf |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Thanks, Rolf. Too bad this is the mirror I have and my Nikon friends are out of luck as far as trying it. I do know the Minolta - and you say the same as Leica - is considered to be very good, however, it is also quite costly. I found a very nice deal on this 3M-6A. If the Minolta is as good or better than this one, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Hoping to put this one to good use this weekend. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Another concern I had going into this was the speed of the lens, although this one is a tad faster than the more common f/8. The NEX electronic viewfinder adjusts for the darker view as expected but I was surprised with how well the peaking worked. In my experience, peaking does not work or does not work well with slow lenses. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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Rolf
Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 4123 Location: NRW/Germany
Expire: 2015-12-26
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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Rolf wrote:
Well, I tried out over the years a lot of mirror lenses from Canon, Tamron, Tokina, Russian lenses, Leica/Minolta, Olympus etc.
I decided (for myself of course) that the Leica is or was the best one of them all. I wrote it before it is my most common lens. I own now and collected over the years approx. 15 Leica-R lenses but the 500mm is my favorite focal length.
I'm just selling the Tamron, it is not bad too but the Leica is a tick better - but as you said before with the double price. The Olympus mirror was also a very good lens - above all a very lightweight lens, but in fact very rare on the market.
_________________ Rolf |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
I took the big mirror to the swamp yesterday. The birds are there in force and the chicks are at various levels of development. Some have already learned to fly while others have just hatched. A few others have fallen to the alligators.
I had not yet fully learned my lesson about trying to handhold this lens. However, I did grab for the tripod before leaving only to find the quick release missing. This lens can be handheld with a deep breath and slow exhale and leaning up against a tree helps even more. I found the bigger problem to be focusing. Using the magnification feature on my NEX was nearly impossible and difficult at best. The effect of a 1.5 crop plus the magnification just intensifies the shake. Consequently, many of my images were unsatisfactory and some good opportunities were missed. A tripod will be a priority before my next trip to the swamp.
I have been extremely impressed with this lens. I have learned that it is quite sharp when focused properly. It is all too easy to just miss the focus and I wonder how many people are experiencing that and mistaking it for a soft lens. In the end, I did get many in good focus and others nearly, but close enough to keep. I took hundreds of images. These are a sampling of this lens in real use.
_________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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jamaeolus
Joined: 19 Mar 2014 Posts: 2913 Location: Eugene
Expire: 2015-08-20
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 12:36 am Post subject: |
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jamaeolus wrote:
_________________ photos are moments frozen in time |
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miran
Joined: 01 Aug 2012 Posts: 1364 Location: Slovenia
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 7:24 am Post subject: |
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miran wrote:
Wow! Amazing results, especially for being handheld. 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are winners! _________________ my flickr stream |
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pdccameras
Joined: 23 Aug 2009 Posts: 826 Location: Putnam, CT
Expire: 2014-08-11
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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pdccameras wrote:
Fantastic results! Did you use single shot mode or multi-shot mode? _________________ Canon 5D Mii, Canon 40D, Canon 350D IR, Sony A7 Mii, Sony Alpha-6000, a ton of lenses: AF & MF and too many cameras to count, all formats: 110 - 4x5. |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
pdccameras wrote: |
Fantastic results! Did you use single shot mode or multi-shot mode? |
Both. I use the multi, but not rapid, when something is about to happen or is in progress of happening. Most of these were not multi. Handheld while bracing against a tree and watching for alligators with my other eye... and trying not to step on fire ant mounds. I often come across gators along the waterside trail and must be aware because they don't move. Water moccasins (cotton mouth), and copperheads are also a worry. Came across a moccasin that same day. Two months ago a fire ant attack landed me in the hospital overnight. So far no alligator bites. One cannot watch the birds out in the swamp while walking - must watch where walking. All this adds to shaky hands.
_________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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kds315*
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 16497 Location: Weinheim, Germany
Expire: 2021-03-09
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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kds315* wrote:
_________________ Klaus - Admin
"S'il vient a point, me souviendra" [Thomas Bohier (1460-1523)]
http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/albums my albums using various lenses
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV BLOG
http://www.travelmeetsfood.com/blog Food + Travel BLOG
https://galeriafotografia.com Architecture + Drone photography
Currently most FAV lens(es):
X80QF f3.2/80mm
Hypergon f11/26mm
ELCAN UV f5.6/52mm
Zeiss UV-Planar f4/60mm
Zeiss UV-Planar f2/62mm
Lomo Уфар-12 f2.5/41mm
Lomo Зуфар-2 f4.0/350mm
Lomo ZIKAR-1A f1.2/100mm
Nikon UV Nikkor f4.5/105mm
Zeiss UV-Sonnar f4.3/105mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f1.8/45mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f4.1/94mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f2.8/100mm
Steinheil Quarzobjektiv f1.8/50mm
Pentax Quartz Takumar f3.5/85mm
Carl Zeiss Jena UV-Objektiv f4/60mm
NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha II f1.1/90mm
NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha I f2.8/200mm
COASTAL OPTICS f4/60mm UV-VIS-IR Apo
COASTAL OPTICS f4.5/105mm UV-Micro-Apo
Pentax Ultra-Achromatic Takumar f4.5/85mm
Pentax Ultra-Achromatic Takumar f5.6/300mm
Rodenstock UV-Rodagon f5.6/60mm + 105mm + 150mm
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pdccameras
Joined: 23 Aug 2009 Posts: 826 Location: Putnam, CT
Expire: 2014-08-11
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 12:56 am Post subject: |
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pdccameras wrote:
[quote="woodrim"]
pdccameras wrote: |
Fantastic results! Did you use single shot mode or multi-shot mode? |
Came across a moccasin that same day. Two months ago a fire ant attack landed me in the hospital overnight. So far no alligator bites. One cannot watch the birds out in the swamp while walking - must watch where walking. All this adds to shaky hands.
-------------------------------
That's what I call true dedication! And you have the beautiful images to show for it. It's also why I live here in NE Connecticut - despite some nearby bear sitings, the worst things I usually have to contend with are deer ticks (Lyme disease) and mosquitos.
Best,
Paul _________________ Canon 5D Mii, Canon 40D, Canon 350D IR, Sony A7 Mii, Sony Alpha-6000, a ton of lenses: AF & MF and too many cameras to count, all formats: 110 - 4x5. |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 1:25 am Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Back at the swamp today, I used the big mirror to take this candid portrait of a fellow photographer.
_________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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Basilisk
Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 356 Location: UK
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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Basilisk wrote:
My Tamron 500 f8 is crazy shaky on the Nex 5N, and on the Nikon D600 the f8 makes the VF image quite dark. f6.3 might help a bit for spotting focus, though the DOF is even shallower.
I imagine an A7 series camera, or A6500 with sensor stabilisation and focus peaking might make for a more reliable experience. |
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RichA
Joined: 17 Feb 2011 Posts: 55
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 4:16 am Post subject: Re: Maksutov 3M-6A 500mm f6.3 Mirror |
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RichA wrote:
[quote="woodrim"]I was very cautiously optimistic when I purchased this lens because I don't have great respect for mirror lenses. Today was my only opportunity to give it a good test. Took some quick one at the creek, handheld at various ISO, finally settling on ISO400 in favor of fast shutter speed. The light today was harsh, even maxing out my 1/4000 limit. Easier to focus than I had expected but still difficult to do perfectly without a tripod. The pelican seems to be perfectly focused but not all shots were spot-on. With the dog picture, seems the post and bottle on it are in focus. Click on images for larger. No post sharpening.
Nice. Reminds me of Tamron's 350mm f/5.6
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
That looks very good. I also like the Rubinar 300mm. Both are quite pricey. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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