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Minolta 400mm Vectis reflex
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2016 4:57 pm    Post subject: Minolta 400mm Vectis reflex Reply with quote

I just obtained one of these in mint condition(like new).They seem to be quite rare,can anyone give me more info on how well it performs with pics if possible.Thanks.



PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2016 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will post more on this later, but here are samples.
Congrats on finding a rare lens.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/neilt3/sets/72157661182978752/


Last edited by walter g on Sun May 01, 2016 12:27 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2016 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To my knowledge, the only adapter ever made for the Vectis lenses to another mount, is the Monster adapter.
It was an adapter to mount Vectis lenses on Sony E mount.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/38710013

More info.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56819092


PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2016 3:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Better to sell it for funds unless you want to add it in your collection. The adapter or conversion is expensive.


PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2016 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys,it appears to be a very good lens but useless without power from S1/S100 camera,as you state a Vectis -Sony E mount is available but because of small demand expensive.I only paid $20 so no big problem,thanks again for your advise.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since I am a big fan of good mirror lenses, I was determined to purchase and make the Vectis 400mm work. I found a nice copy and started to plan how I might defeat the power requirement. I came to a plan that would remove all the circuitry and replace it with a geared arrangement that would couple the focusing gear with the focus ring or an external focus ring. Fortunately, just before I was to start disassembly, the MonsterAdapter people announced that they were making the adapter again for E-Mount. I purchase one.

I'm quite impressed with the 400 performance. It does have slight vignetting in the corners but that may be a result of the rectangular rear window. Comparing it to two other mirrors I have in that range, the Sigma 5.6/400 and Tamron SP 350, the colors are much warmer and it is slower at f/8. However, it is sharper than the Sigma and equal or better than the Tamron. A precise comparison is difficult because of focal length difference and focusing accuracy. The focusing-by-wire of the Vectis is something that needs to get used to. I've been getting much better at it. When the focus is perfect, the Vectis is very sharp.



















Last edited by woodrim on Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:37 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1


PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodrim wrote:






Great pictures! Like 1
I think the secret of taking good pictures with a mirror lens is to convert the distracting bokeh rings into decorative elements of the image. I particularly like the backlit photograph above, which has excellent composition, interesting light and perfect exposure.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1


PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice! On what body?


PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lumens pixel wrote:
Nice! On what body?


Sony A7 II.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing! It has wider coverage than APSC then.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lumens pixel wrote:
Amazing! It has wider coverage than APSC then.


Yes, absolutely. My images are cropped, so you don't see the corners, so I'll post some here uncropped full frame. Zoom in on the bee in the last photo.

#1


#2


#3


#4


PostPosted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1 Like 1 impressive!!


PostPosted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:52 am    Post subject: Re: Minolta 400mm Vectis reflex Reply with quote

Didn't know about this lens! Like 1


PostPosted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Minolta 400mm Vectis reflex Reply with quote

blotafton wrote:
Didn't know about this lens! Like 1


Many people don't. It is the only lens other than the Minolta 500mm that is AF. If the MonsterAdapter people decide to develop support for AF, it will be even better. Since it was made with a unique mount for the Vectis APS system and none of the Vectis lenses could be focused manually without receiving power and protocol from the camera, the lenses have been mostly ignored. Believing that Minolta was one of the superior makers of catadioptric lenses, I became very interested, if not obsessed with making the lens work.

The reintroduction of the MonsterAdapter-V is a blessing and I predict that this rather rare lens will rocket in price. Recent prices have been in the $200-$250 range, roughly equivalent to the AF 500mm but the 400mm is much rarer. The price of the adapter does increase the total cost significantly, especially if dedicated to the one lens.

I did learn a few things during my initial attempts to adapt the lens. I first thought that a helicoid arrangement would allow me to achieve focus with the lens itself set at infinity. It does not work that was as expected. Increasing the distance of the lens to sensor had much less effect on focus distance as it had on increasing the focal length. That was my conclusion after introducing many extensions, receiving relatively little distance improvement but having greater trouble stabilizing. I concluded that the lens absolutely needs to be focused using the front portion as intended. This was confirmed after discussing it with Klaus. I did have some success with a very short focusing helicoid that allowed me to focus with a two or three-foot range. To change the range, I had to mount the lens on a Vectis camera and change the distance where the lens parks. It was cumbersome.