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Recommendation on Super-Telephoto Lens/mirror lens?
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:11 pm    Post subject: Recommendation on Super-Telephoto Lens/mirror lens? Reply with quote

I would like to find a 400mm or 500mm lens in M42 mount for my shots of elk and bears in the Olympic National Park near here. I have reviewed such third-party lenses as the Tokina 400/6.3, the Vivitar 400/5.6 in M42 mount.

I looked at the 500mm MTO-500A and it seems to be of good quality, but I can not find any good reviews of this mirror lens. I am also considering the Tamron SP 500 mirror lens. The Tamron 400mm lens seems to be rare. I have not looked at the Takumar lenses yet, and perhaps someone has a good feel for these lenses?

At times I would use my Kumora 2x extender. I realize that this diinishes the quality, but I feel that for what I am shooting for (a portrait of the head and neck regions) that the subject matter might overrule the loss of quality to produce an interesting print. Sometimes, with patience, I can get quite close to the herd of elk if I simply use a couple of hours to move forward extremely slowly.

I think that there will be circumstances where a 400 or 500 lens will serve me in other venues, so I think it worth at least having that type of lens.

Thank you in advance! Larry


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

500mm mirror lenses
Tamron SP 500mm f8 vs Canon L 500mm f4
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/mirror.html
Tamron SP 500mm f8
http://www.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-500mm-f-8-55bb-5.html

MC 3M-5CA 500mm f8 (I have one on sale)
http://www.mflenses.com/mc-3m-5ca-500mm-f8-5.html

These are my reviews you can see full resolution samples in my gallery, link point to there from reviews.

I have information following other mirror lenses:

Carl Zeiss Jena 500mm f4 ! /Almost impossible to get it/
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/zeiss/czj_spiegelobjektiv_500mm_f4/

3M-3A 500mm f6.3 Very rare
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/3m-6a/

Rubinar 500mm f8 (not recommended)
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/rubinar_500/

500mm glass

Pentacon 500mm f5.6 (only with massive tripod)
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=230

Carl Zeiss Jena Fernobjektiv 500mm f8 (light weight but long)

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/zeiss/fernobjektiv_500mm_f8/

400mm glass
Novoflex 40cm f5.6 very good one, LONG!
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/novoflex/novoflex_40cm_f5_6/

Sigma 400mm f5.6 (perfect choice, light weight , short!)
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/japenese/sigma/sigma_400mm_f5_6/

!! Warning !! Sigma has a black MC version that is crap!


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila! I put the cart before the horse! I was looking on the web and forgot about the resource right here on the forum! My brain is needing a good cleaning! Laughing

This is wonderful! GREAT resources, Attila! THANK YOU so much.

Next time go ahead and scold me for not looking at what is right under my nose! Haha!


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Smile

Look the mirror lenses if subject fill the frame , you can't see any difference compare with big glasses, bokeh is a different story. I like mirror lenses because they are lot smaller than glasses and I able to use them in handheld.


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Smile

Look the mirror lenses if subject fill the frame , you can't see any difference compare with big glasses, bokeh is a different story. I like mirror lenses because they are lot smaller than glasses and I able to use them in handheld.


Yes, most of my shots WILL fill the frame. I am assigned to document the elk of the Quinault Valley from birth to rutting season. Nearly all shots anticipated to become whole frame.

I do have a bit of an advantage of choice, as I use a very massive tripod for nearly all of my lenses in these situations. I have learned that, even with short focal length lenses, the tripod is advantageous. I am not in a hurry for hand-held shots, so I take a good amount of time to set things up ahead of time.

With my type of shooting in mind, I am already looking harder at the Novoflex 400 or Sigma 400mm lenses. As I indicated earlier, I can get quite close to the elk or even the bear with patience and being against the wind.

Larry


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In this case a Pentacon 500mm f5.6 also can be a good choice.


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
500mm mirror lenses

Rubinar 500mm f8 (not recommended)
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/rubinar_500/


Strange that the Rubinar is not recommended. I have good experiences with this lens. The only drawback is the bad performance at bad light. But at good light it's great. And it's a lot easier to transport than a real 500mm.


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Avoid those cheap 80's telephotos too - the 8/500 types made by a myriad of different Japanese manufacturers.

OK for the unfussy and occasional user but nowhere near good enough for pro use due to softness.

And that's before you add a convertor....


PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ivo wrote:
Attila wrote:
500mm mirror lenses

Rubinar 500mm f8 (not recommended)
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/rubinar_500/


Strange that the Rubinar is not recommended. I have good experiences with this lens. The only drawback is the bad performance at bad light. But at good light it's great. And it's a lot easier to transport than a real 500mm.


Compare with MTO lenses quiet crappy build and in my gallery the images wasn't reach MTO lenses quality. Might be this copy was a lemon, if you have great images taken with your Rubinar please give me some in 5-6 MPx I would publish them.


PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Ivo wrote:
Attila wrote:
500mm mirror lenses

Rubinar 500mm f8 (not recommended)
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/rubinar_500/


Strange that the Rubinar is not recommended. I have good experiences with this lens. The only drawback is the bad performance at bad light. But at good light it's great. And it's a lot easier to transport than a real 500mm.


Compare with MTO lenses quiet crappy build and in my gallery the images wasn't reach MTO lenses quality. Might be this copy was a lemon, if you have great images taken with your Rubinar please give me some in 5-6 MPx I would publish them.


Several of my recent speedskatingpics are taken with the Rubinar.


PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I actually had the Hartblei 500 in Pentacon mount to use with my Pentax 645 and an adapter. I'm fairly certain it was actually a Rubinar.

It seemed to take moderately sharp images at the time, and now of course I wish I would have kept it.

But this time around I am wanting to get as much quality as I can squeeze out of $300-$600, since this is an assignment situation. Luckily I have a good amount of time to prepare. I also realize that the 35mm system limits the size of the negative as compared to medium format. However, to try to get into the 1000mm range (600mm equivalent) with medium format is too costly for me. Also, though I have a massive tripod to carry already, the added weight would bring me to the point of not being able to walk efficiently.

Another problem is that the rain forest can be dark. But that can be overcome with the very good emulsions in high ISO color negative film that are in production these days. In this case, transparency film is almost out of the game, although there is some Agfa RSXII in the freezer that shoots VERY well with a push to ISO400.

So obviously, there are a lot of challenges. Quality is certainly one of the more important ones, at least within my budget.

On another unrelated note, our camera club "comparison night" will be the third week of January. The scheduled meeting was canceled because we had tremendous flooding here from snow, then incredible rain - which in combination caused huge problems and some loss of life and homes.


PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They are all good ones , lot better than my samples from Rubinar 500.