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Rexatar 500mm Mirror Lens
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 1:01 am    Post subject: Rexatar 500mm Mirror Lens Reply with quote

i've seen (and indeed purchased) more recent mediocre plastic-built 500mm mirror lenses, but check out this absolute beast of a metal-construction 500mm mirror lens:


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.. claims to have F11 and F16 apertures but they're actually filters that swivel in front near the mount, never seen that before..

focus seems acceptable if not amazing, but far far better than my plastic 80s-era quantaray 500mm, and the bubble bokeh is pretty neat. need to get out of my yard and see if i can shoot some birds.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think my Canon FD 500 is better, it's not perfect by any means.
I think filters are the only way to change the f-stop on these.
I first learnt about it here:
http://forum.mflenses.com/spring-with-canon-cl-4-250mm-cat-t80314.html#1522777


PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lightshow wrote:
I think my Canon FD 500 is better, it's not perfect by any means.


i would expect any first-party 500mm to be better, but haven't run into one yet


PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 6:49 am    Post subject: Re: Rexatar 500mm Mirror Lens Reply with quote

benadamx wrote:
i've seen (and indeed purchased) more recent mediocre plastic-built 500mm mirror lenses, but check out this absolute beast of a metal-construction 500mm mirror lens:

.. claims to have F11 and F16 apertures but they're actually filters that swivel in front near the mount, never seen that before..

focus seems acceptable if not amazing, but far far better than my plastic 80s-era quantaray 500mm, and the bubble bokeh is pretty neat. need to get out of my yard and see if i can shoot some birds.


That "exposure control" wheel with the f-stop numbers on it is very reminiscent of a similar Soligor-branded lens I had in the '70's. Mine was traded in for a significantly lighter and more compact Tamron Adaptall 500mm mirror, which I still own Wink

I don't remember ever needing to control the exposure with the filters, at f/8 there was rarely enough light to keep the shutter speed up, using the films of the day!


PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2019 5:36 am    Post subject: Re: Rexatar 500mm Mirror Lens Reply with quote

kypfer wrote:

That "exposure control" wheel with the f-stop numbers on it is very reminiscent of a similar Soligor-branded lens I had in the '70's. Mine was traded in for a significantly lighter and more compact Tamron Adaptall 500mm mirror, which I still own Wink


in poking around online i found evidence of two soligors, one almost exactly identical to this rexatar, and what looks to be a later one with a slightly different tripod mount, reckon they're all from the same maker but no idea who that'd actually be.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 3:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Rexatar 500mm Mirror Lens Reply with quote

benadamx wrote:
kypfer wrote:

That "exposure control" wheel with the f-stop numbers on it is very reminiscent of a similar Soligor-branded lens I had in the '70's. Mine was traded in for a significantly lighter and more compact Tamron Adaptall 500mm mirror, which I still own Wink


in poking around online i found evidence of two soligors, one almost exactly identical to this rexatar, and what looks to be a later one with a slightly different tripod mount, reckon they're all from the same maker but no idea who that'd actually be.


I have a Soligor with very similar build but no apertures. No better than this Rexatar. There actually are better mirrors that can be found for relatively small money. The Spiratone is but one example.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Tamron 200-500 is also better,but surely weights double than that.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kiddo wrote:
My Tamron 200-500 is also better,but surely weights double than that.


Probably more like three times! My 200-500mm weighs 2.2kg whereas my 500mm mirror weighs just over 600gm Wink


PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Inevitably, in every mirror lens thread, people will make comparisons to refractor lenses. They are two very much different classes of lens and comparisons should be made within their class.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The samples look pretty bad. I've tried the generic 80's lenses you speak of and they are definitely not worse.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Tokina RMC 500 f8 RF that is noticeably better than that. Minolta mount, nearly unused in original hard case it set me back 69 dollars.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gardener wrote:
The samples look pretty bad. I've tried the generic 80's lenses you speak of and they are definitely not worse.


the quantaray 500/8 i have is definitely worse, if you can believe it


PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kypfer wrote:
kiddo wrote:
My Tamron 200-500 is also better,but surely weights double than that.


Probably more like three times! My 200-500mm weighs 2.2kg whereas my 500mm mirror weighs just over 600gm Wink


The best lens for biceps work..... But neither this mirror lens doesn't look like 600 grams only...


PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kiddo wrote:
kypfer wrote:
kiddo wrote:
My Tamron 200-500 is also better,but surely weights double than that.


Probably more like three times! My 200-500mm weighs 2.2kg whereas my 500mm mirror weighs just over 600gm Wink


The best lens for biceps work..... But neither this mirror lens doesn't look like 600 grams only...


No, the Soligor is quite heavy but built very well, just lousy optics. However, in some pictures, the donuts give a hint of maybe an out-of-collimation. This is a picture of my mint Soligor:


I have a 500mm mirror lens thread running with lots of comparison information. I do need to update it with current results. Lenses in my possession are:
Soligor 8/500
Spiratone Minitel 8/500
Tamron SP 8/500
Yashica ML 8/500
Maksutov (MTO) 3M-6A 6.3/500
Rubinar 5.6/500
Questar 8/700