Catadioptrics : Tamron 350/500

[CarbonR]

Shots on tripod, I tried to habe the same reproduction ratio to compare the two lens. They finally seem very close in performance on my 6 Mpix sensor, but the 350 offers more blur in out of focus areas

Tamron 500/8


Tamron 350/5.6

[Attila]

I see no difference both are great lens.

[kds315*]

Guess you like dognuts? Very good with horseradish cream, smoked salmon
and a few thinly sliced red onions... yummy for brunch. But for photography???

[CarbonR]

Miror lenses' bokeh is hard to handle to obtain a good looking bokeh, but I love them. I only use the 350/5.6, the 500/8 is a bit too dark. Maybe I'll sell it when I'll get the Takumar 500/4.5, but I wont sell my 350/5.6

[kds315*]

Well I was just joking of course. Cat lenses have their right to be here and when used wisely, they are able to produce fantastic results. Our member Shinishiro-San (known from flickr) is a master (for me) of that lens type...have a look here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazyshin/tags/reflexnikkor500mmf8new/ here some of his works using a 8/500mm Reflex Nikkor:









... and I'm not surprised that he is no longer active here ...

[poilu]

wow! great donuts samples

[hinnerker]

Here another example for a very nice cat lens..

a very compact and excellent performer
Weight only 750g !!!

Its very nice looking on a 5D... very compact, nice for handheld shots, no need for a tripod collar... i like this very fine lens..


Leica MR Telyt on a EOS 5D.. all shown shots handheld !



very decent donuts..



Beautiful color reendering.. and contrast..!







Sharp as a knife..



Very rare and expensiv, but my favorite catadiop.. Maybe the best..

greetz
Hinnerker

[kds315*]

Looks very sharp indeed!

[Milanos]

Hmmmm...., I´m not the typical bokeh eater, but these pin heads are beautyful. I simply love them.

I´m thinking of buying something like this, but do not know what to grab for Nikon except of Nikkors. Any experience with Tokina 500 f8?

[Attila]

Superb indeed!

[kds315*]

The Zeiss Contax Mirotar Reflex lenses (4.5/500mm and 5.6/1000mm) are supposed to be the best existing catadioptric lenses.

I had the Zeiss Jena 1000mm version once, quite a monster w. some 20 Kilos weight, excellent sharpness but just too akward to handle, so I sold it.

[cooltouch]

The Sigma 600 f/8 is also a respectable performer. I used to own one in Canon FD mount, but sold it when I switched to Nikon. Wish I still had it. The donut bokeh are just a fact of life when shooting with a mirror. But for distant subjects, it's rarely an issue:

Sigma 600/8, Kodachrome 64.


Michael

[Rolf]

Here another performer

Olympus Zuiko Reflex 8/500



Edit (found thisin my archive) - same flower with
Leitz MR-Telyt-R 8/500

[Anu]

A Soviet lightweight MC 3M-5CA 500mm f/8:

First a full image - this chopper was going around as if it were lost:



And this is 1:1 (14+MP crop camera) - seems like I was right when I speculated that they were lost as the co-pilot is reading a map - or maybe a daily newspaper

[beachboy2]

I'm verry happy with my 3M-5A. Recently purchased over EBAY from Russia. Arrived in Mint condition with filters and case.

[martinsmith99]

Impressive shots. I'm on the lookout for a 350 F5.6 Tamron, but they go for crazy money now. If I wasn't in the UK, I'd go for an F8, but it's always too dark here.

[Alphan]

This is from my Tamy 500.

[edumad]

[url]=http://twapsi.blogspot.com/2009/05/tamron-sp-500mm-f8-55b-mirror-lens.htmlHere [/url]and here my views on the 500mm.
Its a really fine lens.

The 350mm is more expensive only due to its rarity I think.

[Abbazz]

[Nikea]

Cormorant with Tamron 350/5.6 on Nikon D300. Handheld. Cropped about 50%.

[Paul]

I once had both Tammys - and although I really liked their optical performance I sold them.
For me on an aps-dslr 300mm is long enough (Tamron 5.6/300 is my favourite lens there).

As for the good or best mirror lenses:
The german Color Foto made some tests of them and found the Zeiss to be the best but Canon (FD !) and Minolta (MD !) to be close behind. (If I remember correctly they had no Leica lens in this race....)

I remember some other very good mirror lenses being tested - and a very very good but pretty rare one was the Vivitar Ser. 1 4.5/450 mm.
The Sigma 600mm got different tests results but I think they changed the optical formula.