1000mm m42 lenses

[dave_t]

After doing a search, I found some results on the boards for the 1000mm MTO mirror lens, and the wonderful CZJ 1000mm mirror, but not much else.

I'm looking for a bit more reach than 500mm in some cases, and am not quite satisfied with using a 2x converter on my 500mm lens. What kind of results could I expect from the MTO when properly focused with no camera shake? I've seen mixed results online...

Are there any other options that I should also be looking at in the same budget range?

[ManualFocus-G]

There's a Soligor 800/8 telephoto on ebay for £240.00 at the moment

[dave_t]

It looks like the 1000MTO sells for 288EUR:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2411_MTO-1000-Maksutov-Tele-1000mm-Brennweite-f-10----Russentonne-.html

Which seems like a fairly good deal for the extra 200mm...

[wilson.c]

I think Sigma used to make one. I have one in Canon FD mount, but the lens is in the US at the moment.

[Kamerer]

[visualopsins]

With mirror lens that long you can expect sharp focus but very narrow dof, no aperture adjustment, typically long minimum focus distance, and doughnut-shaped bokeh highlights.

[dave_t]

Does the aperture/focal length still correspond to the same DOF as on a 'normal' lens?

[dave_t]

Wow, well unfortunately it appears that the MTO 1000mm lens interferes with the flash housing on certain DSLRs (my 40D is one of them), so I'll have to find an alternate solution. Guess my 500mm + 2x converter will have to suffice for now unless somebody can suggest anything else?

[CarbonR]

Maybe a Takumar 1000/8, but very rare and expensive

[Farside]

[fergus]

[visualopsins]

Fergus those are features not problems

[PBFACTS]

[dave_t]

Thanks for all the replies. I think for now, I'm going to have to settle for using the Pentacon 500 with a 1.4x teleconverter. Eventually I might move up to an 800mm mirror, but it's still a bit out of my budget, I was hoping to find a 'real steal' thanks to this thread, but nothing has really popped up so far that would seem to work on the 40D.

[visualopsins]

Another solution for these long focal lengths is use a telescope. Many telescopes easily adapt to cameras using T-mount adapter.

[RioRico]

I have a Rubinar MC 1000 Makpo f/10 for which I paid ~US$225 (including filters, hood, case, shipping) on the bay a couple years ago. By Makpo (macro) is meant that close focus is 1.5m, same as my Sakar 500/8 mirror, and closer than any other of my lenses longer than 135mm. (And even most of my 135's have further close focus.)

With a standard flanged M42-PK adapter I can (but don't) use this on my Pentax ZX-M film cam. The flash housing on my Pentax K20D does not allow a direct fit. However, I added 20mm of extension tubes and it fits just fine. This increases the effective focal length slightly, so I think of it as 1100/11, No adjustment is needed for infinity focus. Without the extension, it focuses *past* infinity. I don't know if other long mirrors are like that. I do know that my old Spiratone 400/5.6 tube focuses past infinity, and adjusts perfectly with a flanged adapter.

Build and image quality are excellent. Usage is clumsy, as is to be expected with a lens weighing almost 1.8 kg. Used on a shoulder-stock mount, it rather resembles a grenade launcher, so son't approach (para)militaries with it. Handheld or supported, I typically use Catch-In-Focus aka trap-focus with subject centered. Don't shoot subjects with sparkly backgrounds and you won't get donut bokeh. Yes, DOF is thin. This is a lens for isolating a subject from the rest of the world.

A note on using a telescope instead: I have read that scopes are optimized for different optical conditions than are these long catadioprtics meant for camera mounting. I have a Meade 5" scope (US$75 complete at a local yard sale) which I haven't mounted a camera on yet, but it certainly requires its big tripod -- I wouldn't use it for duck-pond shoots, nope. I hate to think what its close focus would be. Anyone thinking of using an astro scope for general photography should do some research first, IMHO.
____________________________________________________________

My manual long lenses:

Takumar 135/2.5, 200/4, 200/5.6 -- Optican and Suntar and Focal 135/2.8 -- Hanimar Preset 135/3.5; Hanimex 135/2.8 -- Enna Tele-Ennalyt 135/3.5, 240/4.5 -- Jupiter-11 135/4; Jupiter-21M 200/4 -- Meyer Telemegor 180/5.5 -- Vivitar Tele 200/3.5 -- Tou 5-Star 200/4.5 -- (Tamron) Promaster 60-300/4-5.6 -- (Chinon) Alpa 300/5.6 -- Spiratone 400/5.6 -- Mirrors: Sakar 500/8M; Rubinar 1000/10M

[DSG]

Why bother with the MTO 1000mm f10...When you can have the MTO 1100mm f10.5 for less!

[fatdeeman]

Just about to take delivery of an MTO 1000mm, I'll be sure to post some photos just as soon as it's bright enough in Wales, there should be a solar flare at some point............

[kacansas03]

I am not sure you are aware of it but the Russian did build a 1000 mm(I think or maybe a 500) that was f5.6. I have seen them on eBay however they go for a lot. Well relative to the prices of some of the new junky reflex lenses on eBay. I have seen good photos from that lens. I don't have any idea what one would go for now. Once I bought my 800 f8 I didn't feel a further need for a longer lens. Part of that is handling and stabilizing a refractive lens of that length(26") not for keeping an image centered but eliminating vibration of mirror and shutter down the barrel. None of those should be a concern on a reflex lens.

[fatdeeman]

I was reading earlier about the camera on the Voyager 2 probe that nasa say is transmitting strange data at the moment, I saw a picture of the probe on wikipedia and thought I spotted a mirror lens, it turns out the "narrow angle camera" on this probe and others uses a 1500mm F/8.5 Mirror lens, sounds good!

[kacansas03]

I didn't know they were still getting any data from a Voyager probe. I think they have left the solar system so it is really far out there in space.

[fatdeeman]

<ot>

Voyager 1 and 2 are still alive and well, they have just shut down some of the non essential devices over the years as the power supplies become less powerful. The cameras etc have been turned off but the craft still have several scientific devices active and transmit telemetry and health data back to NASA.

They say it will be 2025 before the spacecraft are too weak to continue working by which time they will be approaching 50 years old.

Voyager 1 is over 10 billion miles from earth travelling at 44,000 miles per hour relative to earth, it's all mind boggling!

</ot>

[Scheimpflug]

[fatdeeman]

[Scheimpflug]

d'oh!

Pardon me, while I quote you to tell you what you already know.