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Soligor 400mm f6.3 and a Kingfisher
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:13 pm    Post subject: Soligor 400mm f6.3 and a Kingfisher Reply with quote
Kingfisher by Caledonia84, on Flickr


First attempt at photographing one of these guys, been looking for one ever since I saw a flash of saphire fly up the river a while back. Eventually saw one yesterday so returned today and waited for 2 hours before packing up and leaving as I could no longer feel my fingers anymore, decided to go back for one last look and in he flew, pretty sure he knew what he was doing!.

So this is a heavily cropped handheld grab shot at f11 1/160 and 1600 iso I couldn't believe it actually turned out sharp. Gives me good hopes for this lens in better light, not bad performance for a £20 lens!?


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lovely capture! I find birds to be very challenging subjects.

I can see that the price of the Soligor 400/6.3 is about to go up! Wink


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice. Pretty damn sharp.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks guys, seeing as its an equivalent 600mm on the sony it really is tremendous value. Would really like to see how it goes in better light on a tripod so I can lower the ISO and increase the shutter.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excellent picture, they are so hard to get a picture of. I rarely use my Soligor 400, but it has always impressed me when I have.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Many thanks, yes not the easiest picture I've taken! I think this lens is pretty simple in design meaning less to go wrong I suppose Smile


PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tried again today but no joy on Kingfishers, found this beautiful bird instead!

Cormorant by Caledonia84, on Flickr


Cormorant by Caledonia84, on Flickr

I also tried an old manual focus Tamron 70-210 f3.8 for comparison

Cormorant by Caledonia84, on Flickr


PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Forgot I took this on Monday, I'll add it for comparison Smile

Heron by Caledonia84, on Flickr


PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great pictures, are you using a tripod for these shots?


PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
Great pictures, are you using a tripod for these shots?


Many thanks, just the first 2 cormorants were with a tripod the Heron and the Tamron 70-210mm shot were taken hand held.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just can't hold big lenses steady enough for shots like these, I'm very rarely without a monopod or tripod.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
I just can't hold big lenses steady enough for shots like these, I'm very rarely without a monopod or tripod.


I think I'll need to invest in a monopod, I think I would prefer the flexibility over a tripod.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Those captures are Brilliant! So sharp, and the color of the first photo is incredible.
Hats off to your technique.

I've tried hand-held shooting with my Vivitar (Komine) 400mm f/5.6 and even in bright sunlight, can't produce anything close.
I also picked up a used Tamron 103A to try, but it turned out to be a dud. Something loose internally and it won't focus well.

Looking forward to seeing more great results.
+1, it's so hard to shoot birds.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Admirable pictures!


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
WNG555 wrote:
Those captures are Brilliant! So sharp, and the color of the first photo is incredible.
Hats off to your technique.

I've tried hand-held shooting with my Vivitar (Komine) 400mm f/5.6 and even in bright sunlight, can't produce anything close.
I also picked up a used Tamron 103A to try, but it turned out to be a dud. Something loose internally and it won't focus well.

Looking forward to seeing more great results.
+1, it's so hard to shoot birds.


I had the same problem with a Tamron 103A mirror lens, impossible to focus. But the copy I have now is excellent, it's a lens worth having.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Full marks for the kingfisher caledonia84, particularly hand held. You have steadier hands than I do!

Funnily enough, you know how it goes, cruise the listings and toss in a speculative bid, and every now and then a bid wins! So my soligor 400mm arrived this morning, same as yours but interestingly has a KA163xxx serial (see the big soligor thread). I had one with 9xxxx serial previously.
Pretty good lens took these pics at the reserve on my K5.




However I have to say my Nestar, which I took along as well for comparison, is still king.



PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Fantastic stuff! Does the pentax have any focusing aids? Again shows the soligor is good value, but that nester, wow! What a beautiful bird too Smile


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
You actually need to see that shot full sized to really appreciate the iq of the Nestar - I'll upload it to my server. The soligor looked really good in the field on the camera lcd, and through the vf. Back on the PC, particularly wide open, hmmm wasn't quite as good as I thought/hoped. I deleted a lot!

I wrote up this page on using t-mounts;
http://www.tremyfoel.co.uk/photography/tmount/t-mount.html
not finished yet needs the pics. I have a 1.36x Tenpa magnifier that lives on the K5. Certainly for this type of photography the vignetting that means I have to move my eye around to see the shutter speed etc is a necessary inconvenience to be tolerated for the hugely significant benefit in focusing.
I have yet to cut down, fit and try out a canon ees focus screen, but the standard screen does ok and that ees is particularly for fast lenses.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
egret 1 2mb. I punted the jpg compression down 10 to reduce the file size.

egret 2 4mb

c. Marcus Brown


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
You actually need to see that shot full sized to really appreciate the iq of the Nestar - I'll upload it to my server. The soligor looked really good in the field on the camera lcd, and through the vf. Back on the PC, particularly wide open, hmmm wasn't quite as good as I thought/hoped. I deleted a lot!

I wrote up this page on using t-mounts;
http://www.tremyfoel.co.uk/photography/tmount/t-mount.html
not finished yet needs the pics. I have a 1.36x Tenpa magnifier that lives on the K5. Certainly for this type of photography the vignetting that means I have to move my eye around to see the shutter speed etc is a necessary inconvenience to be tolerated for the hugely significant benefit in focusing.
I have yet to cut down, fit and try out a canon ees focus screen, but the standard screen does ok and that ees is particularly for fast lenses.


Excellent information. I often wondered how the T mount system worked, I'm not sure i would have been able to grt thr cormorant an kingfisher as sharp without the NEXs focus peaking system.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
egret 1 2mb. I punted the jpg compression down 10 to reduce the file size.

egret 2 4mb

c. Marcus Brown


Excellent, I'll now be keeping an eye out for that 400mm nestar Smile


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
With the NEX I find that the focus peaking, with either the screen or the EVF of the A6000, is very dependable on the throw of the lens focusing ring for getting a sharp image.
Yesterday I was trying a Minolta 500 / 8 AUTOFOCUS mirror lens on my A6000 using an unbranded Chinese adapter that doesn't do autofocus ( It's Phil's adapter, it's a cheapie off ebay Laughing ) The AF lens has a very short throw and is murder to focus accurately, which is a shame as the lens is absolutely superb - when you nail focus. The other Minolta AF lenses I've used on the adapter are fine, they have a lot more rotation for the focus. My Canon and Tamron 500 mirror lenses also have a decent throw on them and work well on the Sony. Which is, I suspect, why the Soligor also works well for you.

The Soligor has about 135 degrees of turn on the focus ring, which makes it easier to use with focus peaking. The Tamron is superb with 350 degrees, maybe even a touch more. The Canon isn't bad with about 110 degrees, but the Minolta AF is, as I said, murder with barely 45 degrees. In its defence it is an autofocus lens and would probably perform very well with the LA-EA2 AF adapter, it's the £300 that's stopping me buying it! Rolling Eyes

The old MF lenses still have their uses, especially if the glass is good as well. I shall drag my Soligor 400 out and try it, it deserves some air.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
With the NEX I find that the focus peaking, with either the screen or the EVF of the A6000, is very dependable on the throw of the lens focusing ring for getting a sharp image.
Yesterday I was trying a Minolta 500 / 8 AUTOFOCUS mirror lens on my A6000 using an unbranded Chinese adapter that doesn't do autofocus ( It's Phil's adapter, it's a cheapie off ebay Laughing ) The AF lens has a very short throw and is murder to focus accurately, which is a shame as the lens is absolutely superb - when you nail focus. The other Minolta AF lenses I've used on the adapter are fine, they have a lot more rotation for the focus. My Canon and Tamron 500 mirror lenses also have a decent throw on them and work well on the Sony. Which is, I suspect, why the Soligor also works well for you.

The Soligor has about 135 degrees of turn on the focus ring, which makes it easier to use with focus peaking. The Tamron is superb with 350 degrees, maybe even a touch more. The Canon isn't bad with about 110 degrees, but the Minolta AF is, as I said, murder with barely 45 degrees. In its defence it is an autofocus lens and would probably perform very well with the LA-EA2 AF adapter, it's the £300 that's stopping me buying it! Rolling Eyes

The old MF lenses still have their uses, especially if the glass is good as well. I shall drag my Soligor 400 out and try it, it deserves some air.


Very interesting luckily I've only adapted old manual lenses to the NEX so usually all have long focus throws like you say, I have an Elicar VHQ 90mm macro and I couldn't believe how long the throw was on that! quite stiff too so hard work!. I must admit I've been tempted by the LE-EA2 but like you i'm not willing to shell out that much money on an adapter, I could just buy and SLT body at that price!


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting assessment of using focus peaking Lloydy. I've been impressed with many of the pics from Nex's I've seen online, no doubt its better than my (these days a bit passe) lumix g1, however I've been put off trying one out by the lack of an evf.

Were you using the screen Caledonia84 or do you have an evf?


PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Unfortunately, no evf on the Nex 5r, so all focusing done on the touchscreen lcd, it's actually quite useful as i just touch the bird or whatever I want to focus on and it magnifies it 4.5x and then again it will magnify by 9x I think, makes making micro adjustments very easy. Especially usefull for macro work, I'm toying with upgrading to the A6000, which will give me a better sensor and evf.
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