300mm Mirror Lenses

jamaeolus · Expire: 2015-08-20

150mm 1.4 ! Just a bit challenging to nail THAT focus I'm guessing!

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Status... I have been doing lots of testing, adjusting, testing, adjusting, well, you get it. I now have three 300mm mirror lenses but will likely have one when the dust settles. I have discovered much about these difficult beasts and will report back here after I've made my full conclusions.

At the moment, the two lenses I'm evaluating are the unbranded Makinon and an Ohnar. Another Makinon will eventually show up. I have noticed that the last distance before infinity on the Ohnar focus ring is 100 feet, 30 meters. The Makinon has 50 feet, 15 meters. Perhaps this is why the Ohnar focuses more easily. I have so far also observed that the Ohnar is weak at close distance and the Makinon is weak at distance. The Ohnar is very good from around 20 yards to infinity. The Makinon is not performing as well as I would like at close distance and something occurred to me. When I first received it, it had a funky mount arrangement that made it fall well short of infinity. It also included a shot extension tube, so it was obvious the previous owner used it for close up work.

I have a question that I'm asking here because it applies to this Makinon. I have found its sweet spot to be at intermediate distance, not real close and definitely not infinity. Is it possible that by adding an extension, thus making the intermediate position on the focus ring a closer distance, the sweet spot will have been brought closer for better macro? Did I explain that well enough?

DConvert · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 921 Location: Essex UK

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Hmm, looking forward to your individual ratings and the final decision.
I have a few mirror lenses myself, but was never really convinced...

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Thanks for your thoughts. I have thought about it again and am not convinced but did get better images from the Makinon before I started messing with the mount. Perhaps the previous owner knew something,

Klaus: I will say this again when reporting findings. When using mirrors, all descriptive terms become relative, especially when describing sharpness. What keeps me going and hooked is the unique rendering and pleasing look when all falls into place well. Here is an example of one that is to my taste. It is from the Ohnar on my friend's FF Nikon.

jamaeolus · Expire: 2015-08-20

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I still owe a report on my discoveries, observations, and perceptions about these 300mm mirrors. However, I have added to the list and it will still be some time before I've developed information on all. I now have an unbranded 5.6/300 Makinon, another branded Makinon 5.6/300 in like-new condition, 5.6/300 Ohnar, and a 5.6/300 Super Danubia. I have also purchased a Spiraton 8/500 version 3 (couldn't resist at $12). For now, here are some more images from the Ohnar.

Antoine · Joined: 08 Jan 2016 Posts: 298 Location: London

Excellent!

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4068 Location: Switzerland

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

3dpan · Joined: 05 Nov 2017 Posts: 65 Location: New Zealand

I have seven mirror lenses, one of which is the Rubinar 300mm f/4.5.
I have not used this lens much at all, the focus ring is very stiff to move and not very user-friendly.
However, this thread has inspired me to have another look at it.
I have a favorite real-life target for testing longer focal length lenses, a fence line on a hilltop, about a mile away from my home.

So, first pic is the view from my house window, using a "standard" focal length lens (25mm on m4/3). This is just to set the scene, so-to-speak.

Now, if I replace the standard lens with the Rubinar 300/4.5, without moving the camera, I get this image, note you can just see the fence posts on the hilltop,

And now a 1000 pixel crop from centre frame, resized to 1600 pixels.
Here you can see the strands of wire on the fence. I think that's amazing, especially for a mirror lens.

I have previously used this target for testing my Tokina AT-X 300/2.8 refractor lens, so I thought I would include the result. Here for comparison is the 1000 pixel crop resized to 1600 pixels from the Tokina.

The Tokina image is cleaner, but the Rubinar is very good.
One of the earlier posts has reminded me that I also have a Mamiya M645 300/5.6 ULD lens to add to the comparison.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

The Rubinar 4.5/300 and 5.6/500 both have very good reputations. The Tamron SP 350 and the Rubinat 300mm have remained out of my reach. I am interested in finding a Rubinar 5.6/500 to compare to my Maksutov 6.3/500, which I find to be an excellent performer.

I would expect your Rubinar to perform its best at intermediate distances.

I would be interested in seeing results from the Mamiya ULD and maybe a more extensive display of images in its own thread.

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4068 Location: Switzerland

Abbazz · Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Posts: 1098 Location: Jakarta

Here's a picture taken today with the Spiratone 300/5.6 and a Lens Turbo II focal reducer on my Sony A6000:

Cheers!

Abbazz

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I love it! Those are some wild OOF donuts!

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Abbazz: Do you have the color version? It amazes me that the mirror would work that well with the lens turbo. The Spiratone is one that I sought from the beginning but couldn't find at an affordable price. I do wonder if it was available under other names. From what I'm seeing, the Ohnar appears to have been marketed under several other names.

Abbazz · Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Posts: 1098 Location: Jakarta

Abbazz · Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Posts: 1098 Location: Jakarta

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

What does FTM in that chart stand for? Are the resolution numbers in that chart supposed to be line pairs per millimeter?

If lppmm, some of those numbers are unbelievably low. Like the Tamron and Sigma -- no way do those two lenses score that low, if those numbers are lppmm.

Many of Spiratone's lenses, including their mirrors, were made by Sigma. Those that were will usually have a Greek Sigma character on the bezel ring or edge of the lens, wherever, often next to the serial number.

Abbazz · Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Posts: 1098 Location: Jakarta

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7581 Location: Hong Kong

Apart from the sharpness of the mirror lens, how precisely of the focus is also very important. This is the reason why I like the Tamron. I can focus fast and accurately with it but no other ~300mm mirror lenses I have tried.