JCPenney 500mm F8 Mirror Lens [FD Mount] (any info)

[Neilyboy]

Hey there. I recently started collecting a few lenses. I stumbled upon a JCPenney 500mm F8 Mirror Lens. I have searched just about every lens database I have come across. I cannot find a single mention of the 500mm Mirror Lens manufactured for JCPenney. I am able to find the usual suspects (28, 28-80, 135, 80-200, and 200) while no mention of the 500mm. I know these mirror lenses are not all that sought after. I am just enjoying trying out new lenses that I am able to pick up and not break the bank.

Would anyone happen to have any info on a possible manufacturer? As you can see in the pics it is manufactured in Japan. It looks like it had an inspection sticker on it at one point in time (I can see where the gold sticker was placed above the 'NO.860228' sticker residue remains). I have yet to mount it on a camera yet (just received it in the mail today - too dark out now). I know a few of you on here are pretty good at identifying these 'branded' lenses based on details. Hoping to gain a bit of knowledge on its history while putting it out there that a 500mm Mirror Lens exists (would love to know if anyone has another JCPenney copy).

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Thanks for your time!
Neil

[visualopsins]

[Neilyboy]

doh, I figured something was wrong. I went ahead and modified my first post with self hosted images. Now that you say that I do see where it has a small set screw and appears to be threaded! Nice catch!

Three flat head set-screws..



Neil

[visualopsins]

Should unscrew without loosening any of those screws -- if not then lens has proprietary mount...

Grasp lens one hand, silver part of mount with the other; unscrew.

[marcusBMG]

Hey visualopsins, sorry to be a grouchy gripe but it peeves me when people lazily click quote and we end up with doubled or trebled pic postings all round. Only takes a moment to highlight and delete.

Lens looks similar to eg centon... generic mirror sold under numerous nameplates.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/quantaray-500mm-f8-cn-mc-mirror-lens.html

[Neilyboy]

I gave it a heck of a twist without any luck in getting it to budge. I may back the screws out to see it it losens up.
Thanks.
Neil

[Neilyboy]

[eggplant]

Looks like Spiratone font on the side. And the meter markings colour would certainly match that.

The macro markings and knurled ring at the back make it like many clone 500mm f8 mirror lenses, but I always wonder to what extent the optical formula remained unchanged on these.

The 500mm f8 wundertute was changed once. I seem to have held a hunch that there was more variation amongst these mirror lenses than there might actually be- in a short period of time the body styles seemed to go through more iterations than other types of long-produced lenses. When, for example, there might really be two body styles-




With a possible optical change in-between.

Now, for mirror lenses with same body style over decades, I'm not sure if there would be an optical change. The wundertute change made it shorter by a few cm, and I'm not sure in what year- maybe more profitable to change in the 1990s then later on. Then again, it's a simple lens that could be viably simplified in a 2000s world where aspherics/low dispersion glass now accessible to smaller manufacturers, and therefore the normal stuff being even cheaper.

So if there was an optical change to the 500mm f8 catadioptric, why would they do it and when. It is a fairly different lens. I won't go into detail on manufacturing cost here as I could give you the wrong impression of what elements to focus on just through their mere mention. And more to the point, I would be guessing like anyone else.

[Neilyboy]

Thank you for you input eggplant! That is the first one I have seen with a similar font! I am anxious to get off work and see if I can get a few simple shots at the bird feeder tonight. Again, I just enjoy the hobby and understand the affects of a mirror lens (those that many consider negative). These old cheap vintage glass gives me something to play around with at the kids sporting events

Thanks again for your reply!
Neil

[eggplant]

Sorry- to be more precise- those images aren't meant to be similar to yours, was just discussing mirror lenses in general. But the Hanimex may, in fact, have a similar font.

I can find Spiratone lenses out to show it's one of those if you want, but I'm sure other members here can confirm my statement that it is a Spiratone-type font.

Or, to complicate things, is the font something Spiratone gave, or a Japanese manufacturer they (and others) went to?

[visualopsins]

[Neilyboy]

yeah that was my bad. I was new and images did not show up. I ended up self hosting them to get them to show but in the meantime visualopsins fixed my first post no images issue, thanks agian.
Neil

[marcusBMG]

Yes I know, but you don't need to quote and duplicate the images.

[visualopsins]

[langstaffeva66]

I have never used Jcpenney camera lenses. I've only used Nikon and Sony cameras. JCPenney camera lenses are generally considered to be of lower quality compared to lenses from reputable camera manufacturers. JCPenney was primarily a department store and not known for producing high-end camera equipment. Their lenses were often rebranded versions of lenses made by other manufacturers.
Did you try checking out it keh.com? This website is awesome it has most of the information related to old as well as new cames. I hope you'll get your answer there.

[Phalbert]

Initially one would say Samyang, made in Korea, as so many others, but it's made in Japan. The body ring on the mount side is similar to the Tokina RMC. I'd cast my vote for an early Tokina.