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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Reflex (Mirror) lense
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Showing posts 1 - 17 of 17, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 12/28/2005 09:41:09 PM · #1
''Can'' ''any'' ''one'' ''around'' ''here'' ''point'' ''out'' ''the'' ''pros'' ''and'' ''cons'' ''of'' ''this'' ''type'' ''of'' ''lens'' ? ''Let'''''s'' ''say'' ''it'''''s'' ''a'' ''Zuiko'' ''Telephoto'' ''lenses'' - ''500mm'' ''f''/''8''.''0'' ''Reflex'' (''Mirror'') ''lense'' ''because'' ''this'' ''is'' ''what'' ''my'' ''friend'' ''is'' ''looking'' ''at'' ''for'' ''his'' ''EVOLT'' ''300''. ''I'' ''assume'' ''it'' ''is'' ''not'' ''the'' ''quality'' ''of'' ''a'' ''normal'' ''500'' ''mm'' ''lens'' ''because'' ''it'''''s'' ''1''/''5'' ''the'' ''price'' ''of'' ''the'' ''price''. ''If'' ''you'' ''can'' ''offer'' ''information'' ''it'' ''would'' ''be'' ''easier'' ''to'' ''make'' ''a'' ''choice'' ''or'' ''not'' ''for'' ''this'' ''lens''. ''Thanks'' ''in'' ''advance''.
 12/28/2005 09:47:13 PM · #2
''Fixed'' ''aperture'', ''Manual'' ''focus'', ''weird'' '''donut'-''shaped'' ''bokeh''...''but'' ''small'', ''light'' ''and'' ''quite'' ''portable'' ''and'' ''cheap''.
 12/28/2005 09:55:39 PM · #3
''don'''''t'' ''do'' ''it''.

''if'' ''the'' ''mirror'' ''is'' ''shifted'' ''at'' ''all'', ''then'' ''there'' ''goes'' ''the'' ''lens''.

''just'' ''my'' ''opinion''.
 12/28/2005 10:02:28 PM · #4


''This'' ''is'' ''a'' ''500mm'' ''f8'' ''mirror'' ''lens'' (''nikon'') ''on'' ''my'' ''Olympus'' ''E''-''300''. ''Remember'' ''the'' ''Olympus'' ''has'' ''a'' ''2x'' ''factor'' ''compared'' ''to'' ''35mm'' ''cameras'', ''so'' ''the'' ''500'' ''is'' ''the'' ''equivelent'' ''to'' ''a'' ''1000mm'' ''f8'' ''that'' ''you'' ''can'' ''hand'' ''hold''. ''Not'' ''a'' ''lens'' ''you'' ''would'' ''use'' ''every'' ''day'', ''but'' ''for'' ''the'' ''occasional'' ''super'' ''telephoto'' ''shot'' ''it'''''s'' ''worth'' ''the'' ''money''. ''Also'' ''I'''''ve'' ''seen'' ''tiny'' ''300mm'' ''f5''.''6'' ''mirrors'' ''that'' ''would'' ''be'' ''a'' ''great'' ''combo'' ''if'' ''you'' ''can'' ''find'' ''one''.
 12/28/2005 10:06:03 PM · #5
''I'' ''have'' ''a'' ''centon'' ''500mm'' ''mirror'' ''lens''... ''the'' ''pros'' ''include'' ''it'' ''being'' ''very'' ''small'' ''and'' ''light'', ''hence'' ''convenient'' ''to'' ''carry'', ''and'' ''of'' ''course'' ''very'' ''long''. ''The'' ''cons'' ''however'' ''are'' ''quite'' ''numerous'' - ''the'' ''quality'' ''is'' ''terrible'', ''it'''''s'' ''soft'', ''uncontrasty'', ''and'' ''the'' '''donut' ''bokeh'' ''is'' ''weird'' ''and'' ''not'' ''often'' ''desirable''. ''In'' ''addition'', ''i'''''ve'' ''never'' ''seen'' ''an'' ''autofocus'' ''lens'' ''of'' ''this'' ''type'', ''and'' ''the'' ''fixed'' ''aperture'' ''at'' ''f''/''8'' ''gets'' ''very'' ''annoying'' - ''often'' ''too'' ''dark'' ''in'' ''the'' ''viewfinder'' ''to'' ''manually'' ''focus'' ''properly''.
 12/28/2005 10:08:39 PM · #6
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''hyperfocal'':


''This'' ''is'' ''a'' ''500mm'' ''f8'' ''mirror'' ''lens'' (''nikon'') ''on'' ''my'' ''Olympus'' ''E''-''300''. ''Remember'' ''the'' ''Olympus'' ''has'' ''a'' ''2x'' ''factor'' ''compared'' ''to'' ''35mm'' ''cameras'', ''so'' ''the'' ''500'' ''is'' ''the'' ''equivelent'' ''to'' ''a'' ''1000mm'' ''f8'' ''that'' ''you'' ''can'' ''hand'' ''hold''. ''Not'' ''a'' ''lens'' ''you'' ''would'' ''use'' ''every'' ''day'', ''but'' ''for'' ''the'' ''occasional'' ''super'' ''telephoto'' ''shot'' ''it'''''s'' ''worth'' ''the'' ''money''. ''Also'' ''I'''''ve'' ''seen'' ''tiny'' ''300mm'' ''f5''.''6'' ''mirrors'' ''that'' ''would'' ''be'' ''a'' ''great'' ''combo'' ''if'' ''you'' ''can'' ''find'' ''one''.


''So'' ''if'' ''this'' ''moon'' ''shot'' ''is'' ''with'' ''the'' ''500'' ''mirror'' ''lens'' ''that'' ''is'' ''suppose'' ''to'' ''be'' ''a'' ''1000'' ''on'' ''the'' ''E''-''300'' ''is'' ''it'' ''better'' ''or'' ''worse'' ''than'' ''a'' ''regular'' ''style'' ''of'' ''lens'' ? ''I'' ''took'' ''this'' ''shot'' ''with'' ''my'' ''Sigma'' ''Bigma'' ''handheld'' ''at'' ''500'' ''which'' ''should'' ''actually'' ''be'' ''800'' ''mm'' ''it'' ''seems'' ''to'' ''be'' ''closer'', ''it'' ''is'' ''cropped'', ''but'' ''that'''''s'' ''all''.
12/28/2005 10:12:59 PM · #7
''My'' ''image'' ''is'' ''full'' ''frame'' ''with'' ''no'' ''crop''. ''I'' ''wasn'''''t'' ''implying'' ''that'' ''this'' ''was'' ''a'' ''great'' ''image'', ''but'' ''just'' ''showing'' ''the'' ''magnifcation'' ''possible'' ''with'' ''the'' ''combination''. ''My'' ''E''-''300'' ''with'' ''a'' ''500mm'' ''mirror'' ''will'' ''fit'' ''into'' ''the'' ''glove'' ''box'' ''of'' ''my'' ''car''. ''Not'' ''too'' ''many'' ''1000mm'' ''equivalent'' ''rigs'' ''can'' ''say'' ''the'' ''same''.
 12/28/2005 10:16:56 PM · #8
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''hyperfocal'':
''My'' ''image'' ''is'' ''full'' ''frame'' ''with'' ''no'' ''crop''. ''I'' ''wasn'''''t'' ''implying'' ''that'' ''this'' ''was'' ''a'' ''great'' ''image'', ''but'' ''just'' ''showing'' ''the'' ''magnifcation'' ''possible'' ''with'' ''the'' ''combination''. ''My'' ''E''-''300'' ''with'' ''a'' ''500mm'' ''mirror'' ''will'' ''fit'' ''into'' ''the'' ''glove'' ''box'' ''of'' ''my'' ''car''. ''Not'' ''too'' ''many'' ''1000mm'' ''equivalent'' ''rigs'' ''can'' ''say'' ''the'' ''same''.


''Since'' ''you'' ''have'' ''one'' ''is'' ''there'' ''anything'' ''you'' ''feel'' ''he'' ''should'' ''be'' ''checking'' ''it'' ''for'' ''as'' ''this'' ''one'' ''he'' ''is'' ''looking'' ''at'' ''it'' ''used'' ''also''. ''Have'' ''you'' ''found'' ''any'' ''draw'' ''backs'' ''to'' ''this'' ''lens''?
''Thanks''
 12/29/2005 12:00:32 AM · #9
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''hyperfocal'':
''My'' ''image'' ''is'' ''full'' ''frame'' ''with'' ''no'' ''crop''. ''I'' ''wasn'''''t'' ''implying'' ''that'' ''this'' ''was'' ''a'' ''great'' ''image'', ''but'' ''just'' ''showing'' ''the'' ''magnifcation'' ''possible'' ''with'' ''the'' ''combination''. ''My'' ''E''-''300'' ''with'' ''a'' ''500mm'' ''mirror'' ''will'' ''fit'' ''into'' ''the'' ''glove'' ''box'' ''of'' ''my'' ''car''. ''Not'' ''too'' ''many'' ''1000mm'' ''equivalent'' ''rigs'' ''can'' ''say'' ''the'' ''same''.


''Stuffing'' ''a'' ''mirror'' ''reflex'' ''lens'' ''int'' ''he'' ''car'''''s'' ''glovebox'' ''is'' ''a'' ''recipe'' ''for'' ''diaster''; ''they'' ''are'' ''extremely'' ''sensitive'' ''to'' ''warping'' ''in'' ''high'' ''temperatures''. ''I'' ''used'' ''to'' ''use'' ''a'' ''Nikkor'' ''500mm'' ''mirror'' ''reflex'' ''on'' ''my'' ''film'' ''Nikon'' ''and'' ''liked'' ''it'' ''fine''. ''On'' ''the'' ''other'' ''hand'', ''I'' ''tried'' ''a'' ''couple'' ''off'' ''brands'' ''back'' ''then'' ''and'' ''theyw'' ''ere'' ''both'' ''truly'' ''awful''...

''R''.
 12/29/2005 05:58:00 AM · #10
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''Pioneer'':


''Since'' ''you'' ''have'' ''one'' ''is'' ''there'' ''anything'' ''you'' ''feel'' ''he'' ''should'' ''be'' ''checking'' ''it'' ''for'' ''as'' ''this'' ''one'' ''he'' ''is'' ''looking'' ''at'' ''it'' ''used'' ''also''. ''Have'' ''you'' ''found'' ''any'' ''draw'' ''backs'' ''to'' ''this'' ''lens''?
''Thanks''


''Check'' ''for'' ''fungus'' ''which'' ''is'' ''more'' ''common'' ''on'' ''mirrors'' ''than'' ''traditional'' ''lenses'', ''and'' ''I'' ''would'' ''pass'' ''on'' ''those'' ''with'' ''stiff'' ''focus'' (''dropped'').
 12/29/2005 05:59:39 AM · #11
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''bear_music'':


''Stuffing'' ''a'' ''mirror'' ''reflex'' ''lens'' ''int'' ''he'' ''car'''''s'' ''glovebox'' ''is'' ''a'' ''recipe'' ''for'' ''diaster''; ''they'' ''are'' ''extremely'' ''sensitive'' ''to'' ''warping'' ''in'' ''high'' ''temperatures''. ''I'' ''used'' ''to'' ''use'' ''a'' ''Nikkor'' ''500mm'' ''mirror'' ''reflex'' ''on'' ''my'' ''film'' ''Nikon'' ''and'' ''liked'' ''it'' ''fine''. ''On'' ''the'' ''other'' ''hand'', ''I'' ''tried'' ''a'' ''couple'' ''off'' ''brands'' ''back'' ''then'' ''and'' ''theyw'' ''ere'' ''both'' ''truly'' ''awful''...

''R''.


''I'' ''would'' ''never'' ''store'' ''my'' ''camera'' ''in'' ''the'' ''glovebox''. ''I'' ''was'' ''just'' ''illustrating'' ''how'' ''small'' ''the'' ''rig'' ''is''.
 12/29/2005 09:58:14 AM · #12
''Reflex'' ''Mirrors'' ''are'' ''more'' ''akin'' ''to'' ''their'' ''telescope'' ''brethren''.

''They'' ''may'' ''have'' ''the'' "''range''" (''mm'') ''but'' ''the'' ''quality'' ''is'' ''subpar'' ''to'' ''today'''''s'' ''units''. ''However'', ''if'' ''you'' ''can'''''t'' ''afford'' ''more'' ''than'' $''50''-$''100'' ''it'' ''may'' ''get'' ''you'' ''by'' ''till'' ''you'' ''can''.

''I'' ''seldom'' ''use'' ''mine''...
 12/29/2005 11:11:57 AM · #13
''The'' ''reflex'' ''lenses'' ''are'' ''really'' ''just'' ''small'' ''catadioptric'' ''telescopes'', ''either'' ''Maksutov''-''Cassegrain'' ''or'' ''similar'' ''designs''. ''They'' ''combine'' ''both'' ''refractive'' ''optics'' (''the'' ''front'' ''corrector'' ''plate'') ''and'' ''relfective'' ''optics'' (''the'' ''primary'' ''and'' ''secondary'' ''mirrors''). ''The'' ''quality'' ''of'' ''the'' ''corrector'' ''and'' ''mirrors'' ''and'' ''their'' ''alignment'' ''is'' ''critical'' ''to'' ''the'' ''performance'' ''of'' ''the'' ''instrument''. ''Just'' ''as'' ''with'' (''refractive'') ''lenses'', ''you'' ''get'' ''what'' ''you'' ''pay'' ''for''. ''A'' ''really'' ''good'' ''reflex'' ''lens'' ''can'' ''produce'' ''very'' ''nice'' ''images'', ''though'' ''you'' ''will'' ''never'' ''achieve'' ''the'' ''contrast'' ''of'' ''refractive'' ''optics''. ''The'' ''bokeh'' ''is'' ''something'' ''else'' ''again'', ''but'' ''that'''''s'' ''not'' ''really'' ''a'' ''concern'' ''in'' ''the'' ''applications'' ''for'' ''which'' ''a'' ''reflex'' ''lens'' ''is'' ''normally'' ''purchased''.

12/29/2005 12:09:17 PM · #14
''Another'' ''benefit'' ''of'' ''mirrors'' ''is'' ''virtually'' ''no'' ''chromatic'' ''aberration''.
 12/29/2005 12:29:45 PM · #15
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''theSaj'':
''Reflex'' ''Mirrors'' ''are'' ''more'' ''akin'' ''to'' ''their'' ''telescope'' ''brethren''.

''They'' ''may'' ''have'' ''the'' "''range''" (''mm'') ''but'' ''the'' ''quality'' ''is'' ''subpar'' ''to'' ''today'''''s'' ''units''. ''However'', ''if'' ''you'' ''can'''''t'' ''afford'' ''more'' ''than'' $''50''-$''100'' ''it'' ''may'' ''get'' ''you'' ''by'' ''till'' ''you'' ''can''.

''I'' ''seldom'' ''use'' ''mine''...


''This'' ''is'' ''not'' ''what'' ''I'' ''would'' ''call'' ''cheap'', ''it'' ''is'' ''a'' ''long'' ''way'' ''from'' $''100'' ''it'' ''is'' $''650'' ''US'' ''funds'' ''new'', ''but'' ''he'' ''is'' ''looking'' ''at'' $''550'' ''can'' ''used''.

''So'' ''for'' ''wildlife'' ''shots'' ''mailny'' ''would'' ''he'' ''be'' ''better'' ''off'' ''skipping'' ''over'' ''this'' ''type'' ''of'' ''lens'' ''and'' ''going'' ''for'' ''a'' ''good'' ''regular'' ''style'' ''500'' ''mm'' ''zoom''?
 12/29/2005 12:51:03 PM · #16
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''Pioneer'':


''This'' ''is'' ''not'' ''what'' ''I'' ''would'' ''call'' ''cheap'', ''it'' ''is'' ''a'' ''long'' ''way'' ''from'' $''100'' ''it'' ''is'' $''650'' ''US'' ''funds'' ''new'', ''but'' ''he'' ''is'' ''looking'' ''at'' $''550'' ''can'' ''used''.

''So'' ''for'' ''wildlife'' ''shots'' ''mailny'' ''would'' ''he'' ''be'' ''better'' ''off'' ''skipping'' ''over'' ''this'' ''type'' ''of'' ''lens'' ''and'' ''going'' ''for'' ''a'' ''good'' ''regular'' ''style'' ''500'' ''mm'' ''zoom''?


''Is'' ''that'' ''an'' ''Olympus'' ''OM'' ''lens''? ''I'' ''don'''''t'' ''know'' ''how'' ''good'' ''a'' ''lens'' ''it'' ''is'', ''but'' ''I'' ''can'' ''tell'' ''you'' ''the'' ''Nikon'' ''Nikkor'' ''500mm'' ''f8N'' ''is'' ''an'' ''outstanding'' ''lens'' ''that'' ''is'' ''sharp'', ''well'' ''constructed'', ''and'' ''focuses'' ''down'' ''to'' ''5'' ''feet'' (''great'' ''for'' ''birding''). ''I'' ''see'' ''them'' ''on'' ''the'' ''used'' ''market'' ''for'' ''about'' $''300''-''400'' ''in'' ''mint'' ''condition''. ''Unless'' ''your'' ''friend'' ''already'' ''has'' ''an'' ''OM'' ''adapter'', ''I'' ''would'' ''suggest'' ''going'' ''the'' ''Nikon'' ''adapter'' ''route'' ''just'' ''to'' ''have'' ''more'' ''lens'' ''choices'' ''in'' ''the'' ''future''. ''Nikon'''''s'' ''lens'' ''catalog'' ''is'' ''quite'' ''a'' ''bit'' ''deeper'' ''than'' ''Olympus''' ''OM'' ''system''.
 12/29/2005 01:08:37 PM · #17
''Originally'' ''posted'' ''by'' ''Pioneer'':
''So'' ''for'' ''wildlife'' ''shots'' ''mailny'' ''would'' ''he'' ''be'' ''better'' ''off'' ''skipping'' ''over'' ''this'' ''type'' ''of'' ''lens'' ''and'' ''going'' ''for'' ''a'' ''good'' ''regular'' ''style'' ''500'' ''mm'' ''zoom''?


''For'' ''wildlife'' ''a'' ''mirror'' ''lens'' ''is'' ''next'' ''to'' ''useless''. ''The'' ''narrow'' ''maximum'' ''aperture'' ''means'' ''your'' ''backgrounds'' ''will'' ''often'' ''not'' ''be'' ''sufficiently'' ''out'' ''of'' ''focus'', ''and'' ''you'' ''will'' ''not'' ''get'' ''enough'' ''light'' ''for'' ''fast'' ''enough'' ''shutter'' ''speeds'' ''to'' ''handhold'' ''such'' ''a'' ''long'' ''lens''. ''Not'' ''to'' ''mention'' ''trying'' ''to'' ''manual''-''focus'' ''on'' ''a'' ''flying'' ''bird'' ''with'' ''a'' ''little'' ''light'', ''shakey'' ''mirror'' ''lens''...

''Also'', ''if'' ''you'''''re'' ''trying'' ''to'' ''get'' ''artistic'' ''shots'' ''of'' ''the'' ''natural'' ''world'', ''the'' '''donut' ''bokeh'' ''makes'' ''it'' ''look'' ''like'' ''you'''''re'' ''trying'' ''to'' ''be'' ''funny'', ''and'' ''draws'' ''attention'' ''away'' ''from'' ''your'' ''subject''. ''To'' ''be'' ''honest'', ''the'' ''usability'' ''of'' ''such'' ''lenses'' ''is'' ''very'' ''limited'' - ''generally'' ''they'' ''are'' ''not'' ''suited'' ''at'' ''all'' ''to'' ''capturing'' ''any'' ''kind'' ''of'' ''action'', ''but'' ''lenses'' ''of'' ''this'' ''length'' ''are'' ''only'' ''really'' ''required'' ''for'' ''action'' ''shots'' (''wildlife'', ''sports'' ''etc''). ''A'' ''cheap'' ''one'' ''makes'' ''a'' ''good'' ''toy'', ''but'' ''spending'' $''650'' ''on'' ''one'' ''seems'' ''a'' ''little'' ''excessive''.
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