Mirror 500mm lens. ..

[PaulSanderson]

Hi guys and gals,

Im a novice to photography and don't know the ins and outs of kit yet, and someone has offered me a 500mm "mirror" lens.

Whats the difference both in image quality and operation between this and a conventional 500mm lens.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Many thanks...

Sent from my .....

 

[Dao]

This link should give you some idea.

500mm lens view

 

[480sparky]

All considerations aside, mirror lenses generally tend to create softer images. They're generally not as sharp as their lensed cousins.

Another issue is the doughnut-shaped bokeh. Many don't care for it.

Mirror lenses are also fixed aperture. 500mm's are usually f/8.......... and that's all you get. Some have the ability to put small ND filters in them, but they tend to be useless. F/8 makes for a dim VF to start with.

 

[cgipson1]

Don't forget the world's ugliest DONUT shaped bokeh:

http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.4632226.1.flat,550x550,075,f.jpg

or like this:

 

[cgipson1]

IF it is free... go for it! IF they want money.. RUN! lol!

 

[BrianV]

There are quite a few 500mm mirror lenses, some are better than others. so- what 500 mirror lens were you offered, what camera, and how much?

Nikkor 500/8, on film (Stearman and Yellowcrown) and early digital (Geese/Osprey)

 

[PaulSanderson]

Thanks for replies everybody...I was offered a Hanimex (?) 500mm and he said it was fixed to F8.0...he only wanted £55 for it...

...you think it's better to leave it alone and just save for a sigma 500 or something like that...

Cheers once again - its appreciated...

Sent from my ......

 

[BrianV]

That is a very good price, it is a decent lens- probably on par with the third-party 500/8 lenses of the day. You could buy it, and easily sell it for that price if you upgrade later.

"Most likely" the lens is a "T-Mount", meaning it has an adapter on the end that allows use on many cameras. Most of these mirror lenses use a rear-mount filter which MUST be used- it is part of the optical path. Just some things to check, that it is a T-Mount and the rear-mount filter(s) is with it.

 

[jake337]

Is it weird that I find, what everyone calls ugly bokeh, interesting? Sometimes I feel having a jittery background could add to the feeling of the image. At least when it works with the subject.

 

[Derrel]

Some subjects produce almost NO objectional bokeh when a mirror lens is used...look at Brian V's samples above, and contrast those three scenarios with the one the video shows at the zoo, where bright, grossly over-exposed highlights shining through dark, green shaded foliage created very bright,white (over-exposed,pure,hot white!) doughnuts; a PERFECT example of how to make the mirror lens's bokeh show up in a guaranteed negative manner.

The low contrast that mirror lenses create is not that big of a problem now, in the digital image processing era...it was killer bad on slide-film...but today with clarity and contrast and curves and specialty software that can enhance things to a fare-thee-well with the click of a slider or two...a lens that produces somewhat low contrast is not that big of an issue.