New toy!! 500mm f/8

stsinner · Jan 6, 2009

It's a cheap lens ($100 new Phoenix USA) but it's been fun so far..

Here's a comparison. The first two were taken in August with my 70-300, first one at 70, second one at 300.

And this was taken today with the 500. What do you guys think?

Jaszek · Jan 6, 2009

A little soft but I wouldn't even look at that if you spent $100 for it. Where did you buy it? I might get one for my canon

stsinner · Jan 6, 2009

Jaszek said:
A little soft but I wouldn't even look at that if you spent $100 for it. Where did you buy it? I might get one for my canon

I got it from Cameta on eBay. . Check this link and let me know if it works..
It shipped out of New York and got here in just a few days.

That comparison is awesome because it is from a vantage point at an estate, and they were all three taken from the very same spot.

Battou · Jan 6, 2009

@ Jaszek, Well they are available for just about every mount created so with out a doubt you can find one, E-bay has tons of them.

@ stsinner,This is one of those lenses you will out grow very quickly. It lacks some quality but I have heard of some people getting deisent Phoenix glass. At the price you bought it it is not a bad learning tool but after some time with it you are going to find your self wanting better.

A word of advice for you. The Phoenix lenses are notoriously slow and clumbsy. Do not use that lens with the 2x TC that comes with it (if it came with one as some are sold without) it is a manual TC I believe, What this means is your meter will not be working with it properly as program modes are concerned. I do not believe that any communication is maintained between the body and the lens. With out that your camera has no aperture control resulting in random exsposures. The results would be that your camera would be trying to shoot at 4 or 5.6 or wider on a lens only capable of f/8....The results will be under exposed because the body just did not know anybetter. Just use that beast as a 500mm f/8, don't try to push it to anything more.

Now I'll be honest with you, I do not have a phoenix but I have on a couple instances considered one for my GF to learn on before giving her my 400mm after I upgrade. So despite not having one I have done some research on them.

Samanax · Jan 6, 2009

stsinner said:
It's a cheap lens ($100 new Phoenix USA) but it's been fun so far...

And this was taken today with the 500. What do you guys think?

Hey, not bad for only $100.

jwsciontc · Jan 6, 2009

that thing is effin HUGE

pez · Jan 6, 2009

Remember the Minolta 500mm mirror lens? Always wanted one...

rdzmzda · Jan 7, 2009

haha that so seems like a cheap stalker lens to me....hmmm i may go buy one....oh um whoops

stsinner · Jan 7, 2009

I just happen to know the lady that lives in that house, but their house is a popular subject for people who like to take photographs, as it's about a half mile away or more from the road I shot it from.. I've taken pictures from that vantage point in all seasons, so it's fun to compare when you get different gear.

stsinner · Jan 7, 2009

Battou said:
A word of advice for you. The Phoenix lenses are notoriously slow and clumbsy. Do not use that lens with the 2x TC that comes with it (if it came with one as some are sold without) it is a manual TC I believe, What this means is your meter will not be working with it properly as program modes are concerned. I do not believe that any communication is maintained between the body and the lens. With out that your camera has no aperture control resulting in random exsposures. The results would be that your camera would be trying to shoot at 4 or 5.6 or wider on a lens only capable of f/8....The results will be under exposed because the body just did not know anybetter. Just use that beast as a 500mm f/8, don't try to push it to anything more.

Thanks for the tip, but I'm already at that disadvantage due to having the D50, which can't meter with manual lenses.. The phoenix is completely manual, so I can only use it in Manual mode with my camera.

It didn't come with a TC, but I do have two of them, and they both have the pass-through screw for the AF motor and the CPU contacts just in case I do use them with CPU lenses.. I would imagine that using those would make the lens super slow and incredibly hard to hand-hold.. I might play around with that at some point on a tripod, but you're right-it's just a toy that I will rarely play with, but for $100 I couldn't pass it up.