The Mirror Lens Club! - Page 3

MattGunn · 09-04-2009, 02:07 PM

There are some fantastic photos here!
I quite like the donut bokeh, especially in highlights in the water on your 5th shot abbazz.
I have a Centon mirror lens which as far as I can tell is physically identical to the Vivitar morror lens I borrowed from work. I need a bit more practice with it before I have anything worth posting though. I have had pretty poor contrast in most of the shots I have taken with it and have been considereing getting a hood for it. Has anyone used a hood with a cheep mirror lens? Does it help much (assuming not shooting into the sun)?
I have also been looking at the Tamron morror lenses which appear to produce superior results to pretty much everything else. Those of you lucky enough to have a tamron mirror lens, do you have the earlier 55B mode or the newer 55BB model? Apparently there is a significant difference between the optical designs.

*kristoffon* · 09-04-2009, 02:27 PM

Please allow me to contribute.

This first photo (click for full size) I'm particularly proud of. It's HARD to get precise focus on a MF lens with paper thin dof of a bike coming straight at you at high speed. Took a lot of attempts that day before I got the hang of it.

I think this one came out great - but really needs to be viewed full size (click it) to get the boy's expression.

*Ash* · 09-04-2009, 02:35 PM

Abbazz, those are spectacular doughnut highlights on your silhouetted shots.
Creative use of this unpopular bokeh.
Well done.

Raybo · 09-04-2009, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Ash

Abbazz, those are spectacular doughnut highlights on your silhouetted shots.
Creative use of this unpopular bokeh.
Well done.

I agree.

I would actually pay extra for that kind of bokeh!

*ivoire* · 09-04-2009, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by kristoffon

Please allow me to contribute.

This first photo (click for full size) I'm particularly proud of. It's HARD to get precise focus on a MF lens with paper thin dof of a bike coming straight at you at high speed. Took a lot of attempts that day before I got the hang of it.

Thats a great action shot! It takes skill and a bit 'o luck to get that with a mirror lens.

On another note, my Tokina developed fungus and had to be trashed. I managed to save the hood and a complete filter set with the original filter case. If anyone in CONUS would like them, let me know.

jogiba · 09-04-2009, 03:54 PM

Here are the first test shots I did with my Rokinon 500mm F6.3.

**Marc Sabatella** · 09-04-2009, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by ivoire

On another note, my Tokina developed fungus and had to be trashed. I managed to save the hood and a complete filter set with the original filter case.

That's the 500/8? What's the filter size on the hood?

**Marc Sabatella** · 09-04-2009, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by MattGunn

I have a Centon mirror lens which as far as I can tell is physically identical to the Vivitar morror lens I borrowed from work. I need a bit more practice with it before I have anything worth posting though. I have had pretty poor contrast in most of the shots I have taken with it and have been considereing getting a hood for it. Has anyone used a hood with a cheep mirror lens? Does it help much (assuming not shooting into the sun)?

I got a cheap collapsible rubber hood for my Vivitar, but it isn't very effective. It helps contrast a little in case where flare wasn't a big problem to being with, but helps essentially not at all in cases where flare really kills the shot. At some point I'll get a better hood, because I know from other lenses that this can make a huge difference.

BTW, I posted a blog article a few weeks ago on my Vivitar mirror lens. For the most part, my comments on getting the most out of it apply to all mirror lenses:

Marc Sabatella: The Vivitar 500/8 Mirror Lens

Miserere · 09-04-2009, 04:43 PM

Hey guys, while this thread is active, it's probably a good time to let you know that I started a blog on mirror lenses back in June:

Through the CAT's Eye

As you can see, there's not much on there, although I plan to dress it up in the near future. My plans for the blog was to make it a collaborative effort between various photographers (I already have 3 others signed up, including Peter Zack).

My idea for the blog was as follows: Have a section listing the most common mirror lenses available with specs and photos for each lens. In the blog section you'd be able to post a review of your mirror lens(es) and these posts would be linked to from the pages for each individual lens.

I am also planning to write technical articles about mirror lenses (history, optics, etc.) as well as tutorials on how to best shoot with them, how to post-process the images (or best JPEG settings), etc. Of course, if anyone wanted to contribute any of these, they would be welcome.

But the core of the posts I would like to be mostly of pictures. If you go for a walk with your mirror lens, you might want to come back and post a few examples of what you captured. Eventually, I'd like the blog to show up on the first page of Google results for "mirror lens" so people can see the great photos that can be taken with a mirror lens. Maybe someday we'll be able to erase the stigma associated with them for so long.

If you would be interested in collaborating with me, drop me a PM with your WordPress ID, or if you don't have one, the e-mail address you would like to have associated with your account. I will then send you an invitation to become a collaborator on the blog, meaning you can post whenever you want. Like I said, I'd like this to be a collaborative endeavour.

Even if you don't want to be a collaborator, you could still help me by sending some photos of your lens with the requisite specs (focal length, aperture, filter thread, rear filter size, weight, width and length). I would give you credit for the photos and data, of course

*ivoire* · 09-04-2009, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Marc Sabatella

That's the 500/8? What's the filter size on the hood?

Marc, its the Tokina 500mm f8 mirror lens. The hood has an outside diameter of 3.25in. there is a double wall with screw threads on the inside of the inner wall and also in the groove on the outside of the inner wall. Tokina Mirror lens info here (says its m42, but they were made with specific camera mounts, not m42):

http://freenet-homepage.de/stauber/m...kina_500_8.htm

Abbazz · 09-04-2009, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by MattGunn

There are some fantastic photos here!
I quite like the donut bokeh, especially in highlights in the water on your 5th shot abbazz.

Thanks Matt. This particular picture is a favorite of mine.

Originally Posted by MattGunn

Those of you lucky enough to have a tamron mirror lens, do you have the earlier 55B mode or the newer 55BB model? Apparently there is a significant difference between the optical designs.

I have the earlier 55B and I have never tried the 55BB. In my opinion, 500mm is a bit difficult to handle without a tripod -- not impossible but the success rate drops considerably -- and the aperture of F/8 (which is a photographic aperture of about T/11 if you take the central obstruction into account) is simply not fast enough for anything but subjects in bright light.

On the other hand, the little brother from Tamron (the 350/5.6 06B lens) is a bit sharper, has more contrast, is much easier to handle and one full F-stop faster.

Originally Posted by Ash

Abbazz, those are spectacular doughnut highlights on your silhouetted shots.
Creative use of this unpopular bokeh.
Well done.

Thanks Ash. To me, this is the main point of using a mirror lens. If I only need the reach, I have more capable telephoto lenses, which are able to deliver pictures with fine detail and high contrast. So when I choose to use one of the mirror lenses, it's because I'm looking after the particular look of the pictures taken with these lenses.

Originally Posted by Raybo

I agree.

I would actually pay extra for that kind of bokeh!

Thanks Raybo. You wouldn't have to pay much, as these lenses usually go for little money.

Cheers!

Abbazz

**Marc Sabatella** · 09-04-2009, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by ivoire

Marc, its the Tokina 500mm f8 mirror lens. The hood has an outside diameter of 3.25in. there is a double wall with screw threads on the inside of the inner wall and also in the groove on the outside of the inner wall. Tokina Mirror lens info here (says its m42, but they were made with specific camera mounts, not m42):

M42 Tokina 500_8

Hmm, looks like it could be the same 72mm threads as my lens, but could be 77mm too. If I find out for sure it's 72, you may be hearing from me...

Raybo · 09-04-2009, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Abbazz

Thanks Matt. This particular picture is a favorite of mine.

I have the earlier 55B and I have never tried the 55BB. In my opinion, 500mm is a bit difficult to handle without a tripod -- not impossible but the success rate drops considerably -- and the aperture of F/8 (which is a photographic aperture of about T/11 if you take the central obstruction into account) is simply not fast enough for anything but subjects in bright light.

On the other hand, the little brother from Tamron (the 350/5.6 06B lens) is a bit sharper, has more contrast, is much easier to handle and one full F-stop faster.

Thanks Ash. To me, this is the main point of using a mirror lens. If I only need the reach, I have more capable telephoto lenses, which are able to deliver pictures with fine detail and high contrast. So when I choose to use one of the mirror lenses, it's because I'm looking after the particular look of the pictures taken with these lenses.

Thanks Raybo. You wouldn't have to pay much, as these lenses usually go for little money.

Cheers!

Abbazz

I know Abbazz!

I happen to be a cheap skate and own two of them, MTO 500mm F8 and an MTO 100mm F10.

I like your results better than my results.

Ray

*ivoire* · 09-04-2009, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Marc Sabatella

Hmm, looks like it could be the same 72mm threads as my lens, but could be 77mm too. If I find out for sure it's 72, you may be hearing from me...

I',m guessing that the inside threads are 72mm and in the groove 77mm. I haven't found any specs on it. PM your address and i'll ship it to you to try it out (if it works, keep it... if it doesn't, keep or toss it.

Raybo · 09-04-2009, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by Marc Sabatella

I got a cheap collapsible rubber hood for my Vivitar, but it isn't very effective. It helps contrast a little in case where flare wasn't a big problem to being with, but helps essentially not at all in cases where flare really kills the shot. At some point I'll get a better hood, because I know from other lenses that this can make a huge difference.

BTW, I posted a blog article a few weeks ago on my Vivitar mirror lens. For the most part, my comments on getting the most out of it apply to all mirror lenses:

Marc Sabatella: The Vivitar 500/8 Mirror Lens

Great info Marc!

I'm still learning but mirror lenses are great fun.

Ray