[aslyfox]

As mirrored lenses go these are pretty good. Not a Vivitar Catadioptric (Perkin Elmer solid glass - not mirrored), but still pretty good.

I need to use a tripod, need a ton of light, it is never as sharp as I want, and kind of a bugger to focus with OVF - I LV max mag. You’ll be OK. You’ll laugh when you see the giant onion bokeh.

they won't be a surprise

the price, I hope, was right

time will tell

[aslyfox]

As mirrored lenses go these are pretty good. . . .

" … I'm feeling much better now "

You Tube

You Tube

[Gary H Perth]

Wish me luck

just bought from Ebay a Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 500mm f/8 Mirror (55BB)

Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 500mm f/8 Mirror (55BB) Lens Reviews - Tamron Adaptall Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database


looking for any advice, suggestions, and guidance

first Tamron Adaptall and first mirror lens


but please no " negative waves "

Negative Waves Scenes from Kelly's Heroes Movie - YouTube

I really like my Tamron 500mm, and in fact all my Adaptalls are really good optically (especially the SP lenses). Of course it is fixed aperture so the PK adapter is fine, no point having PKA mount on this lens - if you bought with a PKA mount then you have justification to get another Tamron.

I have a K-70 which has really good ISO performance, and that is really important if hand-holding the 500mm. My best shots have been at speeds faster than 1/1000sec, so I often bump up to 3200ISO. There is no point having a great focus and then hand movements blur the image, so I try to lean against a post or similar. Of course you also have no control over DoF, butt this lens has virtually zero DoF anyway, it needs pin-prick accuracy of focus. This is not a lens that you can use as first response to a passing bird on your upcoming safari, but would be good for a grazing buffalo or a stationary lion.

I suggest that you get acquainted with the manual focus slowly and learn the quirks of a dark viewfinder and a huge 350-degree rotation. Mine is in focus when the autofocus beeps, but I suspect that this will not be the case on every camera or model. My lens turns a bit beyond what is effectively infinite focus distance, so don't trust that hard stop means you have infinity focus. Even at great distances the focus needs a fine and careful touch.

Have fun with it, learn the limitations by experiment and love the opportunities that 500mm provides in a 4-inch lens body.
.

[aslyfox]

I really like my Tamron 500mm, and in fact all my Adaptalls are really good optically (especially the SP lenses). Of course it is fixed aperture so the PK adapter is fine, no point having PKA mount on this lens - if you bought with a PKA mount then you have justification to get another Tamron.

I have a K-70 which has really good ISO performance, and that is really important if hand-holding the 500mm. My best shots have been at speeds faster than 1/1000sec, so I often bump up to 3200ISO. There is no point having a great focus and then hand movements blur the image, so I try to lean against a post or similar. Of course you also have no control over DoF, butt this lens has virtually zero DoF anyway, it needs pin-prick accuracy of focus. This is not a lens that you can use as first response to a passing bird on your upcoming safari, but would be good for a grazing buffalo or a stationary lion.

I suggest that you get acquainted with the manual focus slowly and learn the quirks of a dark viewfinder and a huge 350-degree rotation. Mine is in focus when the autofocus beeps, but I suspect that this will not be the case on every camera or model. My lens turns a bit beyond what is effectively infinite focus distance, so don't trust that hard stop means you have infinity focus. Even at great distances the focus needs a fine and careful touch.

Have fun with it, learn the limitations by experiment and love the opportunities that 500mm provides in a 4-inch lens body.
.

thanks for the hints

folks, please keep them coming


_____________________

my thoughts was about the Black Rhino standing still way over there on the safari

or the wolf standing still way over there in Yellowstone

everything else is likely to be a lot closer, especially in Tanzania

_______________

I also considered the costs to me of getting the lens versus the " limitations " of mirror lenses

I took the chance, time will tell what I end up with

I don't expect it to replace my SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM or HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW on a regular basis

kinda like some of the photos I attempt, if I don't try I know I won't get it.

If I do, then there is a chance

" Lloyd Christmas: I want to ask you a question, straight out, flat out, and I want you to give me the honest answer. What do you think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me ending up together?

Mary Swanson: Well Lloyd, that's difficult to say. We really don't...

Lloyd Christmas: Hit me with it! Just give it to me straight! I came a long way just to see you Mary, just... The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?

Mary Swanson: Not good

Lloyd Christmas: [he gulps, his mouth twitching] You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?

Mary Swanson: I'd say more like one out of a million.

Lloyd Christmas: [long pause while he processes what he's heard] So you're telling me there's a chance. YEAH! "

" Dumb and Dumber "

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109686/quotes/?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu

---

Last edited by aslyfox; 02-25-2019 at 10:15 AM.

[Gary H Perth]

Two shots on my first day with the Tamron 500mm - the little bird about 10m (30ft) away is about 4 inches long. The other shot (into the light of a setting sun) is a sub at least 5km offshore - on my screen I can see the radio masts.

[Gary H Perth]

Here's the bird. It was moving quickly so I have lots that were our of focus or blurred. This was a good-ish shot

[Gary H Perth]

I just picked up a PK mount Vivitar (Komine) 135mm f2.8. I had been a bit disappointed with the sharpness of my M135/3.5, so I was looking for a 135 lens to compare but which is shorter and lighter than my Adaptall 135/f2.5. First few shots look really good and seem sharper than the M135, I may be able to test more in the next day or two. The Vivitar was sold as having very slight fungus, but that is hard to find (it is only on one side of one element and definitely does not compromise the sharpness for a crop sensor) so was very reasonably priced.

Another 40 year old lens (1976-82 V5 according to the review page) to use on my 2017 camera! Adds to my set of great-performing fully manual lenses: Tokina 17mm, K50mm/f1.8, M28mm/f3.5, Tamron 52BB 90mm, A100mm and M200mm.

Here is a cropped image (about 50% x 50% of the original) from the Vivitar 135mm. I didn't know till I looked at the image that I had an ant on the flower. I can see its legs! This is better than I have ever seen with the M135/f3.5).

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[MJSteele]

A couple of recent acquisitions...

First, an Aputure AL-MX lighting panel. Very neat and well made unit, allowing stepped colour temperature from 2800 - 6500K (CRI >= 95%, TLCI >=95%) and 2400 lux at 0.3m. I bought mine to light colour charts for camera profile creation, and I'm really very impressed with it. I recommend visiting the website and watching the video to show how it's being used for video (its primary use case, though one I'm not particularly interested in).

Next, another Samsung GX-10 (K10D clone). I have two of these already, one of which has become my camera of choice, even though I own much newer cameras. The first was a very low shutter count example when I acquired it (ex-demo, < 300 actuations), though I've put a few miles on it since I bought the second as a backup, also with low shutter count (< 3,000 if I remember correctly), and that stays mostly in my cupboard for if and when the first one dies. I didn't really need a third, but I just snagged one on eBay that looks and is described to be in really excellent condition, with just under 3,000 shutter actuations, still boxed with charger and original battery, and at a very favourable price indeed (somewhat less than I paid for either of my others). The only issues mentioned are a few dust specs in the viewfinder prism (which I should be able to sort out easily, but no problem if I can't), and a couple of very minor marks on the LCD screen - so minor, they're not even visible in the auction photos, so I'm sure I can live with those. Anyway, I'm more than well stocked on the GX-10 now... If this one turns out to be nearly as good as the first two, I don't think I'll ever need to buy another. It's the only camera I really wouldn't ever want to be without, so having spare units is a nice feeling

[First photo below is of my AL-MX light with the diffuser removed. Second is one of the seller's numerous photos of the GX I have incoming]

Very Nice
I acquired a second K10D w/1246 shutter trips as a back up as well, then acquired a second great condition EOS T3i 600D as a back up too

[Gary H Perth]

I just added another to my primes collection - the DA 35mm f2.4 purchased from a PF member. I have convinced myself that I don't need the 35 Limited or the 31 Limited, but I couldn't resist the idea of a simple cheap and optically-reputable lens for the times when a $700 lens seems a bit risky and the MF or fully manual lens is tricky to get good shots with (e.g. in a helicopter or bushwalking in the desert). That makes 24 primes in my collection now, but I am looking to sell a few primes and a couple of zooms. See if I can control the LBA and make some practical culling decisions.

That last sentence was wry humour.

[Ex Finn.]

My new zoom arrived today from B&H.
It was extremely poorly packed with just a single sheet of bubble-wrap in the bottom of the box!
Luckily everything seem undamaged.

[Canada_Rockies]

My new zoom arrived today from B&H.
It was extremely poorly packed with just a single sheet of bubble-wrap in the bottom of the box!
Luckily everything seem undamaged.

We are awaiting some snaps with it, and a report on the DC AF speeds and ........... Nice looking lens.

[Ex Finn.]

We are awaiting some snaps with it, and a report on the DC AF speeds and ........... Nice looking lens.

The AF speed is about the same or maybe a tad faster than the DA20-40 ED Ltd.
I don't have any pictures worth sharing yet, just some shots of a brick wall...

[monochrome]

My new zoom arrived today from B&H.
It was extremely poorly packed with just a single sheet of bubble-wrap in the bottom of the box!
Luckily everything seem undamaged.

Nice setup for the product shots. Borrowing your style.

[Docrwm]

Sigma 8-16 DC HSM IF arrived today! I feel like Steve Martin.......

[FreeSpirit9]

Sigma 18-35 1.8 arrived today.