[RockvilleBob]

Does anyone know if the MTO 500mm f8 lens will mount on a K-5? I saw one for sale that indicated the lens will not mount on camera bodies which have a protruding built in flash, which the K-5 has. I planned to buy one and then cancelled when I saw that comment. Thanks.

[excanonfd]

Does anyone know if the MTO 500mm f8 lens will mount on a K-5? I saw one for sale that indicated the lens will not mount on camera bodies which have a protruding built in flash, which the K-5 has. I planned to buy one and then cancelled when I saw that comment. Thanks.

Here is a discussion of MTO 500/8.0 being mounted on a K20D: MTO 500mm Mirror Lens + K20D. Great results: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review I am not certain but probably the beak on the K20D is longer than the one on K-5.

[RockvilleBob]

Thanks. I did see one for sale in a box with filters and I think it was on the PentaxForum site. It was being sold because it wouldn't mount on a camera with built in flash. Unfortunately I cannot find the item now. Right now I may hold off buying lenses until the dust clears at Pentax with alleged new cameras to be introduced and the possibility of a 560 from Pentax. Right now all the Pentax rumors coupled with new ownership just result in inaction on my part.

[xjjohnno]

Bob, you'll have no problems mounting the MTO 500 f8 on the K5. I have the lens and no problems.

[excanonfd]

Right now I may hold off buying lenses until the dust clears at Pentax with alleged new cameras to be introduced and the possibility of a 560 from Pentax. Right now all the Pentax rumors coupled with new ownership just result in inaction on my part.

Really, why would this be of any concern? As long as Pentax retains the K mount, introduction of new bodies or new lenses from Pentax is completely irrelevant to yours and my pursuit of LBA.

[Miserere]

[...] the possibility of a 560 from Pentax. [...]

The 560mm from Pentax is going to cost several thousand dollars. Not one thousand, several thousand. You cannot compare this upcoming lens with a cheap 500mm CAT lens already available. Apples and Oranges.

[RockvilleBob]

Very good point. I am not experienced with mirror lenses. My main interest is wildlife photography. I do have an Olympus 400mm f6.3 and my sense is that I probably can get better results cropping pictures from an old, but fairly good 400mm prime, than from a 500CAT. The problem with both the Olympus and Mirror are both manual focus so I need stationary wildlife or luck. So I may try getting an older Pentax AF zoom. I have a possibility of getting a low cost FA 80-320 under $100. I am looking for a way to get a longer each to photograph bears, elk and birds.

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I do have an Olympus 400mm f6.3 and my sense is that I probably can get better results cropping pictures from an old, but fairly good 400mm prime, than from a 500CAT.

In my experience, cropping only works with good quality lenses and those would usually cost more than a mirror lens, even if they are old. In terms of value/cost ratio, you cannot beat mirror lenses.

[xjjohnno]

The MTOs are one of the better performers amongst the mirror lenses, the f8 suffers from a bit of contrast loss unless a hood is used with the faster version, the f 6.3 is probably the better of the 2. I have and use both with reasonable results. I actually prefer MF lenses for bird pics in a lot of situations as the AF tends to get a bit confused by backgrounds and foregrounds like twigs, grass and reeds.

[madbrain]

I joined the club last week. I acquired an 800mm Rokinon.

Here are a few shots. The dog boarding the trolley was shot about 1/4 mile away, from the 12th floor of a hotel, through a glass window. With tripod, though.

All the others are handheld. The second bird was flying very close above me, composition was very tough since it moved so much.

[RockvilleBob]

Great pictures, thank you for posting them.

[madbrain]

Great pictures, thank you for posting them.

Glad you enjoyed them ! Here are a few more I just took, of the moon, the main subject I thought I was ever going to use this 800mm mirror lens for - I have since found out it is good for much more than that.

The first two shots are at 800mm. The others are with the 2x teleconverter, ie. 1600mm. No cropping, no pp, these are straight out of the camera. I used a tripod, of course, as well as remote.
Focused mainly with live view. The biggest problem at 1600mm was to keep the moon inside the frame, it kept moving out too quickly.

On the last shot, the moon is very low and setting down against the other side of the hill. The color is really what it looked like in the sky with the naked eye.

[madbrain]

Another uncropped moon.
K-r, 1600mm (800mm Rokinon + 2x TC)
ISO 200, 1/125, f8

This one was shot in RAW and I did some PP in aftershot .

[MrHoj]

Has anyone found a lens hood for a centon 500mm mirror lens

[isthmus999]

Hi!
I have a chance to get Nikkor 500mm f/8.0 C, Tokina 500 f/8.0 and Tamron 500mm f/8.0 55BB, all three in good shapes and for about same price.
Which one of those would you recommend most??

Cheers