Veteran Member Registered: October, 2010 Location: capital city, the land of eh (Ottawa, Canada) Posts: 329 | | Review Date: August 8, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Very light, good optical properties | | Cons: | Donut bokeh, hard to use without tripod | |
I have this lens on loan - it's actually not too bad under sunny conditions. It is perfectly useable handheld (while using proper gripping technique). Once strapped to a tripod, it shows a very good resolution. Contrast is a little low, however another mirror lens I own (Tamron 500mm f8) is much worse in that respect. Considering this lens'es small size I consider it a very useful addition to my light travel kit (a few small manual and limited primes) for the occasional outdoor candid shots. Speaking of which, I attached a photo of such (handheld on a sunny day @ ISO 800 so a little noisy).
Other reviewers seem not as thrilled - perhaps sample variation is extensive with these lenses. This lens is very clear with a perfect glass and mirror.
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Pentaxian Registered: September, 2006 Location: Horn Island, Torres Straits, Q Posts: 4,715 | | Review Date: November 26, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Small light, well built, convenient size for the FL | | Cons: | low contrast, softish image - its a catadioptric lens after all. | |
Came in a job lot so was effectively free. Came with original case and three rear filters.
By lowering the exposure compensation a little the contrast improves. Softness can be improved in pp.
Narrow depth of field but image does pop on the standard ground glass screen. A fun piece of tackle if you can get it cheaply.
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Inactive Account Registered: June, 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 4 | | Review Date: June 29, 2010 | Not Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 3 |
| Pros: | looks cool, compact & light weight | | Cons: | image quality is adequate at best | |
Found this in a bargain bin at a trade show. How can you walk away?
Images are very soft, low contrast, low color saturation. They can be rescued to some extent using camera settings and PhotoShop. But all things considered, not really worth the effort.
It's good as a conversation piece, but . . .
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