I've noticed some 500mm f8 reflex mirror lenses for very low prices. An example is Vivitar's model.

They appear to be a fixed f8 and color neutral filters are inserted to reduce the light - if needed. They seem very compact and low priced.

Will these reflex lenses yield quality pictures at the expense of the inconvenience of their limited single f8 f-stop?

Sharp?

No distortions?

No vignetting?

Or are these simply junk lenses where you get what you pay for?

-- Howard Z (howard@howardz.com), February 10, 2001

Answers

You get what you pay for, so don't expect the quality to come even near that of a top dollar 'normal' 500mm.

That said, I like my Panagor 8.0/500mm. OK the original Nikon is better, but as I use the lens only occasionally, I'm not prepared to hick up the extra money. Especially as I use the lens for fashion pictures with the emphasis on atmosphere and movement, so the soft image, limited DOF and doughnut rings in the background don't bother me.

You can see examples of pictures shot with this type of lens on the Street Page of my website at

http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/fashionpp/ppfashionphotointro.html I can very well imagine though, that for e.g. nature or wildlife photography those features can be precisely what you don't want.

HTH

Paul K

-- Paul K (photopp@wanadoo.nl), February 10, 2001.

I have had a couple of these cheap mirror lenses and was always disapointed with sharpness. There wasn't any. Softest lens I've ever seen. A cheap 2X converter on an equaly cheap 70-300 zoom will actually give better pictures, and that's nothing to be proud about.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), February 10, 2001.

The fixed f/8 aperture will be the least of your problems (I usually shoot wide open with telephotos anyway). All mirror lenses display distorton of out-or-focus highlights. See my web page:http://www.kjsl. com/~dave/owls/comparison.html.

-- Dave Herzstein (dherzstein@juno.com), February 13, 2001.

I bought the $130 Vivitar and am disappointed with it. Outdoor zoo photos were quite hazy. I'd be interested to hear whether the Tamron 500/8 or Sigma 600/8 are significantly better. Does anyone out there have the experience to make a direct comparison?

On the other hand, the Vivitar is easy to handhold and to focus.

-- Michael Lopez (mlopez@ers.usda.com), February 14, 2001.

Howard: I can't make a comparison for you but I've used a Tamron SP for a number of years and I'm more than happy with it. I use it on my aging Pentax Pentax and get nice bright, sharp results. As mentioned I've had it for several years so there must be some used ones out there by now. It focuses down to five feet - they call it a macro setting - but it will fill the frame with an object 3 1/2 " long. I've never used a regular 500 mm lens so I can't compare but the depth of field is about zilch and I don't always like the donut highlights - other than that it's a great lens. Harv.

-- Harv Jenkins (hjenkins@prcn.org), July 07, 2001.

To answer Michael's question regarding the Tamron 500mm f8 and the Sigma 600mm f8 mirror lenses. I owned both of those lenses years ago, before I came to my senses. I am definately not a fan of mirror lenses. I found the Tamron to be optically superior, smaller and nicer to use than the Sigma. It was quite some time ago, but I don't believe the Tamron had a tripod collar, as it was such a small lens. The bigger Sigma had a tripod collar, but I remember that it was screwed onto the lens and was a bit wobbly. Although I'm not a fan of mirror lenses, that Tamron was capable of pretty decent images. I would recommend it over the Sigma.

-- George Rhodes (betsy@colormewell.com), July 07, 2001.