Mirror lenses!

Miranda F wrote: On these pics it looks like a wave of the magic blurring wand would kill all the obvious donuts.

Yes, sometimes the background can be modified. I'm very careful not to alter results too much depending on where I post. I'm very active in a facebook mirror lens group where I think it important to represent the lenses accurately for the benefit of those who are considering purchases. With all of that said, I had discovered a little while back that the background could be lessened in impact using Nik Viveza 2 plugin. Moving the structure slider all the way to the left will do that but then the subject needs to be recovered with the history brush.

Is there a guide to removing the baffle?

Snegren wrote: I lifted the mount of the 28-56 zoom and found the baffle as integral part of the mount. On the 400 Mirror the mount and the baffle have different appearance, so perhaps they can be separated although it appears from the outside that there is a solid bond between the two (no screws). I will unscrew the mount and the electronic contacts later today to see what's going on inside. I have to be careful though, ruining a 28-56 zoom is not the same as ruining a 400 Reflex.

Look here first

Baffle modified, re-inserted. I hope all systems are still go, don't have a way of testing it so I'll have to patiently await a VECTIS adapter.

Snegren wrote: It appears the Rubinar MC 4.5/300 contains a 1.3x teleconverter in its optical scheme that can be removed (don't know how) to obtain a 3.5/230 Mirror lens with some vignetting on FF. Neat, right. Not that I'm going to try it, the MC Rubinar's go for like 600 Euro.

Where did you learn/see that? I find that very interesting. It would also change the flange distance, I presume.

1: Spires

Camera Model: ILCE-7RM4
Lens: Minolta 500mm F8 Reflex
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 0.003 sec (1/320)
ISO: 400

2: Rooftop

Camera Model: ILCE-7RM4
Lens: Minolta 500mm F8 Reflex
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 0.003 sec (1/320)
ISO: 400

3: Rooftop

Camera Model: ILCE-7RM4
Lens: Minolta 500mm F8 Reflex
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 0.003 sec (1/320)
ISO: 250

Snegren wrote: I tried hand held shooting with the Mino AF 500 at 1/320 shutter speed and the movement the IBIS causes on the sensor is such that the image goes extremely wonky. This is in silent mode, perhaps that matters. Any opinions on this? Tripod works much better, naturally. No complaints on sharpness on these images that were taken over great distance, even as they were taken on my 'travel 3-pod. Amazing lens, focusing a bit nervous on the LA-EA5, another thing the tripod solves.....

Paul: I do the vast amount of my mirror shooting handheld. I do use a monopod with bigger and heavier lenses. I have noticed some wonkiness when in portrait orientation but not landscape. I stopped using silent more or front shutter-whatever after finding that I was getting dark bands when using high shutter speeds. The birds have gotten used to me and are now not frightened by the shutter clank.

I did briefly use my AF Reflex this past Sunday with the LA-EA4 and suspect I must again check the micro-adjust. I'm not perfectly happy with the focus accuracy. I have not yet checked but wonder if the camera lost the setting I had in it. The last I saw, the LA-EA5 did not support the Reflex on my A7II. I may have to do the MonsterAdapter modification.