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darosa ![]() Emeritus group ![]() Joined: 23 March 2007 Country: Netherlands Location: Old Zealand Status: Offline Posts: 13985 |
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This thread is about mirror lenses. I thought about naming it: "Show us your donuts" but decided against it because mirror lenses are so much more than donuts! They are: affordable, hand-holdable and offer extreme focal lengths (250mm-2000mm); and in able hands they produce excellent IQ.
High time these special lenses get a dedicated thread here on Dyxum, the more so as Minolta, and now Sony is famous for their unique AF mirror lens, the Reflex 8/500. So here's the place to post your shots made with mirror lenses, discuss their pros and cons, give advise, tips, and so on and so forth. Let's follow Alice through the mirror, and see what can be found there! ![]() |
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Idleidolidyll ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 04 August 2010 Country: New Zealand Location: Aotearoa Status: Offline Posts: 779 |
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Totally agree!
OK, I'll play: Minolta AF 500mm f8 Reflex as a landscape lens? Hell yes! ![]() Taranaki Forest, New Zealand by Michael J Breen, on Flickr Sony ILCE-7R 500mm F8 Reflex f/8.0 500.0 mm 1/400 6400 Flash (off, did not fire) Distortion, what distortion? ![]() Around Auckland by Michael J Breen, on Flickr Sony ILCE-7R 500mm F8 Reflex f/8.0 500.0 mm 1/500 100 Flash (off, did not fire) Light Stuff ![]() Around Auckland by Michael J Breen, on Flickr Sony ILCE-7R 500mm F8 Reflex f/8.0 500.0 mm 1/500 125 Flash (off, did not fire) Jump! ![]() Totara Park MTB by Michael J Breen, on Flickr Sony ILCE-7R 500mm F8 Reflex Turn! ![]() Sony ILCE-7R 500mm F8 Reflex |
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Basil ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 03 December 2009 Country: United States Location: Minnesota Status: Offline Posts: 2744 |
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To see is to enjoy. To see beyond is to rejoice.
A77Mark II; A6600; A99; various film bodies and an ever-changing collection of lenses |
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Fred_S ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 12 January 2017 Country: Netherlands Location: Noord Holland Status: Offline Posts: 12876 |
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addy landzaat ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 22 April 2006 Country: Netherlands Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Posts: 14513 |
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Well, maybe I am missing something - but only Jump is typically mirror, the rest could've been taken with any long lens. Next an APO lens thread
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Why not follow me on Instagram? @Addy_101
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woodrim ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 19 October 2009 Country: United States Location: Charleston, SC Status: Offline Posts: 1975 |
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The beauty of a mirror lens in good hands is that the donuts can be controlled and the rendering can be quite nice. This isn't a thread to show donuts but what can be accomplished with a good mirror. |
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Regards,
woodrim |
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sybersitizen ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 04 August 2006 Country: United States Location: California Status: Offline Posts: 14449 |
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I gently remind people that the lens - nice though it is - is not really unique as an AF mirror lens. Minolta also produced a 400mm AF mirror lens for the Vectis system. Carry on. |
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woodrim ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 19 October 2009 Country: United States Location: Charleston, SC Status: Offline Posts: 1975 |
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Thank you for starting this thread, Leo.
Mike Idleidolidyll: That tree pops nicely. Great job on the bike pictures; I know how difficult it is to capture anything moving. Basil: Those are some of the better images I've seen from the 800mm. And Fred: You're missing some fun. Mirrors take some time to get used to and to develop technique. I've been using mirrors since 2017 after giving them a second try. My first cats were not very good, which is an important lesson to understand when purchasing. After trying again and having bought a good one, I got hooked. I actually like the unique rendering provided by a mirror, I put up with the donuts, and have found the lenses that provide more than acceptable sharpness. My mirror accumulation (not exactly a collection) is more than a dozen and has duplication of focal lengths. Some are better at close, some distance, and some just superior. Size and weight vary as well. Technique is very important. Most if not all of the mirrors require precise focusing, more so than refractor lenses. And the depth of field is typically very narrow. Rules that we understand about normal optics don't seem to apply the same to cats. In addition to technique, I find it essential to use a mirrorless camera with focus magnification in order to obtain precise focus. This, of course, applies more to the manual focus lenses. I consider this thread to be for mirror lenses of all types, not just the Minolta and Sony brands. Dyxum is a collection of very good photographers. I look forward to seeing what others are accomplishing with mirrors. |
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Regards,
woodrim |
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woodrim ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 19 October 2009 Country: United States Location: Charleston, SC Status: Offline Posts: 1975 |
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I'll be posting my first mirror pictures from my most recent purchase, the Nikon (new) 8/500. I have only just recently started using this lens. The "new" designation is misleading since it refers to the last or latest Nikon, not that it is new. I had read good things about it but the price had kept me away until now. It's a very well made lens with a long focus throw. The sharpness and contrast is better than most. I put this one among my top three performing mirrors.
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Regards,
woodrim |
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woodrim ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 19 October 2009 Country: United States Location: Charleston, SC Status: Offline Posts: 1975 |
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Yes, and a wonderful lens it is. |
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Regards,
woodrim |
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Jozioau ![]() Alpha Eyes group ![]() Joined: 13 May 2007 Country: Australia Location: Melbourne Status: Online Posts: 9656 |
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I bought my first Minolta 500mm f8 AF Reflex way back when using a Minolta 35mm AF camera, and it's been a very useful part of my kit ever since. I've found that on the a99ii it has really been given a new lease of life.
A sampler of photos I've taken with it is posted to the lens sample images thread in the Dyxum data base, but now this thread has been created, I'm happy to add to it. Some moon shots to start: 1. ![]() 2. Lunar exclipse. ![]() And some big orange ball sunsets: 3. ![]() 4. ![]() Pulling in distant subjects: 5. ![]() 6. ![]() 7. ![]() 8. ![]() 9. ![]() And some telephoto compression: 10. ![]() 11. ![]() A bit of deliberate donut: 12. ![]() And finally, for candid shots: 13. ![]() 14. ![]() I find it a handy walkabout, discrete, with tons of reach, zero distortion, zero chromatic aberration, and lots to recommend it once you learn your way around its limitations and get them mastered. |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst" - Henri Cartier-Bresson
My FlickrPro site |
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addy landzaat ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 22 April 2006 Country: Netherlands Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Posts: 14513 |
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![]() I see you guys enjoy your mirrors! |
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Why not follow me on Instagram? @Addy_101
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darosa ![]() Emeritus group ![]() Joined: 23 March 2007 Country: Netherlands Location: Old Zealand Status: Offline Posts: 13985 |
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We are not interested in what you are missing when you have obviously not (cared to) read the OP. |
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darosa ![]() Emeritus group ![]() Joined: 23 March 2007 Country: Netherlands Location: Old Zealand Status: Offline Posts: 13985 |
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You're right, thanks! |
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