photos: 600mm mirror lens tests

[Godfrey]

Testing the Sigma 600mm f/8 mirror on the Sony A7...

all: Sony A7 + Sigma 600mm mirror lens​

Focusing is typical for a mirror: razor thin focus zone.

Results are typical of mirror lens too: a bit low on contrast out of the camera but nothing a little bit of Tone Curve can't cure.

It certainly isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but for the little I play with ultra-tele work, it's good enough and provides access at a low price. I only paid $95 for it... 🙂

Thanks for looking! Comments always appreciated.

G

 

[BillBingham2]

I played with a 500mm Nikkor many years back at a class I took. Razor thin depth of field is very well put.

Vivitar OEMed a couple of solid CATs from Perk&Elmer that were smaller than a regular CAT but heavier. They also were higher priced than I could afford and very hard to find the couple of times I wanted one.

Interesting tests. I've seen that lens when searching for different lenses for a digital camera I don't have (and may never) and was wondering about the quality. It seems a fine value for the price.

Please share your real world results when you can.

Thanks.

B2

 

[Godfrey]

I had one of the Vivitar 600 or 800 Solid Cats .. Talk about heavy! Hardly used it because it was simply too much to carry.

G

 

[x-ray]

I had a Russian MTO in the elate 60's that was a pretty good lens and a Nikkor N version about twenty years ago. I've thought about another but just feel they're too limited due to aperture more than anything. I've seen a few of the Nikkor 500 f5's around at good prices but never seen any images from one.

Earlier this year I considered buying one but went with a new Nikkor 300 f4 and new Nikkor 1.4x converter. It's amazing how sharp it is even wide open with the D800. Still I'm fascinated with the cats and may eventually pick one up again.

Years ago I had a chance to do some shooting with a Questar that a friend owned. What an amazing lens. Unfortunately it's a beast to use.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Nikkor 300 f/4 is a terrific lens.

Wine bottle shot is, I think, pretty impressive. And the out-of-focus donuts in the "Madonna" shot certainly got my attention.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks again for commenting!

Yes indeed, Nikon's always made an excellent 300mm lens. Last one I had was a superb Pre-AI model, took amazing photographs.

I like the cats for their extreme limitations as well as (at least for standard ones, not the "solid cat" designs) the long length folded into a fairly light and compact package. They push me to thinking about how to make satisfying photos, and do all that nice extreme perspective flattening I like when used at real distances for landscape work.

Yeah, some folks seem to think Landscape equals Ultra-Wide. It's never been that way for me. I love ultra-telephoto landscapes ... but you need BIG spaces for it to work. 🙂

G

 

[John E Earley]

500mm/FD mount on a a6000

 

[Nokton48]

I recently picked up a 500mm f8 Minolta MD Rokkor-X and am enjoying playing with it. Used to have a 500mm F8 Reflex-Nikkor, and this about the same IMO. A bit lower contrast rendering to my eye. Depth-of-focus can be an issue. Not bitingly sharp, either.

 

[Godfrey]

Sigma 600 cat fitted to Olympus E-M1. Effective 1200mm f/8, I guess. 🙂

G