Wow this video gained a lot more attention than I anticipated! 👋 I've been seeing a lot of comments dismissing this lens without even watching the video. Just to be clear, I already mentioned in the video this lens isn't for everyone. I addressed all the limitations of the lens and presented alternatives. The video is just solely me sharing my own personal experience enjoying the lens a lot and noting it works greats for me. It's a bummer to see some comments trample on my excitement but I guess that's the internet for you. Anyway, haters gonna hate. Creators are gonna create. 🔥
My experience with this category of lens is based on a pretty poor execution of the reflex design in the copy I have. It's not my favorite lens but I don't "hate" it, that's way too strong. Still, I haven't written off reflex lenses as a category, I'd like to try others.
Man i have a choice between eos r5 nikon z9 sony alpha 1 8k sony alpha r7 61 megapixels and the fujinon gfx 100s tell me bro wich one you would take for you and why ? thanks beforehand
For almost a year I’ve been trying to buy Sony alpha 7ii till now not even got one and here i am who’s watching about lenses been explained by famous photographer @Jason Vong
For light portable extreme telephoto, I feel like Micro Four Thirds still has a niche. The Olympus 75-300 is similar cost, similar weight, smaller, brighter, has more reach, and probably has better resolving power despite the lower resolution of mft cameras. Plus you get auto focus, exif data, and the ability to zoom back and find your subject before zooming in.
I can highly recommend the sigma 100-400 "for funzies"! It's compact enough to easily fit in a backpack, the weight is easy to hold and it's sharp, relatively affordable, stabilized, AF, etc. I actually use it as a walk-around lens! It's just on that edge where that's still decently possible.
I've been using a Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens on my A7Rii for years and my tip is to use silent/electric shutter. The shutter movement will cause blur in the images because the lens is so light and the focal length so long.
Yes, there are some comments on the internet that say that mechanical shutters (electronic front curtain shutter) don't cause a shutter shock, but that's simply not true. It can ruin your photos, if you have a high angular resolution. That's why I hate cameras without an electronic shutter.
To soft. I tried old soviet lens 500 and 600, and their was sharper from camera than in video. I think Opteka 500mm f/8 for 100$ will be on same scale for quality pic. Thanks for review.
The Minolta Reflex AF 500mm f/8 ( SAL-500F80 )is MUCH sharper (and cheaper) and adapts to e-mount w/ the LA-EA4/LA-EA5 ( which will give you AutoFocus). However... ensuring that you get a prime copy requires a little more effort for A-mount lenses this old.
I have a Minolta AF 500mm that I can adapt. It really shines when paired with my a99II. I'm surprised the video calls the Tokina soft. The Minolta is tack sharp. Make an AF version too and I will be more interested.
I use the A7RIV and the Sigma 100-400 on Super 35 giving me a 150 to 600 equivalent at 26MP. Ive used it for bird photography as well as shooting the moon. It would be cool to see Sony release something like a 800 prime at a cheaper price point similar to the Canon 800mm F11.
@@choti001 I have used this lens. If you’re shooting anything that’s not an A9 or A1 (and new A7IV), I would say the the AF is about the same. It’s is optically superior and fully sealed with internal zoom so the image quality would be great. However since it’s internal zoom, it is also massive to carry around. If you’re casually using a camera and aren’t into things like car photography and birding, I would go with Sigma 100-400. Sigma also has a 150-600 Sport lens and Tamron has a 150-500. Both are not internal zoom though.
@@choti001 I own the Sigma as well and am really happy with it because of the balance between size/weight, price, and performance. The Tamron 150-500 and Sigma 150-600 are both better optically but are more expensive as well as bigger and heavier. The Sony 200-600 is similar optically to these two lenses but is a better option for the A9 II or A1 because of the faster focusing systems. It is also the biggest, heaviest, most expensive, and being white really makes it stand out. One thing of note is that of all these lenses only the Sony can be used with teleconverters. This seems to be a licensing issue as Sigma makes TCs for their L mount versions of these lenses but not for E mount.
@@choti001 Will also add that while I am very happy with the Sigma 100-400 I am probably going to buy the Sony 200-600 later this year, along with the Sony 1.4x TC. I'll keep the Sigma lens as well. Sigma is best for when weight is a big concern, will use the Sony when weight is less of a concern and I want maximum focal length. 400mm just isn't enough a lot of the time.
You should try the Sony adapter LA-EA5 and Sony 500mm f/8. So much fun with a lightweight telephoto, but with AUTOFOCUS. The downside? It's a mirror lens. Can't call your camera a "mirrorless" with the lens anymore.
The Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens unit was a gem too, and its Adaptall II mount adapter a brilliant idea. I used it intensely, took it up mountains for vultures and marmots photographs. Only good souvenirs with this great tool ! Thanks Jason for bringing all this back from the dedalus of my memory, same to Tokina for recycling an old (yet efficient) idea. Does this Tokina one have some sort of filter adapter, as a slip-in at the mount ?
This is a rebrand of a lens that has been around for awhile. The most baffling though is why so many in the photography community who have used this seem to be clueless as to what the donut shaped bokeh is or why it shows like that. These lenses are based on Cassegrain telescopes and the front glass is usually a menses lens to correct for aberrations, though at the price these sell for, i very much doubt that is what it is, rather just being plain glass and the object in the centre is the central obstruction, the other side has a mirror on it (also known as the secondary mirror) that reflects the light back down the centre to an eyepiece in a telescope or camera sensor. The central obstruction is causing the donut shaped bokeh and Cassegrain telescopes are better for night because it hides the central obstruction black spot unless the exit pupil coming from the telescope focuser is higher than the persons pupil and this is what is happening with the lens, the exit pupil coming from this lens is higher than whatever opening you have on your camera and is usually more visible in bright light or on bright objects. This also means that your camera or in astronomy when using an eyepiece, that your eye or sensor is not receiving all of the light coming from the primary objective mirror (the large main mirror at the bottom of the lens, also known as aperture) which has the effect of using a reduced aperture or put another way, having the effect of using a smaller primary mirror which has a knock-on effect of receiving less detail. To benefit from all of the aperture from a telescope or lens, the focal length has to be longer or you need to use a higher power eyepiece if it's a telescope or stop down the aperture of the lens/telescope or have a larger eye pupil or sensor. Cassegrain telescopes usually have very long focal lengths. This is probably why there are few camera lenses using a mirror and lenses that use glass at the front, also a primary objective lens (aperture) are the most common because when the exit pupil is too high, it has the effect of stopping down the aperture but without the black spot. All in all, there is nothing wrong with the lens, what you see is normal for the design which wasn't intended to be used as a camera lens and had they increased the focal length, the donut shaped bokeh wouldn't show. That being said, there is a 900mm version of this with mixed opinions.
I tried one on my Fujifilm XPro3. Too soft...whatever trips your trigger ;) But you are right the size and weight of traditional lenses are hard to lug around. I'm glad you figured out how to get the most out of it via sharpening and stabilization!
Mirror lenses are a lot of fun. I have an MTO 1000A with a focal length of a whopping 1100mm! I even managed to take a few blurry photos of Jupiter with it.
This is simply the re-release of the Tokina RMC 500mm f/8 Reflex. I have a perfect copy of that lens. Yes it's bloody small, but it's soft. All the cheap Samyang 500mm f/8 trash reflex lenses out there is based on this design. Looks like they added a T2 lens mount to it and a offering lens mount adapters. For a sharper yielding alternative that's only slightly larger....Tamron SP 500mm f/8 55BB. Uses a better mirror design, brighter and sharper. Or pick up a Russian ZM-5A 500mm f/8 Maksutov reflex lens. Built like a Russian tank, and the sharpest of them all. A lot of shots from my collection of reflex lenses in my flickr.
Do you have any proof that it's exactly the same as the old version? No improvements to the mirrors or coatings? The diagrams for the construction even look different.
I bought a Contax/Yashica 500mm f/8 mirror lens a few years back... for $50. It's near mint and photos come out just like you experienced with the new Tokina. Mirror lens were never very popular (they've been around for years) so can usually be found rather cheap. Try to get a name brand lens and it will work decent enough as a carry around 500mm lens.
Super long lenses are really interesting. I used to shoot with a RX10IV; image quality does take a hit with the smaller sensor, but being able to reach 600mm on such a small package was a lot of fun!
I'm more interested in your tripod skills/technics. Did you use a sandbag (if necessary), the brand of the tripod, etc? Also post-production workflow. I haven't seen this much sharpest images from a mirror lens.
I have a "legacy" version of this lens on my a850 and I absolutely LOVE it! I'm not a professional, but the photos I can pull out of this lens/camera combo are beyond anything I could have hoped with my skill level.
Compared to telescopes the diameter is quite small. And for planets, the focal length is not very long so even Jupiter and Saturn are small. At the focal length you don't get very far without a motorised mount and if GAS kicks in, I think one (ore more) telescopes are not far away.
I love my NIKON 500mm Mirror lens Also the old Nikon 500 Reflex lens is a great buy at $250 used its a bit heavier but its cheaper and better optics (IMO) And if you get the 2X's teliconverter you get 1000 MM
cool.. the Mirror lives! I've been using the Sigma 600/8Mirror on my Canon 5D2 and older 350D/XT for 15 years... Mirrors are a great tool, so long as you pay attention to their limitations. In good light, the results CAN be indistinguishable from those of much more expensive lenses... Cheers!
I bought a 500 mm f8 Opteka mirror lens and 2x converter just to play with (it was a low price on ebay). I had low expectations for the lens and I was not disappointed. Calling the images that I get from this "soft" would be way too generous. It's an interesting exercise to try the combinations I can get out of this coupled with my A7iii and A6600. Hand holding at 1500 mm is out of the question. If you're thinking about a mirror lens try borrowing one first if you can, that should calibrate your expectations. I should add that I'm sure that much of my disappointment is due to this lens and this manufacturer. I bet that a better manufactured version of this reflex lens would have produced much better results and left me with a completely different impression. I'm not sorry I got it, I consider it part of the learning continuum.
If you like this lens so much why not look for the only autofocus mirror lens in the world? If you would lay down 400$ fot this one you could get the minolta 500mm f8 reflex with an la-ea4 and maybe explors some old minolta lenses to for around 20-50$. I would really say go for the minolta it would be so much nicer!
I use an EF 18-300, a metabones EF to e adapter and a 1.4x or 2x (Sony) teleconverter You need to file the inside of the metabones a bit to fit the teleconverter, but once filed it works fantastic in full frame mode (the sigma adapter doesn't support teleconverters)
I think you'd have a fun time if you compare this to the Tamron 18-400 megazoom. That one is, assuredly, an APS-C lens. But it's in the budget ballpark, and might have similar or slightly better IQ than this Tokina. For me, I love my GH5 with the 100-400 zoom lens. The results from that combo is just incredible
I bought a clean copy of the Canon FD version of this lens (from the 1980s) for 50 bucks, and it does seem to be the exact same optics as the new version. In fact I have a couple of super tack sharp photos with this particular lens. One advantage to having the canon FD version is that I can adapt it on the Techart LM EA7 or LM EA9 adapter and enjoy limited autofocus capabilities. It came in really handy at a wild animal park. I was actually shocked how my favorite pictures from that day were made with that lens. As a matter of fact my favorite photo of all time was made with it. But it is a difficult lens to get good photos with, even with the autofocus adapter. Though with practice it gets easier. I use it only when I am doing astro or animal photography. Lucky it is so small and light to carry around.
I actually think the donut shaped bokeh is kinda gnarly haha. The rings honestly remind me of those little handheld games where you'd push a button to shoot water pressure and try getting the rings onto the bars haha
have something similar; Tamron-SP 500/f8 mirror (cat). I must clean out the fungus 1st .. confident I can. Curious 2 experiment (amongst other subjects) with beginning Astrophography .. checkin' out LEO objects (ISS) & the Moon .. maybe LGMs floating about checkin' us out .. naarghhh, only joking
my god.......why can''t they just release a mirrorlens with AF again?????? just why........it's only really usable for stationary objects...WORTHLESS........Minolta/Sony 500mm f/8 (A-Mount) with AUTOFOCUS Guys....adaptable with working AF on Sony....don't waste time and money............also minolta 250mm mirrorlens (this one is rare an pricy but actually worth it because it's way smaller than a modern 50mm (it's tiny )but offers 250mm & is sharp and colorfull unlike other mirrorlenses and also is 5.6)
When I first got my A7ii I found a similar tamron 500/8 at a flea market for $60. Cleaned it up and spent $20 on an adapter. Yeah it’s soft at the long range but down inside 50’ it gets Sharp!
That is basically a tiny telescope. Nice! I've recently gotten around to adapting my a6300 to my 1400mm telescope. I can get pictures of Saturn and its rings, or Jupiter and its moons! Now, if only I could get that thing anywhere other than my backyard... hahahha
Wow. What a unique lens. I clicked because of the unique specs on this lens. I shoot on an a7 iii. I have the 70-200 f4 from sony, but even that relatively small telephoto lens is pretty large. Thanks for sharing! Much appreciated.
I also travel with a mirror lens and it's nice to have it with me. I use my lens on the APS-C and it's 40 years old. It weighs little and is compact. Even if she has her weaknesses, I'm glad to have her there for special shots/moments.
You really have to watch your backgrounds with these lenses. The donut bokeh is pretty obvious with highlights but it also can make things like grass and tree branches look really trippy. Obviously, it is a lot of bang for the buck if you need a really long focal length but the drawbacks can be pretty harsh.
Great video, to solve the AF problem I got an old reflex lens Tamron 500mm 55BB put it on a M42 adapter then a M42 to LM adapter and then put it on the techart lm-ea7 and then my Sony A73 or A6500 body. Then you can get all the AF in the sony body working!
Been using the Nikkor 500mm f8 N reflex attached to a Fotodiox Pronto AF adaptor for some years now. The old Nikkor reflex is actually quite sharp and very compact although the contrast is a bit low, it produces notably better IQ than the new Chinese lenses being produced today. I also have a tiny little 300mm f5.6 reflex for stealth photog. Using these lenses on my Sony A7RIII and now the the new a1 with IBS, it is hand hold able, has AF, very compact and produces good quality images. Much of the doughnut bokeh can be managed while shooting by minding your background and in post by using the Lr subject masking tools, clarity and texture sliders moved to blur the background. Ps also has easy background blur tools.
Are you going to be reviewing the Toikina 900? I know it's an APS-C lens, but you can use clear image zoom or the APS-C crop mode to get rid of the black vignette.
I had one of these mirror lenses in the 1980's I did manage to get s good photo of the space Shuttle in flight. I bought a used one in a pawn shop for $40.00 mine is a 500mmF-8 T mount that I bought a adapter to my camera mount. The lenses works fine on stationary subjects is soft on the moon and worthless on moving subjects I prefer my manuel focus 500mm prime lens over the mirror lens as it is a sharper lens and cost me $100.00 new
There is a strong suspicion among the public that big cameras are no better than small cameras (like my Canon SX700 with it's 30x zoom). Somebody needs to make a video showing proving or disproving that big cameras are better.
Who on earth considers 8K shooting capability or MP a serious issue when you are working with a lens that is unsharp by design? You almost certainly get far more detail out of using this 350mm APSC lens even if it is only half the megapixel.
You are right. is good for Instagram, that's all that is good for. By the way, try to use that lens hood on since you have it, will help a bit with diffusion. Overall, better to have some than none.
Very good video . I have a question please ? I have a sony zv E 10 , and im wandering if this lens can match with this model ? It is recomended for vlogs ? Thank you so much .
I've been using a Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens on my A7Rii for years and my tip is to use silent/electric shutter. The shutter movement will cause blur in the images because the lens is so light and the focal length so long.
My Minolta AF Reflex 500 (with the LA EA 5) is quite sharp … for a mirror lens, that is.) There’s plenty available on Ebay around $250. The only “downside” is the need for the $250 EA-5 lens adapter that only applies to the A6600, A1, and A7R4. … and that pesky donut bokeh. But who cares? 🙄
For 250$/€/£ you could also get a used A-mount body for Sony/Minolta lenses without AF motor. Disadvantage is that you are limited to the center AF point.
the building at 0:45 looking like a stack of books looks like the one in mumbai i think its called Antilia but you have never been here in india so where was this one???
i have a Tamron from the 70's that does the same thing , its a mirror lens they have been around for a long time , there is one from Opteka that is f6.3, even sony had a more recent one
Great Video Brother. Iv been looking for something that won’t break the bank to take pictures in Yellowstone National Park from the back of my horse & you just sold me. When I see something at a distance I will be getting off the horse😂🤠 Once again Thank You
Hi Jason. Always I've tempted for this catadioptric lenses, by the same reasons as you. But many people reported so bad results with other brands. I read something of an old Canon FD mirror lens, and I decided to find one of them at eBay. Finally I got the Sony SAL500F8 REFLEX, that I use with my LA-EA4 in my A7R, the AF is fast but noisy, AF works only with a small center point... But anyway, I found it a great lens, really amazing to have 500mm in this so small form factor. Pretty happy with it. Enjoy it and Thx for the video.
Thanks for watching. Yeah I’m not sure what the deal is with the other lenses. But I saw the tokina, thought it was interesting enough to look at, I knew all the caveats and ultimately still loved the experience despite the quirks! Very happy with it!
@@JasonVong Hi Jason thank you by your answer. First of all, I must to thank you by your lens reviews videos, many of your recommendations were considered for many of my lenses, I appreciate it. Thx. For this reason, it's very nice to see how well perform the Tokina Mirror, considering you use mainly first class lenses. For me you are an excellent reference. Many brands are getting better day by day, like Tamron I mean. When I thought in vintage old lenses, was in very well known brands, because I supposed more experience, optical quality, and better designing budget at this time, no matter that the final proposal was Quality over all. For a critical design like a Catadioptric lens, this is relevant I guess. But its no less true, that today if a company share relevant know-how to thirth parties, the universe of solutions for this brand's products would be better and better. Sony may be it's doing a good job for about that, I guess. And it's great! Lol. I really appreciate your kindness, and thank you very much for your videos and support. God bless you, and Stay Safe.
i mean.. for the price of the lens you could buy a used nikon P950 or 1000 and get even more zoom with stabilization. it has 24-2000mm range (P900 and P950) and 24-3000mm for the P1000 even.
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Wow this video gained a lot more attention than I anticipated! 👋 I've been seeing a lot of comments dismissing this lens without even watching the video. Just to be clear, I already mentioned in the video this lens isn't for everyone. I addressed all the limitations of the lens and presented alternatives. The video is just solely me sharing my own personal experience enjoying the lens a lot and noting it works greats for me. It's a bummer to see some comments trample on my excitement but I guess that's the internet for you. Anyway, haters gonna hate. Creators are gonna create. 🔥
Disregard haters and move on with your creative tasks and innovations.
My experience with this category of lens is based on a pretty poor execution of the reflex design in the copy I have. It's not my favorite lens but I don't "hate" it, that's way too strong. Still, I haven't written off reflex lenses as a category, I'd like to try others.
Photographers are a pretentious bunch.
Man i have a choice between eos r5 nikon z9 sony alpha 1 8k sony alpha r7 61 megapixels and the fujinon gfx 100s tell me bro wich one you would take for you and why ? thanks beforehand
For almost a year I’ve been trying to buy Sony alpha 7ii till now not even got one and here i am who’s watching about lenses been explained by famous photographer @Jason Vong
Now you can no longer say that you took these photos with a mirrorless though :P
damn. you got me there! 😂
If for no other reason I'm glad I came to this video just for your comment
Well well well how the turn tables
For light portable extreme telephoto, I feel like Micro Four Thirds still has a niche. The Olympus 75-300 is similar cost, similar weight, smaller, brighter, has more reach, and probably has better resolving power despite the lower resolution of mft cameras. Plus you get auto focus, exif data, and the ability to zoom back and find your subject before zooming in.
2:38 “Shid, you can’t even tell.” 🤣🤣🤣
I can highly recommend the sigma 100-400 "for funzies"! It's compact enough to easily fit in a backpack, the weight is easy to hold and it's sharp, relatively affordable, stabilized, AF, etc. I actually use it as a walk-around lens! It's just on that edge where that's still decently possible.
I've been using a Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens on my A7Rii for years and my tip is to use silent/electric shutter. The shutter movement will cause blur in the images because the lens is so light and the focal length so long.
thanks for the tip!!
Yes, there are some comments on the internet that say that mechanical shutters (electronic front curtain shutter) don't cause a shutter shock, but that's simply not true. It can ruin your photos, if you have a high angular resolution. That's why I hate cameras without an electronic shutter.
To soft. I tried old soviet lens 500 and 600, and their was sharper from camera than in video. I think Opteka 500mm f/8 for 100$ will be on same scale for quality pic. Thanks for review.
The Minolta Reflex AF 500mm f/8 ( SAL-500F80 )is MUCH sharper (and cheaper) and adapts to e-mount w/ the LA-EA4/LA-EA5 ( which will give you AutoFocus). However... ensuring that you get a prime copy requires a little more effort for A-mount lenses this old.
Yep, that's what i've got for several years now. Love the thing!
You can also get a new Sony one that's probably better condition. It's still an A-mount lens.
I have a Minolta AF 500mm that I can adapt. It really shines when paired with my a99II. I'm surprised the video calls the Tokina soft. The Minolta is tack sharp. Make an AF version too and I will be more interested.
I use the A7RIV and the Sigma 100-400 on Super 35 giving me a 150 to 600 equivalent at 26MP. Ive used it for bird photography as well as shooting the moon. It would be cool to see Sony release something like a 800 prime at a cheaper price point similar to the Canon 800mm F11.
Hi have you used Sony FE 200-600? Do you know how Sigma compares to this lens?
@@choti001 I have used this lens. If you’re shooting anything that’s not an A9 or A1 (and new A7IV), I would say the the AF is about the same. It’s is optically superior and fully sealed with internal zoom so the image quality would be great. However since it’s internal zoom, it is also massive to carry around. If you’re casually using a camera and aren’t into things like car photography and birding, I would go with Sigma 100-400. Sigma also has a 150-600 Sport lens and Tamron has a 150-500. Both are not internal zoom though.
@@choti001 I own the Sigma as well and am really happy with it because of the balance between size/weight, price, and performance.
The Tamron 150-500 and Sigma 150-600 are both better optically but are more expensive as well as bigger and heavier. The Sony 200-600 is similar optically to these two lenses but is a better option for the A9 II or A1 because of the faster focusing systems. It is also the biggest, heaviest, most expensive, and being white really makes it stand out.
One thing of note is that of all these lenses only the Sony can be used with teleconverters. This seems to be a licensing issue as Sigma makes TCs for their L mount versions of these lenses but not for E mount.
@@choti001 Will also add that while I am very happy with the Sigma 100-400 I am probably going to buy the Sony 200-600 later this year, along with the Sony 1.4x TC. I'll keep the Sigma lens as well. Sigma is best for when weight is a big concern, will use the Sony when weight is less of a concern and I want maximum focal length. 400mm just isn't enough a lot of the time.
I do the same with the Tamron 150-500. I couldn’t imagine a f11 lends though. The f6.7 of the 150-500 seems to dark as it is
I have an old Soviet 1100mm lens like this. I love it.
Personally, I would just go with LA-EA adapter plus Minolta AF 500m f/8 instead. Infact I use that combo.
Me too 😉
You should try the Sony adapter LA-EA5 and Sony 500mm f/8. So much fun with a lightweight telephoto, but with AUTOFOCUS.
The downside? It's a mirror lens. Can't call your camera a "mirrorless" with the lens anymore.
Jason please consider doing this next
The Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens unit was a gem too, and its Adaptall II mount adapter a brilliant idea. I used it intensely, took it up mountains for vultures and marmots photographs. Only good souvenirs with this great tool !
Thanks Jason for bringing all this back from the dedalus of my memory, same to Tokina for recycling an old (yet efficient) idea. Does this Tokina one have some sort of filter adapter, as a slip-in at the mount ?
This is a rebrand of a lens that has been around for awhile. The most baffling though is why so many in the photography community who have used this seem to be clueless as to what the donut shaped bokeh is or why it shows like that.
These lenses are based on Cassegrain telescopes and the front glass is usually a menses lens to correct for aberrations, though at the price these sell for, i very much doubt that is what it is, rather just being plain glass and the object in the centre is the central obstruction, the other side has a mirror on it (also known as the secondary mirror) that reflects the light back down the centre to an eyepiece in a telescope or camera sensor.
The central obstruction is causing the donut shaped bokeh and Cassegrain telescopes are better for night because it hides the central obstruction black spot unless the exit pupil coming from the telescope focuser is higher than the persons pupil and this is what is happening with the lens, the exit pupil coming from this lens is higher than whatever opening you have on your camera and is usually more visible in bright light or on bright objects.
This also means that your camera or in astronomy when using an eyepiece, that your eye or sensor is not receiving all of the light coming from the primary objective mirror (the large main mirror at the bottom of the lens, also known as aperture) which has the effect of using a reduced aperture or put another way, having the effect of using a smaller primary mirror which has a knock-on effect of receiving less detail.
To benefit from all of the aperture from a telescope or lens, the focal length has to be longer or you need to use a higher power eyepiece if it's a telescope or stop down the aperture of the lens/telescope or have a larger eye pupil or sensor. Cassegrain telescopes usually have very long focal lengths.
This is probably why there are few camera lenses using a mirror and lenses that use glass at the front, also a primary objective lens (aperture) are the most common because when the exit pupil is too high, it has the effect of stopping down the aperture but without the black spot.
All in all, there is nothing wrong with the lens, what you see is normal for the design which wasn't intended to be used as a camera lens and had they increased the focal length, the donut shaped bokeh wouldn't show. That being said, there is a 900mm version of this with mixed opinions.
I tried one on my Fujifilm XPro3. Too soft...whatever trips your trigger ;) But you are right the size and weight of traditional lenses are hard to lug around. I'm glad you figured out how to get the most out of it via sharpening and stabilization!
Mirror lenses are a lot of fun. I have an MTO 1000A with a focal length of a whopping 1100mm! I even managed to take a few blurry photos of Jupiter with it.
Blurry photos of Jupiter is better than no photos of Jupiter. Holy cow, 1100mm?!
I have that lens and some big tripods. I realized how shaky tripods are because of such lens.
This is simply the re-release of the Tokina RMC 500mm f/8 Reflex. I have a perfect copy of that lens. Yes it's bloody small, but it's soft. All the cheap Samyang 500mm f/8 trash reflex lenses out there is based on this design. Looks like they added a T2 lens mount to it and a offering lens mount adapters.
For a sharper yielding alternative that's only slightly larger....Tamron SP 500mm f/8 55BB. Uses a better mirror design, brighter and sharper. Or pick up a Russian ZM-5A 500mm f/8 Maksutov reflex lens. Built like a Russian tank, and the sharpest of them all. A lot of shots from my collection of reflex lenses in my flickr.
Do you have any proof that it's exactly the same as the old version? No improvements to the mirrors or coatings? The diagrams for the construction even look different.
I bought a Contax/Yashica 500mm f/8 mirror lens a few years back... for $50. It's near mint and photos come out just like you experienced with the new Tokina. Mirror lens were never very popular (they've been around for years) so can usually be found rather cheap. Try to get a name brand lens and it will work decent enough as a carry around 500mm lens.
shooting Sony you can use the A-mount AF 500/8 Reflex with the LA-EA5. Light, compact and fun … with autofocus! (centre only)
I have to give that a try!
@@JasonVongDone it yet?
Get an a-mount adapter and try the old Minolta reflex with autofocus :)
tbh Jason I`d rather rely on my Canon-mount Tamron 75-300mm in crop mode on the A7iii. Then I`m only about 50mm short of 500mm
Super long lenses are really interesting. I used to shoot with a RX10IV; image quality does take a hit with the smaller sensor, but being able to reach 600mm on such a small package was a lot of fun!
I really need them to make an update to that. I love the concept of it. 24-600mm. Put all the updated AF and 4K60p and they got my money!
I still have my rx10mii and a SLR Anamorphot adapter for the occasional run and gun compact video package 👌🏼
Might as well get the sigma 100-400mm? It's not that big for a super telephoto lens. Also has OSS and autofocus while still fullframe
there is brother to this lens, a 400 f8, and a couple bucks cheaper... Thanks for your review, this is on my short lense list!
If you had THIS much fun with a 500mm, you should REALLY try the 600mm f4, even the super old ones are 10/10!
Feels like I just discovered a whole new world!
Just googled it. You talking about the 13k dollar one? That and this 500 are in different dimensions lmao
I'm more interested in your tripod skills/technics. Did you use a sandbag (if necessary), the brand of the tripod, etc? Also post-production workflow. I haven't seen this much sharpest images from a mirror lens.
I have a "legacy" version of this lens on my a850 and I absolutely LOVE it! I'm not a professional, but the photos I can pull out of this lens/camera combo are beyond anything I could have hoped with my skill level.
This should be great for astrophotography, considering the lack of CA.
Compared to telescopes the diameter is quite small.
And for planets, the focal length is not very long so even Jupiter and Saturn are small.
At the focal length you don't get very far without a motorised mount and if GAS kicks in, I think one (ore more) telescopes are not far away.
I love my NIKON 500mm Mirror lens
Also the old Nikon 500 Reflex lens is a great buy at $250 used
its a bit heavier but its cheaper and better optics (IMO)
And if you get the 2X's teliconverter you get 1000 MM
get a Nikon P900, P950 or P1000 - 24 to - 3000mm and same weight !!!!!!
Also a very flattering portrait lens. (I've been shooting the Nikon version of this lens since the 90's. - very fond of it)
what about comparing this to some old russian reflector lenses?
This lens is looks interesting!
500mm cinematic vlog next? 😉🤣
cool.. the Mirror lives! I've been using the Sigma 600/8Mirror on my Canon 5D2 and older 350D/XT for 15 years... Mirrors are a great tool, so long as you pay attention to their limitations. In good light, the results CAN be indistinguishable from those of much more expensive lenses... Cheers!
Sounds interesting!
I bought a 500 mm f8 Opteka mirror lens and 2x converter just to play with (it was a low price on ebay). I had low expectations for the lens and I was not disappointed. Calling the images that I get from this "soft" would be way too generous. It's an interesting exercise to try the combinations I can get out of this coupled with my A7iii and A6600. Hand holding at 1500 mm is out of the question. If you're thinking about a mirror lens try borrowing one first if you can, that should calibrate your expectations. I should add that I'm sure that much of my disappointment is due to this lens and this manufacturer. I bet that a better manufactured version of this reflex lens would have produced much better results and left me with a completely different impression. I'm not sorry I got it, I consider it part of the learning continuum.
This lens reminds me of why I was into photography...as a hobby
If you like this lens so much why not look for the only autofocus mirror lens in the world? If you would lay down 400$ fot this one you could get the minolta 500mm f8 reflex with an la-ea4 and maybe explors some old minolta lenses to for around 20-50$. I would really say go for the minolta it would be so much nicer!
Ooooo! Didn’t know about that! I will have to give that a try!
I have a Nikkor 500mm f5.6 from the 60's. Such a cool rendering. I actually like the Donut Bokeh.
I use an EF 18-300, a metabones EF to e adapter and a 1.4x or 2x (Sony) teleconverter
You need to file the inside of the metabones a bit to fit the teleconverter, but once filed it works fantastic in full frame mode (the sigma adapter doesn't support teleconverters)
For Metabones 5, the teleconverter fits in perfectly without needing modifications.
@@shang-hsienyang1284 Thats really awesome
I have to wonder how it compares to the $140 Optica of the same 500mm.
Would be a good shootout.
i use Tamron SP 500mm f/8 reflex，although it's heavier (526g approx) but it's so so sharp！
More importantly, it only cost $180
Jason's reviews got me dying every time 😂😅
I think you'd have a fun time if you compare this to the Tamron 18-400 megazoom. That one is, assuredly, an APS-C lens. But it's in the budget ballpark, and might have similar or slightly better IQ than this Tokina. For me, I love my GH5 with the 100-400 zoom lens. The results from that combo is just incredible
One bonus of this lens is that it caused me to learn the word "catadioptric."
😂😂
I bought a clean copy of the Canon FD version of this lens (from the 1980s) for 50 bucks, and it does seem to be the exact same optics as the new version. In fact I have a couple of super tack sharp photos with this particular lens.
One advantage to having the canon FD version is that I can adapt it on the Techart LM EA7 or LM EA9 adapter and enjoy limited autofocus capabilities. It came in really handy at a wild animal park. I was actually shocked how my favorite pictures from that day were made with that lens. As a matter of fact my favorite photo of all time was made with it. But it is a difficult lens to get good photos with, even with the autofocus adapter. Though with practice it gets easier. I use it only when I am doing astro or animal photography. Lucky it is so small and light to carry around.
I actually think the donut shaped bokeh is kinda gnarly haha. The rings honestly remind me of those little handheld games where you'd push a button to shoot water pressure and try getting the rings onto the bars haha
I know EXACTLY what you're talking about ⭕ 😂
@@JasonVong Glad I'm not the only one! 😂
hmmm... I don't know if my Sony a6000 will due the thing with this lens?! ;-) ... Thanks for the infos by the way ^L^
have something similar; Tamron-SP 500/f8 mirror (cat). I must clean out the fungus 1st .. confident I can. Curious 2 experiment (amongst other subjects) with beginning Astrophography .. checkin' out LEO objects (ISS) & the Moon .. maybe LGMs floating about checkin' us out .. naarghhh, only joking
my god.......why can''t they just release a mirrorlens with AF again?????? just why........it's only really usable for stationary objects...WORTHLESS........Minolta/Sony 500mm f/8 (A-Mount) with AUTOFOCUS Guys....adaptable with working AF on Sony....don't waste time and money............also minolta 250mm mirrorlens (this one is rare an pricy but actually worth it because it's way smaller than a modern 50mm (it's tiny )but offers 250mm & is sharp and colorfull unlike other mirrorlenses and also is 5.6)
Outstanding review as always 💯
When I first got my A7ii I found a similar tamron 500/8 at a flea market for $60. Cleaned it up and spent $20 on an adapter. Yeah it’s soft at the long range but down inside 50’ it gets Sharp!
That is basically a tiny telescope. Nice!
I've recently gotten around to adapting my a6300 to my 1400mm telescope. I can get pictures of Saturn and its rings, or Jupiter and its moons! Now, if only I could get that thing anywhere other than my backyard... hahahha
im imaging a tripod legs with wheels or a wagon just to roll your 1400mm telescope around 😅
I wonder if it would be possible to photograph Saturn and Jupiter with a 600mm lens and a 2x teleconverter?
Wow. What a unique lens. I clicked because of the unique specs on this lens.
I shoot on an a7 iii. I have the 70-200 f4 from sony, but even that relatively small telephoto lens is pretty large.
Thanks for sharing! Much appreciated.
I also travel with a mirror lens and it's nice to have it with me. I use my lens on the APS-C and it's 40 years old. It weighs little and is compact. Even if she has her weaknesses, I'm glad to have her there for special shots/moments.
You really have to watch your backgrounds with these lenses. The donut bokeh is pretty obvious with highlights but it also can make things like grass and tree branches look really trippy.
Obviously, it is a lot of bang for the buck if you need a really long focal length but the drawbacks can be pretty harsh.
Thinking about this unit but dont know if 400 would be better choice on my A6500... ?
500mm and longer lenses are useful when you tour Glacier Bay. The size of a polar bear looks like a nose pick with 500mm.
I shoot a lot with a manual 800mm remember this rule: “use the infinite mark”
Great video, to solve the AF problem I got an old reflex lens Tamron 500mm 55BB put it on a M42 adapter then a M42 to LM adapter and then put it on the techart lm-ea7 and then my Sony A73 or A6500 body. Then you can get all the AF in the sony body working!
Hello.I' loved your video.I ' would like to ask if l ' can use AF system( auto focus) on this lens.Thank you very much.Many greetings from Greece.😊
I just found a Minolta RF lens! Manual f8! I love it!!! $200
Been using the Nikkor 500mm f8 N reflex attached to a Fotodiox Pronto AF adaptor for some years now. The old Nikkor reflex is actually quite sharp and very compact although the contrast is a bit low, it produces notably better IQ than the new Chinese lenses being produced today. I also have a tiny little 300mm f5.6 reflex for stealth photog. Using these lenses on my Sony A7RIII and now the the new a1 with IBS, it is hand hold able, has AF, very compact and produces good quality images. Much of the doughnut bokeh can be managed while shooting by minding your background and in post by using the Lr subject masking tools, clarity and texture sliders moved to blur the background. Ps also has easy background blur tools.
Are you going to be reviewing the Toikina 900? I know it's an APS-C lens, but you can use clear image zoom or the APS-C crop mode to get rid of the black vignette.
I had one of these mirror lenses in the 1980's I did manage to get s good photo of the space Shuttle in flight. I bought a used one in a pawn shop for $40.00 mine is a 500mmF-8 T mount that I bought a adapter to my camera mount. The lenses works fine on stationary subjects is soft on the moon and worthless on moving subjects I prefer my manuel focus 500mm prime lens over the mirror lens as it is a sharper lens and cost me $100.00 new
There is a strong suspicion among the public that big cameras are no better than small cameras (like my Canon SX700 with it's 30x zoom). Somebody needs to make a video showing proving or disproving that big cameras are better.
Did you just used sony phone as a field monitor? Sick!
Yes! 😎
That phone has an HDMI in port.
Who on earth considers 8K shooting capability or MP a serious issue when you are working with a lens that is unsharp by design? You almost certainly get far more detail out of using this 350mm APSC lens even if it is only half the megapixel.
You are right. is good for Instagram, that's all that is good for. By the way, try to use that lens hood on since you have it, will help a bit with diffusion. Overall, better to have some than none.
I have an old Sigma 600mm f/8 mirror lens that I still play around with from time to time.
Cool, but... $400? Plenty of reflex lenses out there: Opteka 500mm f/8 is $105 at B&H. And my 300mm f5.6 reflex is 3 inches long.
너무 소프트해서 화질이 개구려서 그냥 없는 게 나은 렌즈....계륵도 못되는 렌즈
You could adapt an Minolta Reflex APO autofocus 500mm (A Mount) mirror lens. I love the bokeh quality and it has autofocus.
Very good video . I have a question please ? I have a sony zv E 10 , and im wandering if this lens can match with this model ? It is recomended for vlogs ? Thank you so much .
Do you think it can be used with an older sony model, like the A6400? Or it's not worth it. Let me know if you get a chance. Great video as usual ;)
I've been using a Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens on my A7Rii for years and my tip is to use silent/electric shutter. The shutter movement will cause blur in the images because the lens is so light and the focal length so long.
That quality is not good for camera like this, you can buy cheap pocket camera with zoom like that and quality is same.
My Minolta AF Reflex 500 (with the LA EA 5) is quite sharp … for a mirror lens, that is.)
There’s plenty available on Ebay around $250.
The only “downside” is the need for the $250 EA-5 lens adapter that only applies to the A6600, A1, and A7R4.
… and that pesky donut bokeh. But who cares? 🙄
For 250$/€/£ you could also get a used A-mount body for Sony/Minolta lenses without AF motor.
Disadvantage is that you are limited to the center AF point.
You can also use the la-ea 4 end 2
@@jasperborst3388 correct. I also own the EA4, but that huge “chin” prevented the use of the dedicated A6600 cage by SmallRig.
@@jasperborst3388 You're right but I didn't like it because of the bulky shape and that it's one device more when changing lenses.
@@flitetym yeah that is indead something to keep in mind. I personely don't use a cage and i love the setup
Is it good for bird photography? As I am currently using canon 55-250 mm and want to upgrade.
It’s only good for hobbies and for fun or very specific things
I hate RUclipsrs bringing attention tho because the prices go to the sky
the building at 0:45 looking like a stack of books looks like the one in mumbai i think its called Antilia but you have never been here in india so where was this one???
In New York!
NICE. this might do great on a gimbal with focus wheel.
If you're going to get donut bokeh, you might as well get it with NY traffic. Looks neat!
so overpriced.. same cost 50 bucks on ebay. and no, this is a kind of lens that arent better because of price and brand...
i have a Tamron from the 70's that does the same thing , its a mirror lens they have been around for a long time , there is one from Opteka that is f6.3, even sony had a more recent one
I want one! Just looks fun to play around with!
If one already owns an LA-EAn adapter, it makes a lot of sense to get a Sony/Minolta with AF.
I wonder how it was built that it could be that small. Maybe it utilizes a micro 4:3 system?
rokinon / samyang 500mm 6.3 look sharoper
Adding mirror to mirrorless isn't that bad it seems
Great Video Brother. Iv been looking for something that won’t break the bank to take pictures in Yellowstone National Park from the back of my horse & you just sold me. When I see something at a distance I will be getting off the horse😂🤠
Once again Thank You
The resolution coming out of that lens is nowhere near 8k anyways, so it just doesn't make sense at all.
Hi Jason. Always I've tempted for this catadioptric lenses, by the same reasons as you. But many people reported so bad results with other brands. I read something of an old Canon FD mirror lens, and I decided to find one of them at eBay. Finally I got the Sony SAL500F8 REFLEX, that I use with my LA-EA4 in my A7R, the AF is fast but noisy, AF works only with a small center point... But anyway, I found it a great lens, really amazing to have 500mm in this so small form factor. Pretty happy with it. Enjoy it and Thx for the video.
Thanks for watching. Yeah I’m not sure what the deal is with the other lenses. But I saw the tokina, thought it was interesting enough to look at, I knew all the caveats and ultimately still loved the experience despite the quirks! Very happy with it!
@@JasonVong Hi Jason thank you by your answer. First of all, I must to thank you by your lens reviews videos, many of your recommendations were considered for many of my lenses, I appreciate it. Thx. For this reason, it's very nice to see how well perform the Tokina Mirror, considering you use mainly first class lenses. For me you are an excellent reference. Many brands are getting better day by day, like Tamron I mean. When I thought in vintage old lenses, was in very well known brands, because I supposed more experience, optical quality, and better designing budget at this time, no matter that the final proposal was Quality over all. For a critical design like a Catadioptric lens, this is relevant I guess. But its no less true, that today if a company share relevant know-how to thirth parties, the universe of solutions for this brand's products would be better and better. Sony may be it's doing a good job for about that, I guess. And it's great! Lol. I really appreciate your kindness, and thank you very much for your videos and support. God bless you, and Stay Safe.
What silver top handle is that you have on the cold shoe of your camera? I want one like it.
It’s a mini top handle from Smallrig. I talked about it in the video before this one. SONY a7 IV accessories
i mean.. for the price of the lens you could buy a used nikon P950 or 1000 and get even more zoom with stabilization. it has 24-2000mm range (P900 and P950) and 24-3000mm for the P1000 even.
But the image quality is horrendous.. bad sensor.
we wil need a 1000mm f/ 8...😮 for canon and nikon...
I have known about mirror lenses since 1978.
No thanks, next! The image quality it provides is not workable to me.
All good. I know this lens ain’t for everyone
Uhh, huh, it's a coomer lens - no way around it. KEKW
Its not enough for pros Man. 8K doesn't make lens sharper :)