Cheapest lens 400mm or over??

topcatproduction

topcatproduction

Messages
500
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi, I have a 70-300 but occasionally I would like something longer, a prime would be great as it would be very rarely used. Manual is absolutely fine as I wouln't be using it for anything fast, so what are the best IQ lens options available that I can fit an EOS adapter to?

I have a Pentax M 100mm lens and really like it, but not sure if there are any Pentax 400/500's out there? What about old FD lenses? As mentioned, so long as I can get an adapter for it all I want is the best IQ I can find.

(and yes- I know there is no such thing as a free lunch so I'm not expecting L quality for £40 :lol:)
 
The cheap option would be a no-name 500mm mirror (catadioptric) lens. Probably around the £60 - £70 mark 2nd hand (but I could be way wrong!). These tend to be f/8 and fixed aperture. They also give doughnut out of focus highlights. They also tend to be Adaptall mount which means that they can be used with most common mounts with a suitable adaptor. London Camera Exchange stock Samyang mirror lenses - a 500mm f/6.3 and the 800mm f/8.
 
What are mirror lenses like to use? I have seen some in pictures but never held one or seen sample shots, I'm guessing they're not great or they would still be used regularly!

Also how would a sub £100 old 4-500mm lens compare IQ wise to my 70-300 with a 1.4tc on it? I have seen new cheap lenses on ebay like 6-800mm but never even thought about them as assumed the IQ would be dreadful!
 
I have a centon 500mm F8 mirror lens, Pentax fit (fits recent digital's no problem, but manual focus) that you can have for the price of a stamp and a decent bottle of South African Red! (none of that Namaqua or Kumala crap!) :lol::shrug::beer:

I assume from the fact you can use a Pentax 100mm, then you have the necessary adaptor.
 
One choice is the old Sigma 400mm f5.6 It will only work at 5.6 on new cameras but some are very sharp open wide. The one I have is sharper than my Sigma 70-300mm APO stopped down at f8 and usable at 450mm with an 1.5TC. Sometimes I even use it at 600mm on my 1D with the 2x TC. You can get the Sigma for around £100 is you are patient.

Another choice is this old M42 lens lens (300mm f4). My copy was usable at 600mm f8 with a very cheap M42 2x TC. You can find this from around £70 and up:
http://www.mflenses.com/tair-3s-300mm-f45-foto-snaiper-lens-review.html
 
Thanks again for the replies- Lynton that sounds possible- depends on how much of a wine connoisseur you are and how expensive a bottle you like :lol: Please feel free to send me a PM and can discuss it if interested!

Thanks for the info micloi
 
I'm looking for a fairly low cost lenses in the 400-500mm that would cost up to 150€ and I've found Samyang Preset 500mm ED MC f8.0:
http://www.foto-tip.pl/sklep/samyang_preset_500mm_ed_mc_f_8_0_nikon-p-1338.html
and a review of it:
http://translate.google.com/transla...&start=10&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS339US339
and another one of a Samyang 500mm f/6.3 MC:
http://translate.googleusercontent....le.com&usg=ALkJrhjubDTKRnLoaPrp5hTtkOrdSHYAGQ

The Samyang Preset 500mm ED MC f8.0 seems to be fairly sharp, although the CA can get quite pronounced. Still, for the price...
 
The Canon 400 f5.6 is an extremely good optic. Admittedly a bit long in the tooth now, with no IS but still excellent value for money. Razor sharp and very fast focussing.
 
Well, I bought the Samyang Preset 500mm ED MC f8.0 today after midnight after thinking it over. For 130 €, I don't think I'll be sorry judging by the samples I've seen. I'll probably be using it only a few times a year anyway.
I'll try to put up a review after it arrives, which should be next week and I should have the time and light for it next weekend :)
 
Slapo- just looked at the links and it seems like a very good lens for the money! Plus as it is white and black- if you painted the gold ring on the end red, people would think you were rich :lol:
 
topcatproduction said:
Slapo- just looked at the links and it seems like a very good lens for the money! Plus as it is white and black- if you painted the gold ring on the end red, people would think you were rich :lol:
Click to expand...

That's what I thought about the lens - good price/performance ratio. It's a pity it's fully manual, but at least it'll help improve my manual focusing skills.
As I'm planning to do a review, do you have anything you'd like me to include in it?
I'm going to try it with stills (macro with extension tubes, maybe?) and I'll try a bit of BiF later on, althouh it might take me a few weeks before I get any keepers with my limited training time (with the lens it'll probably be sunny evenings/weekends only). Then again, it could be perfect for the ducklings that happen to live not that fair away :thinking: . I've tried it with the Sigma 70-300mm I have but for some reason they didn't come out quite as well as I have hoped they would but I wasn't close enough anyway. Might have another look at them, though :D
 
The fact that it's fully manual won't matter so much as it's f/8; much more room for errors in focussing. Viewfinder's gonna be mighty dark though.
 
Slapo said:
Well, I bought the Samyang Preset 500mm ED MC f8.0 today after midnight after thinking it over. For 130 €, I don't think I'll be sorry judging by the samples I've seen. I'll probably be using it only a few times a year anyway.
I'll try to put up a review after it arrives, which should be next week and I should have the time and light for it next weekend :)
Click to expand...

I'd be interested to see how you get on with this, as I've been considering one for a while, and like you, it wouldn't be used often - maybe the odd bird or moon shot.

Plus I'm a sucker for anything cheap, you'd think I'd have learnt by now.:bonk:
 
Me too, post some shots when you get some! I have played with the f/8 mirror lens and it isn't bad, not sharp but as a cheap manual lens I cant complain!

At f/8 I haven't had any probs with it being too dark to focus, in sunlight I don't notice it at all, also using it on a tripod is a must unless it is very bright, the live view with zoom on my 40D is an absolute gem with a lens like this :D

The problem is- now I have a 500mm lens, I'm gonna be getting the upgrade bug for something with better IQ, but on a lens like this it is gonna be MEGABUCKS :shake:

p.s. the lens itself is only about 4" long!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top