 | Opteka 500mm f/8 Telephoto Mirror Lens for Nikon SLR D90 D80 D70s D70 D50 D40x D40 D700 D300 D200 D100 |
| List Price: | $139.95 |
| Price: | $99.95 |
Product Description
The Opteka mirror lens is incredibly compact and lightweight. Using an advanced reflex design, this is a mirror lens that is ideally suited for wildlife and sports photography. It has a fixed aperture of f8. It comes complete with a soft pouch and three (3) rear mounted, 30.5mm filters, (ND-2X, ND-4X & Skylight). Opteka mirror lenses incorporates advanced computer designed optics and the latest in multi-coating techniques.á The process of multi-coating assures virtually flare free photographs even under adverse lighting conditions resulting in crisp high contrast pictures with full color fidelity.
Customer Reviews
I use canon, but it is the same.
I used this lens long enough to maximize its potential. I shot handhold with ISO 800 at 1/800s when the subject is in sunny day and ISO 1600 at 1/800S when subject is in cloudy day with my 40D, and I just uploaded some here. My subjects are mostly moving people, but focus is no problem with me. I have to say that the deep of field of this lens is very very shallow, and if you don't focus right or if you don't know how to focus a lens which is by turning the focus ring to the right or left, then your picture will be very very soft to a point that is out of focus.
THIS LENS IS OUTDOOR ONLY LENS. Even if you use tripod indoor, focus is nearly impossible because of this lens's maximum aperture is F/8, since you need light to be able to focus.
Lens flare is a big problem. you need to use front or size lighting when using this lens, or you will get very very low contrast pictures.
Post-Process is not an opinion. you have to increase the contrast and the color saturation of every pictures. Sharpness is no way comparable to my other canon L lenses, but when the focus is acceptable and with some Photoshop sharpening, the result is comparable to most consumer-level lens.
I used quite a number of lens before this lens. I own three Canon professional L lens and have sigma's EX line lens. This is the cheapest lens I bought. I learned one thing that a good lens can produce bad picture if you don't know how to use it in an appropriate way. For real, the time I bought my L lens, I am totally count on it, but it disappointed me after I got bad results.
That is to say: buy it if you want to learn to use it. It is good deal for real, for less than 100 dollar.
Pro
500mm
Cheap in tag
Con
manual focus maybe hard for most of the people (but not me)
Low contrast (you can increase contrast in Photoshop)
Slow Lens (you have to use at least ISO 800 with handhold)
About sharpness: YOU HAVE TO FOCUS PRECISELY. Since it is hard, most people will comment that this lens is not sharp. THEY ARE WRONG.
You get what you pay for
I thought this looked like a great deal. 500mm lens for under a $100. All the reviews I read were favorable. So now I realize that those reviewers either work for Opteka, the seller, or are on serious drugs! This lens **SUCKS**! I can't begin to say all the things wrong with it. The attachment ring does not always stay on, it does not work that well with the D70, you must have a ton of light (I know it is f8, but acts like it is f22 instead), does not do color well, and all around SUCKS. Did I mention that this lens SUCKS?!! I would return it, but they charge a 15% restocking fee plus shipping fee, so I would be lucky to get half my money back. Lesson learned: always try out a lens before you buy it. And make sure it does not SUCK! Avoid this lens like the plague and stick to Nikon or Sigma.
Great lens for the price.
For $75 on special I found this to be a good bargain.
It works strictly in manual mode, so you have to know how to actually work your camera! Don't expect anything automatic: if you are a point and shoot photographer in full-auto mode, then this is not the lens for you!
Images are of reasonable quality. I have not detected any distortion. The lens is wonderfully compact for a 500mm telephoto, so I can add it to my collection of lenses in a fairly small camera bag - Otherwise I would not be carrying a telephoto of this magnitude around, and would miss those occasional moments that this can capture.
It also does a great job with macro - So I don't have to carry a separate macro lens around.
Only negative - At a fixed F8 you have to have very good lighting conditions for the lens to be useful at faster shutter speeds - With lower lighting you have to slow the shutter, which can add a lot of shake.
