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Re: [OM] opinions of the OM 500mm F8.0 reflex lens?

Subject: Re: [OM] opinions of the OM 500mm F8.0 reflex lens?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 12:53:17 -0700
On 4/22/2015 1:19 AM, Hughes wrote:
I have always avoided reflex lenses, because of the well known bad bokeh and  
lower contrast issues.

Here you can compare it to other mirror lenses. <http://web.archive.org/web/20110720030720/http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/mp-cat-tests.txt>

Contrast isn't much of a problem with digital. Here's Ian's windmill image with simple PS adjustments. <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/Swiss/Llandudno_Windmills.htm>

And an image of mine, taken with the Sigma 600/8, which you'll see in the tests linked above is lower contrast, although slightly higher resolution, than the Oly - shooting through 8 miles of air doesn't improve contrast, either. <http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=California/Yosemite/Yosemite_2011/Yosemite_Valley&image=_MG_0382oof80m.jpg>

As you can see from the above samples, bokeh isn't a problem at long distances with nonexistent or minimally detailed backgrounds.

Here, in some relatively ancient shots with 600/8 on Canon 300D, you can see again how nicely it works with distant subjects and the ring bokeh in the shots of marmot and squirrels; not necessarily a deal breaker. <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/MPhotos/Maine/Sigma600/>

Try to use one to get even closer to something close, with foreground and background stuff, and thing scan get surreal, with doubling of lines, etc. Sometimes artistic. ;-)

However, they have huge advantages in size and weight over conventional lenses 
and don't suffer from out of focus color fringing.  I was traveling last year 
and was thinking that maybe a reflex lens, makes sense for travel.
With a high ISO setting on my A7R they might even be handholdable as they are 
not long,heavy and unwieldly.

I'm not convinced. I did try the considerably smaller, lighter Tamron 350/5.6 handheld. My hit rate with 500 mm would be quite low. An A7 II, with IBIS, could be a different story.

Looking at the nature of the beasts and the Modern tests, I suspect my experience with the Sigma 600/8 will be close to what you would find with the Oly 500/8.

Info by Analogy Moose

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