ProOptic 500mm f/6.3 Mirror, Manual Focus Lens for Canon EOS Mount SLR Cameras

2013-04-02T21:00:00

If your T-mount "breaks in two pieces" check the screws that hold the two parts together: they do come loose. If you loose one (or more...) of these you'll just have to get a new T-mount... Keep a jeweler's screwdriver of the appropriate size in your camera bag so you can tighten these screws as needed.

THE G.

2012-12-10T19:00:00

Back in the olden days when we we used analog capture, we used a trick for determining exposure on the fly called the sunny 16 rule. On a sunny day at F16 you would use the ASA/ISO index as the shutter speed. So if using 200 ASA/ISO then you would be shooting at 1/200 of a second. Open up 2 stops for the shadows. Of course you would need to shift your shutter speed accordingly if you wanted to use a different f stop. Hope this helps.

shooter1959

2012-05-26T21:00:00

This lens has exceeded my expectations. I am very pleased with it. For 'bang for the buck' I rate it with the Canon 50mm f1.8. Where else can you get quality images and 500mm reach for such a low price? I had read that the images were no better than a 200 mm or 300 mm shot from a conventional lens cropped and enlarged. Not true! The best shots from this lens are quite good. Of course, there is no IS and autofocus. It is indeed a challenge to use, but that's half the fun. I have some very good captures that were hand held at ISO 1600.

Backyaerd S.

2012-05-23T21:00:00

Mirror lenses are a breed all there own. They are usually heavier, any blured shadows will be like little doghnuts, no big deal with all of the various editing programs I kind of like it. This was big in the 60's before Canon/Nikon made smooth backgrounds a thing of the now and made it afordable. I have to admit I am spoiled now with auto everything and my Canon T2i has that great manuel setting . I feel guilty now if I use an auto setting. I have a Celestron C5- 5" dia.Mirror by 1250mm long f/10 schmidt casagrain mirror scope. Big and bulky. But I can see people in there yards from 5 miles away from the mountian top. on an average day most people would freek out with thses scops probabably not the best lenses to make money on unless you really understand why your getting wierd double vision(optics out of alignment), ripples in your pictures on hot sunny days (tube currents), you can see heat curents in atmosphere unlike regular refractor lenses (all glass)the mirrors and lens combinations with rock the world of all but the absolute best large spotting scopes This C5 could stand up to a Canon super lens with ease ok I would take the cannon. At 12000 for thre canon and ,my 5 ich glass at [$] we had a chuckle I think hw was thinking yea i blew him away but he could hold the candle up for sure. Ok i had a chance to use this little mirror scope it is awesome but you have to love mirror lenses there positives and negatives. Happy hunting have fun.

Michael R.

2011-12-13T19:00:00

If you don't want to invest time in this, don't do it. It's its own little niche of photography and not handy for any of the above uses except wildlife photography if you need reliable results. That said, these are a lot of fun to master. Note that there's a blog for mirror lens tips at mirrorlenses at wordpress

pro s.

2011-08-12T21:00:00

Do not expect a 100% keeper rate or ease of use here. This lense takes practice and a fair amount of involvement to use, especially when handheld. You can expect great shots out of it though. 500mm and donut bokeh opens many doors!!!

Ron

2010-10-13T21:00:00

I bought this lens under speculation because of some reviews that deemed the lens somewhat substandard. I feel if you set your dioptic on your camera with a quality auto-focus lens while pointing it at a calender let's say, then attach this lens along with proper shutter speed, ISO, and a steady hand or tripod you will achieve all that you desire from this manual unit. It's like a mini cassegrain telescope attached to your camera. It is an excellent quality and precision achievement. I find no fault with it. It is the same size as my Canon, it is heavy but the unit itself aids the hand in steadying the shot. I have several lenses to compare this one to, and when I bring up the details with the magnifier, I find the focus level is quite good. Comparable to my other lenses. In short--You just have to know how to take pictures and you will have no gripes!

Jeanric

2010-07-02T21:00:00

Excellent value at the price. However, for ~$500 you could get a Canon 75-300 IS with a noticeable increase in sharpness and not a lot more weight. The setup: Canon 7D on Tripod bright sun, F 6.3 at 1/800 shutter speed using aperture preferred mode. Photographed objects were at 15+ meters. JPG large output (18 MP) Pro Optic image was entirely acceptable. Image from EOS 75-300 zoomed to 300mm and cropped to 500mm equivalent was sharper. Note that the sensor crop on a 7D is 1.6 so I'm actually comparing images equivalent to 800mm on 35mm film for the ProOptic and 480mm equivalent on the Canon 75-300 IS) Even at shutter speeds of 1/500 and faster, you don't hand hold either of these to look at sharpness. Manual focus on the 7D with the ProOptic was slow and iffy but more the fault of using a mat screen at 800mm than anything about the lens. One other item of note: the ProOptic produced cooler images than the Canon. Either's image could be corrected with Photoshop to match the other. For me the only benefit to the ProOptic (because I already have the 75-300) is that I can get the full 18 MP at 800mm equivalent angle of view. Cropping the 75-300 to get 800mm equivalent gives 11MP if not resampled. Big Deal? - some times.

TC

2010-06-23T21:00:00

This IS NOT $ lens so DO NOT expect it to perform like one. I read all the reviews, including the negative ones, and decided to go ahead and buy it. I am glad I did. It is totally manual focus and if you take your time you can get some good shots. I have placed several I took the first day I owned the lens. It works great in sunlight and you can get some great effects with it. I am going to buy Olympus' EC-20 teleconverter for my E-520 besides to use with my 70-300mm already. This is a good lens, well made, and is very satisfying to use.

pastorblastor

2010-05-30T21:00:00

I only use with a tripod. That doesn't work to well, looks good in the view finder, when picture is displayed on computer or printed not good at all

have n.

2009-10-01T21:00:00

Great product for its price. Although you have to focus manual and there is no metering (you have to use the histogram for proper exposure)I've taken wonderful shots with it, handheld (over 1/250sec)and tripod.

Mary

2009-04-13T21:00:00

From the blurb on the product description: "Works with auto focus cameras in manual focus mode only" - and that's about it! No aperture to change so your depth of field is fixed and it's fixed at zip! accurate focusing is a must so shallow is the DoF. I tried to use this lens with my Canon 2x converter and then a Vivitar 1.4x to take a big moon shot and both times the camera failed to recognise that a lens was actually attached. But ... for [$], what was I expecting?!

Baldrick

2009-03-21T21:00:00

The image is soft at 100% crop, but overall has loads of potential. The look reminds me of a high iso film, a touch of glow with what I'd actually call "grain" to it, not noise. I dont think it has any use in motorsports/action per say (wont know till I try) but for everything else I shoot I like it. Time will tell the whole story, but for [$]you cant go wrong. I really like the way this lense and black and white work. I seem to think it likes being a touch under exposed (1/3 stop) and if you can up the sharpness in your camera a notch it helps. It may not be my first choice in lenses to grab, but it has a place in my bag for sure.FWIW Im shooting it on a Canon Rebel XT with my iso at 100 most of the time.

Shawn

2009-03-15T21:00:00

i used this as soon as i got hold of it. it was great having a 500mm. the shots were decent for its price. i could have made more great comments however, it was only when i detached it that i had a problem. detaching it from the camera body was already a tedious task. when i tried to unscrew the t mount, it broke into two. the screw part was left attached to the lens while i was holding on to the NIkon F mount part. then i realized the mount is constructed in two parts. it was just being held together by three screws of some sort for which easily broke when i tried to unscrew the t mount. now its useless much to my dismay.

mike

2009-02-24T19:00:00

Great lens for quick hand-held work, although depth of field is measured in inches... I use it for hand-held shots, sometimes as slow as 1/90th sec,

paul

2009-01-11T19:00:00

Amazing 500mm lens (1000mm effective if using a 4/3 body) that can fit in a COAT POCKET. Using this on E-510 with built-in image stabilization. The depth of field is very narrow and focusing is manual, so a sharp eye and a little sharpening in post is a must. Got it just before a trip up to Maine and used it for the first time while there. Below is one of the very first pictures I shot using this lens. It was taken hand-held, in the font yard, while standing in two feet of snow. Might not be National Geo but I'm happy for a first attempt. *NOTE- I ORDERED ONLINE AND RECEIVED A OM ADAPTER, CALL TO ORDER WITH A 4/3.

ADAM M.

2008-11-04T19:00:00

I use this for distant birding shots ,portraits so far. I just recieved it today and love the power from it. very simple to use. I have the nikon d60 .just screw on adaptor,put on camera like normal lens and make sure its in manual mode. then adjust your lighting . It's very fussy with the adjustment for sharpness but I think if it was a sunny day it would be easier .It's a great option if you want to "get close" to something like birds or animals that spook easy when you get close to them. I sure am glad I got it and am waiting for a nice sunny day . WORTH THE MONEY SPENT. very simple to use.

sudzmonn