The true strength of this or any other long telephoto lens is not in capturing large objects far away. Its strength is in capturing small objects, near by, and in great detail. With birds, this is often done in rough terrain, a long walk from the road. These are qualities not fully appreciated by those of us who only work with larger objects, like people or buildings, and in studios or urban areas. Excellent video.
What do you think of this different style of review video? I filmed myself using the DJI Osmo Action instead of a DSLR on a tripod, and I'd be interested to know if you'd like to see me film more reviews like this, or you preferred my old way of doing things.
I've had my 600 sigma mirror for roughly 10 years now and it has stayed in pretty mint condition primarily use it for photographing the Moon and wildlife on the mountain across the river from my home as far as stiffness goes that seems to lessen over time and significantly in the summer months due to what I assume is the grease used to lubricate the lens.
I generally try to get mirror lenses for cheap if I ever spot them. If you're ever interested in purchasing any for a good price let me know! I really enjoy your channel, good simple edits with classical/traditional music, and thorough but not overly thorough reviews that make you tune out or anything. Keep up the good work!
I have 5 or slightly more mirror reflex lens. I shoot on a tripod and found that if you use at least a 2x ND filter even when not needed for shutter speed control, you can get better contrast and color saturation from these lenses. Also helps to use zoom focus assist to get a reasonable sharp image. Now I am not saying you'll be able to replace your "L" glass with these but for the money with a little more setup time you can get a respectable image from a reflex lens.
i have one of these mirror lenses made by Tokina and the downsides are 1. low contrast, muted colors, 2. difficult to focus as the DOF is shallow and the focussing mechanism is slow and clunky. 3. F=8.0. However, It is light and cheap, it just might be sufficient for certain situations. If you are starting to photogragh birds or wildlife, you will probably be happier with a regular telephoto lens instead.
the Tamron 500 f8 , Nikon 500 f8 and Minolta AF (yes, autofocus) 500mm f8 mirror are the other on the list; long reach , decent sharpness and small size for a small amount of money
Mirrorless camera PLUS mirror lens EQUALS: camera lens (?) I will take this thing to the field time for the first time today, thanks for your reccomendations, specially the bright light one!
When you think in its day a 600 mm refracting lens would be goodness knows 18" long or more, and mega-bucks this thing did the job. It just needed to be the middle of July (in the UK) to use the thing.
The dark aperture is certainly not ideal, but that's definitely a flaw that's not so glaring when used with modern lenses and their excellent high ISO performance.
Me: Puts a mirror lens on a mirrorless camera and says - "Is this still considered a mirrorless camera?" 🤔 Jk but nice video, very informative. I have the Rokinon version of this lens type and use it for deep sky astrophotography. It actually performs better than many others anticipate.
Illuminationsfromtheattic the in body stabilization hopefully gives me some leeway, especially since the seller bundeled in a 2x teleconverter with the lens. Now to find a sturdy tripod!
How did the lens / camera pairing work out for you? I'm considering this lens with the a6600. My daughter is really into birds I'm hoping this small yet long lens will be something she can actually wrangle. Thanks!
You managed to take some great video with the lens. I’ve seen videos where people really struggle with its jitters. These lenses are sharp when you nail the focus. I’d love to have a super telephoto for birds and wildlife even though the donut bokeh takes something away from the image for me. Some of us can’t justify spending $1,000 on a lens though. It’d be nice if a company would make mirror lenses in different focal lengths with optical image stabilization and lens hoods, if that is possible.
OIS and auto-focus or anything like that are really difficult in reflex mirror lenses due to the construction of the mirror mechanism, so you probably won't find anything with electronics below $1K honestly, it's just gonna be fully analog/mechanical i found a good one for just $20 though so that's worth it no matter how you look at it
I was pretty interested in the Samyang 500mm Mirror lens, just to add to my collection :P + i think it's pretty usefull if u need a big range but don't want to carry a 3kg lens
I don't know - since I'm adapting from Canon FD mount to Nikon Z mount with this lens I don't think there is a speedbooster available for my setup. You might be able to find one to use with a M4/3 or APS-C camera, but my guess is the best results you could expect would be similar to what I get using the lens on my Z6. Now that think of it though, I do wonder if a speedbooster might alter the bokeh to be more pleasing.
Just getting into cameras and never thought i could have a 600mm lens but the size of this makes it a possibility. A soft image is better than not being able to reach at all.
my mirror lens is not that sharp at all, it is overwhelmingly soft and I don't know why it is so bad compared to yours. mine is a Minolta 500mm mirror lens, same price but 100 times worse...
The true strength of this or any other long telephoto lens is not in capturing large objects far away. Its strength is in capturing small objects, near by, and in great detail. With birds, this is often done in rough terrain, a long walk from the road. These are qualities not fully appreciated by those of us who only work with larger objects, like people or buildings, and in studios or urban areas. Excellent video.
Thanks! You're absolutely right.
What do you think of this different style of review video? I filmed myself using the DJI Osmo Action instead of a DSLR on a tripod, and I'd be interested to know if you'd like to see me film more reviews like this, or you preferred my old way of doing things.
You remind me of a adult version of that kid from Stranger Things like you would be an interesting and enjoyable dude to hang with.
I've had my 600 sigma mirror for roughly 10 years now and it has stayed in pretty mint condition primarily use it for photographing the Moon and wildlife on the mountain across the river from my home as far as stiffness goes that seems to lessen over time and significantly in the summer months due to what I assume is the grease used to lubricate the lens.
Exactly the type of information I was seeking. Thank you for sharing, my friend.
I generally try to get mirror lenses for cheap if I ever spot them. If you're ever interested in purchasing any for a good price let me know! I really enjoy your channel, good simple edits with classical/traditional music, and thorough but not overly thorough reviews that make you tune out or anything. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, glad you enjoy my channel!
I had one in my Olympus OM 2 and 4 days. It did the job.
I have 5 or slightly more mirror reflex lens. I shoot on a tripod and found that if you use at least a 2x ND filter even when not needed for shutter speed control, you can get better contrast and color saturation from these lenses. Also helps to use zoom focus assist to get a reasonable sharp image. Now I am not saying you'll be able to replace your "L" glass with these but for the money with a little more setup time you can get a respectable image from a reflex lens.
I picked up one on Used Photo Pro for $75 (including shipping). I look forward to trying it out. That's for helping me make the decision!
Glad I could help, enjoy the lens!
i have one of these mirror lenses made by Tokina and the downsides are 1. low contrast, muted colors, 2. difficult to focus as the DOF is shallow and the focussing mechanism is slow and clunky. 3. F=8.0. However, It is light and cheap, it just might be sufficient for certain situations. If you are starting to photogragh birds or wildlife, you will probably be happier with a regular telephoto lens instead.
Great video. Very informative. Thank you.
the Tamron 500 f8 , Nikon 500 f8 and Minolta AF (yes, autofocus) 500mm f8 mirror are the other on the list; long reach , decent sharpness and small size for a small amount of money
I just picked this lens on ebay for £14 like less than 20 dollars. thanks for the tip!
It's a bargain for sure! Enjoy the lens!
Mirrorless camera PLUS mirror lens EQUALS: camera lens (?)
I will take this thing to the field time for the first time today, thanks for your reccomendations, specially the bright light one!
Love your videos. They are well informed. Thank you for taking the time to make these.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy them! I certainly enjoy making them.
When you think in its day a 600 mm refracting lens would be goodness knows 18" long or more, and mega-bucks this thing did the job. It just needed to be the middle of July (in the UK) to use the thing.
The dark aperture is certainly not ideal, but that's definitely a flaw that's not so glaring when used with modern lenses and their excellent high ISO performance.
I can certainly recommend moving from the UK to Aus for better aperture and shutter speed performance 🙂
it was so great to watch your supercool vid thanks buddy
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Me: Puts a mirror lens on a mirrorless camera and says - "Is this still considered a mirrorless camera?" 🤔
Jk but nice video, very informative. I have the Rokinon version of this lens type and use it for deep sky astrophotography. It actually performs better than many others anticipate.
lol it's funny how removing the mirror makes a camera smaller, but adding a mirror makes a lens smaller!
This answered a question I’ve been trying to get for awhile now. Want to see how it is on a tracker.
Nice video! just bought one of these for my sony a6500 and can’t wait to get out and try it out
Should work great with that camera - give you a 900mm equivalent focal length!
Illuminationsfromtheattic the in body stabilization hopefully gives me some leeway, especially since the seller bundeled in a 2x teleconverter with the lens. Now to find a sturdy tripod!
How did the lens / camera pairing work out for you? I'm considering this lens with the a6600. My daughter is really into birds I'm hoping this small yet long lens will be something she can actually wrangle. Thanks!
You managed to take some great video with the lens. I’ve seen videos where people really struggle with its jitters. These lenses are sharp when you nail the focus. I’d love to have a super telephoto for birds and wildlife even though the donut bokeh takes something away from the image for me. Some of us can’t justify spending $1,000 on a lens though. It’d be nice if a company would make mirror lenses in different focal lengths with optical image stabilization and lens hoods, if that is possible.
OIS and auto-focus or anything like that are really difficult in reflex mirror lenses due to the construction of the mirror mechanism, so you probably won't find anything with electronics below $1K honestly, it's just gonna be fully analog/mechanical
i found a good one for just $20 though so that's worth it no matter how you look at it
Is it a “defect” or a feature. People seem to hate different visual looks this is a great play with me lens
Nikon 500mm f8 is the lens to get 🤩
fairly sharp
seriously considering grabbing one of these.. wont use it every day but that reach for the price!
Yep, it's definitely got value going for it! I can't think of any other way to get a decent 600mm lens at anything close to this price point.
Good review, just trying out a borrowed one of these lenses and wanted another opinion..
Thanks, glad you found it helpful!
I am hoping you can help me, how do I get the 600mm lens to connect to my nikon d3200. I can't wait to try it out :)
What kind of connectors do I need ?
Sorry for the late reply, I missed your comment. What lens mount does the lens have? If it's a Canon mount you'll need an Canon FD to Nikon F adapter.
hi. can i show any jpeg image sample? i showed your homepage (and your photo's are really awsome) but i cannot find sigma 600mm shot picture.
Your a great Photographer
Thanks!
Great video - told me just what I needed to know. BTW, what is the music?
Thanks, glad you found it helpful! I'm afraid I don't remember the name of the song, I'll have to go back through my files to find it.
I was pretty interested in the Samyang 500mm Mirror lens, just to add to my collection :P + i think it's pretty usefull if u need a big range but don't want to carry a 3kg lens
Yeah, mirror lenses are probably the most portable super telesout there.
Can I mount one of those to my Nikon d7200 do you think they make an adapter for mine
You could get a Nikon version that should work natively with your d7200.
What do you think about this lens for taking a average photo of the moon?
Yeah, I haven't tried that myself but it should be perfect for capturing photos of the moon (on a tripod of course).
Cool vid
Saludos de Argentina 🇦🇷 !! Sos un genio
What happens if you put a speedbooster on it?
I don't know - since I'm adapting from Canon FD mount to Nikon Z mount with this lens I don't think there is a speedbooster available for my setup. You might be able to find one to use with a M4/3 or APS-C camera, but my guess is the best results you could expect would be similar to what I get using the lens on my Z6. Now that think of it though, I do wonder if a speedbooster might alter the bokeh to be more pleasing.
Just getting into cameras and never thought i could have a 600mm lens but the size of this makes it a possibility. A soft image is better than not being able to reach at all.
It really is a great super telephoto option if you're just starting out.
my mirror lens is not that sharp at all, it is overwhelmingly soft and I don't know why it is so bad compared to yours. mine is a Minolta 500mm mirror lens, same price but 100 times worse...
I'm afraid I'm not at all familiar with that lens, what camera are you using it with?
@@Illuminationsfromtheattic xt 20, im planning to resale the lens and hopefully I will get it sold again
Hello 🇺🇲 friend
Hy model version please