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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48282 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Opteka
• Model: Opt-500-Mirror-C
• Dimensions: 3.40" h x 3.00" w x 3.00" l, 2.00 pounds

Features

• Will mount to All Canon EOS AutoFocus Film or Digital SLR Camera
• High definition optics produce sharper, more intense pictures
• Incredibly compact and lightweight
• Fully Multi-coated
• Soft pouch and three (3) rear mounted, 30.5mm filters, (ND-2X, ND-4X & Skylight)

Customer Reviews

Great Lens only if you are good enough to use it !!!
Update 2008 Aug 17:
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.

500mm Mirror Lens
The mirror lens was a high quality low cost alternative to a very heavy and very expensive conventional telephoto lens.

Where you want an occasional lens this is a fantastic buy. It is decidedly smaller and lighter than the conventional lens and it gives an excellent picture. With a Canon Digital SLR it should be remembered that the Rebel Series RD300, RD350 and RD400 have a smaller "Film" size so that the 500mm lens is nearer 800mm on a film camers - a truely huge lens.

Not a bad toy
Considering the Sigma 600mm mirror will run you over 4 times the price of this lens, its not a bad deal. I could not coax sharp images out of it though, but considering that it is a long lens at f8, that would be challenging with any lens without autofocus.
To get an idea of what this lens can do, search Flickr for "Catadioptric" or "Mirror Reflex Lens" for some comparison shots between this and the Sigma