Ever heard of a mirror lens? Well I have one.  It uses mirrors to achieve a long focal length in a shorter lens, rather than traditional glass elements.  That’s my description.  If you want a proper one, read this. I have a Rokinon 500mm f/6.3 mirror lens that I decided to try out tonight.  I wanted to see how it compared to my Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5 – f/5.6 VR lens. You be the judge.

What I did is set up a tripod about 25 feet away from a glass vase on a bookshelf.  I would have liked to use a better subject outdoors, but I won’t have the time to get out and shoot for a few days, so I did this quick and dirty.

I took a shot with the 70-300 first, then I used the Rokinon 500mm, and then I used a Rokinon 2x teleconverter to extend the focal length to 1000mm. The tripod was necessary because, even though the lens was physically shorter, it’s still subject to some nasty camera shake.  I also used a remote shutter release cable.

Here’s the Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-f/5.6 VR at 300mm (click to enlarge):

Here’s the Rokinon 500mm f/6.3 (click to enlarge):

Here’s the Rokinon 500mm f/6.3 with a 2x teleconverter for 1000mm (click to enlarge):

The lens is Korean-made, it has an aluminum body, and it has the feel of a no-name product. It comes with a pleather case, and the warranty card doesn’t mention Rokinon anywhere. What can you expect from a $100 500mm lens?

Overall, I found the lens difficult to focus with because of the really shallow depth of field. Indoors, it was impossible to hand-hold, though I imagine outdoors on a bright day, you could manage. When you add the teleconverter, you’re definitely tied to a tripod.

Although I haven’t experienced it yet, mirror lenses are notorious for donut-shaped bokeh. This has to do with the fact that the secondary mirror in the lens is smack in the center. I’ve read that this isn’t much of a problem when shooting subjects against a relatively consistent background. We’ll see. I bought the lens expecting exactly what I got, so I think I’m going to be happy in the end.

It’s kind of funny to look at this lens when attached to my Nikon D80. The filter size for the lens is a whopping 95mm. It’s almost as wide as it is long.

Without the teleconverter (click to enlarge)

Without the teleconverter (click to enlarge)

Today, I decided I needed to buy a new shovel.  It was a spur of the moment decision that prompted me to make the 20 minute trip into Fredericton to pick one up.  I arrived at Canadian Tire at 11:30 this morning (a Sunday) only to find that the store had yet to open.  Damn!

Of course, here in New Brunswick, most retail and grocery stores are only allowed to be open from noon to 5 pm on Sundays.  This makes absolutely no sense to me.  I see no valid argument for restricting commerce in this way.  Stores of any type should be allowed to conduct business any time they please.

The Lord’s Act was the legislation that restricted shopping on Sundays.  It was found to be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and was removed back in the mid-80s.  But, we here in New Brunswick don’t seem to like too much change too quckly.  So, we now we just restrict the times that businesses can operate on Sundays.

I’ve heard lots of arguments in favour of restricting shopping on Sundays.  Everything from the obvious religious reasoning to ensuring shift workers get at least one full day off.  I don’t buy any of it. As I said…ridiculous.