Sigma Mirror Telephoto 600mm f/8

Another resurrection because I can and I want to add Modern Photography's test data on the Sigma 600mm lens


from Modern Photography 1981-11 p. 164

Another oddity, for mirror lenses, that is, is that the focal length and aperture are actually very close to the claimed values.

 

I use my Nikon 500mirror for tennis, shooting across 5 courts to #6. It is a real pain to try to follow focus the players, as the DoF is quite shallow.

 

New to this site as of today. Wow, I own a Sigma 600 mm f8. I had it on my Minolta X-700. Just recently I purchased a Photodiox converter so I can mount it on my new Nikon Z7. I'm please with it and look forward to using it even though its manual lens.

 

I bought my first Sigma 600mm mirror in 1984 (see the simultaneous thread Mirror Lenses You've Known and Loved) and grew to love it. Below are a few photos I took with it back in the 80s. Most of the images were shot on Kodachrome 64, maybe one or two on Fujichrome 100.

Offshore drilling rig. Canon A-1, Sigma 600mm f/8, Kodachrome 64


The four-master Windjammer and sailboat offshore in Waikiki, taken from my hotel room. Canon FTb with mirror up, Sigma 600mm f/8, Kodachrome 64


SCCA racing at Willow Springs Raceway, California. Canon F-1, Sigma 600mm f/8, Fujichrome 100. Note minimal donuts.


Blue Angels A4 Skyhawk, Canon F-1, Sigma 600mm f/8, Fujichrome 100


Airshow officials standing in front of a Hawker Sea Fury. Canon F-1, Sigma 600mm f/8, Kodachrome 64. Note donuts on OOF wing hilights.


Lastly, an image I shot handheld with the big Sigma. I know I chopped off part of the airplane, but I've kept the image all these years just to show that, yes, you can use the Sigma freehanded if you follow good technique, and of course if you're shooting at a high enough shutter speed. In this case, I got lucky. I figure my shutter speed was probably 1/500. This is a Kodachrome 64 slide and I routinely used to set the ASA dial for 80, cuz the slight underexposure improved saturation. I'm figuring I got away with another half-stop of underexposure with this shot just because of the bright subject matter. The sky wasn't that dark.

B-17 Flying Fortress Sentimental Journey Canon F-1, Sigma 600mm f/8, Kodachrome 64


A common trait of mirror lenses is what many people refer to as "vignetting," but I see it as just the opposite. I see it as a hot spot in the center of the image. The hot spots are only evident against an evenly lit background. If you look at the above racing shot, you can't detect a hot spot. But in the shot of the B-17, it is dramatically evident.