Maksutov lens - MTO 500mm f/8

[JDMvW]

<p>Rick, I'm afraid I didn't connect on your earlier suggestion of the Miranda screw mount, since I had no Miranda until Friday last, when one of my friends gave me one. In researching that....</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>QG, as for the adjustments- I've seen that too, but I figured this one had made it from sometime between 1958 to 1965 without (or with?) adjustment, so I'm not going to "fix" it.<br /> As for the cosmetics -- If I weren't such a purist about not modifying lenses, I'd have mine taken down to the brass, polished and lacquered to gleam gold to match my gold Swedish Army "Leica" ;)</p>

<p>I can't resist it - and the MTO does fit a "Leica" M39 mount; although, as I said, I suspect the flange is different from the RF M39 mount. Imagine the reception at the Leica forum when I pop in with the MTO all shiny and golden on this "rare" Leica*. :)</p>

<p>___<br /> *As I've said before it is mostly rare in the sense of lacking the usual Hermann Göring presentation inscriptions.</p><div></div>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p>Very interesting article; far from my reach, though, [in terms of owning one of these]. I came close to buying one from Spiratone in those years! Thanks for the post. sp.</p>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Thanks for all that JDM, just the thing for reading with my morning coffee! Got to love those old Russian tanks and I must admit that I don't have a single mirror lens, must correct that soon! I did see a 500mm Nikkor recently..hmm.<br>

As for the Gold Leica, surely it wouldn't be too hard to inscribe "to Eva from Adolf" on the baseplate :)</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>The best optical quality mirror lenses I have are the Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8, the Sigma Mirror 600mm f/8, and my new Spiratone Minitel-S 300mm. The Nikkor and the Sigma were both under US$200.<br>

Obviously people have figured out that the Spiratone 300mm is good, since it goes for a little more--a lot more, if you're not a very careful buyer.<br>

The Maksutov is very good optically, but is very awkward to use, will not fit many modern cameras with forward bulges above the mount, and is very dark through the finder. Some of the 500mm Spiratones are good, and the latest ones are excellent, but not quite so good as the Nikkor or Sigma. Usually you can buy the Sigma or Nikkor for about the same price anyway.</p>

<p>Stay away from the modern 500mm 'house brand' mirror lenses. They sell for as low as $100 and are easily worth a fourth of that. Unless you want a "soft focus" 500mm lens, that is.</p>

<p>The trick on my Leica, is that it has the Swedish 3-crowns on it. Super rare!!!</p>

<p>The inscription might have to read "from Gustaf V to Victoria" (of Baden). ;)</p>

<p> </p>

[sgust]

<p>JDM, thanks for the interesting writing on these lenses. I'm still thinking of getting one. But I'm torn between a Minolta AF 500mm or a Russian 1000mm. The 500mm would probably be more useful, but something about the thought of a 1000mm lens on a crop sensor camera makes me imagine the shots that I could get of things that you just can't get close to. Well, I still have plenty of time before my next splurge on gear, but I definitely want something with more reach and better IQ than the Tamron 200mm-400mm that I currently use.</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p><strong>JDM</strong>, I've posted a few pics from my example: <a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00bWSM">http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00bWSM</a></p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Siegfried,<br>

I didn't mean to ignore your implied question (?), but it got lost in other activities. The MTO lens is actually quite good, but it is dim in the viewfinder and monstrous in size, so I don't think I'd actually recommend it to someone who is not hung up on the intersection of "collecting" mirror lenses and old Spiratone gear.<br /><br />My two best choices for 500mm and up, are the Reflex-Nikkor 500mm and the Sigma 600mm mirror lens. The later Spiratones 500mm lenses are nearly as good, but cost about the same so I'd go with the Nikkor or Sigma.</p>