Rokinon 650-1300 Zoom Lens

I have a Canon Rebel T1i.
What settings should I use to get the best pictures using the Rokinon 650-1300 Zoom Lens?
Mostly just wildlife pictures but sometimes I like to shot the moon.

Heya,

First, don't expect the quality to be even as good as the lack luster 75-300 lens by Canon (the $150 one). These "telescopes" with mounts for dSLR are generally ok glass, but really not up to photography standards really. You can do interesting and fun shots, but I'm just warning, don't expect super sharp photos at all.

To use this lens, you have to do it all manual.

You will need as high a shutter speed as possible. That means you will need to probably get ISO at the very highest you can tolerate and just be ok with the grain and process with some noise reduction. If exposure is correct, the highest ISO will not be a big issue at all. If underexposed, which is the worst thing you can do really, the ISO will show up really bad and you'll really not be able to salvage it much. Over-exposed, well, let's just say, that's not going to happen with this lens most likely unless you just point it at the sun... So the lesson: high shutter speeds. 1/2000s for example, is a start. This lens will move with the wind, minor vibrations, temperature fluctuation, etc. You need high shutter speed.

Aperture, just test shoot from F8 to F11. If you have to stop down further, you will need an ultra bright day, when you combine serious shutter speeds. Go for whatever is sharpest, but really, just go for what allows you to keep a reasonable sharpness and tolerable ISO combined with a really high shutter speed.

ISO is going to be high every time. Probably as high as you can tolerate, it will max out on your camera probably.

Tripod. Tripod. Tripod. You have to steady this lens, it must be still. Don't even bother if it's windy.

Shoot on calm, super bright days, with no wind. You will get results on that day.

Very best,

Search '650-1300' and you will find a number of threads from the past, about products marketed under multiple brand names with this exact FL range. There are some sample shots of terrestrial object (not merely the moon), so you can set your level of expectations.

Here's one
https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=16487230&p​ostcount=1

Yesterday I tried using the Auto setting and all the pictures were slightly blurry not clear at all. Also I was holding this bazooka out the drivers window of my truck. Today I used it with better sunlight and on the M setting, and a shutter speed around 250 and things were allot clearer. Today also holding the bazooka out the window. I know I NEED to use a tripod but just doing the hit and run at what I can see. I will apply yalls good advise in the next few days and see how things work out. After seeing your advice tonight I'm surprised at the fair pictures I got today. I would show you a picture from today but it says the image is to large. I have a page on facebook called New River Valley Wildlife and I posted a picture of todays deer at around 70 yards from me. Thanks for your help can't wait to try again.

The lens is a fun lens in the summer. Just something to play with. You just have to learn full manual controls and remember there is no option for f/stop. It has a set aperture from f/8 @650mm and f/16 @ 1300mm. All in all, not as terrible and horrid lens as people have made it out to be, but you just have to use it properly. Get a good tripod and remote shutter release for sure.

This was shot was taken across a span of about 1.5 to 2 miles across mountains. Lots of heat soak was in the air. You can really see the blur from the heat difraction.

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Like you say it will take some time to learn. Thanks for sharing the pictures. Just something fun to play with for a fraction of the cost. Going to snow here today so looks like it will be a few days before the next time I get to play.

Although the lens has a fixed aperture you can shoot with it in Av mode. It will then select the correct shutter speed to suit the currently set ISO. If you are relying on the cameras built in metering, and I would as the f ratio of the fixed aperture changes as you zoom, it will be as accutate exposure wise as shooting in manual mode. Infact it will possibly be better if you zoom and do not then remember to check the exposure in manual.

As others have said with that sort of focal length you need to be using both very high shutter speeds 1/2000 at least at 1300mm AND a tripod. Even so with subjects at very long distances heat refraction (mirage) effects are goig to seriously add to your problems, even on cold but sunny days. The funny thing is that you can actually SEE this problem better with better quality lenses. On days that look like they have no heat mirage at all through my £500 spotting scope, the mirage is plain to see through a £2500 Ziess scope! This was at 600 yards.

Alan

I have found that when shooting in Av mode the camera tends to either over or under expose the image. I don't remember which way it goes, but it is far enough that I can't correct it using the +/- EV compensation. I either have to shoot in Manual or, what I do most often, use Live View. LV gives me the best exposures because I can see it on the screen before taking the shot. Or I can at least get my settings set for exposure, then use the VF and work on using good super tele technique.

Sometimes to be more stable I will use a second tripod or a monopod under the camera body itself. This makes things a LOT more stable, but it is much harder to track/follow a subject. Even the moon at these focal lengths moves relatively quickly out of view.

kawi_200 wrote in post #16786109
I have found that when shooting in Av mode the camera tends to either over or under expose the image. I don't remember which way it goes, but it is far enough that I can't correct it using the +/- EV compensation. I either have to shoot in Manual or, what I do most often, use Live View. LV gives me the best exposures because I can see it on the screen before taking the shot. Or I can at least get my settings set for exposure, then use the VF and work on using good super tele technique.

Sometimes to be more stable I will use a second tripod or a monopod under the camera body itself. This makes things a LOT more stable, but it is much harder to track/follow a subject. Even the moon at these focal lengths moves relatively quickly out of view.

Are you sure you did not have your ISO set way off? Remember that in sunny 16 conditions (Bright midday summer sun) you get f/16 1/100 ISO 100 and at ISO 6400 that would need 1/6400 shutter speed at the maximum zoom. Zoom out to the min FL and you will add an additional two stops to that shutter speed requirement, needing 1/25600. Remembering that a Rebel body tops out at 1/4000 and some higher bodies only manage 1/8000 it can be tricky. I sometimes have problems with my Centon 500mm f/8 mirror lens when trying to photograph aircraft. If they are propeller driven then you really want to limit your shutter speed to 1/160. Even at ISO 100 that can be hard with a constant f/8.

Alan

kawi_200 wrote in post #16786109
I have found that when shooting in Av mode the camera tends to either over or under expose the image. I don't remember which way it goes, but it is far enough that I can't correct it using the +/- EV compensation. .

It is NOT the Automation mode (P, Tv, Av), it is the metering pattern (Eval, Center Weighted, Partial, Spot) which you are using, compounded by scene content within the frame which fools that metering pattern! Any one of the Automation modes would provide the identical metering under the same circumstances -- including M mode!!! -- M simply gives you a wider range of exposure compensation to offset the metering error than can be accomplished with the EC control.

BigAl007 wrote in post #16786483
Are you sure you did not have your ISO set way off? Remember that in sunny 16 conditions (Bright midday summer sun) you get f/16 1/100 ISO 100 and at ISO 6400 that would need 1/6400 shutter speed at the maximum zoom. Zoom out to the min FL and you will add an additional two stops to that shutter speed requirement, needing 1/25600. Remembering that a Rebel body tops out at 1/4000 and some higher bodies only manage 1/8000 it can be tricky. I sometimes have problems with my Centon 500mm f/8 mirror lens when trying to photograph aircraft. If they are propeller driven then you really want to limit your shutter speed to 1/160. Even at ISO 100 that can be hard with a constant f/8.

Alan

That could very well be. I always forget about the sunny 16 because I never need/use it. I'm pretty much always in Av and if it is way too bright out for me (say shooting the 24mm @ f/1.4 in the midday sun) I just drop the ISO to 50 and go at it. More playing required!!!