Phoenix Lenses

Has anyone tried any of the longer Phoenix lenses out there? I was just looking at their 500mm f8 (fixed) for less than a $100.00. A few of the reviews are actually not too bad for a near disposable item. There's a 500mm f6.3 for about $135.00 too. They also have another fixed lens at 1000mm and a 650-1300mm lens... I've never heard of these before tonight.

Here's a link to a few on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com …0&y=0&sprefix=p​hoenix+500

Jon.

I have no personal experiance from them but generally they are not too sharp, not built well and are MF only plus that one uses a T-mount so you will have to buy and adapter for your camera.

NeoTokyo wrote in post #8699585
I have no personal experiance from them but generally they are not too sharp, not built well and are MF only plus that one uses a T-mount so you will have to buy and adapter for your camera.

And theres thus, better options for not much more money..

NeoTokyo wrote in post #8699585
I have no personal experiance from them but generally they are not too sharp, not built well and are MF only plus that one uses a T-mount so you will have to buy and adapter for your camera.

I noticed some mixed reviews about the sharpness but was hoping someone here would have more to say or even have some images to post. I have EOS T-mounts that I use for telescopes so I'm not worried about getting any. Using one of these lenses shouldn't be much different than a telescope with a DSLR. At least I don't think so...

Jon.

Jon Foster wrote in post #8699623
I noticed some mixed reviews about the sharpness but was hoping someone here would have more to say or even have some images to post. I have EOS T-mounts that I use for telescopes so I'm not worried about getting any. Using one of these lenses shouldn't be much different than a telescope with a DSLR. At least I don't think so...

Jon.

No, because thats basically what they are

There was a huge thread with them, and the consensus was they're reallllly not worth the money

KenjiS wrote in post #8699630
No, because thats basically what they are

There was a huge thread with them, and the consensus was they're reallllly not worth the money

I'll have to search harder for that thread. I didn't find anything earlier. Do you happen to remember any key words I can use for a search?

Jon.

what would make you think you can get a decent or even below average 500mm lens for $100 when all the major brands 500mm lenses cost $1000+ ?

ever heard you get what you pay for ?

Ok, I've read a bunch of threads on the various 500mm mirrors... My eyes are starting to hurt!

It would seem that there really isn't a verdict one way or another. Most of the people who actually use them say they aren't that bad for what you are buying. The nay sayers seem to be comparing them to regular zoom or telephoto lenses and most haven't actually used one. But they aren't comparable lens types either.

A mirror lens has no electronics in it, has a fixed aperture (most seem to be f8 but there is one at f6.3 for a few bucks more) and they are entirely manual. This is all by design. Very similar to a reflector telescope. The big difference being they are much more compact in size and weight.

Having said all that, does anyone have any shots they can post? I don't care if it's a wildlife/birding shot, a sporting event or deep sky shot. I would just like to see what kind of results people are getting from them.

Jon.

Update:

I finished checking into the Phoenix 500mm lenses and the bottom line is, they are just too soft. The donut bokeh is also a huge complaint by everyone. Especially people trying to use them for star photography (which is the type of stuff we wanted it for). Even people that are buying them used in the $30-$50 range from Craig's List are not happy with the performance. That alone is a shocker. If one person told me it wasn't worth $30 I probably wouldn't believe it. But there are dozens of people with the same opinion. I've spent too many hours gathering info from a countless amount of forums and review sites since my original post...

On the other hand, if somebody has one locally and I can borrow it for a day or two I'll probably give it a try just to satisfy my curiosity. Or if anyone knows of one in the $25.00-$30.00 range including shipping I'd be willing to try it.

Jon.