Qualityreviews logo

Samyang 500/8.0 MC IF ED For T2
SAMYANG
B0081G0P64


  • 106,99 £ / Cheapest Price on Internet


Brand: SAMYANG
5
53%
(19)
4
31%
(11)
3
6%
(2)
2
3%
(1)
1
8%
(3)
Review 36 user comments
Review All Comments


Viewer of This Product Also Viewed

(Samyang 500/8.0 MC IF ED For T2)
  • 20 Apr 2020, Mon
Manual focus only!
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Mirror lenses don't have a very good reputation, especially with those that have never used one! They have a very shallow depth of field that can made manual focussing difficult. I use mine on a Nikon Z6 via a T2 adaptor fitted to my FTZ, set to Aperture priority. This is manual focus only that modern mirrorless cameras are good at with focus peaking colouring edges when in focus.
Mirror lenses are not for the faint-hearted, you need a fairly high shutter speed &/or IBIS stabilisation but this applies to any lens of this focal length. It's certainly not going to be the sharpest knife in your drawer so expect to use sharpening during post-processing. Mirror lenses also don't have good reputation for high contrast but this may be partly due to incidental light falling on the front element. Buy a 72mm tele lens hood at the same time.
What the hell is going for these reflex lenses? They are incredibly light, pretty small, cheap to buy even with the extra cost of a suitable T2 adapter, hood & are a hell of a lot of fun to use! This lens comes with 3x 30.5mm screw-in filters: UV & 2 ND - it's designed to always have a filter attached behind the rear element - just sling the ND filters in a cupboard - the chances you'll need them are pretty low. Comes with a drawer-string bag. Recommended for the adventurous photographer!

busb
  • 20 Apr 2020, Mon
Manual focus only!
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Mirror lenses don't have a very good reputation, especially with those that have never used one! They have a very shallow depth of field that can made manual focussing difficult. I use mine on a Nikon Z6 via a T2 adaptor fitted to my FTZ, set to Aperture priority. This is manual focus only that modern mirrorless cameras are good at with focus peaking colouring edges when in focus.Mirror lenses are not for the faint-hearted, you need a fairly high shutter speed &/or IBIS stabilisation but this applies to any lens of this focal length. It's certainly not going to be the sharpest knife in your drawer so expect to use sharpening during post-processing. Mirror lenses also don't have good reputation for high contrast but this may be partly due to incidental light falling on the front element. Buy a 72mm tele lens hood at the same time.What the hell is going for these reflex lenses? They are incredibly light, pretty small, cheap to buy even with the extra cost of a suitable T2 adapter, hood & are a hell of a lot of fun to use! This lens comes with 3x 30.5mm screw-in filters: UV & 2 ND - it's designed to always have a filter attached behind the rear element - just sling the ND filters in a cupboard - the chances you'll need them are pretty low. Comes with a drawer-string bag. Recommended for the adventurous photographer!

busb

  • 10 Mar 2020, Tue
0 out of 10...
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

I expected a lot better being a Samyang lens as I own the beautiful 18mm and the misunderstood yet robust 100mm macro. The 500mm I received has the following issues.......Grey tint, colours seem to be washed out. So, to make myself feel better I just purchased the sigma 150-600mm C not the S, reason, I'm not tryna get a workout. I see a return on the horizon....
Cons...ain't none....lol

Amazon Customer
  • 10 Mar 2020, Tue
0 out of 10...
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

I expected a lot better being a Samyang lens as I own the beautiful 18mm and the misunderstood yet robust 100mm macro. The 500mm I received has the following issues.......Grey tint, colours seem to be washed out. So, to make myself feel better I just purchased the sigma 150-600mm C not the S, reason, I'm not tryna get a workout. I see a return on the horizon....Cons...ain't none....lol

Amazon Customer
  • 28 Aug 2018, Tue
Excellent value!
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Excellent value for money :) Yes, manual focus on an 800mm lens will always be fiddly, but this lens gives a bright enough image to activate the focus confirmation feature on my Pentax, which makes life a whole lot easier! With Shake Reduction activated handholding an 800mm becomes a real possibility!

Chris Eve
  • 29 Apr 2018, Sun
A good product from Samyang
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Good lens well made works great 5 star

Phil H.
  • 22 Mar 2018, Thu
Four Stars
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Very good lens for the price.

Mário Valente
  • 14 May 2017, Sun
up close is not so bad either if you can focus on your subject quick ...
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

What can i say, it will certainly shoot very very far especially with a 2x extender attached, up close is not so bad either if you can focus on your subject quick enough. It's manual focus ring is slow yet sturdy. I used it for birds which was incredibly difficult at times. That being said I good some nice close up shots but the IQ is quiet poor. Great lens for looking at the moon or far into the distance, just don't expect great quality in the shot. At this price and its incredible focal range, its good for a bit of Fun!

Glen
  • 09 Feb 2017, Thu
Apparently you need to calibrate the lens adaptor to get the best results from it
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

I bought this as a present for my boyfriend and he loves it. Apparently you need to calibrate the lens adaptor to get the best results from it, so make sure you do that.

Christine Caulfield
  • 08 Nov 2016, Tue
Five Stars
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Good service does the job

raymond pritchard
  • 01 Nov 2016, Tue
Very poor quality, 500m manual
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Very poor quality, 500m manual, better using my 300m, very bad pictures always blurred when downloading them, ,, very cloudy looking pictures, very disappointed, will not recommend this product at all to anyone ????????????

Helen
  • 18 Aug 2016, Thu
Near impossible to focus.
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

For this money you may well get satisfactory results but beware, it is VERY difficult to focus, particularly if your subject is moving, for example an aircraft or bird. The focusing ring goes beyond infinity, a la Buzz Lightyear, so you can't just rotate the ring until it stops, thinking you're at infinity. If you do, distant objects, even the moon, will be out of focus. You have to turn it back a degree or so, but even then it's obviously not as sharp as the pricier lenses. The sensitivity / depth of field is far too high - a tiny, undetectable movement of the ring will have your subject blurred, even if it's half a mile away. Lots of my shots of distant moving aircraft were out of focus as a result. A decent lens but it has limitations. You get what you pay for.

MrC
  • 01 Aug 2016, Mon
750mm equivalent, small size, small price!
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

As another reviewer commented, you need to work a little to get the best from this lens. Wafer thin dof means focussing is very critical, with the characteristic lower contrast of the mirror lens. I wouldn't care to try hand holding wihout an image stabilised camera, but it's fine with my Pentax K-7. Focussing action is very smooth and the mechanical quality belies its low price.

Tim Stanbrook

  • 31 May 2016, Tue
Good for the price and lightwieght
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

Good for the price and lightwieght. Have been unable to get a really sharp image but have only tried it hand held so far.

Mr Christopher Joyner
  • 29 May 2016, Sun
Excellent value for money
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

I am very impressed by this lens. For the price it gives excellent value and good quality images. Yes, focussing is fiddly. Yes, it's never going to be as good as a $5000 lens, but having tried an Opteka mirror lens (and sent it back as being complete rubbish) I would recommend this to anyone who can't afford the best of the best but wants something that can give good results if you work at it.
Yes, there is bokeh (see the plover photo) and if you hate bokeh, then don't get a mirror lens. The gull photo has been sharpened and the tone enhanced. The plover has been cropped and slightly sharpened.
Both taken using this lens and a Sony A37.

Cons - this lens is heavy and does not have a tripod attachment. I've rigged something up for when I want to use it on a tripod (tripod collar attached the adapter.)
Bokeh is strong in some shots and can be a bit distracting from the photo subject.

Pros - excellent value for money and can give good results if you work at it.

PJ Lightning
  • 29 May 2016, Sun
Excellent value for money
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

I am very impressed by this lens. For the price it gives excellent value and good quality images. Yes, focussing is fiddly. Yes, it's never going to be as good as a $5000 lens, but having tried an Opteka mirror lens (and sent it back as being complete rubbish) I would recommend this to anyone who can't afford the best of the best but wants something that can give good results if you work at it.Yes, there is bokeh (see the plover photo) and if you hate bokeh, then don't get a mirror lens. The gull photo has been sharpened and the tone enhanced. The plover has been cropped and slightly sharpened.Both taken using this lens and a Sony A37.Cons - this lens is heavy and does not have a tripod attachment. I've rigged something up for when I want to use it on a tripod (tripod collar attached the adapter.)Bokeh is strong in some shots and can be a bit distracting from the photo subject.Pros - excellent value for money and can give good results if you work at it.

PJ Lightning
  • 06 May 2016, Fri
A fantastic mirror lens
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

This is a stunning piece of glass. It does take some getting use to and you'll need light and some patience but my goodness is it worth the effort! solidly built with a very smooth focus ring. Using a T mount adaptor this lens fits perfectly on both y anon 60d and 6D bodies and is well balanced. You'll need a tripod unless of course you have incredibly steady hands. When used in conjunction with the also available 2 x converter and on a crop sensor you get the equivalent of around 2100mm focal length lens! I purchased specifically for Astro photography and i've yet to be dissapointed.

Be prepared though for the odd question from passers by with such a strange looking item stuck on your camera ;o)

Mark R.
  • 06 May 2016, Fri
A fantastic mirror lens
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

This is a stunning piece of glass. It does take some getting use to and you'll need light and some patience but my goodness is it worth the effort! solidly built with a very smooth focus ring. Using a T mount adaptor this lens fits perfectly on both y anon 60d and 6D bodies and is well balanced. You'll need a tripod unless of course you have incredibly steady hands. When used in conjunction with the also available 2 x converter and on a crop sensor you get the equivalent of around 2100mm focal length lens! I purchased specifically for Astro photography and i've yet to be dissapointed.Be prepared though for the odd question from passers by with such a strange looking item stuck on your camera ;o)

Mark R.
  • 16 Apr 2016, Sat
If you need a bracket.
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

This is going to be one of those lens that you either appreciates or disregards. I am leaning more on the appreciation side. Given it's focal length, it isn't an easy lens to use without a tripod. Albeit it's feather weight, it's still rather unwieldy when mounted on tripod. To date, I still have yet to find a ready-made solution for that. So I approached SRB Photographic. Terry had a bracket made for it and it's now awesome!

Kao,
  • 16 Apr 2016, Sat
If you need a bracket.
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk

This is going to be one of those lens that you either appreciates or disregards. I am leaning more on the appreciation side. Given it's focal length, it isn't an easy lens to use without a tripod. Albeit it's feather weight, it's still rather unwieldy when mounted on tripod. To date, I still have yet to find a ready-made solution for that. So I approached SRB Photographic. Terry had a bracket made for it and it's now awesome!

Kao,
Style Name:500 mm F8

Product Description

Samyang’s 500mm f8 Mirror is a compact reflex lens constructed especially for extreme telephoto needs. It is perfect for photographing nature, astrophotography, and anywhere a close-up view of a distant object is crucial. The construction of the lens is impressive, being made of high class materials, and the body itself is metal to provide durability. Each lens element is made from high quality optical glass and features anti-reflective coatings to ensure light transmission is as high as possible. An important feature is the T2 universal mount system which allows this lens to be placed on all reflex type cameras, after attaching the appropriate T2 adapter (available separately). The Samyang 500mm f8 Mirror lens is supplied with 32mm UV, ND2, and ND4 filters, aswell as a practical soft case to transport and protect the lens. Furthermore, there is an optional 2x dedicated teleconverter available which will double the focal lens to a huge 1000mm.

Box Contains

Samyang 500mm Mirror F8 T-Mount Manual Focus Lens

Item Package Dimensions L x W x H 15.8 x 10 x 10 cm
Package Weight 481 Grams
Item Dimensions L x W x H 8.7 x 7.8 x 7.8 cm
Item Weight 322 Grams
Brand Name SAMYANG
Has Image Stabilization No
Max Focal Length 500 millimetres
Min Focal Length 500 millimetres
Model Year 2013
Mounting Type Universal
Objective Lens Diameter 78 millimetres
Part Number 7580
Style 500 mm F8
Photo Filter Thread Size 72 millimetres