Hin's Photo Corner: 55BB

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Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8 and Sony NEX 5N

2013-01-30 Posted by Hin Man

The lithium grease seems to work well with my ball-head and I manage to try my travel camera with Nex 5N on the same Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB). It is another problem and challenge to face as the nex is a thin body and I don't have the expensive L bracket. The setup oscillates even when I try to touch the focusing ring. Unlike the Pentax, my travel camera don't have SR for manual lens and with the setup, I pick a higher ISO 400 to shoot the moon yesterday night to gain for a faster shutter to avoid shaking

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm adaptall-2 f/8 (55BB) and Sony NEX 5N

Tamron SP adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB) mounted on NEX 5N

Having a flip out LCD is a big plus especially when the moon rises more to the vertical above.

Tamron mirror and Sony nex 5N on tripod

All documentary pictures was shot single hand with K-5 and FA 43mm as my left hand is holding a remote for the nex 5N setup. I usually do documentary with DA 35 but the 43 is more suited for night shooting

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB) and Sony NEX 5N

Having the fold out LCD is a great help especially when the moon is closer to the vertical above you. And I share the same pain on my first shooting where I have to crouch under my tripod to find the moon with K-5. But in actual shooting in hand-held shots without tripod, the optical viewfinder in K-5 allows me to back myself against a wall and brace with the camera aimed high to the moon. The shooting becomes easier without the restraint of tripod. I am lucky to have the lightweight Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror as it is quite alright to hand-held the moon shots with the mirror lens in iso 200 ~ 400 and have a higher shutter.

And with a fold out LCD, I find the setup with less restraint and with more freedom to find the moon when used on a mono-pod

This is my mono-pod setup with the Tamron mirror mounted on my nex. I have an inexpensive Dolica WT-1003 mono-pod and a very cheap Manfrotto RC2 like quick release from Amazon. I am thinking of Manfrotto 494 ball head for my next upgrade on my lightweight traveling setup. If any of you have manfrotto 494, please help me if there is better alternative that I can consider in similar price range. My current traveling tripod head is Manfrotto 3229 which works better on mono-pod but falls short on a tripod due to absence of a ball head for more directional control.

My boy helps in holding the mono-pod setup. The Tamron mirror lens is actually quite small in use and it is one of long focal lens that I actually enjoy shooting hand-held. But it is best use on a mono-pod if lowest iso is what you are after. The AF ring is very capable for fine tuning. Sharpness and color is very reasonable for such a long focal length. When time allows, I will try to reshoot similar moon pictures with my 300mm with a 1.7x TC -- Photosniper Tair Phs 300mm f/4.5 or my F* 300mm f/4.5

Hin's Camera Gear

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror and Pentax K-5

2013-01-28 Posted by Hin Man

I was up all night attempting the moon after few days of rains in California. I had a lot of trouble tonight with my tripods and focusing. I never manage to shoot the moons well for various reasons. And Jupiter is absent and perhaps hidden in the clouds. With the clouds moving in and out, I am not able to focus on the moon. All shots come out burry and not worthy of showing.

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 mirror lens (55BB) and Pentax K-5

My eyes are getting old with bi-focal glass and I see two moons if I shoot with glass and I can't see anything in focus if I take off my glass. I am desperate for a photo. I can only salvage the old shot that I took in 2009. The shooting was much easier then

pentax K20d, pentax f* 300mm f/4.5, pentax afa 1.7x TC

Old shot in 2009 with K20D and Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 and Pentax AFA 1.7x TC.

All shots with my 300mm primes fail to deliver. I will show what I manage to get with the Tamron adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0.

When it is close to midnight, I manage to see the clouds escape from the scenes. But my tripod head gets stuck in earlier shooting. It was all my fault as I got it damaged in dropping my tripod onto sand and no matter how I clean the adjustment knobs after the accident, it is never like its original form.

I give up on my tripods tonight and shoot with Tamron adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror lens. These are not great shots as I am shooting all hand-held with the mirror lens. I will try to fix my Linhof ball-head with lubricant. If you know of the right lubricant to use on ball-head damaged with sand and water invasion, please help me with a comment.

Pentax K-5 and Tamron SP adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB)

Darn it, the more that I look at it, the more my moon shots look exactly like a water melon. It is a shame. It may have something to do with my post processing. Watermelon is all jammed in my tired mind Yesterday late into the making of Jupiter missing Moon shots

My very watermelon like Moon shot

Hin's Camera Gear

Hiking with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 55BB Mirror Lens

2010-10-18 Posted by Hin Man

I am finding my mono-pod having an important role in my hiking with heavy and long lens. Our family went to hiking in the same park on both Sunday and Monday. The Monday's hike had a purpose as my wife's lost one of the glass in the hiking trail and my younger boy vividly recall a piece of circular glass on the hiking trail. All pictures taken with Pentax K20D and Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 55BB on a mono-pod.

Hiking with Tamron 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 55BB Mirror Lens

It is easier for me to catch up with my faster family who ran ahead of me searching for the missing glass.

And my older boy has a tendency in avoiding and running away from my camera.

The lens allow me to see farther objects in a good distance as in 50 feet and it allow me to see a view with detail on interesting crop on unnoticed objects in a distance

The doughnut bokeh can be annoying to some and I find it distracting at times but there are few exceptions that I ran into recent shooting. You can see all the donuts bokeh rings about sunset timing and I quite like the doughnut bokeh in the sunset lighting -- very unique.

The off focus rendering can be artistic and I really love my inability to focus on MF on this shot

And I love these two shots of my older boy though they are not perfectly in focus, the off focus rendering is soft and blend in well without the distraction

And I can make a still shot of animals such as a goose in a distance

And close up with this mirror lens quite usable as long as the background is farther away from the subject. When background is too close, I do see harsh bokeh and sometime the doughnut bokeh do happen especially if you look for them.

Impressions & Notes

For readers who have an interest in mirror lens, I will try to sum up the experience and a caution to set the expectation correct

It is important to find the brand that is recommended by trusted sources. I will concentrate on Tamron 55B, 55BB adaptall-2, Sigma cat 400mm f/5.6 and 600mm f/8.0 and Tokina 500mm f/8.0 and perhaps few others
Doughnut bokeh are there. Some can be distracting especially when the background object is at a close distance.
MF is the key thing in getting the shots. The beauty in the mirror lens lies in small size and compact form factor. This misleads me to use it hand-held. However, the best pictures and better keeper ratio does come from the use with mono-pod. With the extra investment, you will enjoy the mirror lens UP a notch or two.
The speed at f/8.0 is not meant for fast moving objects. You will be disappointed when you compare the mirror lens to a good f/5.6 in 400mm in shooting objects in a distance with fast movement.
Lower contrast and flat color on pictures are some of the factors that turn people off from mirror lens. I will have some bragging rights on the Tamron 55BB as the color and contrast are at a different camp when compared to the Vivitar 500mm f/8.0 that I previously owned. Don't cheap out in getting a $80 mirror lens as it is not even worth $8.0 for the shipping fee.
There is no fringing in mirror lens as far as I know
Tamron 55BB is a later version after the 55B. And 55BB doesn't have a tripod mount. I find it alright to use the tripod mount on camera and it is an non-issue when I use my 55BB.
Perhaps more to come when I remember them

Hin's Photo Corner

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8 and Sony NEX 5N

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror and Pentax K-5

Hiking with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 55BB Mirror Lens

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