rchuck1

I was given an old Tokina 500mm RMC mirror lens. Two questions. First, a pic of the mounting end is attached. What lens mount is this one? Second, can I get a relatively inexpensive adapter to mount it on my Nikon cameras (D90 and D750), realizing it has limited utility - all manual settings, etc. Thanks for the help.

Chuck

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Orphoto Loc: Oregon

Chuck, looks like you have the old Canon FD style mount there. And I don't believe those are adaptable to Nikon F.
Charles

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

If it doesn’t screw off you have a problem - but it didn’t grow on a tree - the mount must be attached somehow - once off a new Nikon mount is cheap -from like B&H

Leitz Loc: Solms

Could it be a T mount lens?

Canisdirus

I believe that is a Canon FD mount on the lens.

tropics68 Loc: Georgia

The C/FD is a dead giveaway. See Canon/FD mount.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

I have a Canon 1.4 FD lens, bought an adapter from Fotodiox to adapt it to my Nikons, so try that

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Most third party mirror lenses of the period were "T-mount" which is a form of screw mount - and this lens MAY have a Canon FD adapter already installed on it over the "T" mount.
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Leitz Loc: Solms

That was my first thought, but it looks like this particular lens was made with various fixed mounts.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/tokina-500mm-f8-mirror-lens.html

rchuck1

Now knowing that it is a Canon mount, I did find the appropriate Fotodiox adapter. It has an aperture ring and the Fotodiox literature indicates that the Tokina lens adapted to the Nikon D90 will work in Manual mode; Manual or Aperture mode on the D750.

Thanks for all the assistance.

Chuck

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

That is almost certainly a "T-mount" lens. Those use easily changed adapters to allow them to be used on a wide variety of camera systems. The "T-mount" simply screws on and the threaded fitting is standardized (42x0.75mm) across all the different system mounts (the T-mount threads ARE NOT the same as M42 screw mount used by early Pentax and others).

T-mounts have come in several versions. The original simply screwed onto the rear of the lens. Some of those have one or more set screws around the perimeter that are tightened to prevent the mount from loosening accidentally. The set screws need to be backed off to remove the mount from the lens. One problem (usually minor) with this design was that often the markings on the lens didn't align properly.

A "T-2" mount solved the problem. This also has set screws, but they serve a different purpose. This mount has both an inner and outer ring. The inner ring screws onto the lens and the outer ring fits onto that. Loosening the set screws allows the lens markings to be properly aligned, then the screws re-tightened. Nearly all T-mounts sold today (and for many years) are this type and are simply referred to as "T-mounts".

Yes, what's shown is a Canon FD "breech" mount... for use on the SLRs prior to the EOS models introduced in 1989 (using "EF" mount). The FD mount was largely interchangeable with a slightly earlier Canon FL mount, with a few compatibility issues (mostly just with specialized lenses and some functionality. Canon FD and FL mount cameras had been sold from the early 1960s up to discontinuation around 1990. Late in production there also were FD"n" or FD "New" lenses, which did away with the breech mount design so the entire lens was rotated to latch it in place, and a button was provided to release it.

Something unusual about the FD/FL/FDn mount was it's short flange to focal plane distance. This is the distance at which the lens is designed to focus and, because it's so short, makes it virtually impossible to adapt for use on other systems that use a longer F to FP distance. Essentially there's no "room" to add an adapter.

But that's not a problem with a T-mount lens, which I suspect is the case here. All you need to do is buy a Nikon F-bayonet T-mount and replace what's on the lens now with that. The lens will then be able to mount onto your cameras. T-mounts are still being made in China and are cheap. Look on eBay and get one, swap it out and give it a try.

It might be necessary to set your camera to "shoot without lens", because there are no electronic contacts or mechanical connections between the lens and the camera (for exposure control, autofocus, etc.). As a result, the camera doesn't "know" a lens is mounted. Some cameras have a menu setting that by default prevents the shutter from being tripped when no lens is on the camera. You'll have to check your camera.

It will be manual focus only. Manual focusing can be a challenge with modern cameras. They are designed with auto focusing lenses in mind and their viewfinders simply don't have some of the manual focus assist features that older cameras' viewfinders had. However, I know Nikon has implemented some manual focus assist features in their cameras over they years. You'll have to check to see what your particular cameras offer.

And as a mirror lens it's probably fixed aperture (f/8?). With most mirror (catadioptric or "reflex") lenses, neutral density filters are used to reduce light passing through, rather than an adjustable aperture. Adding one stop ND filter to an f/8 lens makes for f/16 exposure... a 1.5 stop filter makes f/22... a 2 stop filter f/32 equivalent. These filters only effect exposure. They DO NOT change depth of field effects, the way an actually variable aperture does. Still, most mirror lenses are long telephoto designs that are very capable of strong background blur effects. Below image was done with a Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror lens:



A characteristic of mirror lenses is the "donut" shaped out-of-focus highlights they tend to form. Mirror lens design, with the small reflecting mirror in the center of the front element, is what leads to the "donut" effect. You can see some of this in both the below images. I always felt the Tamrons were somehow less prone to this than other mirror lenses I tried. At least it seemed minor and less objectionable with the Tamrons.



Generally speaking, with this lens you may want to use fully manual M exposure (without Auto ISO). However, you may also be able to use A (aperture priority) auto exposure mode. In this mode you set the ISO and the aperture (which is fixed at f/8, unless you add an ND filter), and the camera then provides auto exposure by selecting a shutter speed for you. Depending upon how it's implemented on your camera, you also may be able to get auto exposure using M with Auto ISO... here you select the shutter speed and the aperture (which is still fixed at f/8), while the camera chooses an ISO that it thinks will make a correct exposure. Check your cameras to see if either of the above AE modes are possible.

You WILL NOT be able to use S (shutter priority AE) or P (program AE). You also won't be able to use any highly automated "scene" modes that your cameras might have (such as "sports", "portrait", "landscape"). All these require the camera be able to change the lens aperture, which cannot be done with this lens.

It's been many years since I used a mirror lens, but they can be fun. They are reasonably compact and affordable for the focal length they provide. I tried a lot of different mirror lenses over the years and ended up using the Tamron 500mm f/8 a lot and Tamron 350mm f/5.6 briefly. (I later ended up buying a more typical non-mirror 300mm lens and 1.5X teleconverter that allowed variable apertures and replaced them both.) I felt the image quality of the Tamron lenses was the best of the ones I'd tried, but I don't recall if the Tokina was among them. I know I tried Sigma and some other brands, before settling on the Tamron (which used their own proprietary "Adaptall" interchangeable mount system, instead of T-mounts... BTW, the "T" in T-mount stands for "Tamron". They invented the interchangeable mount and deliberately didn't patent it, allowing other manufacturers to make lenses using the system. Their later Adaptall system, which survived until approx. the mid-1990s, was patented... but is now widely cloned and also allows mounting on many modern camera systems).

Does that Tokina lens have a tripod mounting ring and foot? I ask because one mistake that a lot of people make is trying to handhold powerful mirror lenses. They don't have in-lens image stabilization and might force you to use fairly slow shutter speeds (or high ISOs) and are very susceptible to "camera shake blur". I learned early on to use a tripod or at least a monopod with my mirror lenses. it makes quite a difference in image quality. Not all of the mirror lenses had tripod mounting rings, but my 500mm Tamron did.

Have fun with that lens!

P.S. I noted above that most mirror lenses use a fixed aperture. The only exception I'm aware of was the Konica Hexanon 1000mm f/11, which used internal Waterhouse stops to provide a series of different aperture choices. Because they originally cost as much as a small car, those are relatively rare and uncommon (and don't have an interchangeable mount to use on other systems). They also made a couple 2000mm prototypes using the same system, but never sold any of them. (Even as a mirror lens, the 2000mm was huge and weighed 35 lb.... I saw one displayed at a photo show in Denver CO in the 1980s.)

rchuck1

Alan,

I removed the set screw and unscrewed the C/FD adapter. I will get a Nikon F bayonet "T" mount.
Your photos are great. Thanks so much for all the detail concerning this f/8 lens.

Chuck

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

Chuck just trying to give you a maybe another option...
Please seriously consider the latest technology from Tokina...
The Tokina SZX 400mm f/8 Reflex MF Lens for Nikon F.
This lens is high on my list of potential addition to my kit...
Reason? Feather light... extremely cost effective... great reviews...
And this lens includes the Tokina TA0011 SZX T-Mount Adapter for Nikon F

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1580863-REG/tokina_szxmf400_n_szx_400mm_f_8_reflex.html
For $249 I feel there is literally no compelling reason to kludge a workaround for a beat up piece of kit in questionable condition. Like how much dust and crud will you be sucking into your D750 from inside that relic? This is a very real issue with poorly maintained vintage glass... experience is a brutal teacher.

Hope this helps...
All the best on your photographic journey Chuck