lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA

Is this lens absolutely worthless for photographing the eclipse during totality? I'm planning on flying my trike 200 miles to get to the path of totality as it passes over the northeast tip of Kansas. What the heck, it's an adventure, but it does limit my baggage considerably. The Pentax, and two lenses tops is about all I have room for in the rear seat after I add in a small tent, a blanket, and a small cooler. But I could make room for the Opteka if it would be worthwhile.

Thanks folks,
Rick

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

That's a fairly large, in circumference, lens. To use it during the Eclipse you will need a solar filter for all but the time the sun is in totality. A good solar filter that large may cost more than the lens. Enjoy your trip...

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

No, not worthless, but they can be a little tricky to use and focus. I believe that the lenses are made by Samyang, and that the f/6.3 is better than the f/8 version. It will be manual focus, so that may need some practice, and probably not have any focus confirmation aids. Whatever you are doing with a lens like this , be very careful in regards to the sun. Live view should be fine, but at worst will fry your camera. With an OVF it could fry your eye. Focus on something else less bright.

I have a Canon 500mm reflex, and I once used it decades ago on a partial eclipse in England on my Canon T90. As soon as I got the Sun in the frame through the viewfinder I could feel my eye warming up, so stopped immediately. No damage, but be very, very careful. Damage can occur before you feel it.

Reflex lenses tend to be a little soft, and it will be equivalent to roughly 800mm on your APS-C camera, so very shallow DOF, and probably need a very stable tripod or very fast shutter speed, say 1/2000 or faster.

Good luck, but it may be worth the money for occasional careful use.

I wasn't too unhappy with this using the Canon 500mm reflex on an APS-C camera, but I got myself a far superior tripod shortly there after.

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Not a great fan of mirror lenses, not worth the effort.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'd prefer a regular lens for something you can't go back and re-shoot a day or two later.

Lots of links -

Filters -
http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com/solar.html

Technique -
https://www.dpreview.com/learn/3999097998/these-nikon-videos-break-down-the-gear-and-settings-you-need-to-shoot-the-eclipse
http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/image/SE-Exposure1w.GIF
http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEphoto.html
http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/photographing.HTM
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/h20zakgu/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse.html
https://photographylife.com/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I am not familiar with the Opteka (which is no doubt made by someone else... I think anything labelled Opteka is outsourced, like anything Vivitar or Polaroid and most things Kodak, these days).

I experimented with a number of other mirror lenses over the years... the best I ever found for reasonable money was the Tamron SP 500mm f/8 Adaptall2. Strictly manual focus, but extremely close focusing for near macro (5 feet, if memory serves) close-ups. Those lenses show up on eBay quite often (the smaller, 350mm f/5.6 version they made is a lot rarer). A nice thing about it is that there are relatively inexpensive interchangeable Adaptall2 mounts still being made for virtually any camera system... now they are Chinese clones that work fine, though you'd need to allow time for shipping.

If I recall, the Tamron 500mm uses an 82mm filter up front (and 30.5mm rear mount). If you buy one off eBay, check it out carefully, that the tripod mounting ring hasn't been removed and lost. They also came with a matching lens hood, and a set of filters (rear mount: 3 color filters for B&W and one neutral density... plus a skylight filter installed on the lens itself), all in a neat case. It's always best to get with as many accessories as possible, because it can be hard to find and expensive to replace them if they've been separated from the lens and lost. But the tripod mounting ring is especially critical.

As noted previously, you absolutely must use a certified, quality solar filter for solar eclipse viewing and shooting, or you risk destroying your camera and/or your eye! A tripod is a "must", too... since that type of filter reduces light by something like 14 stops.

Dave34 Loc: Maricopa, AZ

Filters on that lens attach to the rear before you put it on the camera. I don't remember the size. It comes with a couple of ND filters and a UV.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

But OP still needs special solar filter for this one-time-only project.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

That in itself may be an obstacle. This is the lens (f/6.3) version: https://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Telephoto-Mirror-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0022VFDRK

Front filter size is 95mm. I am almost 100% certain that it is a Samyang lens, which are typically good optics. Given all of the usual caveats about reflex lenses I would expect this to be worth it's approx. $100 cost.

The problem is that a solar filter costs more than the lens: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1335775-REG/formatt_hitech_fc95eclp5_4_firecrest_95mm_eclipse_5_4.html, also with a solar filter a very stable tripod would be required, think high end Gitzo or RRS, that costs well over $500. For the OP's stated conditions, a decent tripod would probably be much too big and heavy.

With care and practice, a hand held liveview shot should be possible with this lens - without a filter - at a fast shutter speed, but doesn't come without some risk to equipment. It would most likely require focusing before getting the Sun in the frame and taking the picture very quickly and then getting the Sun out of the frame again. Not for the faint of heart. If you do get this lens do not use the optical view finder to look at the sun.

nikonmarv

I agree with all the safety issues. However, manual focus on the sun is easy (it's infinity).

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

True, unless the lens will focus beyond infinity, as some long manual focus lenses do...

lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA

Just to reiterate; I only plan to use the lens during the totality of the eclipse. That should obviate the need for any filters, shouldn't it?

Rick

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Possibly, but just be aware of the risks to your self and the equipment.

If I read your original post correctly you are going to fly to your destination in a microlight aircraft or similar. If you are not planning to take a tripod - which will be required for a filter, and it will need to be a very good tripod which is both expensive and heavy - then by all means get the lens. Just practice and be careful. I would do this using live view with my Canon 500mm reflex, hand held with a fast shutter speed, but it would a drive by kind of shot without spending time looking at the sun. Focus on something else, point and shoot at about 1/1500 or faster, and take lots of shots, you may get lucky.... Shoot raw.

jcboy3

That is the wrong solar filter to use. This is the type to get for this lens:

http://www.kendrickastro.com/solarfilters.html

$65 for one that fits my 300mm f/2.8 or 600mm Perkin-Elmer

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I defer to your experience. However, by the time this is done, we're talking about a $100 or more lens, a $65 or more filter, and a tripod of decent quality, and the size and weight limitations expressed by the OP. How does that all come together?