First Impressions: Samyang 500mm f/8 Mirror Lens

Samyang/Phoenix 500mm f/8 Reflex (Catadioptric “Mirror”) Telephoto Lens

Those who may think this is a poor quality product are sadly mistaken. The truth is, this lens is manufactured to high-quality standards with a fit and finish comparable to any high quality lens.

There are many misconceptions about mirror lenses that prevent people from buying them. If you understand what their purpose is, and how to get the most out of them, they can achieve things that no other lens can, at a ridiculously low cost.

Ignorance is Bliss

In 1976, when I purchased my first SLR, the Canon AE-1, I pined after the Canon Reflex 500mm f/8. I was intrigued by the donut-shaped bokeh that it produced, seeing it as a unique advantage that no other telephoto lens had. Since then, I’ve always had an affinity for the aesthetic of reflex lenses.

Ironically, while some complain about the quality of the reflex len’s bokeh, others seek to produce creatively shaped bokeh using custom aperture disks. Lensbaby even offers a creative aperture kit for their Optic Swap series of lenses.

I passed up several opportunities to purchase the reflex lens for my Canon AE-1, which of course would have been unusable with my present Nikon Bodies.

Newer, Cheaper, Better

Fast-forward to 2010. By comparison to the reflex lenses of old, the Samyang/Phoenix version is smaller, lighter, has a shorter minimum focus distance, and is quite inexpensive. Here are some specs for comparison:

Canon Reflex 500mm f/8

Lens construction: 3 groups, 6 elements (including mirrors)

Coating: Multicoated-S.S.C (super spectra coating)

Minimum Aperture: f/8

Angle of View: 5°

Minimum Focus Distance: 13.12 ft. (4M)

Filter Type: Rear section filter holder, drop-in type (with 34mm exclusive filter. Regular 1X)


Length: 5.84 in. (146mm)

Diameter: 3.54 in. (90mm)

Weight: 25.04 oz. (710g)

Reflex-NIKKOR C 500mm f/8

Lens construction: 6 groups, 6 elements (including mirrors)

Coating: Multicoated-Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC)

Minimum Aperture: f/8

Angle of View: 5°

Minimum Focus Distance: 5 ft. (1.5M)

Filter Type: Threaded, 39mm (rear), 82mm (front)

Length: 4.57 in. (116mm)

Diameter: 3.5 in. (89mm)

Weight: 29.6 oz. (840g)

Samyang/Phoenix 500mm f/8 MC Mirror

Lens construction: 6 groups, 7 elements (including mirrors)

Minimum Aperture: f/8

Angle of View: 5°

Minimum Focus Distance: 5.6 ft. (1.7M)

Filter Type: Threaded, 31.5mm (rear), 72mm (front)

Length: 3.4 in. (86.5mm)

Diameter: 3.0 in. (76mm)

Weight: 12.7 oz. (360g)

Samyang’s series of mirror lenses are inexpensive by design, not by manufacture. By folding the optical path three times, less material and less glass are employed, and the simplification produces far less chromatic aberration.

These lenses takes on a whole new life with digital photography. Their subdued contrast and saturation can easily be enhanced in post-processing, and if captured in Camera Raw, images that are underexposed to reduce motion blur can be opened up. On higher end cameras with higher ISO capability, they become even more usable. And, they’re so compact and light, you can walk around with them all day to explore far out-of-reach subjects.

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