| |
Camera Lens News no. 1
Summer 1997 |
| |
Mirotar T* 1 : 8/500 mm—A new and very compact
catadioptric telephoto lens for Contax SLR cameras
The Mirotar T* 1:8/500 mm is a new, very compact telephoto lens for Contax SLR cameras. It is being introduced to the market as you read this. Compared with the Contax SLR standard lenses Planar T* 1:1,4/50 mm and Planar T* 1:1,7/50 mm this new lens will give you an image 10 times magnified. The Mirotar T* 1:8/500 mm is suitable for many areas of applied photography and is a virtually ideal tool for capturing hard to reach visual details of interest at construction sites, at buildings, at natural or man-made monuments, memorials,
statues etc. in a fast, easy, cost-efficient way.
The Mirotar 1:8/500 mm T* is an all new design capable of delivering very high image quality over the entire field and exceptionally even illumination, as you would expect from a Carl Zeiss lens. It utilizes the reflective surfaces of curved mirrors (Mangin type) for image generation in addition to the refractive ones of glass lens elements. This has a distinct advantage, especially with lenses of long focal lengths: reflective surfaces do not induce chromatic errors. The path of the rays is folded twice, as usual with reflex telephoto lenses, thus allowing for a very short barrel of only 125 mm in spite of the focal length of 500 mm. This compactness also keeps the weight down: mere 780 g, less than 2 lbs.
Considering these features the Mirotar T* 1:8/500 mm is very interesting for photographers who need to use a telephoto lens of considerable magnification but do not want to attract attention while doing so. Or for those with a need for tele power far beyond 200 mm who can afford only very limited space and weight for their equipment, so a larger Mirotar T* 1:4,5/500 mm or a Tele-Apotessar T* 1:2,8/300 with Mutar cannot be considered.
Close focusing distance is 3,5 m (11,5 feet); rotatable tripod collar with standard thread W 1/4”, can be locked at any angle; telescoping lens hood with special light absorbing surface treatment is built in, stray light blocking mask in rear, conical stray light blocker attached to primary mirror. Filter size: 82 mm; Weight: 780 g | |
|