Field Review of my (four) binoculars and my gear setup (1 Viewer)

[dorubird]

I was on a lake near Bucharest. The lake is beautiful in the middle of the forest, like in a fairy tale. It is full of cut tree stumps that the birds use as a post.

Walking in this wonderful place, I noticed a family of alcedo atthis (kingfisher) that were fishing a lot in this beautiful lake. Luckily, I had my faithful pocket bino 8x20 in my bag. The image of Ultravid 8x20 was very contrasting with splendid colors.

I didn't have a camera with me, so I came back in a few days later especially for this alcedo atthis. This time I took Nikon HG 8x30 with me.
I didn't get bigger binoculars (Zeiss SF 10x42 and Habicht 7x42) because I had in my backpack two cameras and two big telephoto lenses.
The huge Rubinar 1000mm f10 super telephoto lens was placed on a tripod with the Olympus PEN F. It was accessed with remote control, so not to induce vibrations. It was used for long distance static birds. This telephoto lens gives me an equivalent focal length of 2000mm!!!

And for the birds that came closer or in flight, I used the Olympus OM 1 Mark III with Zuiko 40-150 PRO f2.8 telephoto lens +1.4 xTC. The great tits were the bravest and most curious, approaching about 2m from me.


Nikon HG 8X30 contributed with a large relaxing image and warm and very attractive colors. Panning with these binoculars was very pleasant. The shades of kinkfisher colors changed depending on how the light fell. They fished with amazing speed. In no more than two seconds, he returned to his place with the fish in his beak. The male has a completely black beak and the female has a red lower part of the beak.




I noticed an anthus pratensis (meadow pipit) that reflected very beautifully in the water like in a Pre-Raphaelite painting.

I also saw a cuclus canorus (cuckoo), two tachybaptus ruficollis (little grebe) and two erithacus rubecula (robin). I spent about four hours "hunting" images, these being just a few of them!

 

[CharleyBird]

Nice report and gear.
Can I ask about the Rubinar lens, is it a mirror type, that were more usually made as 500 or 600m?

 

[Ted Y.]

Superb post.
Smart and equilibrated combination of text, birds' pictures and (some impressive) gear.

 

[Binastro]

There was the 500mm f/8.
This is only geometrically correct and does not compensate for the central obstruction loss.
The aperture is 63mm instead of 75mm or so for say the Nikon and other own brand mirror lenses.
Some independents are about 70mm aperture.

The MTO 1000mm f/10 again is geometrically correct but probably T/12
They vary in quality but some 1950s versions are superb.
The included large front filters are high quality, maybe 105mm.

Other mirror lenses have rear filters and the neutral one needs to be in place for good correction.

The Rubinar, may from memory have an additional element at the front.
Again geometrically correct but doesn't compensate for central obstruction loss.

There is a Nikon 2,000mm version and maybe a Minolta 1600mm.
Also Canon, Olympus, Pentax mirror lenses.

The Pentax 500mm spotting scope is a 500mm mirror lens with a 45 degree back.
This also takes 24.5 eyepieces and attaches to any T mount lens.

The Tamron 500mm f/8 are usually high quality with good coatings..

There is a similar independent, maybe Sigma? of 600mm, also available as a spotting scope.

There is an independent 650mm mirror lens.

The 800mm f/8 Korean mirror lens is awful.

The Zoomar 2,000mm f/14 is also awful.

Some people object to the doughnut out of focus images, and loss of contrast.

Celestron do a 500mm f/5.6 as does Zoomar with matched 2x extender.

There are also several 1000mm f/11s.

There is a very large Canon maybe over 3,000mm.

There are several 350mm mirror lenses of varying quality.

The Minolta 250mm f/5.6 is about the size of a standard 50mm lens.
Now a collector's item near £1,000.

I also have a Minolta 400mm version for their APS cameras I think.

Regards,
B.

 

[dorubird]

Thank you all!

Nice report and gear.
Can I ask about the Rubinar lens, is it a mirror type, that were more usually made as 500 or 600m?

Yes, it is a mirror type and they are usually made at 500mm. My lens is 1000mm designed by Maksutov for photo. The Maksutov telescopes were also made according to this phot objective, but simplified. This lens has a more complex optical formula: In front it has a double meniscus with an aperture of 106mm, a secondary mirror, and a primary mirror of 100mm. Exiting the main mirror, the light spot passes through a field flattener that removes the curvature of the focal plane.
It weighs 2250g. It is very compact for a 1000mm lens. It is only 180mm long without sunshade and 270mm with sunshade. But huge in external diameter (130mm). So its diameter covers my PEN F!


As an image, it has an extremely small depth of field even on a micro 4/3 sensor. This makes it very difficult to focus. It is so small that if you turn the focus very slightly, a subject about 20m away will come out of focus. But the advantage is that where it is in focus it is sharp, and it has a pleasant blur!

 

[CharleyBird]

Very interesting Binastro and dorubird. You've made me quite fancy getting one.

 

[Binastro]

The Rubinar 1000mm f/10 is not strictly a telephoto, but is a good choice.
It seems to have a fairly small secondary and is a good design.

Telephoto lenses have a negative component at the back to reduce the length compared to a long focus doublet or triplet.
They are refractors.

There are enormous variations with photo mirror lenses.
Some have mangin mirrors, many have field flateners at the back.

Some have just mirror spots on the front element, others separate secondaries.

Others have several front elements.

Besides the ones mentioned in post #4 there are.

The Zeiss 1000mm f/5.6?
Zeiss 500mm f/4.5
Sigma 500mm f/4, a complex design and rather poor except at one focus distance. I used this optimum distance and just moved the plane behind the lens.
Minolta 800mm f/8
Nikon 500mm f/5 which are rather good.

The Celestron 750mm f/6 is unusual being a SCT rather than Maksutov variant.

The 140mm aperture military Den Oude Delft is superb and the highest quality, possibly around 2,000mm focal length.

The f number varies on mirror lenses depending on focus or positioning of the camera with adapters.

The Vivitar 600mm f/8 is a solid Cat and also available in 800mm f/11.
Amazingly immune to temperature variations and high resolution.

There are very large military versions with folded optics that can cost millions.

Mirror lenses are out of favour now, but with longer focal lengths and small secondaries they can still produce great photos.

I don't know if the Rubinars vary in quality as do the MTOs, but photographically they should be good.

The MTOs show temperature variations when used visually at 100x, but are much used by solar eclipse photographers.
Some have strange T2 mounts where only the outer ring of the T2 mount is used and the inner ring discarded.
The grub screws attach directly to the rear of the lens.

Regards,
B.

 

[dorubird]

The MC Rubinar 1000 mm f/ 10.0 Lens. Specs. MTF Charts. User Reviews.

allphotolenses.com

1, 2 double meniscus
3 primary mirror
4 secondary mirror
5 filed flatner corector doublet

 

[Binastro]

Thanks dorubird.

Is it actually M42 or is it a T2 mount?

Incidentally the later Minolta 500mm f/8 mirror lens is autofocus, maybe unique?
Later under Sony name.

The aperture of this lens is different to the earlier Minolta 500mm f/8.

There is also a mirror lens with variable aperture.
Not a good idea I think.

Have you tried your Rubinar visually with an older Japanese scope adapter or the newer Lens2scope adapter.

There is an Olympus own make 1000mm f/11 mirror lens.
I haven't tried one.

Regards,
B.

 

[dorubird]

Binastro,
It is M42 mount for Zenith photo camera!
I also tried it visually in astronomy with a Baader prism and binoviewer. But with prism he needs barlow and it increases magnification even more. So I only use it for photography, exactly what it is made for!

 

[Binastro]

Thanks dorubird,

Regards,
B.

 

[dorubird]

BIRD RAPORT OBSERVATION no.2
From my balcony I saw a Spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata). I heard it and immediately went out to see what it was. He was very active hunting flies.






I admired it with my Zeiss SF 10x42 binoculars right up to sunset for 2 hours. In the golden hour, the colors acquire a captivating warmth and micro-contrast and small details was fascinating through bino



Not much time passes and a woodpecker (dendrocops syriacus) appears in the same tree. The equipment used was also Rubinar 1000mm f10

 

[Scott98]

My favorite part of this website is seeing pictures from around the world. The lakes, and the trees and rocks, and binoculars are all familiar-looking. But the birds are all exotic and different!

 

[dorubird]

The story behind this photo (my avatar):

A long time ago I was following a family of little owl (athene noctua) with my binoculars. For several months I became familiar with these birds so that, if I didn't see them for a few days, I would worry about them (I was thinking about crow, cats or other bad scenarios!). They had their nest on the roof of a house, located 100 m away from my balcony. Sometimes I just looked at them with 8x binoculars just to make sure they were still there. Other times I used higher power binoculars to see details. At such a long distance normally I used the largest telephoto lens I had available. My trusty "Ruby" 1000mmf10. The photo was taken from a tripod. I took many frames, but I chose this frame because I like how the bird seems to be protecting its nest and looks aggressive straight into my lens. The feeling is extraordinary considering that it was about 100m to the bird.
Here is a fresh picture with little Leica in the shadow of the big "Ruby"

 

[dorubird]

I went out to the park and tested the new calibration settings of my telephoto lens. Focus rate increased to 19/20.



Somehow the colors in these pictures remind me of what I saw through the small binoculars. Autumn gets gorgeous colors through the Leica Ultravid 8x20 "filter"

 

[dorubird]

My long-awaited telephoto lens arrived: Panasonic Leica 200mm f2.8. I eagerly tried it on a gloomy and rainy day. The results are very satisfactory considering the cloudy weather with very poor light.
Compared to the Olympus 40-150 PRO f2.8 +1.4x TC, this Leica 200mm f2.8 has the same length, but weighs more (800g vs 1200g). Clarity and contrast are at a different level than the Olympus 40-150 PRO with teleconverter.


Initially I photographed a Wren/ Regulus regulus. I like this little bird very much. He holds his tail up in a very comical way.


Then in a willow tree by the lake I had the opportunity to follow and photograph the smallest bird in Europe: Goldencrest/ Troglodytes troglodytes. I stayed glued to the trunk of the willow watching and photographing this litlle energetic bird.

 

[Ted Y.]

Do you use an UV filter?

 

[dorubird]

No, I do not use UV filter! I had some degradation of clarity with Hoya UX II UV filter on this lens. I plan to buy a good quality protective filter instead of UV. You ask me because you had some similar experiences as me?

 

[Ted Y.]

I used B+W (circular) polarization filters, when needed. And protection filters, also when needed. Never both in the same time.

I have no experience with UV filters, just trying to understand the need of them when film cameras are uncommon.

 

[NDhunter]

Dorubird, your photography and story are very well done. It has been a pleasure to read the posts.
Keep up the good work. You should know you could write for a magazine, and do articles there.
Jerry