Sigma Mirror 600mm f8 on MFT

Sigma Mirror 600mm f8 with Pentax (PK) mount + K&F Concept adapter PK/M4/3

For my micro 4/3 kit I have all the lenses I could wish for – there are currently none from Olympus or Panasonic that I would like to add.
That being said,
lenses that fall outside the normal lens range can still be of interest.
one of those lenses is the Sigma Mirror 600mm f8.
I already have some mirror lenses, like the Tokina SZX 400mm f6.3, the Samyang 500mm f8, Wallimex 500mm f6.3 and Wallimex 800mm f8.
I bought the Tokina 400mm when I still worked with Fuji cameras, it was – especially because of its very compact shape and image quality – a good choice.
As far as I’m concerned, the other three mirror lenses are of lesser quality, everything is in proportion to the cost price, you get what you pay for, as they say.

Why should you buy a Sigma 600mm f8 mirror lens you might ask ?
Well, no matter what lenses you have, there are times when a super telephoto of this size can come in handy.
If you don’t use teleconverters, neither Olympus nor Panasonic has a lens in this angle of view.
Mounted on your camera (with adapter) you have a whopping 1200mm (FOV) f8 super telephoto – and fully stabilized on your Olympus camera.
You could have the same magnification with the Olympus 300mm f4 Pro + 2x teleconverter, but that would set you back about €3100,-
The Oly 100-400mm can also accept the 2x converter, but still, this would also cost you around €1600

But the price is not the only reason,
The full combo length including camera, adapter and lens is barely 200mm long, with lens hood that is 260mm, with a total weight (incl camera) of less than 1750grams.
The version I bought is green in color, but most are in black.
Cost on eBay was €192 all inclusive
To come back to why this Sigma 600mm f8 :
1 – Compact and Light – so suitable for backpacking, travelling, always in the bag
2 – Sharp enough – but it takes some practice to get to, magnify and peaking are a big help
3 – Inexpensive – can allow you to get unique shots that would otherwise be impossible or difficult

The most important thing of course, is the result.
Well, mirror lenses have a bad reputation, in large part because it’s true.
However, there are indeed also very good ones, unfortunately the cost prices are also a lot higher.
The Sigma 600mm f8 is a mirror lens that delivers very good results for a reasonable price.
My interest arose from the need to have a lens that had a longer range than my own normal lenses – had to be very compact and light for on my bike or backpack – deliver reasonable quality, and that at the cheapest possible price.
Then I came across Wayne Grundy’s website.
In it’s Overall Conclusions, the Sigma 600mm was labeled “Best Budget Mirror Lens”

Contrary to the review on Wayne’s website,
if you have an Olympus camera, you don’t need a bean bag or any kind of support.
Set IBIS to 600mm and you won’t be bothered by a wobble effect.
The lens also contains an internal adapter that accepts filters, less important for a mirrorless camera maybe, but it can help provide a better contrast for black and white pictures.

Overall, the Sigma 600mm f8.0 mirror lens is a unique lens that offers a lightweight and compact design with an extreme long focal length. It’s size and weight makes it easy to transport to remote locations. While it may not be the most versatile lens, it can be a valuable tool for photographers who specialize in certain types of photography, like birding, wildlife and sports.

Below are two test shots of the moon with this lens,
the first photo (brown-yellower) was taken at the beginning of May around 21:00,
the second (greyer) same day but around 24:00.
The photos have been converted from format 4/3 to 16/9,
furthermore in gThumb only exposure and contrast.
Both photos only by hand – no tripod !
ISO at 200 – 1e: 1/200 – 2e: 1/250 – auto IBIS

For a larger view, visit my gallery at https://marcroovers.wordpress.com/?p=4676

La Gallerie

The photo gallery of Open Source Photography, Olympus micro 4/3 system, Vintage Lens Photograpy, Film Simulation, PictureFX, HDR – Photographer : Marc R.