Mirror lenses

[Fordo]

What are the sharpest ones around?

I know theyre a bit odd, but i'm hoping to do a trip next year that'll take in a total solar eclipse. And a long mirror lens would be ideal - the doughnut bokeh and slow f stop wouldn't be an issue, but a soft image would. Are their any reasonably good ones around?

[S1bs]

I used to own a Nikon 500mm f8 Mirror lens a few years ago.

Pretty sharp - better than any of the 3rd party mirror lenses available like Sigma / Tokina / Soligor etc

Can be picked up for around £200 second hand, and very easy to adapt to other lens mounts like Canon EF with a cheap mount convertor off Amazon / Ebay.

[Fordo]

S1bs said:

I used to own a Nikon 500mm f8 Mirror lens a few years ago.

Pretty sharp - better than any of the 3rd party mirror lenses available like Sigma / Tokina / Soligor etc

Can be picked up for around £200 second hand, and very easy to adapt to other lens mounts like Canon EF with a cheap mount convertor off Amazon / Ebay.

Thanks for the tip, i'll see if i can source one.

I'm also pondering if it might be cheaper to get a slightly older 2nd hand bridge camera, just for the eclipse - some of them, with their smaller sensors, do have mad telephoto reach, and could be cheaper / sharper, than using a mirror lens.

(Im also then not pointing my more expensive camera, directly into the sun!)

[S1bs]

Not an expert or someone who has even tried any kind of solar eclipse photography, but I think regardless of what camera you use, you will need a solar filter otherwise you will most likely damage the camera's sensor permanently and possibly your eyesight.

Some guides here:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/t...

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/ti...