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Specification

Source of data

• Manufacturer's technical data.

From the Popular Photography magazine (June 1983)

Soligor also showed two interesting fixed-mount zooms, a rather compact but wide-ranging 35-140-mm f/3.8-5.3 and a lightweight 500-800-mm f/8-12 mirror lens.

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Weighing 37 oz., 5.3 in. in length, and with a maximum barrel diameter of 3.8 in., the Soligor 500-800-mm f/8-12 zoom-mirror lens utilizes the T-2 mount system to fit most popular SLR 35s. Other specs include: 5-3.06° angle of view, rotary zooming, 13.1 ft. minimum focus, and filter size of 82-mm. Price, $599.

Typical characteristics of mirror (reflex) lenses

• Catadioptric system consisting of curved mirrors and optical glass;
• Much shorter, lighter and less expensive designs than conventional super telephoto lenses;
• Outstanding correction of chromatic aberrations;
• Since the aperture is fixed, neutral density filters are used to obtain a smaller aperture;
• Doughnut-shaped out-of-focus highlights.

From the editor

Introduced at PMA 1983.

The same lens was sold under the following names:

• CAMBRON MIRROR ZOOM LENS F:8 500mm F:12 800mm
• DOI 500mm F:8-800mm F:12 ZOOM MIRROR LENS
• HANIMEX 500mm F:8-800mm F:12 ZOOM MIRROR LENS
• Starblitz 500mm F:8-800mm F:12 ZOOM MIRROR LENS
• ZYKKOR 500mm F:8-800mm F:12 ZOOM MIRROR LENS

The lens has neither a front filter thread nor a rear-mounting filter system.

The manufacturer did not provide any hood for this lens. With change in focal length, the front element moves, but does not extend beyond the front rim: at 500mm it is recessed into the lens barrel to a depth of about 3.5cm, and at 800mm it does not reach the front rim by 3mm.

The lens has a non-rotatable tripod socket with 1/4" thread.

Notes

• Independent-brand lenses were made for 35mm film SLR cameras by companies that competed with the camera manufacturers. Some came from factories that made lenses under their own brand names (Angenieux, Kiron, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina). Many others were national and international marketing organizations (Kalimar, Panagor, Rokunar, Soligor, Starblitz) that bought lenses from anonymous manufacturers. One firm — Vivitar — actually designed its own lenses and accessories, which were then subcontracted to manufacturing firms. Still others were private labels, sold only by specific photo specialty shops (Cambron, Quantaray, Spiratone).