# How can I mount a Rokkor 500mm telephoto lens directly to a tripod?



## jjm1600 (Feb 5, 2013)

Hello,


     I've been looking all over the internet for information on how to mount a Rokkor 500mm lens directly to the tripod. The thing seems too fat to find a lens collar appropriate for it, but it needs to be able to be mounted directly to the tripod, sans camera. I came across a company called Fotodiox who makes lens adapters with tripod mounts, but none are simply tripod mounts. Can someone help me find something, or am I going to have to DIY it?


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## gsgary (Feb 6, 2013)

Gaffer tape


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## BrianV (Feb 6, 2013)

Is it this one:

The Rokkor Files - Minolta 500mm f/8 Review

The focus ring is the length of the lens, does not leave much room for a tripod mount.

Nikon and other 500mm mirror lenses were like this one:

Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8.0s

Vivitar solid cat:

Solid Cat

The only thing I can think of: radiator hose clamp around the body?

Or get a different mrirror lens.


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## jjm1600 (Feb 6, 2013)

Do you have any recommendations for different lenses with the MC or MD mounts? You can recommend either long-barrel or short-barrel telephoto lenses, I'm open to both.


Edit: I'd like to add that this is for the purpose of stacking teleconverters and creating a sightscope/telescope. As far as I understand it, aperature is irrelevant in this situation since the light will be going straight to my eye rather than being exposed to film/sensors (though I am worried about image sharpness with stacked teleconverters). I am not truly worried about the f-stop, since I am probably not going to use it for photography in such a set-up (but I will be using it without teleconverters for photography). So I would say for photography that I do not want to go beyond f/8 or f/11 for price reasons, but the more light I can get, the better.

Edit Edit: I hope this shows you why I need a lens that can mount directly to a tripod.


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## compur (Feb 6, 2013)

jjm1600 said:


> As far as I understand it, aperature is irrelevant in this situation since the light will be going straight to my eye rather than being exposed to film/sensors ...



Aperture wouldn't be irrelevant in that situation.  When mounted on any SLR, for example, the light does go directly to the eye until the moment of exposure. The smaller the aperture, the dimmer the image.  If you stack two 2X teleconverters (with or without a camera) onto an f/8 lens you'd end up with an f/32 aperture which would be very dim indeed unless you were looking at a very bright scene.

Put any lens with an f/32 aperture (such as a macro lens) onto a camera that has a stop-down lever and look through it with it stopped down to f/32 and you'll see how dim. 



> ...(though I am worried about image sharpness with stacked teleconverters).



A valid concern.  It would likely be very poor, especially when using them with a mirror lens.


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## BrianV (Feb 6, 2013)

I believe you would be better off with a Telescope. Refractor scopes with 60mm diameter objective lenses will match the light gathering power of the 500/8 mirror lens. They will come with an objective lens, and have a tripod mount. A Meade 1000/11 has a tripod mount, takes eyepieces directly, and can be used with a camera adapter. It is a short lens as well. You would buy the camera adapter and a Minolta "T" mount adapter. I used one with a Nikon, still have the lens- ave not used it in a while.

Do you own the Minolta lens, or are you just looking for suggestions? I would steer you away from Camera lenses and towards something like the Meade.


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## jjm1600 (Feb 6, 2013)

BrianV said:


> Do you own the Minolta lens, or are you just looking for suggestions? I would steer you away from Camera lenses and towards something like the Meade.



I do not own the lens. I am looking for suggestions dealing with telephoto lenses compatible with my minolta, but also to be used in this special project.

I would like to steer clear of telescopes for space-saving reasons. I understand there are compact ones, but sadly they arent compact enought for my camera case. I know that thinking in these terms may be troubling, but travelling frequently means that I would like to have my gear available to me conveniently.


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## BrianV (Feb 6, 2013)

check if there is a "T-Adapter" for your Minolta camera, makes a difference if it is Manual Focus or Auto-Focus for the Mount.

Several manufacturers made 500/8 mirror lenses and "pre-set" lenses that used T-Mount.

Random Ebay Auction for inexpensive Mirror Lens:

Lentar F 8 0 500mm Mirror T Mount w Built in ND Filters Front Rear Caps More 636980500072 | eBay

The Vivitar Solid-Cat that I linked to uses T-Mount.

The Vivitar Solid-Cat is going for ridiculous amounts on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vivitar-T2-...00360896?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item564f769cc0

I have one of these lenses, they are good- mine was $250 several years ago.


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## jjm1600 (Feb 7, 2013)

there are a bunch of 500mm lenses on ebay for third-party brands. some with (most without) tripod mounts. Since there are all sorts of background problems with mirror lenses, I am just wondering how big the difference in quality is between these sub-$100 third-party lenses and, say, the minolta 500mm lens?


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## BrianV (Feb 7, 2013)

I've used a "Quantaray" under $100 mirror, Nikkor 500mm Mirror, Vivitar 600 "Solid Cat" mirror and Meade 1000 mirror. The Nikkor and Vivitar are better for photography, the other two were usable. All would be fine for your primary project. To suit your carrying requirements, you are looking at a mirror lens. A regular telephoto will be 3x as long.

Two with the Nikkor, had uploaded previously.

(Both Handheld shots)


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## jjm1600 (Feb 8, 2013)

Thanks for all your help. I'm going to browse ebay until I find something suitable to my pack and my budget.


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## jeffcpix (May 19, 2013)

I have a 500MF Rokkor that has a really nice tripod mount professionally attached to the knurled ring.
I just joined the group so I don't know if you can contact me directly.

I have just completed an odyssey that took me from the 500MF to a 500AF to a 600Sigma to a 500MF adapted for A-mount.
You can find some of my comments at dpreview.


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