p.1 #4 · were any of the Nikon 500mm Mirror lens decent
I own the early C model but without a tripod I really haven't been able to use it. A friend who owns both this lens and the 1000 Reflex urged me to buy the last version of the 500 which has a gold ring around the barrel. It looks like this...
the photo above is the less well regarded, much less expensive lens. And yes, they are famous for their donut bokeh. Check this photostream and you'll find a few photos taken with the better lens. This fellow is a master at late night shooting but also occasionally goes long with this lens.
p.1 #5 · were any of the Nikon 500mm Mirror lens decent
Derry1, I had the Nikon mirror lens in the original picture you posted. I have also tried faster versions of mirror lenses like the Bowen 500mm F6.3 (labled with all kinds of other names) and the very compact 300mm F5.6 Celestron, which I currently have for sale. I kind of like them. It is said that the larger the diameter of the glass of a mirror lens, the sharper the lens can be (if the alignment of all the glass is correct). Problems include, they are one stop slower than labled. They are very difficult to manually focus when there is action. The contrast is lower. There is only one F stop available. You generally need to use them outdoors on a sunny day because you need a fast shutter speed to avoid camera shake. After all is said, the Nikon version was the sharpest. The bokeh is not always a problem. It has to do with weather or not specular highlights are in the background.
There is a larger version of Rocko available on my website. PM me if you want the link.
p.1 #6 · were any of the Nikon 500mm Mirror lens decent
I have the Reflex Nikkor 500mm f:8 dating back to 1970 for use then on a Nikon F camera.
I still use it today (mostly on a tripod) with the D800 and D800E with good results. Because of its light weight and small size it can be easily handheld when outdoors in light bright enough to allow a fast shutter speed.
As others have noted though, the "donut" bokeh (due to internal mirror) is not everyone's cup of tea. It comes with several 39mm screw mount filters that attach in the rear.
