Quantaray 500mm f8 Mirror
Most Quantaray lenses were made by Sigma and some were made by Tamron and Tokina. This lens performs like a Sigma Mirror lens. It is reasonably sharp if you can hold it steady. It has the typical ringed bokeh we see from mirror lenses. Contrast is surprisingly high. While it is not a Zeiss or even a Tamron in quality, it is still far better than any of the off-brands flooding the market.




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Quantaray 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD Macro
Filter Size:
Lens mount:
Aperture Range:
Close Focus:
Macro Ratio
Year Introduced:
Tested with...
62mm
Nikon AF
f4-f22
n/a
1:2
1994
Eos T2i

This is a Tamron made lens. It is simlar to the modern version except that it doesn't have an internal focus motor. I tested the Nikon AF version on the Canon T2i with an adapter.
When I worked for Ritz camera I sold many of these lenses. It is an excellent lens for the money and now that the Quantaray version has dropped in price considerably on the used market, it is a steal.
I want to be clear, this lens has great IQ. At f4 it is sharp, especially from 70-200mm. At f5.6 it becomes tack sharp. It is sharper than the current Tamron 70-300 IS lens. I know because I have one. At 180mm f5.6 it is exceptional.
In macro mode it is exceptional at 180mm and focused down to 1:2 ratio in any f-stop. At 300mm it is a little soft.
The lens does show purple fringing at highlight edges at f4. It is gone by f8 and barely notieable at f5.6.
Bokeh fringing is noticeble in high contrast transitions at f4. Bokeh is smooth for a telephoto zoom, though: really smooth.
IQ is high. This lens has nice micro contrast. Images have depth and texture that most telephoto zooms can't produce, including most modern 70-300's at any price range.
This is a great macro/sports/wildlife lens. It truly eliminates the need for a dedicated macro and produces excellent images in general use.

ISO 800 - f5.6

ISO 800 - f5.6

ISO 200 - f4 - 50%crop

ISO 400 - f5.6 - 180mm
slight crop

ISO 800 - f4 - 50%crop

ISO 400 - f5.6

ISO 800 - f4- 100%crop

ISO 800 - f4 - 100%crop

ISO 200 - f5.6