Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

s/n:

This is the second one that I’ve owned, I had the C version, the Nikon Reflex-Nikkor • C 500mm f/8 previously yet in a move to change the way I build my photography kit, I chose to sell it. I instantly regretted the decision. I did not realize just how much I enjoyed owning this lens. I own the Nikon Lens Scope Converter which basically turns this lens into a telescope. I use the two together more as a spotting scope than a night time telescope.

This weekend, I decided to try using it to obtain protected petroglyphs at Tempe Butte, an old Hohokam Pueblo on the butte right next to ASU Stadium. 

This is a really compact 500mm lens, much smaller than the 500mm C. It has to aperture but is in the configuration of a reflecting telescope like the basic structure of the Hubble space telescope. The depth of field is thin making the chances of getting a sharp, in focus image sort of difficult. Out of the three dozen shots that I took with it, I only got a handful of images. I was already bringing my But I found one relatively inexpensive so I bought it and cleaned it up. It sits on my shelf waiting to be used for cool things.

I’m going to include the Rexlex C below to help others in keeping the search for these two lenses simple.

D780 - Hand Held

Resources 

Ken Rockwell Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

camera | lens | film | flash

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Nikon Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8 Telephoto Lens

s/n 541859

It’s a little telescope! A reflecting telescope much like the basic structure of the Hubble space telescope. I have read up a little about it, particularly the links below and decided to look for one. I found mine on eBay, cheap. I am primarily going to use it as a telescope, but I have to purchase a Nikon Lens Scope Converter first. 

I’ve read the details on this lens, it uses mirrors, does not have an aperture, slow at f8, donut bokeh, hard to focus but fun!

I bought this for fun and because of the mirror construction. Also, it was inexpensive and complete with all the filters included, which I will never use.

The Reflex-Nikkor 500 C has a tripod mount which I’ll use quite a bit. Also, astrophotography is in my future and a tracker will be in my quiver as well.

In a nutshell, I don’t need this lens, I want it so that I know what it is and use it myself to understand it’s function and construction.

I cleaned it, checked reliable resources to know it is compatible with my cameras.

I put in the non-CPU lens data in my D780 and took a picture (below) to see if I can get anything out of it. I will try to use the live view with magnification or focus peaking. It has a thin depth of field and the focus is tough to nail.

But it’s cool!

…and fun.

I’ll add in more photographs as I take them here.

  

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Resources

HoaiPhai: Nikon Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

Edward Dozier: Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

Ken Rockwell: Reflex-Nikkor • C 500mm f8 - Nikon Lens Scope Converter

Tai Shimizu: Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

MIR: Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

Nikkor - The Thousand and One Nights No.13

Reflex-NIKKOR C 1:8 500mm

First image with the Nikon Reflex - Nikkor C 500mm f8 ~ handheld 

camera | lens | film | flash

SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod AP-10

I used my SmallRig Carbon Fiber AP-10 today for shooting with the Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

 

I’m a pretty big fan of tripods. However, they are a bit of a hassle. My favorites are old school aluminum tripods like my Tiltall which use mostly at home or for family photo shoots in the wild. The SmallRig Carbon Fiber AP-10 is nice, lightweight and easy to carry. I can stuff it in my water bottle holder of my backpack or leave it partially extended and carry it over my shoulder or even in hand. I use it for my Mamiya 645 1000s leaving the last section of the sticks not deployed to give me the waist level height I want.

It can be converted to a monopod but I haven’t done that yet. If I need a monopod, I use my Tiltall. I’ll check it out tomorrow and include it here if that is an option I will use in the future.

I’ve used the SmallRig on some hike in projects like the trek to the Mother of Game petroglyph panel. It’s super light and as far as photography equipment goes, the weight of it is worth its attributes to carry it in.

On any account, it was time that I give it some press as I am using it more and more. It’s the first tripod that I’m using with the Arcus style adapter plate. I need to source an additional one as sometimes I use two cameras in the field and I do not like screwing around moving the plate to each camera. I contacted SmallRig and they said it wasn’t something they could sell me separately because off the inexpensiveness but the tariffs making it too expensive to ship. They indicated that I should just source a Arcus style plate locally.

SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod AP-10

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KJ7UCP My Ham Radio Web Site

I am a licensed radio operator and I used to bounce radio waves through the ISS to talk to others far away on the globe. I used different tripods for my antennas usually sourcing them through the auction sites on the internet. Unrelated to my usage of the carbon fiber SmallRig but just for fun is my ham radio site. I no longer maintain yet my love of old aluminum tripods pods is reflected there…

        

Sekonic L398A Light Meter

The Sekonic L398A light meter

No batteries, old school manual dial f.stop and shutter speed calculated light meter. It’s almost too easy to use. I’m on the first roll of 120 film in my Mamiya M645 1000s. The pace of taking light meter readings and dialing in the aperture and shutter speed on your camera becomes a slow and methodical process. I hate to even say but using a light meter makes me a photographer. 

Pointing a telephone camera and freezing a scene really isn’t my idea of photographic knowledge.

Using an external light meter and operating a camera without an internal light meter that adjusts the aperture and shutter speed, framing the picture and focusing the scene, that’s my solid definition of a photographer. At that point you understand just what makes a photograph.

Developing your own film that takes you to the next level.

Selling your photographs that you have manually produced, you are a professional photographer.

A guy that takes pictures, manipulates the digital image in a computer and sends it to the printer to sell, or takes orders from a client to produce photographs? 

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this but to me, that’s sort of a photograph producer manipulating digital files with a computer. I love my D780 and the processor in it that produces my images. It’s an amazing camera.

I also enjoy film and the processor of producing photographs on film.

Ansel Adams is a photographer. 

No disrespect to any professional photographer, none intended or implied.

I’m just learning about my equipment, what it does, how it affects what I do. The process of learning is my reward as well as the photographs I produce. 

My light meter is going with me.

I’m going to meter my photos and manually adjust my camera settings on the Mamiya 645 1000s.

I want to learn more about light and the effects on film.

I want to be a good photographer.

My second metered photograph, Portra 160

Resources

Purchase: Sekonic L-398A STUDIO DELUXE III

Tutorial: Sekonic Studio Deluxe L 398A

HOW TO Awesome: Sekonic 398. Perfect budget Light Meter, Training Tool & Exposure Learning

camera | lens | film | flash

Arizona Archeological Society

Phoenix Chapters, Saturday February 4th, 2026

From the Arizona Archeological Society: On February 7, 2026 we will meet from 1:00 until 3:00 at S’edav Va’aki Museum (4619 E Washington Street in Phoenix)

 

Our speaker will be Felipe Molina. Mr. Molina is a life-long resident of Yoem Pueblo (Marana) and member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. He is an oral historian, a teacher of Yaqui language and culture, an experienced and accomplished deer singer and practitioner of other parts of the pahko, and an author and mentor to young Yaquis. A sought-after ceremonial leader, he has performed at many public gatherings internationally. Molina will continue to work with a group of apprentices, teaching and learning traditional Yoeme foodways and cultural expressions.  See attached links:

 

            https://arizonaartslive.com/story/felipe-s-molina/

https://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A382

 

Mr. Molina will present information about his Yaqui (Yoeme) history and culture, which is an extremely interesting aspect of the history of both Sonora and Arizona.

 

The following Saturday (2/14/26) AAS will sponsor a field trip to southern Arizona where we will visit some of the important Yaqui sites.  The field trip is open to all AAS members (limited to 20 participants) with Phoenix chapter members receiving an early notice of the event.

 

When my parents lived in Tucson I visited most of the sites we will visit on the field trip.  Even though I’ve been there before I will be the first person to sign up.  For those of you who would like to learn more about the history of Mexico, Sonora and the Yaqui I can recommend these books:     

 

Cycles of conquest : the impact of Spain, Mexico, and the United States on the Indians of the Southwest, 1533-1960 (by Edward H. Spicer)

Studies of the Yaqui Indians of Sonora, Mexico (by W. C. Holden, et al)

The Yaquis and the Empire: Violence, Spanish Imperial Power, and Native Resilience in Colonial Mexico (by Raphael Brewster Folsom)

Yaqui myths and legends (by Ruth Warner Giddings)

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Below is the report from my first meeting.

Felipe Molina resident of Yoem Pueblo (Marana) and member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe

 

        

I joined the Phoenix Chapter of the Arizona Archeological Society. It is my calling. As I stand on Tempe Butte looking out over the Valley of the Sun, the city disappears… it is replaced by a whole different view of colors, patterns and most importantly, people. I’m here to record the petroglyphs but I’m finding that it’s really far beyond that. My home is in Phoenix, my house is about three miles away as the crow flies, even closer to the S'edav Va'aki Museum where I am now attending my first meeting.

As a young man, my parents used to go to the Catholic Church in Guadalupe so my interest in the Yaqui runs deep. Mom and Dad lived in a nice home in Arcadia. Devout Catholics, my father a Heart Surgeon. He attended the humble church in Guadalupe. As he parked his Porsche in the church lot, it was out of place but he always talked of being home and feeling that way. He told stories of getting on a Yaqui bus and ending up on the border of Mexico, crossing without papers completely trusting his friends, the parishioners, his stories about them were told to me while we were in Yugoslavia on religious pursuit, but that was a long time ago…

I sat there listening to Mr. Molina, the memories came pouring back.

I meet Tim Askelson and Sam Baar, two members of the Society. Sam and I talked about the classes he teaches, Tim spoke about photography and the Petroglyph, the newsletter of the society.

I’m going to make room in my calendar for more meetings, classes and interest in the archeology of Arizona, my home. I want to know more about the indigenous people and their way of life in the area where I live.

I’m well on my way.

Resources

Arizona Archeological Society

AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8 D

AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8 D
s/n 266309

What a fantastic lens! I would venture to say that this one is going to be mounted quite a bit on my D780. It is a bright lens that is easy to use and it is quickly becoming one that I look forward to using. The below set is from my first walk about with it. Later this morning, I’ll hike Tempe Butte to take a few close up images of a few petroglyphs that I found. I’ll post those as soon as I get home.

I have a G series (gelded) lens, the AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 G ED VR FX that I have quite a few images from that I really like. That lens is lighter and has VR yet the 28-70mm f2.8 is a faster lens with an aperture ring.

I’m going to work with this lens because I like everything about it except the weight, it’s heavy. It’s acceptable, even enough to hike with it but not in hand or on a strap, in my backpack.

     

camera | lens | film | flash