MINT Minolta AF 500mm f/8 Reflex Mirror Telephoto Lens JAPAN

The Minolta AF 500mm f/8 RF is a catadioptric (mirror-reflex) telephoto lens, using folded light path optics with a mirror system rather than a conventional refractive design. This construction allows a 500mm focal length to be housed in a notably compact and lightweight barrel compared to conventional telephoto lenses of the same reach. Like virtually all mirror lenses, this lens has a fixed f/8 aperture with no adjustable iris diaphragm, since mirror optics cannot accommodate a conventional blade assembly without obstructing the reflected light path. Exposure control is achieved entirely through shutter speed or neutral density filtration. As with all catadioptric mirror lenses, out-of-focus point highlights render as ring or donut-shaped bokeh, a direct visual signature of the central m.