Kowa Prominar 500mm F5.6 FL Telephoto lens

Kowa Prominar 500mm F5.6 FL Telephoto lens

To minimize chromatic aberration (color blur) that occurs in long focal length lenses, the [PROMINAR] telephoto lens utilizes one pure fluorite crystal lens and two XD (eXtra-low-Dispersion) lenses. Bringing together the advanced optical technology fostered through decades of spotting scope development with the use of a fluorite crystal lens has produced a camera lens with extremely high contrast and sharp images.

Making effective use of the outstanding optical system of the master lens, the telephoto lens can also be used as a spotting scope by connecting it to the optional prism unit and eyepiece. Through the use of a simple and easy to use bayonet mounting system, switching between “photographing” and “observation” with the lens is easily accomplished. When used as a spotting scope, crystal clear images can be enjoyed since there is no focusing screen.

From the standard specification of “500mm F5.6”, it is possible to change the focal length of the lens so that it can be used as a brighter “350mm F4” lens or as a longer telephoto “850mm F9.6” lens. This is accomplished by using the optional mount adapters [TX07] or [TX17]. XD lenses are incorporated in the optical designs of the 350mm and 850mm mount adapters to ensure optimal optical performance when combined with the master lens. (All support 35mm full size.) 350mm 500mm 850mm Anticipating uses unforeseen by digital camera manufacturers, bayonet mount systems have been adopted by manufacturers to allow easy mounting and release of the camera. The Kowa mount adapters have adopted this bayonet mount system to easily change between cameras and other mount adapters. Since the prism unit also utilizes a bayonet system, switching between photographing and observation can also be easily carried out. Available Mounts: Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Micro Four-Thirds By connecting a digital camera adapter to the lens when configured for use as a scope, it is possible to digiscope using a compact digital camera. Through digiscoping, it is possible to achieve focal lengths of 1000mm to 3000mm* and more, allowing photographing of wild birds and other subjects at long distances that would not ordinarily be possible with digital SLR cameras alone. By using both a digital SLR camera and a compact digital camera with the master lens it is possible to cover focal lengths from 350mm to more than 3000mm* with a single lens. *35mm film full size equivalent focal length TSN-774/TE-17W/S80 Digiscoping is a method of taking photographs through the combination of a spotting scope and a digital camera. By using the spotting scope as a telephoto lens, it is easy to enjoy photography at focal lengths over 1000mm*. *35mm film full size equivalent focal length Note: Depending on the digital camera, it may not be possible to connect the camera to the adapter. The combination of the eyepiece and the digital camera are not always ideal and vignetting may occur in these instances. To accurately adjust the focus when focusing manually, the popular Kowa spotting scope dual focus system had been adopted for this lens. Combined with an optical system that allows the focus peak to be easily found, there are two focusing rings, consisting of a quick focusing ring for rapid focus adjustment and a fine focusing ring for detailed focus adjustment. These make it possible to accurately adjust the focus even in the severest focusing conditions encountered in super-telephoto photography. This 500mm super-telephoto lens weight is less than 2kg.(4.34 lbs.) The compact size makes it extremely portable and its lightweight design allows for hand-held shooting. In addition, with a length of only 250mm(9.8 in) (when the mount adapter is removed) the lens can easily be carried in a small backpack. A lightweight long hood is provided as a standard accessory. The hood mounting screw has a special shape that allows it to be used together with the sight attached to the camera, aiding the swift introduction of the subject into the field of view when attempting super-telephoto photography. The design of the tripod mounting foot allows it to be mounted directly to mounting on the camera plates or quick release plates of some tripod heads manufactured by Manfrotto and GITZO without the need of the quick release plate. Mounting and release from the tripod head is easy and the system can be used without worrying about the quick release plate coming loose. Mounting to other tripod heads is possible (1/4” threads are supported.) The objective lens and focusing units utilize rubber O-rings to seal the housing of the lens for enhanced dust and weatherproofing.

Standard Package Optional Mount Adapters Model 500mm F5.6 （with TX10） 350mm F4 （with TX07） 850mm F9.6 （with TX17） Focal Length 500mm 350mm 850mm Maximum Aperture F5.6 F4 F9.6 Lens Construction 7 Elements in 7 Groups 10 Elements in 10 Groups 14 Elements in 13 Groups Fluorite Crystal Lens 1 1 1 XD Lens 2 3 3 Field of View (Full Size) 4.9° 7.0° 2.9° F-number F5.6～11 F4～8 F9.6～19 Iris Blades 9 9 9 Minimum Focusing Distance 3m 3m 3m Maximum Reprojection Ratio 0.17× 0.12× 0.29× Filter thread φ95mm φ95mm φ95mm Weight* 1970g（69.5 oz） 2025g（71.6 oz） 2270g（80.2 oz） Maximum Diameter × Length* φ104×341mm （φ4×13.4in） φ104×296mm （φ4×11.7in） φ104×396mm （φ4×15.6in） * With Nikon mount and without hood

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