Spiratone Plura-Coat Sharpshooter 400mm f/6.3 *USED*

A quintessential relic from a bygone era of photography, the Spiratone Plura-Coat Sharpshooter 400mm f/6.3 is a long-focus telephoto lens designed for the adventurous and budget-conscious photographer. This manual-focus lens, a common presence in the Spiratone catalog, was part of a family of affordable, Japanese-made telephoto lenses that provided an accessible way to reach distant subjects. Its rugged, all-metal construction and simple optical design prioritize durability and function over modern refinements. With its "Plura-Coat" anti-reflection coatings, the lens aims to reduce flare and improve contrast, a welcome feature for its time, and its bright f/6.3 aperture allows for shooting in more challenging light conditions than the slower, ubiquitous mirror lenses of the same period.

The Spiratone 400mm is a prime example of a pre-set aperture lens, featuring two aperture rings: one to set the desired shooting aperture and a second to quickly open or close the diaphragm for focusing and metering. This unique two-ring system provides a hands-on, deliberate shooting experience. Its T-mount design—a universal screw mount—allows it to be adapted to a wide variety of film and digital SLR cameras, making it a surprisingly versatile and fun lens for modern photographers looking to explore vintage optics. With an included tripod collar, it's well-suited for stable, long-distance photography of subjects like wildlife, sports, or astronomy, rewarding patience and manual technique with a distinctive visual character.