650-1300mm F8 - F16

[HDNitehawk]

You could get a plastic tarp and use the lens as a tent pole

That cracks me up, I started to say I could use the tripod and make a teepee.

If I could justify in my mind buying that lens, I would be homeless anyway, I think it would push the wife past the point of my no return.

[Joel Eade]

Yeah, no room for the wife anyway in such a small enclosure!!!!!!!!

[Dr Croubie]

Well, tripod at one end, 1200L at the other end standing on its lens-hood, I reckon you could get a nice 2-person sized tent out of that...


Meanwhile, there's also the Pentax Takumar 6x7 300mm f/4 lens, I got one off ebay for $60 or something, IQ isn't so bad, even wide open in a very quick test it's not too dissimilar to my 70-300L. Add a pentax 67 or Canon-mount 2x t/c and a 67-ef adapter (with tripod mount), and you're up at $150 maybe.

Also I've got a Zeiss MC Sonnar 300mm f/4.0, again about as good IQ as the 70-300L (probably better than the Takumar because it's Multicoated), but it cost me about $300, the soviet teleconverters for pentacon six are very nice and cost maybe $40... (i might try taking a shot with this combo on the weekend)

[FastGass]

Thing is, there isn't any other lens out that is going to give you decent IQ at 1350mm. You could spend over 12K for the new 600mm and put a 2x on it and the IQ would be marginal. To me a bad picture compared to a picture that is just a little bit worse is about equal. I think it would be worth the value if the IQ doesn't matter, which it wouldn't to me at 1350mm because nothings acceptable at that length.

At 650mm I wonder if you couldn't find an old super telephoto lens and adapt it somehow and be better off. I see a few pop up every once in a while on craigslist that are very cheap.

But there would be one good use for this lens, if you already own one of the long supertele's and one of your buddies asks you to lend him one of your long lenses. If you owned this one it would be the good loaner.

I would almost agree with you but I think you under estimate the IQ difference between these two, it's like comparing a boxer to a sumo wrestler. There is no comparison, besides having other features as well. Now there is also a very big value gap as well, I think if you want the best value the old manual focus FD line or other brand name super telephotos would be your best bet. I hear Minolta made a nice lightweight 600mm lens

Cheers,
John.

[Raid]

This one plus a 1.4 extender would probably have pretty good IQ above 1300mm..... but you have to sell your house to get one

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx

Now seriously guys, who would buy this lens, its doesn't even have IS!

[Scott Stephen]

Now seriously guys, who would buy this lens, its doesn't even have IS!

Either you were joking, or you have Hulk Hogan's 27-inch biceps to handhold such a mammoth lens so you'd need IS.