B&H in New York is selling a rare, used Canon 1200mm f/5.6L USM EF Super Telephoto Lens for $99,000. It can shoot clear photos from over a mile away. Here’s B&H’s write-up and test images on the “The Mother of all Telephotos”.
As for image quality, even wide open it’s quite lovely. Stopped down to f/8 and f/11 it’s actually quite remarkable. How remarkable? From midtown Manhattan we were able to read the street signs on the corner of JFK Boulevard East and 43rd St. in Weehawkin New Jersey when viewing image files at pixel resolution. It’s important to keep in mind when you are shooting images of objects literally a mile away or further you start contending with haze, smog, and heat radiation that can greatly diminish the image quality of the best optics, especially during warmer months. Even on a cold, clear winter day we were able to detect heat distortions in some of the photos.
See Previously: The World’s Largest Telephoto Lens
via Jason Kottke
photo via B&H
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
psh, who needs a college fund when you can take a picture from a mile away!
;)
what, no image samples? a picture’s worth one thousand words.
Lane, the B&H write-up includes a bunch of test photos.
that’s just … simply… awesome.
Not just $99K, but $99K USED!
Now I’m thinking the house was a poor choice for a mortgage. Should’ve gone with this instead!
How quickly we forget:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/zoomsMF/12001700mm.htm
Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8.0s P ED IF.
;-)
No mention of the tripod, which should be included.
$550 for UPS ground delivery. That’s negotiable. As is the price for the lens itself. Still available.
A 600mm IS 4.0 with a 2x extender and/or a 800mm 5.6 IS might be preferable alternatives.
Thank the European Union for the discontinuation of this lens. Not enough demand to make Canon convert to lead-free glass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROHS
Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8.0s P ED IF.
This lens is NOT autofocus. Cannot compare with the canon 1200mm EF lens.