Now thats what a call a lens !

[gaelicstorm7]

Hows about this !, a Zeiss 1700mm f/4 lens. It is attached to a Hasselblad 6x6 medium format camera - (Or, more appropriately, the Hasselblad is attached to it!) It weighs 256 KILOS !

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0610/06100101zeiss1700f4.asp

Nice bit of kit !

Alan

[Zeffer]

Words fail me! :shock:

That is one fast lens for the focal length.

[Jamie]

I want one.

[The Warthog]

But, is it an APO?

[gsjag]

Better than that WH, it's a Zeiss!

[OXO]

Pure Quality that Lens (Drool)...

[FLO]

But, is it an APO?

[radioactive]

Sure come a long way on this bean tin technology Al

[bern]

Jeez, I've got a WWII reconnaissance lens which is 9" diameter and 36" FL but it would be dwarfed by that monster.

bern

[Jamie]

Do you think it has the fitting to take a TouCam

[OXO]

[Ant]

Blimey :shock: , hardly a spotting scope Not something you'd want hanging round your knek for very long!

What possible need could there be for a lens that size in wildlife photography. I mean if you wanted a close up that required that lens - just jump on a god damn plane and fly a little closer and use a smller lens!

Ant

[Zeffer]

No way! I just emailed my uncle who's a pro and this is what he had to say:

"I saw this lens in real life Saturday at the Photokina in Cologne.

Zeiss have only made one. It was a special order from one customer. No mention of price, but to give you an indication, Zeiss also make a 6-24 f1.2 zoom and this one costs only €20,000!"

[FLO]

Back when I worked for LCE, I had an enquiry from a pro golf photographer for one of these:

A Canon EF 1200 mm f/5.6L USM.

Unfortunately, it never happened

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

That first one looks like the planet-eating thing from Star Trek! </nerd>

When I was a photojournalist some years ago I was in one of the larger camera shops in Edinburgh when a spotty youth came in carrying a huge and very fast lens, the kind you only usually see used by pros at sporting events. He plonked this £8000+ behemoth on the counter and proceeded to explain to the assistant that he had decided photography wasn't the hobby for him any more, and would they like to give him £100 for it maybe? The clerk said he had to go ask his boss and proceeded to go off and call the cops, but the kid got wise and scarpered without the heavy lens when he saw everyone else in the shop looking at him like the thieving little sod he was.

[The Warthog]

That first one looks like the planet-eating thing from Star Trek! </nerd>

You're right! Just give it a crinkle-finish enamel and it would be almost exact!