Digital Cameras, cameras, lens, lenses, telephoto, zeiss, zeiss apo sonnar t* 1700 mm f4 lens

Zeiss Lens: It's a Giant, 1700mm and 564 Pounds

We've seen some big lenses before, but this Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 1700mm F4 lens is so big you can't even carry it around in a wheelbarrow. In fact, it weighs 564 pounds, so you'd better have a team of weightlifters to help you point the thing.

It's the largest telephoto lens in the world, well, except for those used by the military which are top-secret and probably 10 times bigger. To get a sense of the scale of the behemoth, in the photo above, that little black rectangle on the end is a Hasselblad camera. And look at the lens in the inset photo, hanging above the crowd. What will they shoot with this thing? – Charlie White

Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 1700 mm F4 lens [Digital Photography Review]

9:35 AM on Mon Oct 2 2006
By Charlie White
4,964 views
11 comments

Comments

blore40 at 09:24 AM on 10/02/06
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Finally we can find some WMDs.
givemeyourshoes at 09:34 AM on 10/02/06
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WOW, a little late on this one guys. Engadget posted about this a couple weeks ago. It was made as a one off for some guy who wants to shoot wild life really far away for what I remember reading.
frootis at 09:49 AM on 10/02/06
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When you say except the military, which are 10 time larger....the military has them and they are 10 times SMALLER. The private sector hasd nothing on military technology. 150gb solid state flash hard drives? yep they got em. They got it all, which means we have it all, so aren't you glad you pay your taxes?
Daniel Rutter at 09:53 AM on 10/02/06
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Note also that military lenses in this kind of size class are not actually top secret items. They've been in production for many decades, and show up on the surplus market from time to time. They're ludicrously huge and very expensive, but if you've got the time, money and fanatical commitment required, this sort of thing can be yours.
Jon R. at 10:16 AM on 10/02/06
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I would say, at that point, just buy a telescope and get a lot more bang for your buck. But, this is an f4 lense, which is probably the widest f-stop you can get in a lens in that category.
Grover at 11:32 AM on 10/02/06
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Somebody's clearly overcompensating...
Rask at 12:34 PM on 10/02/06
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What would they shoot with this thing? Any combination of wildlife, celebrities, and nude beaches.
Brad at 12:38 PM on 10/02/06
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No, it's for sports. Since the major sports (NFL, MLB, etc) groups have banned taking pictures IN the stadium, you can now take pictures from well OUTSIDE the stadium.

Clever duck...
dave the wet sprocket at 05:00 PM on 10/02/06
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is that a camera in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
DrChaos at 07:32 PM on 10/02/06
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time to hit the girls locker room

voyeurism ftw!
djdare at 10:23 PM on 10/02/06
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imagine the pictures of lindsey lohan that this lens could take!!!