Gizmodo: big ass glass

The Photographer King Needs No Tripod

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:45:00 EDT

Photographer Juza rocks the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III with a monstrous Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG lens. For reference, the Sigma weighs about 35 pounds. Hell yes. [JuzaPhoto]

Homemade 400mm Binoscope Gives Your Binoculars Lens Envy

matt buchanan — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:20:11 EST

We love us some big ass glass. Here's an amazing set of the homemade variety, a 400mm binoscope (a honkin' set of binoculars basically) painstakingly hand-crafted over the course of three years by a hardcore French dude. The detail on it really makes this thing a DIY engineering marvel. [MAKE]

Monster Intern-Eating Sigma Lens Up for Order

matt buchanan — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:50:01 EST

That bazooka-like Sigma lens we saw at PMA 2008 can now be your very own—for $25,000, more than what the rep told us, but you save $9,500.01 (28%) off its $34k list price (!). It's 50 pounds, but no worries, just use Super Saver shipping. [Amazon via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

I See London, I See France, I See Your Underpants from 32 Miles Away With Canon 5200mm Ultra Telephoto Lens

matt buchanan — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:50:34 EST

We have a winner. This Cloverfield-sized mirror lens by Canon doesn't do zooming action, it's a flat 5200mm, which can shoot stuff 18 to 32 miles away. That's like from one end of Rosie O' Donnell's ass to the other. To focus this baby, it has telescopes bolted to the side. And yeah, that little floating square is the camera. If you know of bigger and better—that isn't actually a telescope, please send 'em in. [CanonFD via kottke via BBG]

Massive Panavision Bazooka HD Lens Delivers 300X Zoom

matt buchanan — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:21:30 EST

Even Canon's BFG of telephoto lenses is but a wee fish in the vast ocean of big-ass glass. Today's whale shark specimen: The Panavision 300x HD lens. It's actually a broadcast HD lens, but that makes this sucker no less ridiculous. It's over three feet in length and weighs 85 lbs. (dwarfing the Canon by several inches and 50 lbs.) while delivering a gaping 7-2100mm continuous focal length range (F1.9-F/13) for 300X zoom. Which is a .3 degree field of vision. The cost? 300X what you're thinking. [Panavision]

Canon 1200/5.6L USM the BFG of Telephoto Lenses

Brian Lam — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:18:39 EST

The 1000mm Sigma we saw at PMA is nothing compared to this ultra rare Canon zoom. The retailer B&H photo has one of these, a 1200mm, F5.6 USM lens. They've been around since 1993, but are made to order at the rate of 2 per year, and there are less than 20 in existence. What the hell does 1200mm give you on a 35mm camera? A 2 percent field of vision. The cost? $99,000.00...USED. Shot of the zoom vs a standard 50mm lens, post jump. UPDATE: We've found bigger and badder 300X zoom and 5200mm lenses. [B&H, thanks to everyone who sent this in.]