Gizmodo: telephoto

Magnetic Mount Lenses Add Wide Angle, Telephoto and Fish-Eye Capabilities to the iPhone

Sean Fallon — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:45:00 EST

We have seen several different add-on lenses designed to enhance the iPhone camera, but these versions ditch the case in favor of magnetic mounts. There are also three different lenses to choose from.

Because the iPhone has a plastic case, a self-adhesive ring with a magnet must first be affixed to the area around the camera lens. After that, it's a simple matter of bringing the add-on lens in contact with the magnet. In fact, the wide angle, telephoto and fish-eye lenses can be used on just about any device with appropriately-sized webcams and cameras. How well the lenses work is unknown, but at least they won't break the bank at $17 apiece. [USB Fever via Gear Diary]

Quarter Million Dollars of Digital Photo Gear in a Single Photo

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Here's a common scene—but still impressive—at the Beijing Olympics: dozens of photographers firing the most expensive digital photography gear available on the planet at full speed. The sound of all those shutters re-clacky-clicketing alone must give goosebumps to any photo aficionado, but the total price of all this machinery would actually make anyone faint. How much does this all cost?

In this image alone I can count 23 cameras. I can see loads of Canon L-Series EF and Nikkor AF-S 500mm super telephoto lenses—each around $5,800 a pop—, a few 400mm, 600mm, 700mm, 800mm here and there. Let's assume a conservative average of $6,000 per telephoto lense. That's $138,000 total just on lenses. Most of them are probably using the biggest and baddest Canon and Nikon cameras, so we can assume an average $5,000 price tag per camera, which brings the grand total to about a quarter of a million dollars.

Now, there are 1,100 accredited photographers at the Beijing Olympics, which we can assume will have more than just one set of lenses and, at least, one secondary camera, just in case the first one breaks or they want to have two different set of lenses ready to shoot at any time. A good low-estimate per photographer would be $20,000 minimum, which brings the grand total to $22 million in professional digital photography equipment at the Olympics. [Stern via Dark Roasted Blend]

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.]

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

Charlie White — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:35:57 EDT

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]

Mobile Phone 6x Telescope Attachment

Charlie White — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 08:17:14 EDT

If you really need some up-close-and-personal shots using a cellphone camera, Brando of Hong Kong offers its 6x telephoto attachment that works with certain Nokia 6000- and 7000- series cellphones.

The lens is held in place by a replacement battery door, and then you focus the lens using the view screen of the cellphone. If you think your cellphone camera shots look crappy now, wait until you try holding this still. Good luck. It's $19. – Charlie White

Product page [Brando]

Telephoto Lens For Your Phone

Noah R — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 17:45:09 EST

Falling into a tiny, sub-niche section of the market that I can't even begin to describe without the very real fear that my eyeballs might be blown out of their sockets by every individual brain cell in my head saying "what??" simultaneously, are these ridiculous conversion lenses made for MOBILE PHONE cameras.

Coming in telephoto, wide and macro varieties, these lenses—which you crudely attach with a magnet—ensure that you will make the very most out of that, ooh, 1 megapixel your phone camera is capable of shooting.

All this pointless novelty doesn't come cheap either—at 7000-yen (approx. $57) each you would expect Ansel Adams-like results. But I believe that all you'll elicit is a lot of people saying "hey, what the hell is that on your phone?" to your chagrin and shame.

Conversion lenses for mobile phone cameras [Livedoor]