After 1200mm, what else can shoot a bird 100 meters away?

[dRebelXT]

Just wondering what is the fartherest limit of camera lens.

[szekiat]

i'm currently using a sigma 300-800mm and depending on the size of the bird, 100m is not too far away! Not a problem at all if i use a 1.4x or 2x

[donchua]

Digiscoping..

[Dennis]

Get a rifle also can shoot the bird.

[lsisaxon]

Originally Posted by dRebelXT Just wondering what is the fartherest limit of camera lens.

Have you any idea what kind of tripod and camera you will need for that kind of lens?

[Snoweagle]

Originally Posted by lsisaxon Have you any idea what kind of tripod and camera you will need for that kind of lens?

For the 1200mm f/5.6L, it weighs a hefty 16.5kg! So in order to support this lens together with a gd camera (e.g 1D series). A ballhead or panhead and a tripod which can support up to 20kg each. I've seen that.

[sORe-EyEz]

i tot some telescope got cam adaptors?

[lsisaxon]

Originally Posted by sORe-EyEz i tot some telescope got cam adaptors?

Yeah. But they are also up to 1200mm unless you get a mirror telescope. Which reminds me, Nikon has (had?) a 2000/11 reflex lens.

[lsisaxon]

Originally Posted by Snoweagle For the 1200mm f/5.6L, it weighs a hefty 16.5kg! So in order to support this lens together with a gd camera (e.g 1D series). A ballhead or panhead and a tripod which can support up to 20kg each. I've seen that.

Yeah.. Unless Nat Geog hires me, I don't think I want to carry such a beast with its legs on any field trip that won't make money. Even a slight breeze would cause the whole thing to vibrate.

[slaam]

Originally Posted by Dennis Get a rifle also can shoot the bird.

bad bad dennis.....
armed robbery gets you hanged..
armed photograpy? hmmm dunno

I dun have experience with shooting with large lenses but then in astronomy, its so darn hard to track 'stationary' objects with high magnification. you have to use spotting scopes mounted on it to narrow down the field then use the main lens.
can't imagine having to track a moving bird. Think I will go crazy..

anyone here used a mirror lens before? I wld like to buy one for my 350D but not sure of the quality and stuff. I know that the mirror lens is prob going to be all MF though. is it hard to use?

[Snoweagle]

Originally Posted by lsisaxon Yeah. But they are also up to 1200mm unless you get a mirror telescope. Which reminds me, Nikon has (had?) a 2000/11 reflex lens.

Wow...that's a lot! Imagine u add a 2X converter becomes 4000mm f/22!!

[Snoweagle]

Originally Posted by lsisaxon Yeah.. Unless Nat Geog hires me, I don't think I want to carry such a beast with its legs on any field trip that won't make money. Even a slight breeze would cause the whole thing to vibrate.

Price of the lens is over $100k so it's definitely not worth the money. You can buy a flat with this amount of money or a gd car.

If one were to carry all these equipment, he must have some helpers and drive a van to carry all of it too.

[Snoweagle]

Originally Posted by slaam bad bad dennis..... armed robbery gets you hanged.. armed photograpy? hmmm dunno I dun have experience with shooting with large lenses but then in astronomy, its so darn hard to track 'stationary' objects with high magnification. you have to use spotting scopes mounted on it to narrow down the field then use the main lens. can't imagine having to track a moving bird. Think I will go crazy.. anyone here used a mirror lens before? I wld like to buy one for my 350D but not sure of the quality and stuff. I know that the mirror lens is prob going to be all MF though. is it hard to use?

Mirror lens are easily fogged so not worth it. Tamron has a MF 500mm f/8 mirror lens but quality is rather flat.

[roti_prata]

d2x + sigma 300-800 + crop center part = best practical/realistic magnification

[Clown]

1200-1700mm nikkor..

[AReality]

FYI, the hubble space telescope has a focal length equivalent to 57600mm.



.

[Garion]

Originally Posted by donchua Digiscoping..

I second this. With scopes, you can get enormous tele power, up to 3000mm or 4000mm. Probably good for record shots of birds at ~50-100m away. Which is a very long way away. Birds ain't elephants or tigers (i.e. they are usually VERY small). Even a 1200mm maybe good only for medium sized birds abt 20-30m away only. And at 100m, many other factors come into play, atmospheric distortion, haze, obstructing objects, etc etc. which would affect image quality even further.

The best solution? Get as close to the bird as you can.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by dRebelXT Just wondering what is the fartherest limit of camera lens.

How long is a piece of string?

That's the same essential question.

With my Nikkor 400/2.8 lenses the limit is around 150 million light years range.
With my 1200/11 Nikkor the limit is about 50 million light years.

[user111]

XL2 with EF lens adaptor

[Snoweagle]

Originally Posted by AReality FYI, the hubble space telescope has a focal length equivalent to 57600mm. .

Imagine a Canon EF lens having that same focal length.