Memories: Nikon 1200-1700mm f5.6-8P EDIF

An old Nikon lens I used to be fascinated with when I first started shooting:

http://nikon.com/about/feelnikon/recoll ... /index.htm

Most modern photographers have probably never imagined such a beast existed for sale to the general public not long ago! Note how the barrel rotated to do verticals! Quite interesting.

Joe

Actually got to shoot a few photos with one when I was in High School. I was at an air show at the local AFB where the Thunderbirds were performing. I noticed a group of military guys a few hundred past the end of the spectator area with cameras and what looked like a small mortar on a tripod. Stupid kid me wandered down and after they looked me over they introduced themselves as military photographers there to shoot pics for some official material.

What I assumed was a mortar was a 1200-1700 zoom. They had it on a tripod that can only be described as looking as if it was made from tractor parts. But it had some rudimentary gimbal sort of gadget that required a hand crank to move it.

After talking with them a bit one of them noticed I had a Nikon FM2n around my neck. He offered to let me mount my camera on the lens and they would take a few shots with it. Cool! And then they aimed the lens at a plane on the runway about a 1/4 mile away and let me take a few shots.

Unfortunately the photos/negatives have been long lost in one of my divorces. But it was a HUGE kick in the pants for me and raised my opinion of military photogs to godlike. I went back to that air show for years afterwards but never saw them with that huge zoom again.

That was then. We have now P600 and P900, with the latter giving you a perspective equivalent to a 2000mm.


83x Superzoom


100% crop at 2000mm

No comparison between them and the super-telephoto on a full frame sensor!

Joe

SantaFeJoe wrote:No comparison between them and the super-telephoto on a full frame sensor!

Joe

Other than the perspective, probably. Not saying they're the same thing.


Some of you should lighten up a bit sometimes.

The bazooka and the sidearm!

Joe