Humble line up

[Fretless Pete]

There is nothing spectacularly old or Russian or Eastern Block here, but can you spot the odd one out ?

SW ED80 Pro 600mm f7.5 adapted for EOS mount

Tamron SP AD2 60-300

Tamron SP AD2 90mm Macro

Vivitar Series 1 24-48

Fujinon EBC 55mm

[mo]

It looks like a periscope

[walter g]

Way cool! Sky Watcher 80--600 with a Barrow 2x, and I guess the next piece is a t mount converter.
Never tried one. But I want to.
How do you like it?

[martinsmith99]

A drainpipe with glass either end!

[Fretless Pete]

Mo and Martin - very apt descriptions

Walter g - You are right too, thats a Revelation / GSO 2x Barlow in the tubes, giving approx 1296mm FL.

Theres is something like a T mount, but its somewhat better than a T. Its called a MAX dslr, and does away with the threaded sections which are a pain.

For the reach i get with or without the Barlow 2x, i think this form of Bird photography ( for which i use this ) is unrivalled at the price.

Here's some pics I've shot with this monster

[LucisPictor]

Wow! What a monster!
And the results are impressive!

[Scheimpflug]

[Fretless Pete]

[mo]

Perfect scheimp! You have many talents and photoshop is one of them...
Stunning bird shots.Does the lens shake much because of it's size when clicking the shutter button?

[Fretless Pete]

Thanks Mo

At 600mm its not a problem - if there's enough light i dont need to use remote / timer /MLU

With the Barlow 2x, ( about 1296mm ) again on a nice bright day, the shutter speeds can be fast enough to eliminate any shake and wobble.

I took a shot of a cottage that was a mile away. I deliberately picked this subject due to the distance, just to see what the IQ would be like. At those distances, heat haze off the ground can be a real problem



and some extra bird shots

[mo]

What a lens,I hope my little 300mm's grow up to be that big one day...

[Fretless Pete]

The downside is the size of the thing, and you cant hand hold any shots. Tripod required at all times.

Its also fixed aperture ( f7.5 ) but that can be changed by baffling, and fitting a barlow will effectively stop it down too, due to the light restriction

[mo]

I was thinking what is it like to drag in and out of a car...and do people stare at you when you take it out?

[Fretless Pete]

Its ok getting in and out of the car. I have a bag for it, and i usually haul this, + tripod + accessories, on a modified golf trolley which folds down for storage.

I've had a few funny looks, yea

Most people who stop to speak to me just ask about the reach. Luckily i disassembled the tube from its parts and sprayed the thing with stone chip and matt black. It was a bright metallic gold when I first bought it.

[martinsmith99]

It looks a very good drainpipe I must say!

[Fretless Pete]

Monopods dont work with this - you need to have both hands free, as the focuser is only just in front of the camera, and the other hand on the shutter.

Also, because the overall length changes ( the focus has a tube that moves forward and back ) the balance keeps changing, so you'd always have to have one hand on the monopod - no good.

I use a Manfrotto 393 gimbal - its perfect for this set up ( its in the photo of the lens mounted on the tripod )

[mo]

Great set up arghhhh Gold...even the birds might have thrown up looking at it It looks way cooler in the black finish,the gold makes it look cheap and trashy.

[Fretless Pete]

I agree Mo. I couldnt subject those lovely birds to such an atrocious assault on the eye