Image credits: MPB Photographic
You don't have to be a gear head to become of fan of unique items, and one such memorable piece of equipment is the legendary Canon 1200mm f/5.6L USM. This zoom lens so rare that seeing someone using it can be a once in a lifetime event. When you first look at it, you get the feeling it was taken out of an astronomy lab. It measures 33 inches and it has a front element that measures 9 inches across. It's large, massive and it takes at least two people to mount it on a tripod. It has three range settings for improving autofocus response times and a 2 degree angle view.
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The folks with MPB Photographic frame up this shot with a 100-400mm lens at 200mm
Shown here with the Canon 1200mm lens in action, talk about an impressive ‘up-close and personal’ feel to it!
Image credits: MPB Photographic
There were less than 20 of these ever made and each of them was assembled by hand. If you are lucky enough to come across one randomly, chances are it's going to look pretty worn. These lenses were most likely used for sports photography, and some were maybe even taken into the wild. If you're a "normal" photographer who is satisfied with a standard 70-200mm f/2.8 pro zoom, than this is nothing you could really benefit from using. On the other hand, if you really love the idea of safely photographing subjects that are two miles away, then yes, it might come in handy. There's one you can go visit at B&H in New York, and it's probably the best preserved one. If you can spare some change, you might even consider buying it. It will only set you back $180,000.
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See its Wiki page for more details.
The folks MPB Photographic share you some jaw dropping upclose shots taken with this lens.
Here's another short video of this beast in action.