DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Enormous and rare Canon mount 1000mm NASA lens goes up for sale

Jun 15, 2016 by John Aldred 5 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

1000mm_nasa_lens

When it comes to photography, there are many out there who believe that size matters. For photography collector Jim Headley, it definitely seems true.

Built to record space launches from a safe distance, this monster of a lens is a NASA-made Birns and Sawyer 1000mm f/4.5. It’s 25cm in diameter (10″), 1.3m long (4’6″) and weights around 32kg (72lbs).

iwvjyf7nnaldmytpsb2d

Headley has been collecting cameras for 34 years, and works for The Hastings Tribune in Nebraska, as well as operating his own Old School Art and Camera store.

After having been made in Germany by Astra in 1964, it eventually found its way to being sold in a US Government surplus auction in June 1986. It was purchased by a professional government auction buyer from Laramie, Wyoming, who then then sold to Mike Stoesz, owner of Rainbow Photo in Laramie.

After Stoesz decided to close the store in 1998, Headley jumped in with an offer, trading several cameras for the lens. Headly then built a custom mount to hook it up to his Canon EOS cameras. Specifically, a Canon EOS 40D, giving it the equivalent field of view of a 1600mm lens on a full frame body.

byykh1hoiaq8vdrqlnlv

With a lens hood about as big as your average trash can and weighing around 32kg, the lens is ridiculously unwieldy, reportedly taking two or three people to actually use it in the field.

While long lenses are often great for portraits, you’d have to shout real loud if you wanted your subject to hear you. Headley has found that the lens works excellent at a distance of around 7 miles, but that it does start to suffer from a lot of distortion and thermals at such range.

Chimney Rock from 20 miles away.

Chimney Rock from 20 miles away.

Chimney Rock from 7 miles away.

Chimney Rock from 7 miles away.

So, why’s he getting rid of it now?  Well, Headley writes that it’s so big, he can’t take it out very much now without suffering from back pain. He also feels it’s time another collector got to enjoy this lens for a while and wants to use the funds to expand his small shop from being a part time hobby into something far more grand.

A price on this lens has not yet been set, but for reference, the Zeiss 1600mm f/4 lens introduced in 2006 for Hasselblad sold for more than $70,000. While this lens is slightly slower, its rarity and compatibility with Canon could mean this lens commands a much higher price. A Leica 1600mm f/5.6 lens was commissioned in 2012 for just a hair over $2mil.

The lens will be listed later this year through R&R Auctions in Amherst, New Hampshire. Contact them for more information, ro speak with Headley directly through his web page for this lens.

If this lens seems a little rich for your wallet, but you still want that 1000mm, then wait a little while. Canon may have something for you very soon.

I can’t ever see myself needing a lens anywhere close to this big for anything I’d ever want to shoot, but how about you?  Could you find 1000mm coming in handy?  Let us know in the comments.

[via Bokeh]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Sports Illustrated’s Rare 1000mm Zeiss Lens Used at the World Series Could Be Yours for $30,000 Canon’s new 1000mm lens could be half as big and ready in time for the Olympics This is how Canon’s $70K CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm lens was born Goldstein Turns Down “Enormous Amount Of Money” For 17,500 Vivian Maier Negatives; Sells To Toronto Gallery Instead

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: NASA

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Panasonic unveil the super fast wide angle Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 lens
Taking photos actually increases the enjoyment of an experience, research says »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • Rode acquires US pro audio company Mackie
  • Panasonic Lumix G9 II to get 12-Bit raw over HDMI for BRAW and ProRes RAW
  • This 3D printed stereoscopic macro lens is the weirdest camera rig you ever saw
  • OBSBOT Tail Air review – a streaming studio the size a soda can
  • Everything you need to know about the photographer-agent relationship

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy