Has anybody bought a cheap telephoto lense? An opteka 650-1300mm or 650-2600 lense is the one I have in mind.?

Question

They are very cheap and have awful reviews on the various websites but I am unlikely ever to find enough money to buy a good one.Has anybody had any experience with one of these or similar?With patience and practice what sort of results could I expect?

Answer 1

With those sort of telephoto lenses, you may use them once, and that is it. Because they are so big, cumbersome, crappy, and slow, you will find little to no use of them. With just the largeness of them, you'll find it an annoyance to shoot with them. Might I suggest you tone it down a bit with around a 300mm range. Depending on the camera you have, Nikon, Canon, Pentax, they have lenses like the cheaper 55-200, 50-200, or something similar for around $200. A larger range is the 70-300mm. I know for sure Nikon has one for $200, and I think Canon has an equivalent. With Nikon, you can also get a VR function in the $600 version.

Answer 2

Remember, you get what you pay for. You will probably end up replacing your cheap lens after a few years of use, sooner if you use it for more than just you yearly vacation plus the odd special occasion.

What you might consider is looking at the used equipment market. You can find lenses in decent shape for a reasonable price. I have bought used several pieces, from lenses to bodies, over the years with good results.

Take a look at KEH camera brokers out of Atlanta. I have dealt with them and have always have good service.

http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx

Answer 3

cheap = awful.

Usually in telephoto lenses, it would means a lot of vignetting, and the lens would be very slow.

Answer 4

Cheap is cheap. As long as your expectations are low enough either of these lenses should meet them.

Perhaps a better idea would be to save your money until you can afford a lens of better quality.

Answer 5

Opteka 650mm-1300mm Review