Bazooka Lens

Hari Raya festive mood is in the air: to our muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. To the rest, Happy Holidays, Happy Running, Happy Trekking.
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I am please to announce that Jason Lee, a Pacesetters Club Photographer, has bought a new lens as part of his collection. This is no ordinary lens: it is 11 inches long; lens barrel is 6 inches in diameter and weighing a whopping 4 kg!! The focal length – 300 mm.
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Hon You is holding the magnificient lens

Normally, focal length of this long is good for taking wildlife or motor-sports. Part of his intention to buy this length is to take runners in action. So far, most of the zoom lens own by the other photographers (Chan Wing Kai, Tey Eng Tiong and yours truly) are only of 200 mm maximum.

With that long distance zoom, I presume we can even see your pimples, if any. Also, a runner would not know when his or her photo is being taken. By the time a runner spotted the photographer and start to put on the smile and V-sign pose, the photo would have been taken earlier. Looks like we need to erect a banner that says: “Please smile, you are now in the firing range of the photographer.”

In order to appreciate what it takes to hold the lens weighing 4 kg for the duration when you return to the finishing line, try this experiment: park your car 200 meters from your favourite fruits shop. Buy RM 10 of mango or mangosteen. The quantity is usually 3 kg. Then carry it to your car. You will find that the weight is increasing exponentially to an unbearable level when you arrive at your car. Now try holding 4 kg for, say, two hours.

In the sports of running, not only that the runners need strong legs to support the body, the photographers need strong arms to support the lens. By the way, the camera body is another one kilogram in weight.

I read one report not long ago that a lady traveller went to a remote village of an under-developed country. She was tailed by a group of teenagers wanted to rob her. Sensing danger, she immediately whipped out her camera attached with a magnificent lens of more than one foot long and pointed at them. They were scared to hell and dispersed. So, a huge and long lens can be mistaken as a bazooka.

As to the price of Jason Lee’s lens … better don’t ask.

An Avid Photographer - I hope we will never have to carry so many lenses. Please click here to read the story.

Written by KC

Jason Lee in action

New Balance new outlet at The Gardens, Mid-Valley City
Pacesetters members are entitled to 30% discounts on purchase of shoes
Outlet Manager: Jonathan. Tel: 03-2283 2655
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Photos by courtesy of Jason Lee

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