8 Manual Telephoto Lens Review

If you own a Nikon camera, it’s a pretty safe bet that sooner or later you’ll be itching to get yourself a telephoto lens. Think of all the possibilities! You can take better wildlife pictures since you can take close-up pictures without actually getting too close to spook the animals.

You can put more variety in your image composition, by being able to fill the frame with your subject to isolate it and to get a blurry background that doesn’t distract from your subject. Or, you can practice being one of the esteemed paparazzi. You can do all these with the Nikon Super 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens.

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to what the term “telephoto lenses” really means. For newbies, however, they’re basically the lenses you want to make faraway objects look really close by. That’s why the magnification is important for those who have recently bought their first camera. One of the reasons why people buy the Super 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens is the magnification.

There’s also another crucial reason: the extremely low price.

Features of the Nikon Super 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens

Let’s take a closer look at this Super 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens:

This is for very specific Nikon cameras, and in fact you may see some sellers even listing the compatible Nikon cameras as part of the product name. It’s only good for people who own any of the following cameras: Nikon D5, D4S, DF, D4, D3X, D810, D800, D750, D700, D610, D500, D300, D90, D7200, D7100, D5500, D5300, D5200, D5100, D3300, and D3200 Digital SLR.
This is really a 500mm lens. However, it’s sold as part of a product package and this comes with a 2x HD Doubler. That’s why you end up with a product named Super 500mm/1000mm.
The magnification here is 30x. That’s thirty, so it’s not a typo. When you’re used to telephoto lenses with 6x magnification, this kind of magnification is simply mind-boggling.
Nikon applied high index, low dispersion multi-coating for the HD optical glass used for this lens.
This also comes with a tripod, which you will absolutely need with this kind of magnification. That’s because the slightest hand-shudder will shake and blur the image. The built-in tripod collar also helps with the balance of the lens.
Even without the tripod this lens isn’t exactly compact. It can reach up to 14.6 inches long. Think back on all the photos of the paparazzi you’ve seen. Notice how long those lenses are on their cameras? Now you know why.
The front of the lens can fit in 67mm filter attachments.
For more convenient focus adjustments, the focus ring is knurled.

Pros

It’s true that the price of the Super 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens is extremely (and even ridiculously) low. Yet, it offers more than just affordability:

Let’s start with that 30x magnification. This is the kind of zoom you need when you can’t or you’re unwilling to go near the subject of your photo. It means you can take pictures from much farther away, which is quite helpful when you’re taking photos of extremely skittish (or extremely dangerous) animals.
It also saves you the effort of having to walk near the subject when you’re taking nature photographs during your hike. You can now put in a lot more detail in your photos like never before.
The quality of the shots you can take with this lens is actually quite good. You don’t get flare issues and the contrast is nice.
Now with this you can take a finely detailed picture of the full moon, without spending too much money on a telescope and a compatible camera.

Cons

There’s no way you can take a handheld picture with this. You have to take the tripod with you if you’re going to use this.
Even without the tripod, the length makes it rather awkward to hang on your chest for long, especially in crowded places.
Don’t even think about autofocus. You will have to learn how to adjust the focus manually, and for some, this can be a difficult skill to master.

Verdict

Usually, if you need a telephoto lens then you first have to save at least several hundred dollars, so you can get one that can provide the magnification you need for your photography specialty. But this isn’t your usual telephoto lens. The Nikon Super 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens gives you extreme magnification at an extremely low price. That’s one of the rarest combinations in the camera lenses industry and it’s a combination that many photography newbies can’t miss.

If you’re on a budget, this is probably the only Nikon telephoto lens you can get at this price range. So, that’s the offer—do you want a very cheap yet good telephoto lens, or not? If you’re like most people who can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars for specialty lenses, then the answer to the question is yes, you want one.