Big Mike’s High-Power 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens for Nikon DSLR, Black

I'm a birder and like to photograph birds in the wild. However, I found that my 85-200 zoom lens with auto-focus was not powerful enough to get details I wanted of the birds. I also found that the auto-focus often times focused on something other than the birds. I purchased this 500mm lens based on the manufacturer, the inclusion of the doubler, the warranty, and the price. Big Mike's included detailed instructions and FAQ's with the package that provided excellent information for setting the lens and taking photographs. It does take some getting used to, especially if you've relied on auto-focus. I had to practice finding the subject since the field of view is smaller, but that came fairly quickly. The camera must be set on manual or shutter priority since the aperture opening is set on the lens. The nice thing about digital cameras is that I can practice a lot with different aperture settings, shutter speeds, and ISO (film speed). I found that, in good light, I can get excellent photos with a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, aperture at f11, and ISO at 400, especially if my subject is moving. In darker conditions, 1/100th shutter speed, f8, and ISO 1600 works great. If you want to tweak things between aperture settings of f11 and f22, there is another ring on the lens that will open/close the aperture between the adjacent stops. Maximum settings are f8 and f32. With this lens, I've taken some great pictures of birds, both while stationary and flying. I also used the doubler and took shots of the supermoon with the camera mounted on a tripod. I'm very satisfied with this purchase and with the support provided by Big Mike's.

This is a good lens for the money. Because of the very flimsy plastic tripod mounting ring I had difficulty taking a picture without blurring. I decided to make my own tripod mount as shown in the attached picture. What a difference! Everything is very solid and vibration resistant. I still use a remote shutter attachment but it works so much better. The focus is surprisingly sharp even with the 2X attachment. I am really excited to take some pictures of wildlife. Although it is a manual lens it works well with my Nikon 7200. It really helps to put the camera on automatic ISO so it adjusts the light for me. Then all I need to do is set the shutter speed, aperture and focus. I find it really useful to use live view on the display and blow it up to find the best focus. This really works well and gets a very sharp image. I am very pleased with the optics and the smooth focus ring. I plan to use this lens only on a tripod. The narrow field of view and time it takes to get a really good focus pretty much rules out holding the camera and taking a moving target like a flying bird. Maybe some people can do it but I don't think I can. In general I am very please with this lens. I give it 4 stars because of the plastic tripod mounting ring.

Received the lens yesterday. Put it on my Nikon D7000 and I have to say I am so far very impressed. Took a few test shots and they are clear as can be. This lens is a manual lens so you have to adjust the F-stop on the lens - it does not show on the camera display. It is different because you have to adjust everything on the lens, but that said, it is no big deal if you are somewhat experienced with DSLR cameras. The manual focus was no problem, but I am used to it because I mostly shoot in manual focus with my other lenses. Might take a little practice for someone not so experienced. I held it in my hands at 1,000 mm and got clear shots. I know on my tripod it will produce some awesome shots. Look, it is not a $10,000 lens, so don't expect that, but for most amateur photographers looking to do celestial photography, wildlife or anything from a huge distance, this lens is well worth the money. I have been so impressed with the color and imaging, and the ease of using the lens once you get used to it. It secured tightly to my Nikon D7000, and should be fully compatible with most all the Nikon DX cameras, utilizing a T-mount that is included. It felt sturdy on the camera. That was a surprise considering how long the lens is with the 2x adapter.I would recommend this lens - I think it is well worth the money.

Very disappointed of this product, I understand that for its price you should not expect too much in terms of quality and functionality but being a low cost product does not necessarily mean that its quality is so bad.In spite of being familiar with the manual function, the reality is that the number of missed shots is uncountable while trying to focus and stabilize the camera, even using a tripie or monopod and WORST even if the X2 is used.On the other hand, one could say that it is a lens for beginners and low budget, but once this lens is used, I doubt very much that any beginner wants to continue due to the degree of frustration of the results.Use the lens with Nikon D5100 and D3400 cameras and I must say that maybe I will get a couple of acceptable pictures but not of good quality, two of hundreds of them !!!!!For the above, I recommend that if someone is interested in obtaining a telephoto for nature, wildlife or shots where the detail is very interesting, better collect more money and invest in something of quality, expensive but of quality and not cheap without quality. This lens is really offensive, I hope I can return it.

The good. It does take good photos if you know how to work a manual…The bad. The adapter stripped out within a few uses permanently stuck to the 2x section. I’d suggest ordering an extra adapter… for the price it’s a good lens to mess around with.