Feel like you’re not attracting enough attention when you’re out shooting photos? Want people to stop and stare? You’re in the right place.
The kit lenses that come with digital SLRs today may be capable of taking cool pictures, but they aren’t all that cool in and of themselves. I mean, let’s face it - no one is going to be impressed with that 18-55mm zoom hanging off the front of your shiny new Digital Rebel XTi.
We spent some time scouring the net to come up with our list of the top four strangest camera lenses you can buy today. While these lenses certainly set you back a pretty penny (and then some), those who can afford it can have a truly unique piece of kit that can take some pretty unique photos. From the ultra-wide to the ultra-zoom, these lenses represent the most extreme pieces of kit that engineers can dream up.
Check these camera lenses out after the jump.
Sigma APO 300-800mm F/5.6 EX DG HSM
The perfect lens for someone trying to compensate for something, the Sigma APO 300-800mm f/5.6 lens is one of the longer and heaviest zoom lenses ever made, covering a massive focal range at a large aperture. Weighing in at 13 pounds and measuring nearly 2 feet in length, this lens certainly isn’t easy to carry around. But its extreme telephoto range makes this lens well-suited for wildlife photography and even sports.
Any lens this big is prone to problems. Chromatic aberration and other optical imperfections are much more noticeable in really long lenses. Surprisingly, this Sigma seems to suffer from few problems. Sites like Luminous Landscapes have given it a sterling review.
The price? Typically hovers around $7000.
Nikkor Fisheye 6mm f/2.8
Perhaps the strangest-looking lens ever devised, the Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 fisheye lens is as wide as you can get. The lens is actually capable of seeing behind itself, creating a picture that covers more than 180°. Originally designed for scientific purposes, the lens includes built-in filters since the front element is so massive.
Amazingly, this lens shoots at f/2.8, making it faster and a better low-light performer than most entry-level zooms and primes on the market today. It’s a back breaker for a wide-angle lens, weighing in at 11.5 pounds.
Want to get it? Good luck. Since the lens is nearly impracticable for daily use, it’s available only by special order from Nikon.
Nikon Reflex 2000mm f/11
It’s difficult to find out much about this super-massive lens introduced by Nikon in the 1970s, and there’s some question as to whether it’s even available anymore. At 2000mm, this is the longest prime lens ever introduced, capable of an angle of view of just 1°10′. Such a massive zoom comes at a heavy price in terms of size, as this lens is 2 feet long and weighs close to 39 pounds.
Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x Macro Lens
Canon has largely stayed out of the extreme lens innovation game except for this macro lens, which is available and in use today. Capable of a magnification from 1:1 to 5:1, this is one of the most powerful macro lenses ever made. As The Digital Picture puts it, this lens starts where the other macro lenses end.
The manual-focus lens works by turning a ring which increases the magnification of the lens from 1x to 5x. It’s capable of a tiny working distance - just 41mm at 5x magnification. The depth-of-field produced is also tiny, just .048mm on maximum magnification.
A macro lens this powerful produces some cool images. Check out this gallery by photographer Mark Schretlen.
