What type of lenses and cameras are they using at the olympics that are black and are about 3-4 feet long? Why do the lenses need to be that long, is it just for zoom?
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They have to be that long for the Zoom and speed. More likely you are going to find people using Canon lenses which are white or Nikkon which are Black
Well, the 3 ft black things are super telephoto lenses and yes, some may indeed be monster zooms of extreme high quality, way out of budget range for most people and the TV cameras do indeed have such zooms on them..
As to the cameras being used, I would have to say the majority would be Nikons and Canons but I would expect every make and model under the sun to also be there. Most all being D-SLR’s..
Bob – Tucson
Those big, black lenses are most likely mounted on a Nikon D3, although it could also be a Nikon D700, Nikon D2X, or Nikon D2H. (Or any Nikon, for that matter, but those would be the most likely possibilities.)
Those are fixed-focal length lenses, not zooms. They can be any of a number of lenses, but, in very rough order of likelihood: 400mm f/2.8, 300mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4, 800mm f/5.6.
The biggest Nikon zoom I could think of is the 200mm-400mm f/4, but that’s only just over a foot long.
Lenses are that long and big for two reasons: the first number (e.g. 400mm) indicates focal length, which indicates magnification. The bigger the number, the closer the subject will appear to be in the viewfinder. Generally, the length of the lens will be longer, but this does depends a bit on the following point.
The second number (e.g. f/2.8), indicates the size of the largest aperture/f-stop. A small number means a larger maximum aperture, which also requires bigger and more glass, usually meaning a much thicker/bulkier/more diameter lens.
they are ultra telephoto lenses, not zooms!
if black then nikon, if white then canon
a
Just to add a point to Peter P’s great answer. The lower the f-stop the faster the shutter speed you can use. FYE, some of those lenses can cost up to $10,000.00 or more. You can browse http://www.bhphoto.com to check out some of those long zoom lenses.
Jerry