ZEISS Apo Sonnar T 4/1700 - World’s Longest Telephoto Lens
If you think that the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG i posted here early last month is a very big lens… then I don’t know how you would describe the ZEISS Apo Sonnar T* lens. This lens was actually shown at the Photokina show last year. I must have forgotten that I wasn’t actually able to post an entry about this last year.
The ZEISS Apo Sonnar T* 4/1700 was developed by Carl Zeiss for a very rich customer from the Middle East with very high demands and a special interest in long distance wildlife photography.
(Click on image for a larger version)
Top view of the Zeiss Apo Sonnar T 4/1700
It even has its own LCD! You’ll also notice the Arabic text on the lens 
To achieve the highest possible image quality, the customer decided on using the Hasselblad 203FE 6×6cm medium format camera and ZEISS lenses as the best combination for his special needs.
(Click on image for a larger version)
Side view of the Zeiss Apo Sonnar T 4/1700
At a focal length of 1700mm and a speed of f/4, this project even challenged the manufacture of the optical glass. The delicate, special glass types required for this unique design had never been cast before in such huge dimensions. Some of the resulting lens blanks weighed more than 25 kg (55 lbs.) and were valued more than a luxury sedan! Turning these blanks into the finished lens elements added even more to their value.
The design of the ZEISS Apo Sonnar T* 4/1700 required new lens assembly techniques and quality assurance methods never before applied in photo lens production – even by Carl Zeiss’ normally high standards. The finished lens weighs a staggering 256 kg (564 lbs.), placing unique demands on the focusing mechanisms. To address this issue, Carl Zeiss developed a totally new way of operating a telephoto lens, including servo controlled aiming and focusing systems like those used in large telescopes and similar instruments for astronomical scientists.
Drawing from its expertise in developing and producing satellite and space optics, as well as ultra-high resolution microlithography lenses for semiconductor fabrication, Carl Zeiss was happy to accept this challenge.
The resulting Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 4/1700 lens consists of 15 optical elements in 13 groups.
This currently is the largest telephoto lens ever produced for civilian photographic purposes and a testament to the precision design and manufacturing capabilities at Carl Zeiss.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:14 am
sobra naman atang laki nito… siguro, kung maglalaban kami ng photographer gamit ang lens na ito tapos ang aking camera…. siguradong talo na ako. ^_^
(by the way, i hope we can also exchange links if it’s possible. more power to you)
March 30th, 2007 at 2:58 am
hehe kahit maglaban ka ata sa taong may bazooka talo parin ang naka bazooka haha
sure thing buddy. added you to my photoblog links
March 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Wow! Suddenly the Sigma you featured and I wrote about looks tiny.
Anyway, thanks for the heads up. I’ll be writing about this lens too.
November 24th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
This is owned by a Qatari.
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
no site da Carl Zeiss fala que serve só para câmeras médio formato 6×6, principalmente feita para Hasselblad 203 FE…
e para comprar uma máquina assim já tem que vender a casa.. hahahaha
Fora que para carregar tudo isso vai ser preciso contratar uma equipe de caras mega fortes!!!
E ter um Mac fodão pra processar a imagem!!!
Agora que o Bill Gates tá aposentado, quem sabe né!?kkkkkkk
QUE MEDO!!!
January 24th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Hi Júlio,
Yes the monster lens was used with a Hasselblad 203FE 6×6 MF camera.
Selling one house might not be enough *lol* to be able to buy this lens.
For something that weighs over 250kg I would think that the owner has some sort of a machine to do all the lifting for him
PCs have become very powerful lately esp with the availability of 64bit platforms so I guess you don’t really need a Mac pro just to process the image.
Boa sorte!