Is the Opteka 420-1600mm worth buying for an Olympus E500?

Question

I know one gets what one pays for. Just wondering if the lens performs adequately with a tripod. Thanks for any advice.

Answer 1

Isn't it suspicious how the box says it goes up to 800mm but the decription says it goes up to 1600mm?  Very suspicious.  Still, it's affordable and I'm sure it would be good for certain niche stuff (like a full moon).  

Answer 2

It took me a while to find out its aperture range, but I finally did and it's bad news:

Aperture Range: 420mm : f/ 8.3-11      800mm : f/ 16-21

I don't even think I'd want it if they GAVE it away.

Answer 3

I have that lens. It's actually a 420-800mm lens and it comes with a 2X multiplier. That's how it gets all the way to 1600mm. This is a T Mount lens and is fully manual. With the 2X multiplier you get the equivalent of a 32X zoom. I have never used the 2X multiplier for any shots that I keep, I just never needed to get that close. The main problem is that this is a long lens and even minuscule movement can blur your images. It's also of no use for night shots, simply too dark. For day shots, you get good quality using a tripod. I bought this for specific situations (<1% of my shooting), and have been happy with the results.  

Answer 4

My advice is to save your money. If the Olympus lenses are too expensive then look at Tamron and Sigma lenses.